Lottery? HA! about as much chance as me winning the Boston Marathon

"If I were a rich man..." Tevye, from Fiddler on the Roof.

Although my chances of winning the Texas Lottery are extremely slim to non-existent, I still play it. Why? Well, there is that small however dim chance.....Besides, it contributes to the Texas educational funding. And since the almighty STUPID legislators in Texas have counted on that to fund the schools rather than taxes, I feel obligated to pay my share.

I also know that the lottery is considered gambling for those with no math skills. The odds of winning the thing are like 175,000,00 to one. Maybe more.

But every five weeks, I put $20 into the machine along with a little slip of paper with my chosen selection of numbers for the next ten drawings, with a hope that that Lotto Gods will smile upon me. I know I am no more deserving than anyone else out there, but also no less.

The value of the Cash Value Option has been as low as 2.4 million and as much as 156 million during the time I have played. I have matched three numbers several times, each time taking home $3 to spend as frivolously as I wish.

Now, I am not a poor man by any means. I think my net worth is in the top 10% of the world's population, taking into account all the poverty in the Middle East and Africa and West Virginia. I have the comfort of a monthly Social Security check, as well as money from the part-time job I still have. I have some money in investments. Ours cars are paid off. Our house has a small equity loan against it. My wife also has a check from her retirement annuity. The bills are paid each month and we always have food on the table, or the refrigerator, or at a local restaurant. So things are basically good.

But...........IF, just IF I hit the lottery, what would I do with the newfound wealth?

First, all our remaining debts would be wiped off the books, as well as those of my children. Next, the church I attend has a few needs as well. A new organ is going to be installed, the lighting system has to be redesigned, our sound system needs overhauling, and there are plumbing issues to address.

My wife wants a house in North Carolina on Bearwallow Mountain. I would see that the house she wants is built and then tell her to go live there. I may join her, I don't know. My anchors are here in Texas. And more to come.

My grandchildren will be taken care of in the area of education with 529b plans so there will be money for their college tuition. I will also put money into plans for each of the grandchildren of my sisters and brother, if the parents, my nieces and nephews, will allow.

I would get this house remodeled, and with enough money, I may just tear it down and build a house in it's place that shows how a house SHOULD be built. I may even pay Mike Holmes and his crew to come to Texas and build it.

A new car or truck might be nice. Unfortunately, General Motors, in all its wisdom, discontinued production of the Astro van. I have found that vehicle to be the Swiss army knife of motor vehicles. It does everything I have ever needed in a transport. Of course, now that I am older, I probably don't need the capability of hauling 4x8 sheets of anything any more. But it is nice to know that I can if I have to.

Would I travel? Maybe some. I have been to Europe several times and may want to go again if I have no time constraints. I would like to sit in outdoor cafes watch people. I might like to stroll along a mountain path. I would possibly like to meet people whose lives are somewhat different than my own. Maybe even Russia. Australia would be very interesting, as I almost understand the language. China and South Asia or the Middle East? Most likely not. Africa holds zero interest except for maybe a trip through the Serengheti.

(I had placed a paragraph here about buying a particular plot of land, but after counseling, I have decided to comply and remove any reference to that land. I am now undecided as to what course I might pursue in the future.)

Investing? Nah! At 66, with the aforementioned monthly check and money in various accounts, I would have no need to invest for myself. The money would just end up going to my children. Or grandchildren. And the best thing I could do for them is teach them the value of working to earn what you get. My kids are educated. They have a sense of worth because of what they did to make their way in the world. They shouldn't need my help. I am very proud of who they have become.

There are places that do help those unable/unwilling to help themselves: The local food pantries, Church benevolent services, women's shelters, veteran helping organizations, and so on. They could always use a helping hand to extend a helping hand. Those places would be beneficiaries of annuities that could pay unto perpetuity.

And maybe I'll take the time to go see a movie. I haven't been in almost three years.

"If I were a very wealthy man..."

My transportation

I just paid over 600 dollars to get a part fixed on my 2000 Astro van. I realize that not everything is made to last forever and the truck IS over 15 years old. The mechanic that worked on it said the part he replaced was  a high density plastic part and he replaced it with a steel and silicone thing-a-ma-bob that should last the rest of the life of the van. Yes, as i said it is 15 years old, but it only has 132000+ miles on it. The last one I had showed over 288,000 on the odometer when I sold it.

My wife is getting on me about replacing the van, but since no one makes a vehicle that can replace an Astro, I am somewhat unwilling to expend my resources to do so. The Astro has a large capacity for interior carrying stuff. You may have to physically remove the seats (no fold down technology here) to carry that couch, but it can, with a shrt bungee cord to hold down the rear window, carry a 4x8 sheet of whatever building material you might need to haul to whatever jobsite you are at. Tools and other materials are locked inside the steel and glass.

The downsides are that there is almost no front passenger legroom. The gas mileage is not up to 2015 standards. There may be too much room, so the time between cleanouts is delayed significantly. My wife has to climb up into the front seat and sometimes needs help. And when my leg is sore or my back has been overworked, I have a difficulty getting into the drivers seat. It does have the smell of a work van.

But it is Paid Off. I owe no money to any bank to use it. I still pay the taxes of registration and inspection. But those are costs with any vehicle.

My son just bought a new Chevy Silverado. Posted a picture on facebook about it. He had a 2000 Dodge 1500 pickup. He needed a back seat to install my granddaughter's car seat so she can ride with him. And if there may be another Yakabowskas grandbaby, they will need the extra room. The only reason he got the new truck was the need for the back seat. He did not have that much mileage on his truck either because he has had jobs that allowed him the use of a company vehicle.

I had looked at the Silverado a few months back while waiting for my wife's car to be serviced at the Chevy dealer. The new trucks are very well appointed and are almost as pretty inside as a nice new car. The one drawback is that the wife would also have to Climb into the front seat.

A few weeks ago, I saw the Chevy Colorado. Once again, a very pretty truck. It sits lower than the Silverado. It does all the same stuff, except the bed is a little narrower. I then saw the ad that it was named somebody's Truck of the Year. So I have been pricing that option. Telling myself it is just a game. Do I really want to spend 30+ thousand on a new truck, I ask myself. The thought of having something new and shiny and more convenient is alluring. The thought of having something useful and paid for is comforting. I don't Need a new vehicle. I keep telling myself that. But the bells and whistles of a new truck.........