Better And Better

If you don't draw yours, I won't draw mine. A police officer, working in the small town that he lives in, focusing on family and shooting and coffee, and occasionally putting some people in jail.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

More proof that money doesn't buy happiness...

...it just buys the THINGS that make us happy.

About a week ago, I remarked to my wife that our second-hand, 11 year-old mattress was just about worn out. I had been waking up with some knots in my back, and was noting that I had to climb up out of the trough in my side of the bed, and up from the rather low bed edge (20" off the floor, by my tape.).

We started talking about how to finance a bed. Local place had a deal for no interest, no payments for a year, or even two years, if you spent enough. We began talking about it, in a leisurely fashion. Beds cost several hundred dollars, and in my house, such purchases are not made without due consideration.

Then, this Saturday, my wife said, "Uh, honey...? Come look at this." My wife, a week before, had bought a Texas Lottery scratch-off, on a lark. We both consider lottery tickets and scratch-off tickets to be a voluntary tax for people who are bad at math, but we also both agree with Robert A. Heinlein when he said, "Of course the game is rigged. But don't let that stop you. If you don't bet, you can't win." Last year I think I bought a single lotto ticket, and my wife estimates that she bought $16 worth. I believe her; I've NEVER seen any evidence of her purchasing them. No crumpled up tickets or scratched cards in the trash or in her purse, or in her car. I've seen her once or maybe twice buy one with a soft drink at a convenience store, to swap turns scraping off the silver coatings from the hidden numbers. Purely for occasional entertainment, and nothing else.

Well, this ticket had a set up where "three of a kind for each hand wins." There were four hands of 5 playing cards, and each hand had a dollar amount next to it. My bride presented me with a card with 3 of a kind in all four hands, and the combined amount was... $2000!!!

I said, "Bull! We're mis-reading this." I read the fine print, front and back.

Then I questioned the card's authenticity.

Finally, we saddled up and bought us a Sealy AirSpring pillowtop mattress with box springs, delivered, with old-bed haul-away. It arrived Sunday afternoon. We sprung for the non-crinkly, breathy kind of dust mite cover, and a memory foam pillow for me.

My wife collected the very real check for Two Thousand Dollars & 00/100's from the local Texas Lottery Commission place today, and declined to have her picture taken by an annoyed clerk, who told her, "If privacy is a concern for you, then next time buy your ticket in another town." Yeah. Will do, chief.

It's our first-ever brand-new bed.

After my second sleep on this bed, I can categorically report that this is the best purchase that we've ever made for us as a couple. And the leftover cash paid for the last of our superwasher.

The lesson here? Well, I don't know if there is one, other than that a new bed brings good sleep, and good sleep makes Matt a happy man.

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16 Comments:

At Tuesday, March 17, 2009 11:18:00 PM, Blogger Matt G said...

And before someone jumps in to remind me of the 30% tax, yeah, yeah-- we factored in that about $600 was going into our personally-managed escrow/tax account. Keep yer shirt on. :)

 
At Tuesday, March 17, 2009 11:27:00 PM, Blogger Rev. Paul said...

Nothin' like a new mattress. Enjoy, brother!

 
At Wednesday, March 18, 2009 12:07:00 AM, Blogger Don said...

The lesson is that good fortune that really is a matter of luck is rare, so it's important to enjoy it. Glad you are.

 
At Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:33:00 AM, Blogger JD said...

I would say the lesson is that if you take care of yourself and don't do anything stupid money wise things always seem to work out. . . .

Congrats on the win/good luck!

 
At Wednesday, March 18, 2009 6:57:00 AM, Blogger J.R.Shirley said...

Sleep is important. I'm really missing it.

Good for y'all, man.

 
At Wednesday, March 18, 2009 8:00:00 AM, Blogger LauraB said...

Och, being in that same bed-buying predicament, I envy you your luck! We'd planned to use the Uncle Sam Savings Plan to acquire - only to find that the Savings Plan was really some sort of ponzi scheme.

What we thought we'd get - we owe.

Grrr. Argh.

 
At Wednesday, March 18, 2009 8:01:00 AM, Blogger The Lily said...

Oooooh. New bed! What's that like? Congratulations!! You guys deserve it.

 
At Wednesday, March 18, 2009 8:24:00 AM, Blogger KD5NRH said...

Next time, just make sure she wears a rebel-flag housecoat and curlers, and refuses to take the Marlboro out from behind her ear for the picture.

 
At Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:14:00 AM, Blogger Zdogk9 said...

Mattress' and shoes, the two places not to skimp.

 
At Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:38:00 PM, Blogger Michael W. said...

Well sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you. Glad to see that some good deserving folks got the bear this time.

Kick back and enjoy the buzz as long as it last. -grin-

 
At Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:00:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

In a word - Karma. . . Enjoy it.

 
At Wednesday, March 18, 2009 11:24:00 PM, Blogger Christina RN LMT said...

Congratulations, you two!

We have no lottery in Nevada, and I'm not so much of a chump to gamble in any of the casinos (or convenience stores, or grocery stores, etc.), so I guess I'm still waiting for my ship to come in!

Enjoy the blissful slumber...:)

 
At Thursday, March 19, 2009 11:15:00 AM, Blogger Jay G said...

Awesome news, Matt!

My folks play the MA lottery every week. $33 worth of tickets EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK.

I can recall on one hand - with fingers left over - the number of times they've won more than a free ticket...

 
At Thursday, March 19, 2009 11:39:00 AM, Blogger none said...

Congats!!

I need a new matress too but I think I'm just going to put a rolled up piece of foam under the middle of my existing one to even out the sag.

 
At Monday, March 23, 2009 1:32:00 PM, Blogger J.R.Shirley said...

You know, though...things can't make us happy. Nothing external can.

 
At Monday, March 23, 2009 6:08:00 PM, Blogger Matt G said...

Uh huh!!!

FINALLY, we hear from the hippie! I KNEW I could smoke him out! :)

 

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