(Wednesday Writing Essentials - WWE 4/4/12 -Lottery)

Hey, I already won the lottery. I was born in the United States in the mid-twentieth century. Despite the cat-boxes, I couldn't get much better than that.

I agree with you, Greg. We are lucky to be born here.

It works into the challenge, how much luckier can you get? We are lucky for a thousand more in-nameable things, we are lucky... how would you make 500 million dollars lucky for the rest of the world?

I sometimes wonder how my life would be different had I been born in Haiti, The Congo, or Iran. I'm grateful to have been born in the middle of the twentieth century in America, but I'd never go to a sporting event and shout with a proud crowd, "USA!, USA!, USA!, boasting of how great we are. I think the term for that is called American Exceptionalism as if we are entitled to possess the illusion that we are the greatest nation in the world, which I rather doubt given our propensity for new forms of political extremism, gun violence, and the rising impoverishment of the middle class.

I ditto Jan. Craig, thanks for the suggestion - it's creating a lot of interesting comments and new posts.

These entries should be interesting reading.

It sure wouldn't ruin me. First thing go see Edward Jones financial planner, then renew our passports and hide out for awhile. And I'd be sure to set up a free cat/dog spay/neuter program for my county. That's just a start!

I like the idea of helping your own County out. That's where you know that donations are being used for what they were meant for.

Very true, Pam.

And our animal shelter is all volunteer.

I've got so many ideas, I can't begin to state them here. Just let it happen, my dear.

Wish I could get my hubby to buy me a State lottery ticket.

What an honor (:
Thanks Pam.

For your kindness, I give you this:

A Day in the Life
Hi everyone it’s me Nemo, I understand I have quite a few awesome people on gather who are fans of a short story someone wrote about me; well I am in the process of writing my memoires but in the meantime I wanted to give you a little taste of what it’s like to be me on a typical day.
7 AM: YAWWWWNNNNNNN! What a long night of protecting the house from mouse invasions and evil spirits (I’m batting 1,000 on the evil spirits), I mean I gotta do something while these people are sleeping and let’s face it I was born for the night watch. Well not much to report, Craig got up at 04:30 and went back to bed watching the Colbert report from the night before; I can hear him laughing through the door… here comes Grace for her morning shower (just like clockwork) even though she took a shower last night; crazy people.
10 AM: My owner didn’t come home last night because he has a new business downtown so when Craig finally opens his bedroom door I run in a stake claim to my spot on his bed, it’s my way of keeping him productive; I sit and keep him company while he checks emails and does school work… if I wasn’t there he might try to stay in bed all day (he’s very lucky to have me motivating him)… 2 hour nap (:
12:01 PM: Oh lucky day, Craig doesn’t have class today so my nap continues (:
1:15 PM: *Frownie* Craig keeps saying “C’mon Nemo, I gotta go”, he has work and he’s chasing me out from under the bed so I don’t get stuck in the room. I join him in the kitchen while he packs his lunch, he sees I want to look out the window but I’m too big boned to fit on the windowsill so he puts a shoebox and two phonebooks on the chair to make me taller (he gets me) (:
2 PM-5 PM: Nap (:
5 PM-6 PM: Stared at closed door with Cortez (the other house cat on the other side), he’s on room arrest for spraying because he isn’t fixed; I played with him before and he is kinda hyper but I still want to be friends.
6 PM-8:30 PM: Nap (:
8:30 PM: Craig’s home! I heard him come in, time to go get petted (he always takes the time to pet me, no matter what); he claims it reduces stress?!? Yeah, whatever; this stress word sounds totally made up, I mean look at me. All ya need is 18 hours of napping and free food… what could be stressful about that?
9 PM- 10:30 PM: Tried to lay as flat as I could on the floor and resemble a bear-skin rug so I could go undetected by enemy spies, chased my feather toy around a bit and tried to get Grace to notice me but her friend who is visiting for the night is allergic to cats ):
11:30 PM: Craig is off to dreamland so he’s closed his door, it’s okay.. I have a job to do.
12:01 AM: I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have 4 people treating me so kindly when most cats only have one… Nap (:
(but only a short one, remember… Evil spirits!)


Obviously Nemo has lots more to say but being that he naps so frequently it can be a challenge to squeeze some work out of him, I really am sorry about about last weeks challenge; I got overwhelmed by schoolwork... sorry.

This is wonderful - you are so creative. Tell your professor that I said he shouldn't make you write 18 page essays and if he does, be sure he reads every single word.

Nemo deserves most of the credit, he assures me that he used bold print and 1.5 spacing w/ times new roman font but when he pasted it from word it just turned into one big blob.

Most of the papers I write wouldn't be of much interest to people outside the medical industry, they're mostly research papers.. proposals and reports; very bland stuff. I did write one about Ebola hemorrhagic fever for pathophysiology, not my best work but I found it to be an interesting subject.

Every paper I've written w/ one exception has received an "A" so if they read every word or the paper puts them to sleep I'm doing something right ^_^

That's too funny. But, if you're suggesting a challenge to write on Ebola hemorrhagic fever for pathophysiology, forget it. I'm too lazy to look up those words.

Ew, research papers on gather? I wouldn't want to read them, no I leave that scholarly stuff at the door; I much prefer this blog style free-form stuff. Before I even found gather I always liked reading other peoples blogs but most apps like WordPress are just so random, I like how the homepage has the "Headlines" so you can just find a topic and dive in.

Technical writing isn't any fun but then it's really just meant to engross you in the subject you are writing about, no worries Pam; if I ever have a suggestion it will be something fun or at the very least existential.

Make for interesting reading

I'd love to see what you would do.

I'd buy the quart sized pack of 24 bud and a lottery ticket.

William, thanks for that effervescent sense of humor!

Barbara said it, William.

I have already made plans for when I win the lottery so this will be easy to write about!

Ooohhhhh, maybe just writing about it will bring you the luck you deserve.

I'd go around smiling and thinking about what I see that needs taken care of in this world that money could pay for. There would not be a hungry child left anywhere near me, then I'd start reaching out passed my own boundaries. Not one litttle child should ever be hungry.

Barbara, that's so sweet. You are truly a gem.

Gee, what an interesting prompt. I like it.

I'm glad you like it and since you suggested it to Len (Craig got to me first), I can't wait to see your post.

Do they do a lottery where you win more time?

I have a friend here in Arizona that won $100,000 in the State lottery.

Sheila, that could happen at a state prison. :-)

Featured Winners take all in the Triple Name Club.

Thanks, Kathryn!

Cool prompt. I posted such a thing not too long ago and I don't want to repost it this soon so... you're forcing me to write something new. Hmm, maybe, yep, that'll work. See you next Wednesday.

Good, cool and see ya.