lottery

Your votes helped keep Middle in the top three finalists in the Cloverfield competition yesterday. I'd like to ask you to keep voting for him here today and each day, if you are so inclined, as we are exceedingly proud of him and would love to see him finish in the top three. I was very proud to tell him that my internet friends are supporting him...I know registering is annoying, but you only have to do it once and then you can vote every day. End of speech.


K buys a lottery ticket once a week, if he thinks of it.
The morning after the drawing he usually hands me the ticket, while I'm on my laptop, and says: here, why don't you see if we are millionaires. We rarely even have one number of the six winning numbers, and I always figure since my friend M's brother-in-law won $22 million the odds of someone else M knows winning are pretty slim.
But sometimes my mind wanders...20 million...50 million...100 million. Food for thought.
Of course I know all the good things I would do with money like that - help family, charitable giving, travel, but if he hands me the ticket on a day that the special real estate magazine has been tucked into the newspaper I find myself paging through it and dreaming about apartments in the city and houses by the ocean.
What did I look at this week?



This was the first apartment that caught my eye. I think I like it because the decor is so spare. I'm not usually drawn to that look for my house, but I like it here.



Simple and refreshing...



I'm not crazy about the kitchen. That's a funny spot for the stove.

Here's another choice...





Interesting space. I hope it comes with the drapes - I'm no good at window treatments.



This is more my speed...



While I appreciate those streamlined city places with open space and modern decorating, this feels like home.



We could definitely buy this one with our winnings.

But, don't forget - I need a place near the ocean too...or maybe even ON the ocean.



This would do nicely - one side for sailing and one side for surfing.



The view makes me weak.



Can you picture me on that beach? I can picture me on that beach.



The interior is cozy...



But I'm remodeling the kitchen.



And this side of the house needs softening - plants, window boxes, and nicer furniture, but that's not a problem because OF THE LOTTERY WINNINGS, RIGHT?

The last place I spotted in the glossy brochure turned out to be just a couple of miles from my house. K and I know the place quite well as we've watched it transform over the last ten years.
Set on a peninsula surrounded by water, it was a tiny but lovely farmhouse. It was empty for a long time and then purchased and renovated. Those owners made it slightly bigger but kept its farm-y feel. The property alone is unbelievable, the views incredible. Interestingly enough, the property, newly renovated, sat empty for a long time. K and I would drive down and stare at it. I'd imagine living there.
And one day another renovation began and all I can say is that the original farmhouse is still there but now it is surrounded by, well...



If you click on the picture and read my note you can see the original house.



This conservatory is on the other side of the house...near the pool and the guest wing.



Nice porch.
But there are two big problems with this dream house.
I hate the interior. It's full of chintz and dark wood and very heavy tasseled drapes with fringe, Victorian.
AND the taxes.



K says even AFTER we win the lottery he isn't paying $5000 A MONTH in taxes.

It doesn't matter - we didn't win this week.