July 15 - Lisa's Musings (on lotteries) and Every Day Life

Some days, it's just fun to toss one of those big ole dreams out there, ala "The Secret" and see what happens.

So, today I'm going to tell you what I'd do with a 1/14th share of a $97-million Power Ball lottery check.

This pie-in-the-sky idea was prompted by 14 co-workers at a Detroit auto plant who today are actually living that dream. They chose a lump-sum cash payment of about $25.1 million and after taxes, they each got $1.2 million.

They each had to pay $23.9 million in taxes? That seems just wrong to me, but ... as you know, math is not my strong suit.

So, anyway, what would I do with my $1.2 million?

I'd pay off all my debts, including my mortgage and leave enough money to pay for the taxes for the next oh, say 40 years -- that would get me to be 92 years old. And, by then, I'll either be dead or in a home drooling on myself somewhere hopefully surrounded by my close friends. We've made a pact that we'll all go somewhere to be grumpy old people together. Hey, with the house paid off, maybe we could hire someone to come here and take care of us ... now, that's a thought.

Then I'd get my teeth fixed -- and again, have someone come here to take care of me and the dogs until I recovered from all the pain and figured out how to take these things out and put them back in and actually eat something.

Now, this is going to happen anyway this fall, as I plan to have what's left of them ripped out of my mouth and replaced with dentures, so I can actually eat a steak, crunchy bread, maybe even a piece of gum, without worrying that I'll break them off totally.

OK, so even in my dreams, I've managed to take care of the grown-up important stuff.

And, that million-two is looking a lot more like $500-$600,000 now, give or take. I'd have to figure out how much my property taxes are a year when the mortgage company isn't dealing with them, but I've got some play money left.

Would I continue working -- absolutely, but I would take a whole month off and get people in here to help me haul off all the stuff I no longer want hanging around here.

I'd hire people to deep clean the place, replace the counter tops in the kitchen and put up a nice backsplash behind the stove. Oh, and in addition to the new dishwasher I plan to buy this weekend, I'd get a new stove, too. A cool one -- not one that's super expensive but, something cost-efficient and nice. So all my burners work at the same time. I have a little problem with that at the moment.

So, while I was going through everything deciding what to get rid of and what to keep, I'd have people rip down this God-awful wallpaper in the dining room -- and for that matter, all the wallpaper throughout the entire house, and give it a new coat of paint.

Then I'd see how much money I had left to say, put in a new tub -- one I can actually take a bath, Again, I don't need anything all fancy and super expensive. I'm all about function, not bells and whistles. But it's been a long time since I've been able to take a nice relaxing bath.

I told you it was totally out there -- especially since I don't play the lottery and if I do, it's usually because someone gave me a couple scratch-off tickets.

But, it sure was fun dreaming.