yeah I know you did not ask!
When I was a kid in the middle of last century, we bought our gasoline at a “gas station”. It was a business with gas pumps outside, awful snacks and cold soda pop inside, frequently with a garage attached to do minor repairs. These “gas stations” have all but disappeared, I cannot think of one anywhere near our suburban St. Louis home. Now days we purchase our fuel at a convenience store that has gas pumps outside, and not infrequently, a small tunnel car wash somewhere on the property.
I bought gas the other day at such an establishment, and needing to spend my anniversary present, I went in to buy a lottery ticket. With laxer alcohol regulations in Missouri, many convenience stores are mini liquor stores. Just about everywhere convenience stores are known for their large coolers full of beer and soda pop. Other big profit centers for these businesses are tobacco products, lottery tickets and other associated gambling games, practically any type of unhealthy snack food you could imagine, impulse buys of such things as a packet of vitamins for an outrageous sum, in short nothing that you absolutely need or frequently should even buy.
Given that, perhaps we should change the name of this type of store from convenience store to con-VICE store.
And so it goes.
Okay, I admit it. I buy a lottery ticket when the prize gets absurdly big. Of course, the minimum prize of $20 million would be as life changing (shattering?) as the world record $1.6 billion purse for tonight’s drawing.