Winning is more fun than loosing

 Whoopee! We’re on a roll. Last week my wife won $10.00 playing the Western 6/49. She won it with the EXTRA numbers. Two correct ones. Today it was my turn. I also won $10.00, but not with the EXTRA. I had three numbers right. My head is busting. What to do with that big win?

I’ve never had more than 4 numbers right. The most I ever won in the 6/49 was 40 bucks. The week before my win they were paying out $80.00. I think I’ve had 4 numbers correct about 3 times so far in all the years I’ve played. I used to play the 6/49 every week, but now I play it only on occasion. And I play only the Western. It still costs $2.00 for one line and the EXTRA. They used to give you two lines of numbers; even there they’ve cut down. It seems these days you get less and less for the same money.

I remember at Wal-Mart they used to charge $10.00 for 907 grams of cooked shrimp (71-90). Now you still pay $10.00 for a bag, but you get only 625 grams of shrimp. That’s how they try to fool you. They keep the price the same but give you less, hoping people won’t notice. I’ve seen that with many products.

What I hate is when stores change their supplier. We used to buy Smokies with less Sodium from Extra-Foods (President’s Choice). They tasted quite nice and were not super-expensive. Some time ago the people who run Extra-Foods decided to change their supplier; at least I assume it is a different supplier. The same package but the Smokies taste horrible.

We’ve experienced the same problem with Costco. Sometimes, they just discontinue items. It seems it happens every time I get used to a product. We used to buy our tea there. No more. Can’t find it anymore at Costco. Discontinued. They used to carry alcohol free beer. The price was great. They discontinued that. The same happened with the yogurt we bought there. Now they push the Greek Yogurt. My wife likes it, I hate it. And it’s more expensive. I buy yogurt only on sale. Mostly at Wal-Mart now.

Costco doesn’t carry frozen orange juice anymore. Only juice in containers. We can buy it cheaper at Wal-Mart, and that’s what we do. They don’t carry the European type Rye bread we bought there anymore, either. And on and on it goes. Everything for profit. Never mind the customer.

Today, we went to Tim Horton’s for lunch. I ordered the Turkey/rice soup. They didn’t have it. This is the third time in a row they didn’t have it. Why advertise it then. So I ended up with my usual cream-of-broccoli soup. I’m getting tired of it. I’m only going there because my wife wants to go and ‘roll-up-the-rim’. She calls me fussy when in fact I would be quite happy to go to A&W for a hamburger. They always have some kind of deal going; usually 2 meals for $10.00 these days. But my wife doesn’t care much for hamburgers. Yet I’m the fussy one. Figure that one out. In reality, I’m just a basic guy who likes basic food. NO sweet and sour meat, no pineapple on my pizza, no tomato sauce on my spaghetti, no gravy on my fries (no salt, either!), no sushi, no jelly on my lettuce. None of that for me. No red beets, except in Borscht. Is that really so odd?

I will eat frog legs, snails, mussels, oysters (not raw!), shrimp, lobster, crab legs, venison, ostrich (had it once), lamb, rabbit (wild and domesticated). I would eat rattle snake, alligator, kangaroo steaks, and other exotic meat like that if I had the chance. When I was a kid I ate a crow (that’s right, I ate crow!) I also ate a sparrow. Cooked it in a small aluminum pot I still have. I also ate bird’s eggs. There wasn’t much to eat after the war in Germany. You’d be surprised what a person will eat when they’re hungry. Anyone watch the TV show ‘Survivors’?

I remember when they played ‘The Bickersons’ on the radio in the seventies. She used to cook an elaborate breakfast for him every morning. One morning he complained. “All I want is a basic breakfast, Blanche. Just some eggs.” Nothing unusual about that, but then he ‘spoiled’ it with saying, “There are plenty of Ducks walking around.” I miss shows like that. They were just basic fun. However, these days even that has changed. Now you have to think twice about everything you say or write. You might just offend someone. Nobody can take a joke. People seem to have lost the ability to laugh at themselves and their shortcomings. We have to worry about offending newcomers to our country, but if they offend us, that's okay.

Since I’m in a complaining mood. I got gas at Co-op today. Our car has the gas-fill-up on the driver’s side. Some cars have to be filled up from the passenger’s side. I have no idea why that is. Anyway, while I’m filling up, a woman pulls up to the pumps from the opposite direction...in my lane. Why didn’t she drive in the direction everyone else was driving? She could have gone to the other side of the pumps. The spot was empty. Now she blocked my way. Stupid broad! (I hope I’m not offending somebody with that remark. But that’s the way I feel about it).

There is good news. My wife won another free cup of coffee from Tim Horton’s. Hurray! Now I have to go to Tim Horton’s again.

The pussy willows have catkins already. A month earlier than last year. Amazing. Tomorrow is the first day of Spring. Let’s hope March doesn’t go out like a lion with snow storms and other winter stuff. We’ve had enough of winter. I feel bad for the people on the east coast. They are getting more than anyone ever wants, needs or deserves. We are just plain lucky here in the Prairies, getting as little snow as we have. Sure, it's cold, but we can take the cold.

Spring is coming