I am happy to update that on Monday, January 11, 2010, (two weeks later), I got another UI check. This one was for the “usual amount”, instead of the paltry twenty five dollars I was afraid it would be. It seems that the amount of hours I worked at the part-time job that I still had at that time was the reason for the severely reduced UI check that I got.

This new check came with the usual Continued Claim form, which I can mail off in about two weeks, like usual. So far, so good. I’m extremely relieved with how this turned out. I couldn’t get the check into the bank fast enough, so to speak.

Previous to that, I wrote something else about some lottery scratch off tickets that I got for Christmas. No, I am not writing to let you know I won something. I only wish that was the case! I had two scratch off tickets that each said I was a winner of…. another free ticket. But, so far, I haven’t managed to find anyplace to turn them in at. If I do, I will report back, and tell you if the new scratch off tickets were lucky enough to win me some money.

Also, the losing tickets were entered into the second chance drawing, but I’ve not heard anything about how they did. This must mean we were not winners. I am not surprised.

I recently wrote something long about job stability, where I pretty much announced that I had decided to try my hand at seeking work as a freelance writer. At this point, I figure I have nothing to lose by trying it. As I write this blog tonight, I can report that I have sent off a resume and some writing samples to not one, but two, potential freelance writing employers. Both of them responded by email to say something along the lines of “Hey, we got your resume. Your writing looks good at first glance. We are still deciding. Get back to you later.” It’s not “later” yet. But someday… it will be!

I think a lot of people throw a few lottery tickets into the gift bag before giving the gift. It’s become something of a tradition in my family. Lottery tickets are nice because they represent a chance to win money. Until the moment you scratch them off, you can continue to dream about what you might do if you won a million dollars. After all, somebody has to have a winning ticket somewhere right? It could be you. It could be me! I’m unemployed, and it’s nice to be able to just to sit back and imagine having some extra money for a while.

Will these scratch off lottery tickets be winners? Let’s find out!

I’m going to start with the one that says “Cash To Go”. Printed inside a neon pink shape that resembles a cartoon explosion it says “Now with over $1.4 Million in $10 Prizes!” I am guessing most people read the “$1.4 Million” part and just focus on that number. However, if I understand it correctly, it is telling me that if I am very, very, lucky… I may win ten dollars. On the bottom of the ticket, in a box it says “Win up to $500!”. Surrounded by four stars, two green, and two purple, it says “QUICK $10 SPOT”. I am now completely confused about just what I might win from this ticket.

The directions for that one say “Match 3 like prizes, win that prize. Match 2 like prizes and a “GO” symbol, win 3 times that prize. Reveal “10″ in the “Quick $10 Spot”, win $10 instantly!”

Here we go. Quarter in hand, I proceed to start scratching off the ticket. The “Quick $10 Spot” says “9″. No winnings there. Now, I think I need to start scratching off the little icons of bundles of dollars, and hope to match three? I think? There are six. I get:
$4.00
$100.00
$20.00
$100.00 again! Just need one more!
$20.00 again! Just need one more!
One last little bundle of dollars is left for me to scratch off. Will this card be a winner? Holding my breath, and hoping for the best, I scratch off the last one. It says: “$3.00″. No such luck! For a few seconds, this was exciting. The part that says “Win up to $500″ is not something to scratch off. So much for that. I didn’t win anything here.

On to the second lottery ticket! This one says “Cool Cash” and has cute little penguins on it. The directions say: “Match any of “YOUR NUMBERS” to the “WINNING NUMBER”, win that prize. Uncover a (icon of a dollar bill), symbol and automatically win that prize”. Each cute little penguin is sitting under the words “YOUR NUMBERS” and has the word “prize” under it. Off to the side, frozen in a big block of ice, is a dollar sign, with “WINNING NUMBER” over it. Here we go! I start scratching penguins. There are five. I get:
$6.00 and number 15
$4.00 and number 11
$50.00 Oh boy! and number 7
$500.00 Wow! and number 8
$6.00 Got two of those! Does it mean anything? and number 25
The winning number says : number 26
Hmm… didn’t win anything there either.

Next ticket! This one says “HIT $50!” There are five little pictures of bundles of money, under the heading “YOUR NUMBERS”. There is a green box with a dollar sign that says “WINNING NUMBER”. The directions for this one say “Match any of “YOUR NUMBERS” to the “WINNING NUMBER”, win that prize. Uncover a HIT symbol, win $50 instantly!” This seems less complex than the previous lottery ticket. Here we go! I get:
$25.00 and the number 9
TICKET and the number 12. Hey, I won a free lottery ticket!
$10 and the number 11
$50.00 Oh Boy! and the number 21
$5.00 and the number 26

The “WINNING NUMBER” is: 12. This matches up to the one that says “TICKET”. I won a free lottery ticket! I can try again!

One last lottery ticket to go. This one says “Make Me a Millionaire!” and has a large box that looks like a flat screen tv, which says “TV SHOW!”. Is this inspired by an actual television program? I’ve no idea. The directions are simple: “Match three like prizes, win that prize.” I think I am supposed to scratch off the tv screen? I get:
$2.00
TV SHOW
TV SHOW
$50.00 Oh boy!
$50.00 Oh boy, again!
and….
$10.00.
This lottery ticket is not a winner. It was nice to dream for a while, though.

Now, I can take the ticket that gives me another ticket to a store that sells the lottery tickets, turn it in, and try again. I can also take the other three tickets, and enter them online into some kind of second chance drawing. Pretty sure I won’t hear anything about it after that, but if I do, I will write a blog and let you all know what I won.

I guess I can continue to dream for a while, after all.