Writing Samples

Lottories part 2
Spend, spend, spend
By Kevin Dowler Times Herald Staff Writer

Your eyes bug out, your throat goes dry and the smile that stretches across your face is so wide it hurts.

You’ve just checked your lottery numbers and you’ve won a million bucks.

Since you bought the ticket in Moose Jaw you want to spend some of that free money in the city.

To help the new millionaire spend his money wisely, The Times Herald searched the city for the most exclusive and expensive luxury items available.

But after the shopping spree, the lottery winner is a winner no longer. Going for the gusto, a bill totaling $771,394.60 was reached, leaving the millionaire $228,605,20.

First of all, the new millionaire needs a pair of sunglasses to go out in public with that new look of wealth.

For that millionaire’s look a $265 pair of Serengeti drivers’ sunglasses can be picked up at Shorney’s Optical.
A custom pair of prescription sunglasses with Serengeti glass an frames can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $6,000 at Imperial Optical.

To tote around all that spare cash, a $240 eel skin briefcase can be picked up at Doig’s Handbags and Luggage Ltd.

While at Doig’s a new four piece set of Samsonite travelling bags, costing $1,025, can also be picked up.

To keep that special person looking fine, a $10,000 mink fur coat is the highest priced in the city at Heasman’s Furs. The sapphire colored coat has a full skirt with a swept and rippled back and includes at least 45 sewn together skins.

For that all important scent of success, a $90 14 oz. bottle of Calvin Klein’s Obsession perfume is available at Sears.

An important part of being a millionaire is being fashionably late. To make sure your timing is just right, a new watch is needed.

The most expensive watch available in Moose Jaw is the Concord ladies’ watch at Reesors Jewellery selling for $8,900. The watch case and band is 14 carat gold and the face is surrounded by diamonds.
The men’s 14 carat Concord is available for $6,000, also at Reesor’s.

If the millionaire doesn’t mind the time spent waiting for a special ordered a watch, Don Rolf at Don’s Watch and Jewellery said, “You can just about spend what ever you want these days. We could probably order one and spend the guy’s entire million.“

The same goes for jewelry, but for that impulse buyer the top jewelry piece can be found at Dale’s Jewelry where the buyer can choose a loose diamond costing about $9,000 to be set in any kind of a ring setting that they want to spend the money on.

For the millionaire who doesn’t like deciding on ring settings, a $10,000 diamond ring can be purchased ready to wear at Mappins.

And for casual afternoon, wear a $999 tennis diamond bracelet that wraps the wrist with small diamonds. You can pick that up at People’s Jewellers.

With all this fantastic new gear, the new millionaire needs a camera to document his purchases.

To be sure everything works out on the first shot, Wells Camera and Sound recommends a $429.95 automatic focus, metering, flash, loading and rewinding camera.

For those tougher to take photos, Wells Camera says a millionaire should hire a photographer to take the pictures.

To carry the new toys home and ride around the city in style, a new car is needed.
The most expensive available in the city is the Lincoln Town Car selling for $54,000 at Family Lincoln Mercury Sales Ltd. The car can be picked up on the spot in either blue or charcoal with every conceivable power option you can think of, including an automatic adjusting rearview mirror for night driving.

For those Sunday afternoon drives the top priced sports car available in the city is the Nissan 300ZX selling for $42,500 at Hillcrest Nissan.

On stormy winter days, a new 4x4 is a nice luxury to have, so an AMC/Jeep Grand Wagoneer should also be picked up for $39,000.

With all this new stuff, a new house should also be on the shopping list.

The highest priced house for sale in the city, as of Feb. 6, is a $212,000 executive home at 76 Calypso Drive in Suningdale.

With a new house to spend cold winter evenings in, a new entertainment system should also be on the millionaire’s shopping list.

A $4,600, 33-inch Toshiba television with all the options is ready to be picked up at Sound Waves.
And at the same store, a $13,642 stereo system is also waiting to be packed up and put into the roomy trunk of the new Lincoln.

The stereo system includes a Yamaha MX 100OU power amplifier, a Yamaha CX 100OU control amplifier, a Yamaha M35 four channel amplifier, a Yamaha KX 12001: cassette deck, PF Boso turntable. EQ1100 graphic equilizer, a TX 1000 stereo tuner and a CDV1600 compact disc and lazer disc player that plays all the presently available disc sizes.

Also in the system is the Yamaha DSP 10OU natural sound digital sound field processor unit which recreates sound characteristics of playing halls, Its 21 preset sound fields includes everything from a 2,500 seat European concert hall with wood walls to reproducing the sound in the Village Gate jazz club in New Orleans with its placing the stage in the corner of a small crowded room.

Speakers for the system include a $2,400 pair of Bose 901’s and two pairs of Yamaha NSIOM SP 1000 costing $1,000.

After a day of heavy shopping the millionaire will want to relax with a meal at Hopkins’ Top of the Parlour.

The $293.85 cent meal for two, not including a tip, includes smoked salmon and shrimp artichoke appetizers, a pina-colada for the lady and a Canadian Club for the millionaire before dinner drinks, two steak and lobster dinners, two bottles of Don Perignon wine, a chocolate mousse and a piece of B 52 pie for dessert, and a Curacao and a Glen Fiddich scotch as after dinner drinks.

That final drink should be savored since the $771,394.80 shopping spree didn’t include provincial sales tax.