Gamblin’ Time
Two Wednesdays ago, Andrew called from work and said, “I just checked last night’s lottery numbers.” On any other day, this would have been of little importance. We play the California Mega Millions on Tuesdays and Fridays, counting on our shrewdly picked numbers to set us up, eventually, for life, and we’re pretty consistent in our luck: we usually get zero numbers.
But on this particular Wednesday morning, the news was a little different: we’d forgotten to get our Mega Millions ticket for Tuesday. Andrew’s voice was grim, and my stomach dropped. “We got three numbers,” he said. Why are you telling me this? I screamed in my head. Out loud I asked quietly, “What would we have won?”
Andrew waited a beat before breaking the news. “Four dollars,” he said finally, and I nearly shouted with relief.
I tell this little anecdote because it seems our luck has changed; and Sunday night I won $100 on the Super Bowl. This is remarkable for a couple of reasons: first, because I’ve never before bet money on the Super Bowl, and second, because I’ve actually never watched the Super Bowl the whole way through. But I had a small bet going with Andrew’s family, with $40 as my prize if the Steelers won, and was involved without my knowledge in Andrew’s pool at work—a “squares” wager that ye who usually watch the Super Bowl probably know about. It’s a game based solely on luck, with four prizes available, one after each quarter of the game (the winner is named based on the score of the game at that time). Andrew won the second quarter. And I won the big one—the fourth and final quarter. Our total winnings topped $100.
Regardless of this lucky streak, it would have been a fun Super Bowl. We watched in Napa with Beth and Nate and the babies, some of whom provided impressive Pittsburgh-themed food (Beth and Nate) and some of whom provided ample excuses for me to wander away from the game now and then for some book-reading (the babies).
Our luck has really turned. I think it’s time for that trip to Vegas.
But on this particular Wednesday morning, the news was a little different: we’d forgotten to get our Mega Millions ticket for Tuesday. Andrew’s voice was grim, and my stomach dropped. “We got three numbers,” he said. Why are you telling me this? I screamed in my head. Out loud I asked quietly, “What would we have won?”
Andrew waited a beat before breaking the news. “Four dollars,” he said finally, and I nearly shouted with relief.
I tell this little anecdote because it seems our luck has changed; and Sunday night I won $100 on the Super Bowl. This is remarkable for a couple of reasons: first, because I’ve never before bet money on the Super Bowl, and second, because I’ve actually never watched the Super Bowl the whole way through. But I had a small bet going with Andrew’s family, with $40 as my prize if the Steelers won, and was involved without my knowledge in Andrew’s pool at work—a “squares” wager that ye who usually watch the Super Bowl probably know about. It’s a game based solely on luck, with four prizes available, one after each quarter of the game (the winner is named based on the score of the game at that time). Andrew won the second quarter. And I won the big one—the fourth and final quarter. Our total winnings topped $100.
Regardless of this lucky streak, it would have been a fun Super Bowl. We watched in Napa with Beth and Nate and the babies, some of whom provided impressive Pittsburgh-themed food (Beth and Nate) and some of whom provided ample excuses for me to wander away from the game now and then for some book-reading (the babies).
Our luck has really turned. I think it’s time for that trip to Vegas.
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