Come on, karma, throw us a bone

It's been a little while since the Karma Cycle has allowed a day like this. "Buy a lottery ticket now. Tell you later why". That's the text I got at 12:30 this afternoon from Holmes. First thought: he failed Organic Chemistry. Second thought: he wrecked his sweet ride. Either way, since Holmes and I share a pool of luck, I just might win some cash off this karma windfall.

But my karma wasn't really paying any dividends today, either. My lunch break was largely consumed by hassling with the various insurance companies, prescription services and unions that are jointly in charge of my health coverage. I was just trying to get the pill. Not like I needed $2,000 worth or anti-psychotics or something, though after jumping through numerous bureaucratic hoops, I probably could have used some. One unsuccessful trip to the pharmacy, six phone calls, four automated systems and three "patient advocacy specialists" (they really have taken renaming phone-jockey positions to a whole new level), and I still didn't get anywhere. Bastards. Just when I was ready to throw the phone out the window in frustration, my doc's office called, offered a solution and promptly saved the day. But the whole ordeal pissed me off, and I still had to make a trip to the other end of Manhattan to get my pills after work. Grr.

I wasn't feeling very karmically-receptive when I set out to find a place to buy lottery tickets. And of course, today is the day I learn that there are no bodegas within five blocks of my office in any direction. Frustrational. After hustling from downtown to waaay uptown after work, I got back to my neighborhood and again tried for tickets. There's this weird little shop a block away that has all these ceramic figurines and stationery products in the window, but basically just exists to sell candy, cigarettes and thankfully, lottery tickets. Ah, purveyors of the daily vices. What would this city be without them?

I've actually never bought a real lottery ticket, only the scratch-off kind. I felt like I was using the SAT bubble sheets, and had to call Holmes for instructions. A damn Masters degree and trouble buying lottery tickets. Turns out that Holmes slid his car off the road and had to get AAA to tow his ass out of a ditch. Yup, pretty much what I thought. Karma definitely gave it to him harder than it did me (and probably didn't cuddle afterward), and he wasn't in a good mood. But after a bit of coaching, I got five lottery tickets plus a scratch-off to satisfy my need for instant gratification. Got a whole lotta nothin' outta the scratching, but the big drawing is tomorrow, so it could be me....