Today I bought a lottery ticket. It is a funny thing to do: pay two or three dollars to dream one's little dreamy-dreams. But on the way home, it is fun to think about what one would do with (for example) nine million dollars. Unless I were overwhelmed by a great greasy greed, I would give a million to each of my parents and siblings--right away, so as not to become overwhelmed by the great greasy greed. I would try to invest most of the rest at 3% and live off the interest. Needless to say, I would pay off my loans. Then I would enjoy writing magnanimous annual cheques to my favourite college.
Now apparently experts say lottery winners must allot themselves some "mad money" to spend in a wild spending frenzy, or else they will be in danger of spending all their millions. I think what I would like to do is rent an Italian villa by a lake for the spring and summer and fly wonderful female friends there. Yes, I imagine a house of happy, excited young women claiming their rooms and planning to do nothing but 1. go for scenic walks 2. sun by the lake 3. go to dance clubs in the nearest big town 4. visit art museums 5. examine clothing stores 6. go to church. Of course, the unstoppable Magdeburg would also work on her thesis.
Elspeth would paint and play instruments. Quintabulous would play the piano. Red Mezzo and Alisha would sing. Magdeburg would drive, and cook, and scare away snakes. Alberta Sunbeam would take fine art photographs. Miss Liz would shop, and cook, and discuss systematic theology with me late into the night. I would review my Italian and practise it in the shops. We would burst, en masse, into the Uffizi. We would run down the beach and splash each other mercilessly. It would be the holiday of holidays.
In the autumn, I would go to Heidelberg and get serious about learning German.
