Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Redneck Lottery Winner

I'm the old hand at this town now, and my newly-arrived coworker hasn't spent much time here, so I'm the one who is supposed to know where the choice restaurants are. It's lunch time and we again don't have any flying to do. I suggest we go for a bit of a walk across town to a ma & pa restaurant where I know we can get some tasty soup and maybe some lasagna or a sandwich. It's the muddy season, and road work in town forces us to go the long way around to get from the sidewalk to the door. When we get inside the complex there's a note taped to the window declaring the restaurant closed for a family emergency. Not much I can do about that.

There's another place to eat only half a block away, but we have to cross an unpaved parking lot to get there. I believe I've mentioned that this town has the world's stickiest mud. By the time we reach the restaurant it feels as if we're wearing manhole covers on our feet. We scrape and bang our feet against the sidewalk curb in front of the restaurant, trying to return our footwear to the appearance of shoes. The restaurant owner laughs at us through the window as we manage to get mud everywhere without significantly reducing the amount that is on our shoes. We apologize for tracking mud inside with us, but he knows it is unavoidable. He says his landlord was supposed to pave the parking lot, but he's still waiting.

The menu is various Asian foods. I had coconut curry and teriyaki meatballs, and then, as we had nothing to do but go and walk in the mud somewhere, we had a long chat with the owner. He was wearing an Edmonton Eskimos jersey, but explains that it's on account of losing a bet. He has the common misconception that as pilots we somehow own our airplane, or are allowed to jaunt around in it whenever we want. We explain that no, we can only go where we're paid to, because it's very expensive to operate, then we fantasize about the aircraft (Zeppelin), pets (capybara)and household staff (personal chef) we'd acquire if we were to win one of those big lotteries.

The restaurant owner discloses that a guy from this town once won the SuperMax lottery. He was out in Vancouver collecting his big prize, so of course they asked him what he was going to do with the money. I could see where this sort of story was going so I interjected, "Oh let me guess, he said he was going to buy a new truck!"

"No," replied the restaurant owner, although I'd supplied him with the perfect straight line. "He said he was going to buy a new windshield for his truck.

I just realize as I post this entry that it has the same theme as the 100 Items one, that of being pretty much satisfied with what one has. Life is good.

8 comments:

grant said...

Your lottery winner story reminds me of the recent winners who gave it all away. They said they haven't much use for it as life is good. They live in a very modest home, drive 1980s vehicles and don't care much for travel, or anything else other than what they're doing.

They'll probably enjoy their winnings by the giving away, more than some do that lose it all in a year and are worse off than when they started.

Aviatrix said...

I saw a lottery ad where the guy drives down to the beach in the old pick up truck, wearing his old clothes, and then you see his dog racing after a frisbee and bringing it back. Only then does the camera angle change and you can see he has an amazing high tech robot to throw the frisbee for him. Tagline: "What would you change?"

david said...

I'm aware of three phases in life:

1. Wishing you had more.

2. Being satisfied with what you have.

3. Trying to get rid of all the unnecessary junk in your life.

#2 is all too fleeting -- I think it lasted a few hours for me, at best.

Aviatrix said...

David: That's awesome and spookily consistent with the previous two entries, without any effort on my part to manufacture continuity.

I guess it's all part of "whereever you go, there you are."

Elizabeth McClung said...

David: I thought it went

1) Can move with a backpack

2) Can move 8 years after arriving and not have unpacked fully from last move yet

Or

1) Few Items

2) Nesting and hoarding

3) Trying to get rid of items from #2 as interests change - repeat.

I am curious what he wanted in the New windshield? Some tinting maybe?

Aviatrix said...

I can predict with almost 100% certainty that the old windshield had rock holes in it. Almost everyone in the north drives around with a windshield cracked from rocks. You'd have to win a lottery to be able to afford a new one every time you got hit with a rock from the wheels of a big truck.

Elizabeth McClung said...

I am sorry this is off topic a little, I hope you forgive me. I wanted your readers to know that I got some unusual/different aircraft postcards in, and I talk about them, and all sorts of air stuff - in hopes someone, some reader will ask me to send the postcard to them. Just go to this post at Screw Bronze, and pick out the postcard you want sent for free.

Thanks for explaining about the holes, I think maybe he should get TWO windshields then.

Anonymous said...

Great story, and yes life is great!!

LT