By Jaimie Rieger

So, nobody won last Friday's big lottery, the largest in Canadian history. That surprises me a bit, considering the number of people who were surely out purchasing tickets in the hopes of winning it big.
I was not one of them. I typically do not buy lottery tickets, but I was planning on spending a few bucks on this one. However, it was also a busy week and other things pre-occupied my mind, so I forgot. So inclined had I been to buy a ticket that I was discussing with my daughter what I would do with the money if I won and I would do probably the same thing everybody else would-travel, pay off bills, buy a new vehicle and home, and live a life of leisure.
All my daughter said to me was, "Dream big, mom!" I think she was being sarcastic, but I'm not sure. Sometimes with Carmen, it's hard to tell.
There's nothing wrong with dreaming big as long as everything is kept in perspective; like not spending more on the tickets than you can afford to lose and don't bet the farm. Chances are you will not be winning the big one and in last Friday's draw, nobody did.
When I told her on Saturday that nobody won, Carmen just shrugged it off. Apparently, she is not all that impressed by a $95-million lottery. Or, perhaps she is just more realistic than I am and knows that even if I was to spend a few dollars on a ticket or two, chances are I will not even get back the money I spent.
I did come close once a few years ago, getting four out of six numbers right and being only one digit off on the remaining two numbers. Had I checked the boxes immediately below the ones that I did, I would have been $19 million dollars richer. Instead, I won substantially less than that. Thinking that I would still get a fair amount with the four correct numbers, I turned in my ticket, found out that 64,000 people had four number right, and I walked out of the store with $75. So close, but yet so far from the big one.
So this week, I will choose my numbers carefully and closely guard the ticket until Friday's draw. You never know. As they say, you can't win if you don't buy a ticket. And, I'm feeling lucky this week.