Sunday, January 31, 2021

Buying A Daily 44 oz Diet Coke And Scratchers Is Almost As Hard As A Full-Time Job

Okay. Maybe not as hard as a TEACHING job. But not a walk in the park.
 
I have a plan when I start to town. I know where I want to buy my scratchers, and what tickets I want. Of course I always get my magical elixir from the Gas Station Chicken Store. But the order of my stops varies.
 
I went to the liquor store first on Friday. It's on the right side of the road. I planned to make a right turn out of their parking lot when I left, and a quick left turn into Casey's. Then to the Gas Station Chicken Store for the 44. I don't like to get tickets off the same roll. I've been buying the $3 tickets lately. So I go to at least two different stores, or more depending on if I had a winner the day before, and don't feel like another winner is likely from the same place.
 
Anyhoo... I pulled into the far left parking spot up by the liquor store. There were cars at the drive-thru window, but that doesn't affect me. They have a separate register. Only one other car was parked in front of the store. As I gathered my phone (always on the penny-watch) and money, more cars arrived. People started rushing in there like they were late for a FREE meat giveaway! Or buying their weekend liquor on a Friday afternoon...
 
I counted 7 people enter before I got T-Hoe's door open! And only 1 came out as I sat and watched. That place was like a roach motel! They check in but they don't check out! No way was I going to walk in that narrow-aisled store and find a place to stand in line. It's not like I can lean on one of the liquored shelves, like I can lean on the unchickened counter of the Gas Station Chicken Store. My wobbley knees would be locked up and Frankensteiny by the time I was able to leave. I waited so long for customers to come out that T-Hoe's radio shut off! That was at least 15 minutes!
 
Well. I gave up. I backed out of my tight space, since now cars filled the lot, and one was pulling in and had to wait on me to maneuver. I made my turn to Casey's, and THEIR parking lot was full! So I took the alley through Farmer H's pharmacy, and went directly to the Gas Station Chicken Store.
 
Man Owner was minding the shop by himself. So the line was slow. Luckily a drunk man motioned me to go ahead of him. I'm not ASSuming. You could have smelled his breath all the way over at the liquor store parking lot. He was a happy drunk, though. And if he'd needed a dollar for a bottle of whiskey, I would have donated to his cause. He seemed more like a beer dude, though.

Since I still needed another source for tickets, I went to Country Mart. What can delay me from getting my own tickets from a machine? You'd be surprised. There was a man standing out front with a small table of merchandise.

"Would you like to support our urban boys' club by buying a candy bar?"

"Not today. I hadn't planned on it."

He was nice enough. I don't begrudge an urban boys' club their funding. But I know how the prices of those candy bars have gone up during my teaching career. More money, less candy. It might cost me a five to get a sliver of chocolate the size of a toothpick these days!

My gambling addiction outweighed my gluttony!

Anyhoo... I completed my mission. Tickets in hand, I strolled by the candy man and hoisted myself into T-Hoe. The Pony won $15 on his $3 bingo ticket that I got out of Country Mart's machine. I won $50 on my $3 crossword ticket that I got from the Gas Station Chicken Store.

My non-job may be hard, but some days it pays pretty well.

5 comments:

Sioux Roslawski said...

Maybe you should start a side-business. People give you their lottery ticket money, you put your special mojo on the money, and then buy tickets for people.

River said...

My non-job of trawling around the internet uses up a lot of my sleeping/napping time, so I'm glad I don't have to also run around town buying scratchers that never win for me.

Hillbilly Mom said...

Sioux,
Right now, my side business is finding uses for a mini freezer full of FREE Ponytail Guy meat. It does not pay well. It does not pay at all. Except for the meat.

The Pony is sucking up my mojo! I'm still not over him sliding that second $100 winner out of my ticket pile, even though he paid in advance for a ticket.

***
River,
I understand your predicament. Sometimes I combine the two activities, and find myself waking up in front of the innernets! Good thing that doesn't happen on my Diet Coke run!

Kathy's Klothesline said...

I'm with Sioux! You could charge a % of what the winnings are! Of course, you would want to factor in gas money, wear and tear on your vehicle ... but, wait, you are already going!!

Hillbilly Mom said...

Kathy,
And T-Hoe is already worn and torn!