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I am not one to play the lottery very often. I buy scratch-off tickets now and then, and usually I am not very lucky. I think the most I have won on one ticket is $50. I remember where I was when I bought that ticket and what kind of ticket it was.
My wife and I were shopping at the K-Mart on Westnedge in Portage, back in the good old days when we still had K-Mart stores in the area, that is. The ticket was a Detroit Tigers-themed game, and I turned to my wife and said, “I feel like winning today.” And sure enough, I did.
With that small victory came a sense of invincibility. I kept thinking that maybe if I bought another ticket now and then, maybe one of them would be the BIG winner. After a few wasted dollars (okay, more than a few), I lost interest in buying tickets.
I will admit that, once in a while, I get that urge and purchase a ticket or two, but I have never achieved that low level of success from a few years ago. And the wife does not think it is a good way to spend money; believe it or not, I agree with her!
So when the Mega Millions jackpot was a bazillion dollars last week, I debated about getting a few tickets. I knew the chances of actually winning were not in my favor, but you never know until you try. My chances were the same as the three people who won and well, they are millionaires now.
My wife and I spent a few minutes doing the “what if” routine. You know, just in case we did win, we wanted to have a plan. Bills and student loans would be paid, the girls would obviously have a hefty amount in their accounts, our families would have their houses paid for, etc.
The good side about not becoming the next “lottery winner” is that you will not see me on those TLC shows such as “How the lottery changed my life” or in some cases “How the lottery ruined my life.”
Spring Break
Since we did not leave the great State of Michigan for spring break, my wife and I made sure that we planned events centered around our girls so that they had a fun time anyway.
On Monday we made the trek to Chuck E. Cheese because the girls LOVE it. Of course, Dad doesn’t mind playing a few games now and then, either. I will be honest; I am just like a kid when I go in that place. Thankfully, it was not overly busy, because that place can get pretty warm and ugly when it is too crowded. Another bright spot about the visit was that I ran into an old high school friend who, along with her family, had the same idea.
We also visited the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, which I recommend to everyone. Surprisingly, we spent five hours there and the girls were still not ready to leave. Mom and Dad were, however; we were worn out!
The girls were not into the planes and exhibits as much as they were the rides. There is one ride there that I am not a fan of, but I rode it anyway to make my oldest daughter happy. I am not a fan of heights or rides that go around and around … and around.
For my wife, the best part of the day was watching yours truly squeeze into the back seat of “Flying Circus Bi-Plane” ride. Alexis, my youngest daughter, wanted to be the pilot and sit in the front of the plane, in the much bigger seat. Not wanting to upset her, I twisted my legs and found a way to ride, rather uncomfortably, while she had the time of her life.
Isn’t that what a dad is supposed to do?
