I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the lottery is worth over Five Hundred Million Dollars right now. That’s Half a Billion.
Alabama does not have a lottery.
So, people such as my Dad and I have to sneak over the State Line to purchase our lottery tickets. Plus, it makes for a good road trip.
At around 7:35 AM Central Time, Dad and I hit the road headed for the great State of Georgia.
We could have just as easily driven to Tennessee, but going to get lottery tickets in Georgia is tradition. They have a terrific BBQ Restaurant across the street from where we get our lottery tickets. It’s called “State Line BBQ.” More on it in a bit—If I haven’t used up my 500-700 words by then.
Dad has a nice, new, Chevrolet Truck, and he asked me to drive it to Georgia. I accepted his offer.
We both enjoy the same type of music—Classic Rock.
So we brought up Sirius XM on his radio and put it on a Classic Rock Station.
We listened to everything from Led Zepplin to The Beatles.
Along the way, word had gotten out that we were heading to Georgia for lottery tickets. Both our phones were getting text messages.
I was getting tickets for myself and two other people.
I believe Dad was getting tickets for himself and four other people. I’m not sure about that, though.
The trip itself is only about two and a half hours.
The time changes to Eastern Time when you cross over into Georgia.
Dad reminded me of something we did when my brothers and I were just kids. I had forgotten about it.
We lift our feet off the vehicle’s floorboard as we cross over the State Line.
We used to do that as children. I had forgotten.
Every time we drove from Alabama to Florida, when we got to the State Line, we’d holler, “Lift your feet!” and we’d lift our feet off the floorboard as we crossed over the State Line.
I believe things like that might be a Southern thing.
In “The Andy Griffith Show,” Aunt Bee tells Barney and Andy to walk out the front door leading with their right foot for good luck on the trip they are taking.
Again, it may be a Southern thing.
We get off Exit 5 in Georgia and turn right to go to the “Lottery Store.” I pull in.
The place is relatively quiet, which was a surprise.
Usually, this place has a long waiting line when the lottery is way up. I walked right up to the counter.
I whisper to the lady behind the counter, “Ahem, I’m from Alabama, and I’m not supposed to be here. I want to get some lottery tickets for the Power Ball, please.”
She whispered back, “You don’t have to whisper. Most of our customers are from Alabama. It’s legal here.”
I smile and reply, “Yeah, but I’m Baptist.”
The store also sells “Scratch Off” tickets with names such as “Billion Dollar Surprise” or something like that.
They have over Fifty different types of Scratch Offs.
I tell you that so that you’ll hopefully understand this:
On the store’s wall, they have taped up all of the Scratch Off Tickets that have won over the years. Won Big, that is.
For Example, Users will scratch off their ticket and turn it in for money. Big money.
The store owner then takes those winning tickets and tapes them up on the walls so customers can see them. And see how much that scratch-off paid off.
Some are for a hundred dollars, and some are for thousands.
These Scratch Offs are taped everywhere.
I really hope I explained that well. Or this next part might not make sense.
Me being me, I walked around looking at the names of the Scratch-Offs.
I’m looking to see which Scratch-Off is taped up on the wall the most.
In other words, which one wins the most times.
I notice that the “Billion Dollar” Scratch-Off is taped up on the walls the most. Not only that, but the winners have won thousands in that game.
I walk up to the counter and ask for the “Billion Dollar” Scratch Off.
They are $30 each, she tells me.
“Let me think on that,” I tell the lady.
I walk back to the wall to view all the Scratch-Offs again.
“That Billion Dollar one has won big according to this wall,” I mumble.
I go back to the counter.
“I’ll take the Billion Dollar Scratch Off, please.”
I hurriedly take my Scratch-Off back to the table, sit down, grab a quarter out of my pocket, and scratch away.
Guess what?
I won $30. I got my money back.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and said, “Enough of that. I broke even, and I’m happy with that.” And I didn’t buy another one of those.
Afterward, Dad and I headed to the “State Line BBQ” joint across the street.
Every time Dad and I go to get lottery tickets, we eat at the State Line BBQ joint. The food is fantastic.
I always get two BBQ Sandwiches and a Large Fry with a Large Sweet Tea.
This is the only BBQ joint that I order two BBQ Sandwiches from.
At any other BBQ joint, I only order one.
Theirs is so good, I always order two Sandwiches.
Today, the place is packed.
It’s all Blue Collar Workers.
Dad and most of my family are or were Blue Collar Workers.
If you want to know where a good restaurant is, follow the hard-working people of America to lunch. They know where the good food is.
I, though, stuck out like a sore thumb.
I was walking around, taking pictures.
We had both placed our order and sat down at our table.
And it is “Our Table.”
We’ve sat at the same table every time we’ve eaten there. It has never been taken. It’s always empty.
We’ve sat there so many times that if someone else were sitting there when Dad and I walked in, I’d have to ask them to move down.
“This is our seat. You’ll have to move down, please.”
I got my usual:
Two BBQ Pork Sandwiches with a Large Fry and Large Sweet Tea.
Dad got one BBQ Sandwich with Coleslaw and Fried Okra.
After eating, we hopped back in the truck and headed home.
The day started at about 7:30 AM, and I returned home around 3:00 PM.
As far as the lottery, If I win, I win. I’ll know tomorrow night.
The road trips are what I mostly enjoy, though.
—1,114 words.
