The Day I Could Have Won the Lottery

I don't think I ever told this story, actually. About a month ago, I went out after work two days in a row. And two days in a row a bird pooped on my head, both times around 6pm. After the second night (Thursday) out, I dragged my friend to the convenience store to get lotto tickets, because obviously a bird pooping on your head is some sort of good luck thing. Well, the lotto stations were closed since we were there after midnight (and probably a good thing since we were hammered) so I had to settle for scratch offs. I won the first scratch off - $2 and bought a second one. Won another $2 and bought a third one. Won nothing. Fine. Next day, I decide to play the real lotto because there are starving children around the globe that could really make some good use of my winnings. I didn't end up winning. Fine.
Cut to Friday night - in my living room with my roommates, who are witnesses to this. We're watching Wheel of Fortune, when it's around 7:45pm - time for Yolanda Vega with the winning Pick-3 and Pick-4's. This is a game I often play along to, mostly because I think I'm psychic. Well, the day finally came. Yolanda said, "And the first number up..." and I shouted in my best Yolanda-voice "IS FIVE!" ... Yolanda says, "is five...and the next..." "IS SEVEN!!!!" ... "is seven....and the last..." "IS TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "is two, making tonight's pick-three winning numbers five-seven-two"

I MEAN - HELLLLLLLLO, I GUESSED THE LOTTO NUMBERS. That's all I have to say about that. Eat it, Sylvia Brown and Ms. Cleo!


It's a standard in America to drive on the right side of the road. I'd really like to see this transcend and be followed by the general walking population. I cannot tell you how many times I am rushing to the PATH/Subway and people are walking the wrong way down the stairs! Like, really?? If you come around a corner in a hallway or turnstile and you see someone coming at you, veer to the right. Things will magically fall into place. You’ll be amazed how well things can work by keeping it simple like this. Then again, since when do the words "Americans" and "simple" come together in the same sentence?

This morning I had a 3.5 hour meeting. I have thoughts on this: First of all, although I blocked off two hours for it, I really had the expectation of it being a pretty short meeting. But as the clock ticked on and the lunch hour passed, I was really starting to get a bit fidgety. My mind started wandering to the days of "Madmen" and I yearned for a scotch in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Can you imagine when meetings were like this? But let's go back to the expectations part. Being in the corporate world now, my whole life from 9-5 is run by my outlook calendar. If someone wants to have a meeting with me - BAM - they have a meeting with me. That being said, they block off a certain amount of time for said meeting, thereby setting your expectations and in turn, giving you the ability to plan around it.

Today, my meeting was about something that I can't really reveal just yet - but the presentation was given by a man who lives in Amsterdam. A few thoughts on this as well. First of all, he's cool just because he lives there BUT second of all - - it's no wonder these people come up with great ideas. They just sit all day in their coffee shops, drinking coffee and what not - talk, brainstorm, come up with the most creative shit ever (you'll see what I'm talking about next year) and then basically just go out and find out how to make it happen. Can you imagine lunch hours like THAT? Life is just different here, man. Life is just different.