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I Won A $45 MILLION LOTTERY! Interview with John Falcon ***Must Listen***

Published on: 23rd August, 2023

This is a podcast interview with musician and lottery winner, John Falcon. He won $45 million from the New York State Lotto in 1999. He is interviewed by Powerball winner and podcast host, Timothy Schultz.

In this episode of Lottery, Dreams and Fortune, John Falcon reveals what it was like to win $45 million dollars from the lottery, how it changed life and his advice if you win big. He also discusses a dream about winning before it happened and a vision encouraging him to check his tickets. John Falcon explains why he chose the annuity option, what it was like when people to came out of the woodwork and how he's pursued his dreams.

***WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/FShQmzg8JTE

***John Falcon TikTok: @JFalcon0613

***John Falcon Youtube:  @johnfalcon5511 

***John Falcon Music: https://rb.gy/mnmm5

Timothy Schultz is a podcaster and Youtuber with Bullhead Entertainment, LLC. In 1999, he won the Powerball before going back to college to study broadcast news and work on various productions. He’s now combining his experience to launch this podcast, Lottery, Dreams and Fortune.

This podcast has an emphasis on overcoming the odds and the belief that anything is possible. Previous guests have included the winner of the first American season of 'Big Brother', a near death-experience survivor and several lottery winners, among others.

SUBSCRIBE TO TIMOTHY'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://bit.ly/2SwFecc

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TIMOTHY SCHULTZ OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://bit.ly/2VRf06E

WATCH NEXT:


INTERVIEW WITH $50 MILLION LOTTERY WINNER RANDY RUSH: https://youtu.be/orGwynSBt-E


LOTTERY INTERVIEWS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtW0y2ulAs_JbdM9xNBsaxKyn7puGsQgQ


LOTTERY NEWS PLAYLIST: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtW0y2ulAs_JiEn4E2xjQrGwmwRLJGfKw

Mentioned in this episode:

Special Announcement from Timothy Schultz

This is a short announcement from Timothy Schultz about how you can watch this interview on Youtube!

Youtube: LOTTERY, DREAMS AND FORTUNE Podcast

Transcript
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Welcome to Lottery Dreams and

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Fortune. My name is Timothy Schultz.

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I'm a YouTuber podcaster and

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I happen to be a lottery winner,

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but I'm now combining my experience

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in broadcast news and journalism to

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meet and interview other people

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that have overcome the odds in

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life. Some of these people happen to

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be other lottery winners, and this

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is one of those interviews with

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$45 million lotto

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winner Jon Falcon.

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Now, if you want to watch this

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interview in its entirety, I will

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put a link to the YouTube episode

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in the show notes for this podcast.

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But without further ado, let's

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get to the interview.

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I'm here with Jon

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Falcon, who won 45 million

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from the New York Lotto in 1999.

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He has an incredible, incredible

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story.

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I'm so excited to welcome

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Jon. Welcome to the program today.

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How are you doing?

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I'm good.

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I am well rested and ready

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for the interview.

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So excellent.

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Well, I really, really appreciate

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your time.

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So for people, for people that

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aren't familiar, what did you win

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and how did it happen?

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Wow.

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Well, okay, I won

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the New York State lottery, so it

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wasn't mega ball or I didn't think

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they had Bag of Lawler or

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Powerball in 1999.

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I don't even recall.

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But I won the New York State

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lottery. And at the time

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I was the largest

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winner ever and

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it was $45 million.

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I took the annuity because

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I figured if I screwed up one year,

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I still have checks coming in.

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But when I won,

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I was 44, so I wasn't really

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I was mature enough not to go out

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and buy a $45 million lollipop,

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you know.

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And I also knew that I needed

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and I had friends around me who were

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wealthy and they they gave

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me their tax attorneys and they

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gave me their accountants and they

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gave me their So

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I was pretty well taken care of

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as far as handling the money is

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concerned.

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So then it was a

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yeah, it was a blissful,

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horrendous, horrible,

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great, wonderful event.

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When I first found out

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that I won,

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I won actually that Saturday

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and I was in work

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I was at work on Monday

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for a few weeks before winning.

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I would have these dreams about my

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grandmother who has

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passed on, and my grandmother was

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telling me to check up

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on the lottery numbers because

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I had come up with these lottery

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numbers, which were an amalgamation

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of addresses where I used to

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live. And for two and a half years I

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was playing the same numbers.

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But what happens is as things become

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a habit, you forget to

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check, you buy the ticket, but then

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you forget to check.

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And so my grandmother was coming

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into my dreams and saying, you know,

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Idiot, check the check the numbers,

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your check it.

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She kept on saying this to me.

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And the day,

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the Saturday when I won, I had

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no idea that I had one until

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Monday and Monday

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I was at work.

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I used to work for this textbook

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company, a company that was in a

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big, giant office building.

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And I don't know if you've

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ever worked in an office building,

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but I'm sure some of your

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listeners do

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or have. And you know that

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when you get to the

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to the elevator that

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it can be quite a way.

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So I had put it in my elevator

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time, but my grandmother's voice

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kept saying to me to go check the

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lottery. I was just

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hallucinating.

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You know, this is without drugs.

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Know I was.

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But my grandmother was telling me,

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you know, go check those.

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Okay, Go check.

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And so, I mean, I had already

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booted down

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my computer.

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I mean, I think 1999,

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you had to put down your computer,

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your computer.

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And it was quite a process.

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And then it was even more of a

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process to boot up your computer

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back again.

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Anyway, so I actually

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took my security card and

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walked through my little Dilbert

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world of, you know,

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office cubicles, got to my

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cubicle, booted up my computer,

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went on to my Yahoo site

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where I had a like a little

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Section four lottery and

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a push that button and,

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you know, and then looked at that

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winning numbers and thought they

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looked awfully familiar, you know,

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because because they were my

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old addresses.

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They were.

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You know, they were memorized, you

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know.

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So.

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Uh, and I, you know, I happened to

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have I was wearing like a,

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like a breast fuzzy thing.

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And it and I had my ticket

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in behind a zipper and everything

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was very well-protected.

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And I took

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out the numbers and put them up

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against the thing and said, Holy

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crap.

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And at that moment, my boss,

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who was always

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carrying manuscripts and

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always in a state of

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hurry and flux and agitation,

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she was walking by and they said,

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Lori, Lori, come in.

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You know, she goes, Why would you

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want leave me alone?

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You know, it's just come in here.

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And I said to her, Look at the

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numbers on the screen, which she

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did. And then I showed her the

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ticket and she took the ticket

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out of my hand and looked at the

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numbers and

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she said, John, what are you saying?

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And I said, Well, I think I won the

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lottery and

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I had no idea what to do next.

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You know,

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you know, what do I do? Go to the

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bodega and ask for my $45

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million. I know.

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And of course, she being the boss,

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said, call up, get

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the number for the main lottery

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office downtown, blah, blah, blah.

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You know, which is why she was the

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boss. And ask them what it

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is that you should do now

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is around 530 and you know, lottery

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offices close at five.

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So I wasn't expecting anyone to

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answer, but someone did.

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And I said,

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Well, you know, I was just wondering

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what do I do if I have a winning

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ticket?

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And he actually said, Well, go to

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the place where you bought it and

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let them know that, you know,

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blah, blah, blah.

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And I said, Well, I think that it's,

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you know, the big prize,

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you know, And

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he asked me where I bought the

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ticket and

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I bought the ticket that Saturday,

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and I had an

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appointment with my musical director

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and he lives on seven.

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I'm in New York City, by the way, in

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case you're four.

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For your listeners who don't you

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know, he lives on 76th

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and Amsterdam and I

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could have sworn, well, that must

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have been where I bought the ticket,

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you know, did it.

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But I had forgotten that I was

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picking up music, sheet music from

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my instrument.

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You know, the guy who used to write

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it out by hand.

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By the way, this is how 1999

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we realized, you know, you still

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had to write things that music out

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by hand.

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So I had gone to his apartment

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to pick up my music, and that was on

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90th and Broadway, and that's where

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I bought the ticket, even though

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I really don't recall

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it. But yet there

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the guy who I who I bought the

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ticket from, you know, had a big

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picture of me on the window.

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And I because I told

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the guy 76 in Amsterdam and he

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said, well, no, that's not where the

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ticket was bought.

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And I said, Well, and yet

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I have it in my hands.

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So there's a five digit number.

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He asked me to read the five digit

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number. He said, Yes, that was the

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winning ticket.

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I said, How many people?

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One. He said, one.

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And I said, So I won all $45

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million. And he says, Bring it to

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the main office.

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And he gave me the address

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tomorrow, the next day, and

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which is what I did with a whole

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group of friends.

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And we all waited on line

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behind mothers

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breastfeeding their children and

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smelly old men and all that.

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That was that was how I found out.

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It was that my

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my textbook job,

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a computer inputting job.

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You.

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Wow.

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Oh, my gosh. That that

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is incredible.

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And I want to ask some

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more questions about your dream, the

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dream that you had prior to winning.

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But before I get to that, when

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you first saw

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that you that the numbers did match

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before you called them on the phone,

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I mean, how did that feel.

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That numb

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it? Everyone asks

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the question in all of this, you

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jump up and down to do this.

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I know it was really just

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there was still non-belief, you

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know, like did my parents

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live at 1539, really?

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Or was it 1538?

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There was still something that

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just it's such

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an unbelievable

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position to be put in that I was

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just numb.

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I just had really no thoughts

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in my head.

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And that evening I was supposed to

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meet two friends of mine at

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an off-Broadway theater

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all the way downtown, and

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I actually walked to my friend's

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house who didn't live far

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from my office and

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scared her, knew she had had a brand

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new maid, scared her half to death,

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you know, or thing.

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And so then I think, Oh, let me just

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walk down to East Third.

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I mean, now I'm on East.

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I was on East 35th and I was going

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to walk down to East Third.

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If you know anything about New York,

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that's quite a walk.

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And I did

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it. I just walked in a daze.

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Just I knew enough to go into

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a newsstand or

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something to get a copy of the.

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The winning numbers because

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I knew I would need that to show

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too, to let my two friends know

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why we were not going to the

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theater, because there's no way I

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was going to be able to sit still

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for 2 hours.

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And I think it was a deconstructed

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like Streetcar Named Desire.

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No way.

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No, no, no, no.

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Maybe if it was Mama's lovely.

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But, you know, A Deconstructed

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Streetcar Named Desire, I don't

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know. And so

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I got it. I did have

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the wherewithal to get a

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ticket with the winning numbers, and

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I just continued walking and

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finally got there.

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And there was my friend,

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you know, waiting outside with

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the tickets in her hand.

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And we were waiting for another

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friend. And I walked up to her and

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I said, There, we're not going to

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the theater. I'm sorry that,

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you know, luckily I just won the

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lottery. I will pay for the ticket.

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You know, for.

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The ticket, you know.

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And she goes, What do you mean?

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Well, you know, I got a

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this woman used

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to getting her own way.

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And I knew that there was a bodega

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on the corner.

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So I said, well, come follow me.

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And you know.

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And I said, But whatever you do,

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just be sorry.

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Watch. I don't.

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Don't.

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Don't scream, yell, don't

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do anything. Because who knows,

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you know, especially in 1999,

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who who knows who's hanging around

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the bodega.

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So we went to the

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where where they had of all the

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numbers, the winning numbers.

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And I pointed to

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the winning numbers and I said, look

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at that. I took out my card

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thing from the thing.

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And I went and look at this.

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And she says again, What are you

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saying? And I said, I won the

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lottery.

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And in.

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The loudest.

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Voice possible.

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You know, she went, You won

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the lottery.

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I mean, it was like.

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You know, I felt like I was in the

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middle of like West Side Story.

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The sharks were here.

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And, you know, we were

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in the middle.

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Of you were going to the Jets,

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you know, they were doing number.

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They were doing that dance numbers

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around us, you know.

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Okay.

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Okay, let's get out of here now.

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Let's just do it, because everyone

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just everyone's head just perked

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up and and and

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we left the bodega and

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we finally see our second friend who

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it was arriving, and

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she says, Let me tell her.

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And she.

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Runs over.

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I go tell.

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The whole story.

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And it was so

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it was so easy.

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I thought they would put up more of

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a fight, you know, or, you know,

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say, Oh, this is not true.

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And then they

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it was so easy.

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We didn't go to the theater.

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We found a bar,

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you know, and we went in and we had

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a drink and they called their

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husbands and their husbands are all

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lawyers and accountants and think

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about. So it was it was all

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beneficial to me.

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And we all met

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my two friends and I met the

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next morning

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I met one of my friends at the 86th

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Street train station.

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So I just won $45

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million. Think about this.

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We took the train, I mean,

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and then we took

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the train. And my friend who lives

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thirties, she she

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we told her we be at the last car

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and she went on to the

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she met us in the 30th

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Street station and

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garden and so we all met each other

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and we went by train

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to the, to the lottery office,

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which I find absurd.

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I just won the lottery thing.

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So I went to the spring, sprung on a

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cab, but we

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took the train.

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Where where was the ticket

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when you were on this train ride?

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Well, you know what?

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I have this.

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I had this.

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It's like a vest, you know, It's

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like one of the. What? You know,

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these vests. It's it's a it's a

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vest, but it's for warmth.

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And, you know, I used to wear

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it because

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I used to wear it.

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What can I say? I used to wear an

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underwear jacket over it.

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And it looked kind of cool and it

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had a zipper pocket.

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And so all that time, the

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ticket was in my separate pocket.

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Of this best.

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And we get you know,

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we get down to the.

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To the to the main

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lottery office, which is all

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the way down to a

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part of downtown.

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I have explored,

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you know, even even today.

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And

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we got on the line and and

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as I said, there was this big long

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line and I'm standing

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there with my ticket.

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And there was a,

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you know, a family of 15

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and she's breastfeeding.

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And behind me was a man

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who

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did not have the best cologne on.

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The cologne had gone a little bit

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rancid.

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We'll just call it cologne.

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And and

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then when I got to the finally got

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to the window, you know, I gave

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there was a a guy sitting

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there just all gray and

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like in a shirt that had been

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laundered too many times, you

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know.

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And.

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I gave him my ticket and he goes,

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congratulations right here.

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And he took the ticket to the back.

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And Judy, Oh, I don't wanna say

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their names, but my two friends.

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Just where is he going with that

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ticket? You know?

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And then they took me back, and

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it turns out that the.

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The head

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at the time.

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I don't think she's she's there any

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longer.

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But the head of the lottery

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in New York State was

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on vacation and

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they wanted to have a press

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conference.

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So they asked me to wait

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for two weeks until she got back

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from her vacation before they gave

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me the check.

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Now, of course, I'm smart enough

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to go give me the check and

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then we'll wait.

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But. But, but.

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But. For two weeks, I was the

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poorest little rich boy in

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New York because I never went

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back to work. I just never

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went back.

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I told all my friends, divvy up my

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stuff. I just want my kids, you

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know?

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Oh, was that.

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What did that feel like to wait two

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weeks before they paid

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the the lottery winnings?

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If you ask how it feels like it felt

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like nothing, because it.

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It never

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I was like I couldn't sleep, you

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know, I couldn't eat.

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I was so nice that I couldn't

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eat or sleep.

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And it was just it was just

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it was more like a

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I'm not going to say trauma, because

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that's too but but it was more

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internal, you know, That

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was you know, I didn't tell my

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parents until the day before

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the press conference, and that was

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two weeks away.

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So I didn't tell.

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The first person I told

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was I used to have a shop and

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I had a bookkeeper.

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And so the first person I told was

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my bookkeeper because I knew that

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I was going to need someone to keep

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track of this because there was

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no way that

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and she was actually the first one

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and the only that's like, she's not

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she wasn't the only one because of

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course, obviously my two friends

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knew and and I told

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some other friends and I have

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a friend who passed away recently

Speaker:

who was a jazz,

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one of the great jazz

Speaker:

orchestrator, Sy Johnson.

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And he he just passed away.

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But he happened to be walking

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down my street, walking his dog

Speaker:

as I was coming home.

Speaker:

And, you know, I told

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him right there, just like

Speaker:

he said, How are you, John?

Speaker:

And I won the lottery.

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And.

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You know, and so.

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People don't know, you know.

Speaker:

Do they back away and.

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Stay where you are.

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But he kind of also just

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kind of believed me, like right off

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the bat kind of thing.

Speaker:

And he took a picture of me that

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day and his wife.

Speaker:

And look, since he passed away,

Speaker:

looking through his things, found

Speaker:

the picture and gave it to me

Speaker:

that very first encounter

Speaker:

with

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my event.

Speaker:

Wow.

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Did did you have the option of

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claiming it anonymously or

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did it have to be public?

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You know, I have to say, I didn't

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even think about it.

Speaker:

I didn't even it didn't

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even occur to me of

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those as you as you asked,

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you know, what were those two weeks

Speaker:

like? I mean, there was one point

Speaker:

where I was walking by, it was on

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Fifth Avenue or something, and I was

Speaker:

walking by this, you know, the

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matter of the shop or whatever.

Speaker:

And, you know, all of a sudden I

Speaker:

just got dizzy because

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I thought, Oh my God, I can pay for

Speaker:

my nieces and nephews education,

Speaker:

you know, that were just so many

Speaker:

things I could do with this money

Speaker:

that could help my family

Speaker:

there. And they were you know,

Speaker:

they were in high school, not

Speaker:

even high school at the time.

Speaker:

They probably and

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and,

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you know, that just made me dizzy.

Speaker:

I had to find someplace to sit down

Speaker:

and have a cup of coffee.

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So, I mean, I spent that two

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weeks, you know, sleepless

Speaker:

and and befuddled.

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And I remember and

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I there was an acquaintance.

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I met this girl on the street

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who we both went to the same singing

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class, and it was like

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late at night I was coming home.

Speaker:

I don't know where I

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was, but

Speaker:

I was coming home and we saw each

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other and, you know, What are you

Speaker:

doing? This neighborhood.

Speaker:

And I went, I won the lottery.

Speaker:

And she kind of what I.

Speaker:

Yeah, I won the.

Speaker:

Lottery. And she kind of was like,

Speaker:

backing away.

Speaker:

Like she was.

Speaker:

At any minute. I may get violent.

Speaker:

You know, So.

Speaker:

So and then a lot of stuff

Speaker:

happened like that in that two

Speaker:

week period.

Speaker:

And then

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the day came the day came

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for the

Speaker:

for the

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press conference.

Speaker:

But it was at the

Speaker:

advertising company and,

Speaker:

uh,

Speaker:

the people in charge.

Speaker:

And I brought a group with me, like

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my two friends and their husbands

Speaker:

came. And then I had other friends

Speaker:

who came and all that stuff.

Speaker:

So I had a whole little entourage

Speaker:

with me just to hold me up because

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I still wasn't sleeping.

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And as you can see, I

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wasn't sleeping then either.

Speaker:

You know, so.

Speaker:

And the

Speaker:

people.

Speaker:

In charge at

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the the advertising agency

Speaker:

said to me not to expect too much

Speaker:

because they'll probably just put

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this on page eight,

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nine, ten, 11, 12, but it probably

Speaker:

won't be anything more than that.

Speaker:

But they didn't realize, of course,

Speaker:

they were speaking to a performer.

Speaker:

And so I took over

Speaker:

the room and everyone

Speaker:

was made, you know,

Speaker:

making reporters laugh.

Speaker:

It's not easy, but I did it.

Speaker:

And I mean, that's on I

Speaker:

don't know, I you saw the

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commercial. And I think that,

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you know, I do have film of all of

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that.

Speaker:

And the next

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day after

Speaker:

after the the

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interview, whatever you want to call

Speaker:

it, after the press conference

Speaker:

and after we ate wherever we ate,

Speaker:

I don't know where.

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The next day

Speaker:

I went home, tried to sleep,

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couldn't sleep, was still

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bedraggled. As far as sleep is

Speaker:

concerned.

Speaker:

I went downstairs,

Speaker:

Nespresso I went downstairs

Speaker:

to my local newsstand

Speaker:

and there I was on the cover

Speaker:

of the Daily News and the Post

Speaker:

surrounding his whole

Speaker:

newsstand.

Speaker:

On the cover.

Speaker:

And on the cover.

Speaker:

Yes, I was.

Speaker:

I was on I was

Speaker:

on the cover of the Post

Speaker:

and and the

Speaker:

Daily News.

Speaker:

But the Post kind of liked

Speaker:

me, and they did two stories on me.

Speaker:

So I was on the cover of The Post

Speaker:

twice.

Speaker:

And also there was

Speaker:

an article on me and New Yorker

Speaker:

magazine, which they

Speaker:

then used in a

Speaker:

like an anthology book called The

Speaker:

Gilded Age, The New Gilded Age.

Speaker:

And my story was in there, right,

Speaker:

Right. With Martha Stewart and all

Speaker:

of that.

Speaker:

But that day when I went down just

Speaker:

to get a cup of coffee and people

Speaker:

were pushing me aside so they could

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get a thing of the newspaper, not

Speaker:

realizing they were brushing aside

Speaker:

the person who was on the cover

Speaker:

with sort of some sort of

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surrealist, surrealistic.

Speaker:

And that night,

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my friend were taking me

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to a steakhouse and

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it was downtown.

Speaker:

And I used to live in the upper

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eighties. And so I was walking down

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Park Avenue and Park Avenue at that

Speaker:

time, used to have all these

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newspaper kiosks

Speaker:

and in front of all these newspaper

Speaker:

kiosks make.

Speaker:

My.

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Face.

Speaker:

So that was, you know, and it was

Speaker:

it was a it was a part in 1999.

Speaker:

I mean, we didn't have

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the benefit of an iPhone.

Speaker:

I mean, you didn't you didn't have

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this this camera.

Speaker:

Right. It, you know, ready.

Speaker:

You know, in order to take a

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picture, you had to go get the

Speaker:

disposable Instamatic.

Speaker:

You know, and.

Speaker:

Take pictures.

Speaker:

Or if you had a cute one of those

Speaker:

cute Sony Casio things, you

Speaker:

know, whatever.

Speaker:

I did not had either of those.

Speaker:

And so there was no way for me to I

Speaker:

would would love to have

Speaker:

taken pictures of that experience,

Speaker:

you know, walking down Park Avenue

Speaker:

and just every other kiosk and

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not every other kiosk.

Speaker:

Every kiosk had my pictures

Speaker:

on them for that one day, you know.

Speaker:

Wow. That had to been had

Speaker:

to have been extremely surreal.

Speaker:

Yeah.

Speaker:

The whole the whole 20 years

Speaker:

has been surreal.

Speaker:

But yeah,

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yeah.

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Because I've only got three more

Speaker:

checks coming.

Speaker:

So, you know, I may need a job.

Speaker:

So.

Speaker:

So.

Speaker:

So in retrospect, do you

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still approve of the are

Speaker:

you happy that you took the annuity

Speaker:

rather than the the cash?

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Yes.

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Absolutely.

Speaker:

Especially

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since let's not forget that

Speaker:

I wanted in in 99

Speaker:

and 2001.

Speaker:

2003 was the

Speaker:

the what do you call the Internet,

Speaker:

Pets.com.

Speaker:

All those things crashed.

Speaker:

What do you call that? The Oh,

Speaker:

what was that? What would you call

Speaker:

that?

Speaker:

All the tech.

Speaker:

Y2K or something

Speaker:

like.

Speaker:

That? Wasn't Y2K.

Speaker:

Y2K was was nothing

Speaker:

happened.

Speaker:

I mean.

Speaker:

It's just that the stock market

Speaker:

crash, you know, at the beginning

Speaker:

of the 2000 and it was because of

Speaker:

all of these over

Speaker:

priced

Speaker:

Internet

Speaker:

sites. I mean, Pets.com is like

Speaker:

the one that sticks in my head.

Speaker:

But there's there was like there was

Speaker:

hundreds of them. They just all

Speaker:

where they said there was

Speaker:

liquidity, but there was no

Speaker:

liquidity. And therefore and imagine

Speaker:

if I had taken if I had gotten all

Speaker:

the money and put it into.

Speaker:

You know, stocks, you know,

Speaker:

especially and I was I was younger

Speaker:

then and I was working on computers

Speaker:

and much more of the techie.

Speaker:

I probably would have done I would

Speaker:

have probably have done tech stocks,

Speaker:

but I did.

Speaker:

So,

Speaker:

yeah.

Speaker:

And it's an eight happened

Speaker:

and I read the story about the guy,

Speaker:

the guy that wrote an article they

Speaker:

write they made a movie out about

Speaker:

him that he was predicting this

Speaker:

fall to happen because of the

Speaker:

the bad mortgages that were being

Speaker:

sold in 2006

Speaker:

and 2007.

Speaker:

And I had bought a couple of things.

Speaker:

I actually had Apple

Speaker:

II.

Speaker:

And and when he said that,

Speaker:

it made perfectly good sense to me.

Speaker:

And I sold everything.

Speaker:

I sold it all I could equivalently

Speaker:

were a.

Speaker:

Little bit longer, but.

Speaker:

I sold it all.

Speaker:

And I was I was relieved

Speaker:

when Lever Brothers closed, you.

Speaker:

Know, And I was like.

Speaker:

Oh, yes, he was right.

Speaker:

Thank God. I didn't just

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and I didn't lose a penny so.

Speaker:

Mhm. Well that's,

Speaker:

that's wonderful when you so

Speaker:

after you won and you received

Speaker:

all this publicity

Speaker:

initially did, did people

Speaker:

come out of the woodwork or.

Speaker:

Or how was that for you.

Speaker:

What were. They came out of,

Speaker:

out of my couch.

Speaker:

There are people in my closet.

Speaker:

Like what words

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it was.

Speaker:

Yeah.

Speaker:

But you know.

Speaker:

You learn how to say no there's just

Speaker:

so many

Speaker:

And of course you know

Speaker:

people with, you know, deceased

Speaker:

children and I have this disease

Speaker:

and and

Speaker:

which is why I never use

Speaker:

I have a website, I have

Speaker:

an email address that I never use

Speaker:

anymore because of that

Speaker:

is every so often I still get

Speaker:

something and,

Speaker:

you know, one of the most

Speaker:

important for future.

Speaker:

Lottery winners.

Speaker:

One of the most important words

Speaker:

you can learn is no

Speaker:

and and

Speaker:

only say yes to your

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meeting. Your mommy, daddy, sister,

Speaker:

brother. But I mean the aunts

Speaker:

and uncles and cousins and this and

Speaker:

that. No, no.

Speaker:

Just after.

Speaker:

Yeah. And charity charities, because

Speaker:

charities are another you know,

Speaker:

it can be another source of

Speaker:

just sucking your income.

Speaker:

So, I mean, I'm not saying don't

Speaker:

give to charity. I'm just saying

Speaker:

pick the charities you want to give

Speaker:

to and then know

Speaker:

to everyone else you've picked out

Speaker:

for charities, because these

Speaker:

are who I give to and everyone.

Speaker:

Everything else is. No.

Speaker:

Mhm.

Speaker:

Yeah. I've, I've also dealt with a

Speaker:

lot of that over the years and

Speaker:

completely empathize.

Speaker:

Was that, was that a learning curve

Speaker:

to, to say no or did that come.

Speaker:

No. I'm a New Yorker so

Speaker:

I know if.

Speaker:

I'm a New Yorker I know how to say

Speaker:

no.

Speaker:

That's not.

Speaker:

A and plus I

Speaker:

was a when I won the

Speaker:

I think I don't know if I mentioned

Speaker:

I think I did, but when I won,

Speaker:

I was 44.

Speaker:

So I had a I had

Speaker:

there was a certain amount of

Speaker:

maturity and

Speaker:

instead of, you know, running

Speaker:

out and buying that,

Speaker:

I don't know, $44 Million Lollipop,

Speaker:

I knew enough to just not spend

Speaker:

anything until I,

Speaker:

you know, I mean, I spent obviously

Speaker:

on food, bought some clothes,

Speaker:

you know, and actually that's

Speaker:

that was the moment

Speaker:

where I actually felt that I had won

Speaker:

was when I went to Bloomingdales

Speaker:

and bought ten pair

Speaker:

of Calvin Klein underwear at

Speaker:

once.

Speaker:

And I just went home and went, Wow,

Speaker:

I have wow, this is like

Speaker:

money now.

Speaker:

Ten pair of Calvin Klein underwear.

Speaker:

What was the first what was the

Speaker:

first thing that you bought?

Speaker:

Well, I always.

Speaker:

Ask this and it's and it's this

Speaker:

is the true statement.

Speaker:

The first thing I bought was milk.

Speaker:

So.

Speaker:

You know, the necessities

Speaker:

are still there, aren't they?

Speaker:

And so,

Speaker:

you know, the first thing I did was

Speaker:

go grocery shopping.

Speaker:

That was it is I think

Speaker:

you're asking me what what was the

Speaker:

largest purchase

Speaker:

that I bought.

Speaker:

Yeah. What was the the largest

Speaker:

or are there is there anything

Speaker:

extravagant or anything that.

Speaker:

Well if

Speaker:

I you have to get.

Speaker:

Used to having money, right.

Speaker:

Because I

Speaker:

did take a few trips

Speaker:

but I went coach.

Speaker:

And I did take,

Speaker:

you know.

Speaker:

I did stay at some hotels

Speaker:

but they were like the best hotels.

Speaker:

And it wasn't until

Speaker:

I had just gone to

Speaker:

Key West. And then we drove to Miami

Speaker:

with a friend of mine, and then I

Speaker:

met my sister and my nephew and I

Speaker:

put them up in a hotel and all this

Speaker:

stuff, and we had this great time

Speaker:

there. And as I was going

Speaker:

home from that trip,

Speaker:

coach, I realized,

Speaker:

you know, I could probably afford

Speaker:

first class.

Speaker:

You know.

Speaker:

But it took it took a while for me

Speaker:

to it took a little bit

Speaker:

for me to get to that.

Speaker:

Wait a minute.

Speaker:

I could do this a little better.

Speaker:

And ever since, you know,

Speaker:

that was the moment that the

Speaker:

that thought came into my head.

Speaker:

But since then, I wish it would

Speaker:

leave my head now because I've

Speaker:

only got three more times.

Speaker:

But that summer.

Speaker:

I did take a four month

Speaker:

tour of Europe and

Speaker:

and I did go first class

Speaker:

and I did go to great hotels and I

Speaker:

did go there and just had

Speaker:

a real blast.

Speaker:

Oh, I bet.

Speaker:

How did that feel?

Speaker:

How did that feel

Speaker:

to be able to afford that all

Speaker:

of the sudden?

Speaker:

I felt great.

Speaker:

I mean, by that time I was getting

Speaker:

used to having the money and I was

Speaker:

getting used to having, you know,

Speaker:

this certain amount plop

Speaker:

down.

Speaker:

I had gotten

Speaker:

friends of mine have got me a tax

Speaker:

attorney, they got me,

Speaker:

I got an accountant

Speaker:

who passed away recently

Speaker:

and and and my tax attorney

Speaker:

also passed away recently because

Speaker:

they were old when I met, you know

Speaker:

what I mean? And so they passed

Speaker:

away. And so they've left me

Speaker:

here. Really, I feel like a

Speaker:

motherless child.

Speaker:

So I because I'm like,

Speaker:

now I'm out here, like in a wading

Speaker:

through.

Speaker:

The.

Speaker:

The murk in the mire all by myself.

Speaker:

Although I have a new

Speaker:

lawyers and I have

Speaker:

accountants and all of that.

Speaker:

But there was nothing like

Speaker:

I mean, his name wasn't burning, but

Speaker:

I don't want to say throw it,

Speaker:

you know, they just knew,

Speaker:

you know, they were old enough to

Speaker:

know how to just get around the

Speaker:

block.

Speaker:

In a quicker manner,

Speaker:

if you know what I mean.

Speaker:

Whereas my my younger

Speaker:

accountants now are very by the

Speaker:

book.

Speaker:

I shouldn't say that at all.

Speaker:

Now I'm going to get audited.

Speaker:

Well.

Speaker:

Hopefully, hopefully.

Speaker:

Well, not.

Speaker:

Now, because

Speaker:

they've been dead for a years.

Speaker:

So I want to I want to ask you about

Speaker:

your experience with these

Speaker:

dreams. I believe it was to dreams,

Speaker:

but it was at least one with

Speaker:

your grandmother prior to

Speaker:

winning the lottery.

Speaker:

With more than one dream.

Speaker:

It was a series of dreams

Speaker:

that I think,

Speaker:

well, you know, depending

Speaker:

on what we believe or not believe

Speaker:

in. But I think that

Speaker:

she was she

Speaker:

knew it was going to happen.

Speaker:

And, you know, my grandmother

Speaker:

sitting. Right, you know, whoever

Speaker:

you believe, and she's sitting right

Speaker:

next to him, feeding him.

Speaker:

You know.

Speaker:

At and telling him what

Speaker:

it is she needs in

Speaker:

heaven, if we believe

Speaker:

in that. And

Speaker:

but for two weeks before

Speaker:

I started to have

Speaker:

these dreams, these very vivid

Speaker:

dreams about my grandmother and her

Speaker:

just yelling at me about

Speaker:

how I'm buying the ticket.

Speaker:

But, you know, because you get into

Speaker:

a habit. I came up with these

Speaker:

numbers, as I said before, which was

Speaker:

an amalgamation of my

Speaker:

old addresses.

Speaker:

And so they sounded good

Speaker:

to me and I played them for two and

Speaker:

a half years and I would only buy

Speaker:

two tickets at a time.

Speaker:

So I would play those numbers

Speaker:

and then then I would make up

Speaker:

another thing.

Speaker:

So I only only played like

Speaker:

two $2 a week,

Speaker:

but I had become lax

Speaker:

in checking the numbers,

Speaker:

you know, making, you know.

Speaker:

And so about two

Speaker:

weeks before I started to dream

Speaker:

up with my grandmother and she was

Speaker:

like, look at the numbers.

Speaker:

Look at the numbers with with what

Speaker:

she was saying,

Speaker:

that there was a lot of little stuff

Speaker:

that happened beforehand.

Speaker:

And I'm not going to claim

Speaker:

that there's some sort of

Speaker:

clairvoyance or some sort

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

magic around anything.

Speaker:

But it just when I look back at it,

Speaker:

you know, because I also went to New

Speaker:

Orleans that September

Speaker:

and I was staying

Speaker:

in in Trauma, which at

Speaker:

that time was, you know, it was a

Speaker:

a lovely black neighborhood.

Speaker:

And they had a hotel and I

Speaker:

stayed there and got along

Speaker:

with everyone and nothing was

Speaker:

wrong with that.

Speaker:

But at one one morning I was going

Speaker:

to a bayou tour

Speaker:

and as I was walking,

Speaker:

you know, towards the Mississippi,

Speaker:

this old black woman was

Speaker:

setting up a table

Speaker:

of knickknacks and things.

Speaker:

And and

Speaker:

one of the things she had was this

Speaker:

bone. And, you know, I

Speaker:

was fascinated by this bone.

Speaker:

And and

Speaker:

we were talking and all this stuff.

Speaker:

And as you can see,

Speaker:

it's hard to shut me up.

Speaker:

And and and also,

Speaker:

I can make people laugh without them

Speaker:

even knowing about the laugh, you

Speaker:

know, and all.

Speaker:

So she and I laughed and did.

Speaker:

And then I said to her, I don't have

Speaker:

money for this, but I do love it,

Speaker:

but I have to go and I'm going to do

Speaker:

that.

Speaker:

Well, I went and had my lovely

Speaker:

tour of the bayou and whatever

Speaker:

and.

Speaker:

You know.

Speaker:

Did my New Orleans thing.

Speaker:

And I was coming home because

Speaker:

because I got up early that day to

Speaker:

go to on the Bayou tour.

Speaker:

So I was like really tired by ten

Speaker:

or whatever, even though they were

Speaker:

never mind.

Speaker:

And so we're.

Speaker:

I'm walking home and I see

Speaker:

her and she's packing up.

Speaker:

And so I went up to her and I said,

Speaker:

How did you do today?

Speaker:

And she says, Yeah, you know,

Speaker:

very Southern accent,

Speaker:

just the wrong kind of accent.

Speaker:

I'm just going to.

Speaker:

She said I was the same as every

Speaker:

day. You know, I make a little bit

Speaker:

just enough to get by, make

Speaker:

it worth it.

Speaker:

And she says, she said to me, You

Speaker:

were the best thing that happened to

Speaker:

me all day, so I'm

Speaker:

going to give you this boat.

Speaker:

And I said, Oh, no, I don't want you

Speaker:

to do that, you know, you know.

Speaker:

And I looked in my I had like

Speaker:

three or $4 and I

Speaker:

tried to give it to her.

Speaker:

So now.

Speaker:

You keep you.

Speaker:

Know, this bone is going to bring

Speaker:

you luck.

Speaker:

And a month later, I won

Speaker:

the lottery between my grandmother

Speaker:

and this lovely old

Speaker:

woman who I met in New Orleans.

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There was just these two

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things that I still have the bone.

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I don't know. No one knows what kind

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of bone it is. Someone thinks it's

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an animal bone and other people

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think it's this, but

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it's it's hanging in my bathroom, of

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all places.

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Yeah.

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Oh, I'll bring the bone.

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Okay.

Speaker:

Yeah. Yeah. Thanks.

Speaker:

So here is.

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The bone.

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That? The wonderful.

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Old lady.

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Gave to me.

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Oh, my gosh.

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Yes, that is huge.

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Exactly. I didn't know what it was,

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but she had this phone

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and I picked it up and,

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you know, and and she only wanted

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$10, you know, But

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this was before the lottery.

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So $10.

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Was.

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Probably what I was going to use to

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eat, you know?

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Yeah.

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And I couldn't buy for her, but she

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insisted that that

Speaker:

that I take it.

Speaker:

And she said it's going to bring me

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good luck.

Speaker:

And I think that it probably has in

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many ways than just the lottery.

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Hmm.

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I just don't know.

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And did you ever see the lady again?

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Well, I mean, I.

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Was visiting New Orleans.

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I do I do

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have friends there now.

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And so and I spent New Year's there

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last year, I think, or maybe the

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year before. Who knows?

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So it all runs into.

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I was just I was curious if

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you if you had met her again after

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you after the lottery win.

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Well.

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I did

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throughout my travels that

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I was worth doing.

Speaker:

I did meet some people who were

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based in New Orleans,

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as well as a friend of mine, who

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I knew in New York when I was

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working at a museum store here.

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And she moved back to her hometown

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of New Orleans.

Speaker:

So I have had reason

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to go to New Orleans.

Speaker:

And I did try to

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I did walk up that street, but there

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was there was no one

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there.

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What about the the voice

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that you heard on the when you were

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waiting for the elevator?

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You you.

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Well, that was my grandmother.

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So was that.

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That was it.

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Did you hear it like like we're

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hearing each other right now.

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And was it

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like, what was that like?

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It was more like imagination,

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you know, like right now, if you

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wanted to, you know,

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I don't know what your family

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situation is, but if you if you

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wanted to hear a voice

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in your head, it would just come

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into your head.

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And that's what it was like.

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It was just just

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it was more a compelling.

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Compelling me to go back

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to my to

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my desk and turn and boot

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up my computer, which I

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find so funny

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because and that was like a big

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deal.

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Don't forget to vote down your.

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Computer, as they used to say, Put

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them in or whatever.

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We were going to lose all, all the

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textbooks in America.

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And I was actually working for

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the literature department, English.

Speaker:

And so it was it was fascinating

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because I read all these

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books, you know, by

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osmosis, not not because

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I was reading this book, but because

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I was I was the liaison between the

Speaker:

editors and the art department,

Speaker:

so.

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Hmm.

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Wow.

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That's. Yeah, that's amazing.

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Had had anything like that ever?

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I mean, not winning the lottery, but

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any dreams or

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voices or anything that then came

Speaker:

to be had anything like that

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happened before?

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Well, I mean,

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interesting question.

Speaker:

I mean, I, I would say yes,

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there there were

Speaker:

times when

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yes and no.

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I mean, it's hard to

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you know, you can always a

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hindsight is is

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is 2020.

Speaker:

So they say. But it also

Speaker:

is

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you make it how you want it to be.

Speaker:

You know, now, now that you

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are looking back at things, you can

Speaker:

say, oh, wow, that

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was you know,

Speaker:

So yeah,

Speaker:

I would say that I've been lucky

Speaker:

in a few ways and

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I can attribute that to

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to I don't know who's ever looking

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out for me or whatever you believe

Speaker:

in.

Speaker:

Hmm.

Speaker:

And have you had luck in your life

Speaker:

beyond.

Speaker:

Beyond the lottery?

Speaker:

Well, that's pretty damn.

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Right. I mean.

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Yeah, well, I'll let

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you know. In three years on my left,

Speaker:

my last check comes

Speaker:

only now, though.

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COVID.

Speaker:

You know, everyone asks about my

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singing and what did I do after?

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I won the money, you know.

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Did you do a show?

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Did you do this?

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There was a young gentleman from

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Philadelphia who wanted to do

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a documentary of me based on

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the article that was written

Speaker:

in The New Yorker magazine.

Speaker:

And so he came

Speaker:

and he got he says he has

Speaker:

funding and he had all this money

Speaker:

and all that.

Speaker:

And, you know, he had like $3.50.

Speaker:

So I want to

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putting it, you know, once you put

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all that time in and, you know,

Speaker:

it's hard not to see

Speaker:

it through. So

Speaker:

they made a documentary and we got

Speaker:

into quite a few, don't I suppose

Speaker:

the the biggest one was the

Speaker:

Melbourne Film Festival, and they

Speaker:

flew us to Melbourne

Speaker:

to do a Q&A.

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Wow.

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Yeah. The name of the documentary.

Speaker:

Well, you're not going to find it

Speaker:

because no one bought it and I'll

Speaker:

tell you why.

Speaker:

But the name of the documentary is

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One Man Show,

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and I have a copy of it here,

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and I had to figure out how to put

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it on the computer. I don't I don't

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know how to do that, but

Speaker:

I'm sure it's easier than.

Speaker:

But we did

Speaker:

we did send a quest, which

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is a film festival

Speaker:

on the West Coast.

Speaker:

We did Melbourne,

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we did the Berlin Gay and Lesbian

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Festival.

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Philadelphia. Gay and Lesbian.

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New York, Gay and lesbian.

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There was a miami thing that

Speaker:

was a Latino thing because I'm

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Latino as well.

Speaker:

I mean, we get about, you

Speaker:

know, anywhere from 12 to 14 film

Speaker:

festivals

Speaker:

and HBO had it for

Speaker:

the longest time.

Speaker:

They were interested, but they

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turned it down because

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I sing and I and the songs

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that I sang in

Speaker:

the movie, they

Speaker:

would have to pay so much money to

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use in

Speaker:

a commercial way

Speaker:

that they didn't want

Speaker:

to spend that money on

Speaker:

the thing. And

Speaker:

the movie sold out and all of the

Speaker:

film festivals, but no one

Speaker:

wanted to take on the expense

Speaker:

of of the music

Speaker:

was there.

Speaker:

Too.

Speaker:

We were almost there and

Speaker:

we recut the film

Speaker:

to try to take out opera.

Speaker:

But you know, the show,

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the show that I did,

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we they had me do a show,

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by the way, which was a four day

Speaker:

show, and we did it at Theater

Speaker:

three, which is on 43rd Street.

Speaker:

And they had just had a

Speaker:

big play in there with a

Speaker:

relatively well-known

Speaker:

Broadway actress who's on Broadway

Speaker:

right now.

Speaker:

And her dressing room

Speaker:

was a mess.

Speaker:

There was stuff in there that I

Speaker:

didn't even want to know existed,

Speaker:

and we

Speaker:

were out of the show after we were

Speaker:

there for four nights and again sold

Speaker:

out and sold out and charge

Speaker:

thing.

Speaker:

And and that

Speaker:

was all for the movie.

Speaker:

So we had, I think, five cameras

Speaker:

or something that were.

Speaker:

Filming the performance.

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Hmm.

Speaker:

Yes. I've got four now.

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Oh, that was.

Speaker:

That was just the first few years.

Speaker:

Wow.

Speaker:

And you're also a musician,

Speaker:

and I want to ask about that.

Speaker:

But I'm curious, how

Speaker:

did the winning the lottery,

Speaker:

did that pave

Speaker:

the way for allow

Speaker:

more freedom to pursue your dreams

Speaker:

and or how did that affect you?

Speaker:

Well, there you go.

Speaker:

There's the question that I was

Speaker:

going to answer.

Speaker:

What you know, you have to think,

Speaker:

you know, if here I

Speaker:

am now

Speaker:

with

Speaker:

more money than most,

Speaker:

and I was.

Speaker:

Nicely traveled before,

Speaker:

but not well traveled,

Speaker:

you know.

Speaker:

And so

Speaker:

that first trip I told you about

Speaker:

for four months, that

Speaker:

that just wet

Speaker:

my appetite to travel more.

Speaker:

And so you have

Speaker:

to do

Speaker:

I stay at home

Speaker:

and exercise and

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work with my musical director

Speaker:

and and get

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the voice, you know, to

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recording strength and then it it

Speaker:

and.

Speaker:

Or do I go to Rome and buy shoes?

Speaker:

And I'm sorry, but

Speaker:

shoes one every

Speaker:

time.

Speaker:

And the the interesting thing is

Speaker:

that COVID,

Speaker:

where I was I was

Speaker:

I had an apartment in Miami.

Speaker:

I just sold it.

Speaker:

But I had

Speaker:

flown from Miami

Speaker:

on March 10th, 2020,

Speaker:

because on March 13th I

Speaker:

was going to go to Valencia, Spain,

Speaker:

to go see a festival qualifiers,

Speaker:

which, by the way, if you've never

Speaker:

done this, you look like a you would

Speaker:

this is a festival out of

Speaker:

it's just just nuts, crazy,

Speaker:

wonderful, glorious, loud,

Speaker:

amazing festival.

Speaker:

And it's called Las Vegas.

Speaker:

And I was I've already done it three

Speaker:

times and I want to do it at least

Speaker:

one more time.

Speaker:

And so that I was on my way there.

Speaker:

And then, of course, the current

Speaker:

president of TIME

Speaker:

had announced that he was closing

Speaker:

the borders of Europe,

Speaker:

not to American, but

Speaker:

it was so fluid, I figured I didn't

Speaker:

want to get stuck, you know, in

Speaker:

Europe, I'd rather be stuck, you

Speaker:

know, in my home, you know, if I'm

Speaker:

going to, which is exactly what

Speaker:

happened.

Speaker:

I can't I canceled everything

Speaker:

and I didn't get my money

Speaker:

back

Speaker:

for the for the Airbnb

Speaker:

or the.

Speaker:

Anyway, different conversation and

Speaker:

or that but

Speaker:

that started nine

Speaker:

months.

Speaker:

Of.

Speaker:

My self-isolation

Speaker:

and the first three weeks

Speaker:

were great.

Speaker:

All I did was watch,

Speaker:

you know, streaming

Speaker:

shows and order Chinese food

Speaker:

until that got really boring.

Speaker:

And then I realized

Speaker:

I started to look through my work,

Speaker:

through my computer, and I caught

Speaker:

upon this song called Better Days,

Speaker:

which was written by

Speaker:

not even a friend.

Speaker:

We were acquaintances, but

Speaker:

it was written by this gentleman in

Speaker:

the late eighties about

Speaker:

the AIDS crisis,

Speaker:

and he passed away from AIDS in

Speaker:

the early nineties.

Speaker:

But the song

Speaker:

when I, you know, somehow I just

Speaker:

happened to pick that song to listen

Speaker:

to with so apropos

Speaker:

to what was happening with COVID

Speaker:

that I called up my musical

Speaker:

director and said, we need to make a

Speaker:

music video out of this.

Speaker:

And

Speaker:

and he was, I guess,

Speaker:

as bored as I was.

Speaker:

And as long as he wore masks and

Speaker:

there was nobody on the streets of

Speaker:

New York, let's go film

Speaker:

the streets of New York.

Speaker:

And that's what we did.

Speaker:

And we actually made

Speaker:

a music video.

Speaker:

And I told a friend in London

Speaker:

and he also made

Speaker:

a musical, a

Speaker:

music video out of better Days,

Speaker:

but with London.

Speaker:

So that's currently on my TikTok

Speaker:

and that's already at

Speaker:

23,000 views.

Speaker:

So it's like.

Speaker:

We'll put a link to it

Speaker:

if you want. We could put a link to

Speaker:

it below, but it's a.

Speaker:

I would.

Speaker:

Love I would love that.

Speaker:

And also to the YouTube

Speaker:

page. And I also did

Speaker:

that from the spark

Speaker:

of the of that.

Speaker:

Of that music video of better days

Speaker:

of of his name is Brian Lasser.

Speaker:

I mean, this is what his music

Speaker:

was destined to be forgotten,

Speaker:

though, because he passed away

Speaker:

in the nineties and

Speaker:

I then listened to my other old

Speaker:

recordings. So and I decided

Speaker:

to do a vinyl

Speaker:

and I did a vinyl

Speaker:

all the way.

Speaker:

I think the the oldest song

Speaker:

is from 1996,

Speaker:

and the youngest song is like

Speaker:

probably 2013 or something.

Speaker:

And I just picked 13 songs

Speaker:

because I was born on June 13.

Speaker:

And so 13 is the lucky number

Speaker:

for me.

Speaker:

And so I picked 13 songs

Speaker:

and we actually created a

Speaker:

vinyl.

Speaker:

We did a vinyl album

Speaker:

and we're working on a second

Speaker:

album now. And all of that

Speaker:

sprang from

Speaker:

just being creative,

Speaker:

being sick of Chinese food, being

Speaker:

sick of.

Speaker:

Streaming television.

Speaker:

And just starting

Speaker:

to become creative

Speaker:

again.

Speaker:

Can I get it? Can I go get my album

Speaker:

and show it? Are you going?

Speaker:

Yeah. Yeah. Please.

Speaker:

Please let me go.

Speaker:

And this album came four.

Speaker:

Decades ago

Speaker:

and think, Wow.

Speaker:

The music of a lifetime.

Speaker:

We can put a link to that below.

Speaker:

Is there a place where people can

Speaker:

can buy

Speaker:

or purchase and listen to that?

Speaker:

It's on Spotify.

Speaker:

It's on. It's on it.

Speaker:

It's on iTunes.

Speaker:

It's on.

Speaker:

It's on YouTube music.

Speaker:

It's on basically all platforms.

Speaker:

But you can't buy the vinyl

Speaker:

on those things.

Speaker:

I'm now working on a a space

Speaker:

where I can sell the records

Speaker:

like, Oh, look, it's nice and non

Speaker:

blurry now for some reason.

Speaker:

Yes, but me at like

Speaker:

six.

Speaker:

Wow. Six year old John

Speaker:

Falcon on the cover.

Speaker:

Of the 1919.

Speaker:

And here's my thirties

Speaker:

and here is a few years

Speaker:

ago.

Speaker:

Wow, This is

Speaker:

it. It's not going out of that

Speaker:

thing. And then, of course, the back

Speaker:

has

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

escorting my partner to jump

Speaker:

out of an airplane. No, I did not

Speaker:

jump out of an airplane.

Speaker:

But the photograph is cool.

Speaker:

Yeah.

Speaker:

And the back of it.

Speaker:

And here's this.

Speaker:

I wonder if you're.

Speaker:

Oh, well.

Speaker:

Well, yeah, that's.

Speaker:

Well, we'll put a link to it below

Speaker:

the description of this interview.

Speaker:

If someone were to

Speaker:

win 45

Speaker:

million tomorrow.

Speaker:

What.

Speaker:

What advice do you

Speaker:

have for them?

Speaker:

Well.

Speaker:

Lately, I don't know if you've

Speaker:

noticed, and I don't know

Speaker:

if you had that option when you

Speaker:

won because you won quite a bit of

Speaker:

money.

Speaker:

Uh, but

Speaker:

I haven't noticed

Speaker:

the option for annuity.

Speaker:

Lately.

Speaker:

Because, you know, when when the

Speaker:

thing goes to 1 billion, I figure,

Speaker:

listen, I could spend $10.

Speaker:

You know, so.

Speaker:

Yeah.

Speaker:

So I do play and I never see the

Speaker:

option. I don't see the option for,

Speaker:

you know, an

Speaker:

annuity or.

Speaker:

Well, in most lotteries

Speaker:

in the United States, at least,

Speaker:

there is there is the option of

Speaker:

annuity or or the cash

Speaker:

and the pros that we see like

Speaker:

if you see $1,000,000,000

Speaker:

and that's the sticker price, then

Speaker:

that's that's the annuity.

Speaker:

What do you mean that's the annuity?

Speaker:

Oh, well, so

Speaker:

I mean, if if

Speaker:

you see it says 45

Speaker:

million, you

Speaker:

know, so let's say theoretically the

Speaker:

Powerball is up to 45 million and

Speaker:

that's what it says.

Speaker:

Then if you win that, then

Speaker:

you've won 45 million

Speaker:

with the annuity, or you

Speaker:

could take half of it with cash

Speaker:

right away.

Speaker:

I mean, before taxes, of course.

Speaker:

Yeah, but.

Speaker:

They used to have it on the paper

Speaker:

bike. I remember there was

Speaker:

a choice. I had cash or I had

Speaker:

annuity and I purposely put annuity

Speaker:

because I think knowing me, I

Speaker:

mean, I was going to do something

Speaker:

stupid, you know, put all my

Speaker:

money into Pets.com.

Speaker:

You know, and.

Speaker:

And, and so I marked annuity.

Speaker:

What I've noticed lately, though, is

Speaker:

they they don't give you that

Speaker:

option.

Speaker:

Are they letting you get that option

Speaker:

after you win

Speaker:

it.

Speaker:

After you redeem the ticket.

Speaker:

Then you then you have the option of

Speaker:

the annuity and that.

Speaker:

That's all.

Speaker:

Right. Well, that's that makes me

Speaker:

feel better when I win the billion

Speaker:

dollars.

Speaker:

Can you can When did you win your

Speaker:

money.

Speaker:

Was 19 1999

Speaker:

as well. So really?

Speaker:

Yeah. February, February of

Speaker:

1999.

Speaker:

So what how have you invested

Speaker:

your money? Obviously you started a

Speaker:

podcast.

Speaker:

I yeah.

Speaker:

Well I've, I've always had

Speaker:

people working with me that

Speaker:

knew a lot more than I did.

Speaker:

Yeah. You know, had a track record

Speaker:

and experience and financial

Speaker:

advisors that were

Speaker:

had experience doing that sort of

Speaker:

thing. I've learned a lot over

Speaker:

the years with that, but I'm by no

Speaker:

means an especially when I, one

Speaker:

aged 21 had had

Speaker:

no we were.

Speaker:

2121.

Speaker:

As a gas station or.

Speaker:

A gas station attendant.

Speaker:

Is that what you're going to say.

Speaker:

Yeah. Yeah. Gas station clerk.

Speaker:

So.

Speaker:

So you tell me what was the first

Speaker:

thing you bought?

Speaker:

Because 21 is much different than

Speaker:

44.

Speaker:

Yeah.

Speaker:

Yeah, it was, it was the latest

Speaker:

greatest video game system

Speaker:

because that was where my mindset

Speaker:

was.

Speaker:

Yeah, Yeah, exactly.

Speaker:

That's exactly what that's

Speaker:

exactly what I meant.

Speaker:

I was 44, believe

Speaker:

me. Video games.

Speaker:

The latest was not it wasn't

Speaker:

even into it in my head.

Speaker:

You should have called me.

Speaker:

I would.

Speaker:

So what was the first.

Speaker:

Thing you did? You get yourself a

Speaker:

good account as a good tax attorney

Speaker:

then?

Speaker:

Yeah. Before.

Speaker:

Before even turning in the ticket,

Speaker:

I get sought help

Speaker:

with that sort of thing because I

Speaker:

had no idea what to do.

Speaker:

And.

Speaker:

Wow, good for you for that.

Speaker:

Because 21 is

Speaker:

21 is beautiful, but 21 is

Speaker:

stupid.

Speaker:

Yeah.

Speaker:

Yeah.

Speaker:

That's that's.

Speaker:

That's one of the things that

Speaker:

saved me, I think was the fact

Speaker:

that I was 44, had

Speaker:

already had like three or four

Speaker:

businesses and

Speaker:

working and all that.

Speaker:

So I wasn't in

Speaker:

a rush to to buy anything.

Speaker:

And I figured the the first thing

Speaker:

I would need to buy would be, you

Speaker:

know, a place to live.

Speaker:

And that's this,

Speaker:

I guess this apartment

Speaker:

which I bought in 2002

Speaker:

was my first

Speaker:

giant purchase.

Speaker:

The great thing about it is

Speaker:

that I bought it at the time.

Speaker:

The great thing, I mean, it's,

Speaker:

you know, we all try to make

Speaker:

lemonade out of lemons and

Speaker:

911 had just happened

Speaker:

and no one was buying apartments

Speaker:

and towers.

Speaker:

So I really got an amazing

Speaker:

price on this apartment.

Speaker:

And it's worth

Speaker:

quite a bit,

Speaker:

you know, now.

Speaker:

And I'm actually thinking, you know,

Speaker:

since I only have three years left,

Speaker:

that I should I should rent it

Speaker:

because apartments rent in this

Speaker:

building, this especially this

Speaker:

line, because we have

Speaker:

it's wall, it's wall to wall

Speaker:

windows overlooking the

Speaker:

Chrysler building, the

Speaker:

US on the East River.

Speaker:

You know so it's it's it's quite

Speaker:

this line is quite sought after

Speaker:

and in

Speaker:

asking about how much people

Speaker:

are renting in my line

Speaker:

it's about 16000 to 18000

Speaker:

depending on how high you are.

Speaker:

And

Speaker:

so I was thinking, well, you

Speaker:

know, my monthly not I figured it

Speaker:

all out. Actually, it was my partner

Speaker:

who figured it all out.

Speaker:

Causes a lot.

Speaker:

He's studying law

Speaker:

and he figured it out.

Speaker:

And he said, Well, you know, with

Speaker:

that, if you take your you take your

Speaker:

your property taxes and amortize

Speaker:

them over 12 months,

Speaker:

this, that and the other thing in

Speaker:

your common charges, it comes out

Speaker:

to about $8,000,

Speaker:

which means that another eight that

Speaker:

I if I rented for six that

Speaker:

16,000 that's $8,000

Speaker:

a month that's

Speaker:

free for me kind of

Speaker:

after expenses.

Speaker:

So we're thinking of doing

Speaker:

that.

Speaker:

Well.

Speaker:

That's that's yeah, very, very

Speaker:

exciting.

Speaker:

But I know so we

Speaker:

don't have tons of we

Speaker:

are running kind of short on time,

Speaker:

but I have a couple questions that I

Speaker:

do want to try to get in here.

Speaker:

One is, in addition to the

Speaker:

financial advisors

Speaker:

seeking that, is there any other

Speaker:

advice that you'd give to someone,

Speaker:

generally speaking, that that wins

Speaker:

a massive amount of money through a

Speaker:

lottery?

Speaker:

Well, I think

Speaker:

I've already stated

Speaker:

that the most important

Speaker:

word you can

Speaker:

use is no,

Speaker:

because everyone.

Speaker:

And I think you got to you have to

Speaker:

get to know your money.

Speaker:

In other words, you have to

Speaker:

understand that

Speaker:

if you have.

Speaker:

First of all, I took the annuity.

Speaker:

Yes. So already half

Speaker:

of it is gone.

Speaker:

If I had taken the

Speaker:

lump sum, I would have only got $9

Speaker:

million if I taken

Speaker:

at the time. And if I if

Speaker:

I taking the annuity, I'm getting

Speaker:

22 and a half million dollars.

Speaker:

Right. The rest is going to taxes.

Speaker:

They just take it out and then it's

Speaker:

never seems to be enough.

Speaker:

I'm breathing too much air.

Speaker:

I don't know.

Speaker:

But it's

Speaker:

always, Oh, even though they take

Speaker:

hundreds, you know, hundreds of

Speaker:

thousands of dollars.

Speaker:

And

Speaker:

but you need to just

Speaker:

the best thing you can do

Speaker:

is to just.

Speaker:

Leave it.

Speaker:

In a bank somewhere and

Speaker:

figure out what it is.

Speaker:

Your next

Speaker:

huge want is and

Speaker:

usually for most people, the next

Speaker:

huge want is the place

Speaker:

to live.

Speaker:

And I think

Speaker:

that

Speaker:

before buying the latest

Speaker:

gaming thing, which

Speaker:

I'm sure it didn't, course that must

Speaker:

cost that much money for what you

Speaker:

want.

Speaker:

But instead of doing that, as

Speaker:

is to sit on it and

Speaker:

just and think, what is

Speaker:

it do I need now?

Speaker:

Mom needs a new house or,

Speaker:

you know, I mean, you know, or I

Speaker:

need someplace to live or.

Speaker:

And I think that's the biggest

Speaker:

expense.

Speaker:

And don't go nuts, because

Speaker:

houses are going

Speaker:

to be your biggest

Speaker:

you know, houses, houses and car

Speaker:

and jewelry are going to be your

Speaker:

biggest.

Speaker:

Expense, you know?

Speaker:

So go go with the house first,

Speaker:

Go with someplace to live

Speaker:

and then and then

Speaker:

let it sit, because they're going to

Speaker:

need a couch. And you're going to

Speaker:

need a you're going to need to have

Speaker:

an outfit.

Speaker:

The the house and

Speaker:

and don't go nuts there either.

Speaker:

You can buy beautiful things without

Speaker:

having to.

Speaker:

But I think that the best

Speaker:

thing is to just get used to the

Speaker:

money first before

Speaker:

you start spending

Speaker:

humongous amounts of

Speaker:

money.

Speaker:

I actually lived in the apartment

Speaker:

that I in the in the fourth floor

Speaker:

walkup.

Speaker:

That I was.

Speaker:

Living in on 86.

Speaker:

On 80 sorry, 82nd between

Speaker:

first and second.

Speaker:

I lived there for about six months

Speaker:

before I finally rented an

Speaker:

apartment

Speaker:

in a friend's building.

Speaker:

He says, You know, John, I

Speaker:

guess these three apartments, I'll

Speaker:

arrange it, you know.

Speaker:

And so I rented this very lovely

Speaker:

apartment on 54th of a sudden,

Speaker:

and this building was being built.

Speaker:

And then when this building

Speaker:

after 911,

Speaker:

no one was buying in

Speaker:

this building because this building's

Speaker:

90 storeys.

Speaker:

So nobody was buying

Speaker:

here. So I got this

Speaker:

apartment for,

Speaker:

for a song and,

Speaker:

and could possibly

Speaker:

sell it for an opera.

Speaker:

So it was pitch.

Speaker:

Wow.

Speaker:

Did that answer any questions or did

Speaker:

I did I go on a tangent,

Speaker:

you know?

Speaker:

No, no, it did.

Speaker:

It did.

Speaker:

And so we are running

Speaker:

kind of short on time here.

Speaker:

I've questions that we could

Speaker:

talk talk for hours.

Speaker:

It would be really interesting, but.

Speaker:

Well, darling, do it.

Speaker:

If this if this is a success, do

Speaker:

part two.

Speaker:

Yes, absolutely.

Speaker:

Yes.

Speaker:

Let's do let's let's plan for a

Speaker:

part two, but four for today.

Speaker:

Is there anything else that you

Speaker:

wanted to say today that I just

Speaker:

don't know enough to ask or that you

Speaker:

just wanted to say today?

Speaker:

Well, I mean, right now, my biggest.

Speaker:

What's taking up my time with taking

Speaker:

up my interests is my music.

Speaker:

And so also

Speaker:

I'm working on a movie short, a

Speaker:

movie short

Speaker:

because I came up with this idea and

Speaker:

so

Speaker:

I'm actually following through with

Speaker:

it. I mean.

Speaker:

It's a short narrative film.

Speaker:

No, it's going to be so sort

Speaker:

of.

Speaker:

I don't want to say too much because

Speaker:

it's it's making it out

Speaker:

of.

Speaker:

It's almost like,

Speaker:

wow, like a collage of other.

Speaker:

Images.

Speaker:

And so I don't want to say too much

Speaker:

about what it's about, but it does

Speaker:

use my music.

Speaker:

It does use my music from

Speaker:

my album Decade,

Speaker:

A Lifetime of Music.

Speaker:

Which we will put a link to that

Speaker:

below.

Speaker:

Yeah, I mean.

Speaker:

I have a I can send

Speaker:

you my what

Speaker:

is it, YouTube page and

Speaker:

my TikTok address.

Speaker:

Is that what.

Speaker:

You. Yeah. Yeah, we'd love to love

Speaker:

to link to that link to that below.

Speaker:

And.

Speaker:

And I am working on a second album

Speaker:

and so there's the

Speaker:

finishing this album and I designed

Speaker:

the cover by the way, and, and

Speaker:

the next the

Speaker:

next album will also have a CD.

Speaker:

People thought I should have at

Speaker:

least a CD because how many people

Speaker:

have turntables?

Speaker:

But vinyl's been very popular, so.

Speaker:

Yeah, that's that's the way to do it

Speaker:

through vinyl. That's.

Speaker:

Yeah, I wanted a vinyl because I'm a

Speaker:

child of the vinyl.

Speaker:

You're, you're not, you're, you're.

Speaker:

But I remember going into Tower

Speaker:

Records in 4 hours just looking

Speaker:

through, you know, vinyl

Speaker:

records, reading the back, you

Speaker:

know, of it was,

Speaker:

it was the thing to do that's

Speaker:

not there any longer.

Speaker:

Buying vinyl is a romance.

Speaker:

It's the same thing with books,

Speaker:

isn't it? That's romanticism to the

Speaker:

to the to

Speaker:

to having to holding a book.

Speaker:

And there's a romanticism to,

Speaker:

you know, reading an album

Speaker:

cover, you know that.

Speaker:

Oh, look, there's a face.

Speaker:

Okay.

Speaker:

Yeah.

Speaker:

It's actually putting the needle on

Speaker:

the record.

Speaker:

On the record is is,

Speaker:

is yes and positive much.

Speaker:

It's true what they say.

Speaker:

It's a much warmer, deeper

Speaker:

fuller sound than a CD

Speaker:

is CD has it.

Speaker:

And it's only for people who

Speaker:

are in the music biz, most people

Speaker:

don't even notice.

Speaker:

But I mean, there is a tin

Speaker:

ear,

Speaker:

little artificial sound

Speaker:

to a CD.

Speaker:

And there you go.

Speaker:

Yes.

Speaker:

Well, I love the I

Speaker:

love this. I love speaking

Speaker:

of sounds. I love everything you've

Speaker:

had to say today.

Speaker:

And I really, really appreciate it.

Speaker:

Really appreciate your time.

Speaker:

Your story is very inspiring

Speaker:

and positive.

Speaker:

And and I really appreciate

Speaker:

you speaking

Speaker:

with me today.

Speaker:

So thank you.

Speaker:

For your.

Speaker:

Great fun.

Speaker:

And it's

Speaker:

interesting that because I you know,

Speaker:

I was just interviewed by

Speaker:

The Sun in London

Speaker:

and she just wanted

Speaker:

you know, she just wanted, you know,

Speaker:

blood and guts. She just wanted it.

Speaker:

To be perfect.

Speaker:

And she said to.

Speaker:

Me, was it did everything that

Speaker:

happened to you something did

Speaker:

something awful?

Speaker:

Tell us about that.

Speaker:

You know, and I you know, and I

Speaker:

said, well, you.

Speaker:

Know, my parents passed away at

Speaker:

different times, you know, within

Speaker:

the last 20 somewhat years.

Speaker:

But it would have been much more

Speaker:

difficult for me without money.

Speaker:

So it's it's

Speaker:

there is no the money has

Speaker:

cost me and caused me no stress.

Speaker:

And that's because I just let

Speaker:

it lay there until

Speaker:

I decided what my next move had.

Speaker:

Did a lot of travel and that's

Speaker:

never a waste of money, right?

Speaker:

So travel is

Speaker:

just you're just opening up your

Speaker:

mind and discovering

Speaker:

new things. I'm wearing kimonos, you

Speaker:

know, It's just.

Speaker:

Yes, and that's

Speaker:

about it.

Speaker:

I'll I'll also send you

Speaker:

via your text because

Speaker:

you've been texting. Oh, yeah,

Speaker:

your text. I sent you some of my

Speaker:

songs.

Speaker:

Yes, please do.

Speaker:

I'd love to. Yeah.

Speaker:

Yeah. Thank you very much.

Speaker:

I'll do that. Like.

Speaker:

Like now.

Speaker:

Before I go.

Speaker:

Because, you know, one thing I have.

Speaker:

I'm having a dinner thing tonight,

Speaker:

too. What time.

Speaker:

Is it?

Speaker:

Yeah, it's.

Speaker:

Yeah, four, 430.

Speaker:

That's good.

Speaker:

Yeah. I have to be there at six

Speaker:

by.

Speaker:

Okay, Well, I

Speaker:

really, really appreciate your time.

Speaker:

I wish I had longer today.

Speaker:

Yes. Well, I would like to ask

Speaker:

you about your experience.

Speaker:

That would be interesting as well.

Speaker:

Yeah, because as

Speaker:

someone who won at 21,

Speaker:

that's where the word the total

Speaker:

opposite.

Speaker:

Oh, yeah.

Speaker:

Of. Of winning the lottery.

Speaker:

I mean, at 21,

Speaker:

you know. What did you do at 20?

Speaker:

You know what I mean? What was your

Speaker:

first departure?

Speaker:

I would love to hear all of that,

Speaker:

too. One day we should do that.

Speaker:

Winning. Winning.

Speaker:

Winning at an older age

Speaker:

and winning at a younger age.

Speaker:

Yeah, that would be.

Speaker:

That would be very interesting, too.

Speaker:

I think so.

Speaker:

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker:

And just one more question for you,

Speaker:

Jessica. Just because I can never

Speaker:

know when to stop talking.

Speaker:

Um, do you have

Speaker:

have you had a lot of people who

Speaker:

have had bad experiences?

Speaker:

No.

Speaker:

No, I haven't.

Speaker:

Oh, I mean, everyone.

Speaker:

Everyone is different ov.

Speaker:

I mean, it could be that.

Speaker:

Well, first of all, I don't think

Speaker:

that almost everyone

Speaker:

that wins the lottery has a bad

Speaker:

experience.

Speaker:

I don't think it's black and white.

Speaker:

It's somewhere in the gray area

Speaker:

for a lot of people.

Speaker:

And I think you see

Speaker:

the horror stories in media.

Speaker:

But I also I

Speaker:

know a lot of mostly

Speaker:

the people I've met.

Speaker:

It's been very positive in different

Speaker:

ways and everyone's different.

Speaker:

But we do have to get going

Speaker:

in a second. But one thing that

Speaker:

I just wanted to ask you about real

Speaker:

quickly is I found that

Speaker:

with a lot of lottery winners, not

Speaker:

everyone, but with a lot of people,

Speaker:

it tends to magnify their

Speaker:

personalities where whatever

Speaker:

they're into, they could perhaps be

Speaker:

into that in a larger level.

Speaker:

Would you find that has been the

Speaker:

case with you?

Speaker:

Well, yeah.

Speaker:

I have a beautiful apartment and

Speaker:

I have two.

Speaker:

I have one in Orlando.

Speaker:

That's where my family lives.

Speaker:

And so the one

Speaker:

in my area and I have a ton

Speaker:

of art, all of which I

Speaker:

bought as an investment.

Speaker:

I didn't know much about Wall

Speaker:

Street, but I knew a lot

Speaker:

about art because I was an art

Speaker:

major.

Speaker:

So the apartment

Speaker:

is full of art,

Speaker:

and in another

Speaker:

year I am going to auction it

Speaker:

off.

Speaker:

I bought it just for that.

Speaker:

When? When it comes time for the

Speaker:

end, just.

Speaker:

AUCTIONEER And

Speaker:

there are two

Speaker:

collections. I have a vintage

Speaker:

costume jewelry collection,

Speaker:

and I also have an antique

Speaker:

fan collection.

Speaker:

And that I've decided to donate to

Speaker:

a museum, you know, under the John

Speaker:

Falcon collection thing.

Speaker:

For some reason, I don't want to

Speaker:

split that up.

Speaker:

But the art I have no problem with

Speaker:

because I bought all the art.

Speaker:

Not only because I loved it, but

Speaker:

because I knew it was going to be a

Speaker:

good investment.

Speaker:

I mean, this thing has got to be

Speaker:

worth about 70,000

Speaker:

bucks.

Speaker:

And I paid.

Speaker:

So.

Speaker:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker:

No, I love it's I mean,

Speaker:

it's slightly, slightly blurry, but

Speaker:

I can see enough to

Speaker:

really.

Speaker:

Make it incredible.

Speaker:

Well, I would give you a tour of my

Speaker:

art collection as well, but.

Speaker:

Yeah, yeah, I think that.

Speaker:

It'll be a seven hour show.

Speaker:

Yeah.

Speaker:

Okay. Well.

Speaker:

Next time.

Speaker:

Next. Well.

Speaker:

Well, John.

Speaker:

John Falken, thank you

Speaker:

so much for your time.

Speaker:

Thanks for joining today.

Speaker:

Okay. Yeah, it was great fun.

Speaker:

Yeah. Have a nice dinner tonight.

Speaker:

Yeah, I will.

Speaker:

Okay. Okay.

Speaker:

Thank you so much for listening.

Speaker:

I hope that you enjoyed today's

Speaker:

episode comments with your thoughts

Speaker:

on the YouTube page for

Speaker:

this episode.

Speaker:

I will put a link to it in the show

Speaker:

notes and description of this

Speaker:

podcast.

Speaker:

Make sure to check out the show

Speaker:

notes for a full rundown of

Speaker:

today's show with all the important

Speaker:

links. Remember, anything

Speaker:

and everything is

Speaker:

possible.

Speaker:

Thank you so much for listening

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About the Podcast

Lottery, Dreams and Fortune with Timothy Schultz
Lottery, Dreams and Fortune features stories of overcoming the odds and how people are doing it. It is hosted by Powerball winner and podcaster Timothy Schultz.
“Lottery, Dreams and Fortune” podcast delves into the extraordinary journeys of individuals who have triumphed against all odds. Join your host, Timothy Schultz, a Powerball winner turned journalist, as he uncovers awe-inspiring success stories and explores the fascinating intersection of sudden wealth, intuition, mindset, manifestation, and dreams come true.

Embark on an exhilarating ride with Schultz, who not only won the Powerball in 1999 but also takes you on a compelling exploration of the mindset of other lottery winners.

Brace yourself for inspiration as the podcast reveals the secrets of luck through exclusive interviews with lottery winners and people who have achieved extraordinary wins and success, alongside experts, scientists, and near-death survivors.

As featured on BBC, CNN, Fox News, Good Morning America, TODAY Show, TLC, and more, Timothy Schultz is a recognized media personality with a unique perspective on the convergence of destiny and possibility. Discover the limitless potential of the human spirit and prepare to be inspired—because on "Lottery, Dreams, and Fortune," the extraordinary is the norm.

Stream this must-listen podcast on popular platforms such as Youtube, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Don't miss out on the chance to explore the boundless opportunities that await, including exclusive interviews with lottery winners and people who have achieved extraordinary wins and success. Anything is possible, and the proof lies in the incredible stories shared on this podcast. Tune in now!

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About your host

Profile picture for Timothy Schultz

Timothy Schultz

Timothy Schultz is the host of 'Lottery, Dreams and Fortune'. In 1999, he won the Powerball before going back to college to study broadcast news and work on various productions. He's now combining his experience to launch this podcast.

Timothy has been featured in numerous media outlets including TLC (The Learning Channel), The Travel Channel, and Coast-to-Coast AM to name a few.