I thought I'd post something humorous today. It's colder than heck, snowing and blowing with another winter weather advisory and I have cabin fever, for sure ...

I think I mentioned collecting cans a while back ... I received some donations around Thanksgiving, too, so between those and the ones I had collected, I've been smashing them and picking cigarette butts out of them, when I have time (and especially, when I need money LOL). I've taken to gas station garbage cans lately ... and it seems it is either feast or famine, but it helps, seeing as I'm not able to find them on the road side for now.

A while back, I decided to grab all the lottery tickets that people had thrown away, too. I figure every so often, people throw away a winner by mistake or might not have realized it was a winning ticket. During summer, I'd even jump into the dumpsters to scrounge for cans (no matter my passion, I am whole-hearted :-)). There were tickets in the dumpster bags, too (I learned that the gas stations usually have the most cans and visiting once a week in summer made for a decent if smelly "haul"). So I'd grab those and add them to my stash.

So recently, I decided I needed to get rid of clutter ... and of course, the winter weather was conducive to just kicking back and looking through all the throwaway tickets I'd gathered. I didn't expect much, but I did eventually find a couple of $2 winners, some $5 winners, then a $20 and a $60 ... oh, this was FUN work ... after the pile was finished, I counted up what the tickets were "worth". $163, as I remember.

I was sort of upset with myself, though, realizing that I had had all these tickets since the summer and (I have no idea, since I don't "play" lottery, the "normal" way :-)). I was worried they'd be expired, or at least some of them. So I checked on-line and they had a really nice page, with pictures and all so I could easily match what I had to the ones that were still redeemable. Lovely ... my luck was in ...

I printed off the pictures ... I would need them for future reference, as I KNEW what my next moves were. I was going to hit up EVERY gas station (and any other likely place) and scrounge the trash for thrown away tickets. Oh, it was lovely ... thinking that certainly, some perseverance and some nasty liquids (etc) were all that was standing between me and the financial status I'd not long ago lost to a malicious N "divorce" (war to the death?). I would get the tires for the car ... for sure ... and then I could really hit the "scene" ... for miles around. After a short time, I could probably get the car to a state where I could get a "real" job again, too ... I am going stir crazy from not having enough "constructive" things to do, too ...

Oh, the sobering crash of reality ... I had divided my pile of tickets into three or four batches, planning to turn them in in divided amounts. I gave them to the clerk in the first store. She ran them through the machine that checks the small electronic scan tag ... "already been cashed" I heard after each one. Each time I heard it, I felt more and more like a scam artist ... or some naive criminal, trying to pull one over on the clerk. I don't know what she thought ... that maybe I'd "grabbed and run" from somewhere? I embarrassedly told her I'd found them ... I realized that these were probably from my "dumpster stash". When I worked in California and redeemed lottery tickets, we had to "punch" or otherwise void the ticket and turn them in with our cash receipts after our shifts ... this possibility had therefore never crossed my mind or interrupted my short but happy fantasy life ... oh, I was sad.

Epilogue: Although my exuberance is dampened, I still can't resist grabbing the tickets that are OBVIOUSLY not redeemed, if they are "right there" when I get cans. But I don't get them out of the dumpster anymore ... I learned that most stores DO tear them up or something once redeemed ... of course, "my luck" that I grab some from a dumpster where the policy is different ... and cruel, to those in hope ... and some need, at least some times. So today, I went through my most recent pile and can you believe it? I found THREE tickets attached to others which were scratched off ... but these three had not been. And from two different "runs" of tickets (I cannot believe how many of these people BUY at one time ... all attached). So I scratched those three and TWO were WINNERS ... for a grand total of $6!!! Not bad, for a total investment of $0 and minimal time, as I was getting cans anyway. So, looks like I will have to not only keep my "day job" for now, but once spring hits and safer to drive, get another LOL. (And I was actually leery of the winnings, until I got them safely cashed. Thought maybe they were those "gag" tickets people play with other people's minds with ... I am catching up, fast!)

Moral: just hoping this might bring a smile (I'm smiling, now) to someone and also a reminder to not give up ... just because things in life aren't as great as in imagination, doesn't mean they won't still pay off or be good :-).

And just a nice note ... I stuffed the car with cans and took some in today ... had a nice conversation with the man who weighs them; his wife has gone through a lot that sounded familiar to me ... and so he has step-kids. I was able to be encouraging, as there are some problems ... and I have come through a lot of hell, even though mine are "mine" (as his wife, their mother, is also going through some hell). He was encouraging to me, too, as he took me around to show me what was in the boxes, what I should look for (in terms of scrap other than can) and where I might find some. Learned ways to identify some various metals ... and it was really nice and encouraging to hear this man talk about his wife as his "best friend" and a lot else ... so despite a nasty old Monday, it's not a bad one at all ... and I hope that you all are having "decent or better", too!