I Did Not Win 190 Million $$

Ephrata has been in an uproar.  Someone in town won the lotto and 190 million $$.  I looked up the city budget for 2010 and it was 15 million.  I don't think the big lotto win is chump change anywhere, but in a small town it has caused a big stir. I was a little surprised when they announced the winners because I had never heard of them before and did not recognize their faces. I thought I would have at least been able to say, "Oh yeah, I've seen them around town." I wonder if they know Kevin Bacon.

The town's new found notoriety effected me in a strange way.  I never thought for a minute that I might have won the money since there is  a pesky rule about having to buy a ticket in order to win.  I also didn't think Dave would hear from a friend that we hadn't heard from for twenty years.
Before the announcement of the winners names were public, Dave got an email from a friend we had in Portland thirty-two years ago. They were both working on their Master's Degrees at Portland State.  Our friend, who I will call Bill, because that is his name, told us how is doing and how his son is doing. His son grew up to be a professional poker player. That was surprising or at least unusual, but then Bill's ex-wife was a bit of a gambler, in her own way.  She and I went shopping together a few times until I noticed that she was shopping and shop lifting. When I saw what was happening, imagined news stories swirled in my head. "Woman with infant son (that would be me) arrested as accomplice to thief found with stolen panties in her purse."  I had to limit our friendship after that. Still, Dave and Bill were friends. We all went out for dinner from time to time and exchanged Christmas cards for a few years after we moved away.   Anyway, it was a chatty email, just catching us up on his life and, by the way, had we any exciting news to share?
 So after all these years, we get a "thinking of you" email. Bill really was a nice guy.  I want to think that hearing Ephrata's name in the news, after all these years,brought back some fond memories for him. I want to think that. I probably should think that. I'm just having a hard time not thinking about the lotto.