found and lost

If it's my lucky day, why am I so nervous?

July 1, 2005

Yesterday seemed to be my lucky day... but I won't know how lucky until Monday.

When I got home from work, there was an unexpected cheque from my Eaton's days for $244.48. Nice little bonus out of nowhere.

At another point in the day I was walking along and saw a slip of paper on the ground.

Those who have seen me encounter a penny on the ground know I won't pass it by... I'll pick it up for luck. I also on general principle pick up discarded slips of paper that look like lottery tickets in case someone has discarded a winner. Most of the time it's one of those slips that have the winning numbers on it (not a winning ticket, but a winner's list) but once or twice it has been a ticket for a lottery already past that has not won.

But yesterday I found a bona-fide lottery ticket. The draw hasn't happened yet. It could be a winner.

The question becomes: what happens if it does win?

My brother found some money when we were very young. Several hundred dollars. Although he initially did the wrong thing (with my prompting) and bought candy for my family, eventually he turned the cash over to the police. If anyone went to the police looking for the cash, and could properly describe the amount and where it had been found, they would receive it.

A year later Charlie had the cash free and clear.

So how does it work with lottery tickets? I would expect at the very least the same thing... if not the good 'ol rule of finders' keepers. Since the ticket was found, it obviously was no longer under the care of the former owner and when it was last in their possession it was worth the equivalent of a free play. At the time of loss, it was worth a couple of chocolate bars.

I actually bought a lottery ticket earlier in the week (from the winnings of a scratch and win), and once I got back to my desk, I sat down and wrote my name and address on the back... just in case. Now the next day I find a lottery ticket, unsigned and ready to win. The lottery people tell you to sign the back of your ticket once you get it, just in case. I rarely do with scratch and wins, but I often do with regular lottery tickets.

Maybe it's a sign... and yes, I have now completed the back of the found ticket.

See, the problem is: if I do win, I won't know if I get the winnings until I cash in the ticket. I suppose winning another free ticket (or something under $1000) and then to use those winnings to win big are the best case free-and-clear scenario.

For interest's sake here are the numbers from the ticket, in numerical order:

01 05 08 09 13 15 15 16 21 25 26 29 33 34 35 36 36 37 43 44
3 5 6 8 9 9 9