the one where Ashleigh gets rich.

I'M A WINNER!

Don't laugh. This is serious.

But wait, let's back up a second.

 Remember that time I decided to brave a 5 hour trip from St. Louis to Chicago to see a friend? And didn't consider that it was Labor Day weekend? AND IT TOOK 8 AND A HALF HOURS? After the first three hours (all spent IN Chicago), I didn't know whether I wanted to punch the car, the first person I saw, or my GPS for reminding me that I still had 300 miles to go. The WORST part? About an hour in, I realized I had left my snacks in the trunk.....

Once out of the city, traffic eventually disappeared. Just me, the corn, and a bunch of billboards telling me to find Jesus for the next 5 hours. I was still in rage mode, particularly when radio stations started to disappear and I realized I had brought my fully charged iPod all the way from home, but neglected to bring any sort of device to connect it to a car....

BUT THEN

I stopped in lovely Pontiac, Illinois to get gas. I went in to get a bottle of water and felt reckless.... so asked my friend Ellen behind the counter to give me her finest $1 scratch ticket. I sat in the car scratching away..... $5! and then... ANOTHER $10! ANOTHER $10! ANOTHER $5! OHMYGOSH, $15 MORE!!!

You guys, I won $45 on a $1 ticket! I ran back in to tell Ellen (who was very proud, she announced to the whole convenience store that her girl had just won lots o' money) who handed me a wad of cash. For a brief moment, I forgot everything I hated about Illinois! Forget the traffic! Forget the disgusting heat! Forget the endless corn! I WAS RICH!

I remembered EVERYTHING I hated about Illinois about an hour later, when I hit construction and traffic stopped DEAD. Whatever.

Against all odds, I eventually made it to the Show-Me State. My rage even disappeared (for the most part) after being greeted with a hug, box of cookies, and a cold beer from Kevin, who now wins the award for being my favorite person ever.

Next up: Friend Kevin will have to forcefully drag me back into a car so we can go to the Budweiser brewery (!), the Arch, and a whole host of other things I am told are free, awesome, and at least slightly ridiculous. Who would ever want to spend Labor Day on Cape Cod? This is clearly better than the beach! (?)

OK..... well, time for a breakfast cookie and a shower to prepare for my BIG FIRST DAY IN MISSOURI.  Don't worry, I plan to buy a lotto ticket before I leave.

Love,
RWP

PS... Why is Dr. Sulu on TV trying to tell me to learn more about social security?