Friday I stopped by the Gas Station Chicken Store for my 44 oz Diet Coke. I cashed in a $60 scratcher winner, and got some $3 scratchers for myself, a Bingo, Crossword, and Gold Mine. The Pony wanted one of the new $30 scratchers that came out on Monday, and five MegaMillions draw tickets. The jackpot was $480 million.
Since I'd bought my own new scratcher $60 winner there the day before, I did not get The Pony's ticket. I figure a loser would be ready if I bought again so soon. I had plans to go across the street to the Liquor Store for it, and to get myself more tickets, especially a PacMan that I can't find anywhere else these days.
I stuffed my winning change into my shirt pocket, and headed over there. Let the record show that The Pony had given me $40 to cover the cost of his tickets. I had the two twenties right there in my shirt pocket, having used my winnings to pay for his draw tickets. I knew I would get it back when buying at the Liquor Store. I was going to spend exactly $40 there, after cashing in a couple more winners.
Lest you think this is a math problem, I will plainly list my ticket purchases after I handed the gal (the little FRIENDLY one, not the hateful hag) my two $5 winners.
$30 new ticket
$5 Crossword
$5 PacMan
$9 Bingo, Crossword, Gold Rush
$1 new ticket
See? That adds up to $50, but I was cashing in two winning $5 tickets. I owed $40 as planned.
While standing there, I was momentarily discombobulated by a PENNY under the counter. So I took a picture and fished it out. As the gal was tearing off my tickets, which I'd asked for by their numbers in the ticket case, I remembered that I forgot the $1 ticket. I don't usually buy them, but those $3 tickets make me come out uneven.
"Oh, and add on a number 24, since I have a dollar left. Might as well spend it all!"
The gal scanned the tickets, and pushed them across the counter to me.
"Yes, that's right. It's $40 even now."
"Okay! Thank you!"
I turned to leave. Had hobbled a couple steps, actually, when Little Gal said, not unkindly,
"I mean you OWE me $40."
SWEET GUMMI MARY! I was SO embarrassed! What am I, some kind of lottery novice? Of COURSE I owed her! Scratchers aren't free!
"Oh! I'm sorry! Here!" I pulled the two folded twenties out of the front of my shirt pocket. I'd intended to do that all along. I had them ready! "I just cashed in a $60 winner over at the Gas Station Chicken Store--"
"Congratulations!"
"Thanks. I guess I was thinking, since I handed you those two winners, that I had covered it with my winners! Good thing you caught me before I made my getaway! Sorry about that."
"Oh, that's all right. You have a good day. Good luck!"
"Thanks!"
Well. I DID have good luck, despite trying to steal those tickets! The Pony won $50 on his new ticket, and I won $40 on my PacMan, and $15 on the three-dollar Crossword. We raked in $105 after spending $50 ($40 after deducting the winners I cashed in).
Yes. It was a good day for winning, but a black mark on the permanent record of Mrs. Hillbilly Mom, who really does not have a long rap sheet, despite being Public Enemy #1.
Heh, heh! I doubt I could have made a clean getaway, since I travel slower than a Galapagos Tortoise riding on a snail's back. Little Gal or the customer behind me could have nabbed my ample rumpus before I got to the door. You'd have to be in a coma inside an iron lung to be outrun by Mrs. HM.
5 comments:
You could have told her that you were a science teacher, not a math teacher. Maybe that would have helped explain it even better.
You DO have good luck... and apparently The Pony inherited the good fortune gene from you, too.
I've done similar things, thinking I was GETTING money instead of having to PAY money then wandered home after wondering just where my brain was.
Congratulations on all the wins.
I hope The Pony does well in the Megadraw lottery.
Sioux,
But I DID teach some math, to my at-risk kids, from 6th grade up to 10th grade. Surely you don't wish me to besmirch my permanent record with a LIE!
The Pony is the luckiest after me. My grandma (Mom's mom) was very lucky playing BINGO! To the point that some relatives used to mutter that she might be accidentally cheating! Poppycock! She was never caught...
***
River,
I must have been distracted, mentally salivating at the thought of scratching my tickets! That darn Pony won ANOTHER $50 on a $30 ticket the next day, when I cashed that one in and bought it for him. With this one, he decided to take the cash, as part of his upcoming casino bankroll.
He has won $4 twice on the draw tickets. Nobody has been winning. I think MegaMillions and PowerBall are both over $5 million next drawing.
Powerball is $8 million here, so I gave in and bought a couple of tickets, after telling everybody that I wasn't going to. But I keep thinking of my four kids, two of them have partners and four grandkids, also two of them have partners, so $8m will be a big help.
River,
I hope Even Steven is there, overseeing the drawing for you! One thing's for sure: you can't win if you don't buy a ticket. Nothing wrong with that, as long as people stay within their budget.
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