Last weekend, I purchased my first authentic Dolce & Gabbana handbag and I took a red-eye flight to Italy just because I wanted to see the beautifully classic painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel – well not exactly. But if I would have won the $317 million Powerball Lottery, I certainly would be the Herald-Guide’s first foreign correspondent. You don’t think I’d actually stick around here, do you?
I am not a gambler, won’t be called one and don’t claim to be one, but occasionally – when the lottery jackpot creeps its way up to nine figures – I just have to try my luck.
Five dollars worth of Powerball Quick Picks – machine generated, two $1 random scratch-off lotto tickets that I usually let the clerk pick for me and a Diet Coke – that my friends is the extent of what it takes to make my “Gamblers Cocktail.”
I pride myself on not being a greedy person and only hope to earn enough money one day to live comfortably and without worry.
But when the stakes are high, I must say that its hard not to join in the excitement and fantasize about what it would be like to be rich.
Hmmm, what would I do with $317 million dollars?
The first thing I would indulge in is a new car – you and I both know what I drive around town in – but what kind of car, I have no idea!
I’m not really into cars and not familiar with what vehicles are the “it” cars and on the top of the list.
I just like them to look nice, have A/C, a CD player and actually get me from point A to point B.
If I had to choose, I’d be happy with one of those mid-size Lincoln MKZs. I’ll take one in black, with four doors and tinted windows, please.
After I hopped in my new ride – I’d shop till I dropped, scouring the planet for the latest and greatest purses and shoes – all designed by only the top-of-the-line fashion gurus.
I made my first and only major name brand purchase in high school, and let me just tell you, I’m not talking about the Gap outlet at the mall.
When I was a junior in high school my friends and I would occassionally pop in a thrift store or two to find a funky T-shirt or a unique denim jacket we could adorn with sequins and rhinestones.
But in 1998 the Red, White & Blue Thrift Shop in Marrero is where I bought a light blue Donna Karan – also known as DKNY – mini-skirt for a whopping $2.50.
Sure, I didn’t pay the full off-the-rack price, but the garment still had the tags on it and the thrifty purchase made me feel special – none of my friends were wearing high-end runway fashion.
But if I ever REALLY won the lottery, I’d give in to my true passion and travel.
I’d visit the Seven Wonders of the World, hit all the hot spots in Europe, Asia and South America and take a very long vacation.
I’d hope that I would not let all the money go to my head. I’d plan for the future, help my family, satisfy all my debts and start my own magazine – my ultimate goal in life.
I’d have an extremely memorable and fabulous wedding and become a true “Bond Girl” by finally saying “I do” with my finance, Sean Bond.
I definitely wouldn’t want to become a sloppy spender and a candidate for an E! True Hollywood Story fittingly titled something like, “Lottery Winners Gone Broke.”
People say that money can make you lose your marbles, so my No. 1 hope would be to keep my sanity.
I’ll probably keep playing the Powerball Lottery for a few more weeks until someone out-of-stater hits the jackpot and then I’ll just have to wait until the next “big” time.
But you’ll know if I’m the lucky winner – I’ll be reporting live from a gondola floating in the canals of Venice, Italy.
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