If you had asked me one month ago what I have in common with Mike Vrabel, head coach of the New England Patriots, I would have stared into space for a moment before responding that we are both humans living on the planet at the same time, but nothing else. That was before my husband, a longtime Patriots fan, sent me a reel in which Mike Vrabel was asked what, outside of football, makes him nuts. His response was twofold: able-bodied people who park in handicapped zones, and PEOPLE WHO LEAVE THEIR SHOPPING CARTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT. Mike Vrabel, I salute you. He went so far as to say he actually confronts those people and wishes that he had a car boot to immobilize their vehicles.
Never have I felt so seen, particularly by a football coach.
Earlier in the summer I found myself reading about a certain multibillionaire who rented out Venice for his $50 million dollar wedding, and at the time I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I have so many feelings about the current distribution of extreme wealth in general and this wedding in particular, none of them positive, and I am sure you can well imagine.
But I couldn’t help thinking what I would do personally in the extremely unlikely event that I attain such massive wealth. I find it fascinating to think that, if I had a net worth of $224 billion dollars, I could give away 99.7% of it and still be a billionaire. I could give away 99.9% of it and still be fabulously rich. I could bring clean water everywhere, I could end food insecurity, I could house the unhoused, I could END DEATH BY TUBERCULOSIS. I could do all those things and still have money to fly business class everywhere I want to go.
It’s an interesting thought experiment: what would I do differently, had I so much wealth? Let’s say, in the manner of Steve Martin with his holiday wish for world peace, that I’ve already given away 99.7% of this theoretical wealth and made an enormous positive impact on the world, let’s say I’ve already bought a house for each of my children, let’s say I had a billion dollars and I had to – HAD TO – spend it on myself. What would I do?
For something that is in all likelihood never going to happen, I spent a lot of time thinking about this. I love my home and wouldn’t want to buy a different one, or a vacation house, and I wouldn’t want a new car or even a new piano. I wouldn’t travel more than I do but, as I said, I would definitely fly business class only.
I came up with an idea that I felt was absolutely brilliant, and I raised the topic at the dinner table. My family immediately and without hesitation conjectured that I would a) hire a chauffeur and b) employ a personal chef.
Well, damn. I do want those things! So I guess I have three things I want, the third being my own personal busker. If I was insanely wealthy I would hire a busker to follow me around, anticipating my moods and playing all my favourite songs.
To say my husband and sons were unimpressed with this idea would be an understatement.
I stand by it, though. Can you imagine how fun that would be? The soundtrack of my life brought to life!
All of this was before I knew about Mike Vrabel, though. So now I have a fourth thing I would do if I had a billion dollars to burn: I would hire a Mike Vrabel-sized man to go with me everywhere, in my personally chauffeured car, to confront shopping cart and disabled spot violators, and to use car boots with impunity.
My fantasy expenditures are now getting unwieldy. I’m imagining myself with my personal chauffeur, chef, busker, and Mike Vrabel all going to Superstore to fetch ingredients for the week. I might have to get a bigger car in this scenario. And maybe a second house just to shelter all of my employees. And do I want one busker or two? Or more? I want to be a good employer and maybe I’d have to have these guys work in shifts so they can rest a little between sets. Ah, the stresses of being a make-believe billionaire. First I’d have to save the world, and then I’d have to figure out the sleeping situation of my staff.
Weekly Reading
The Thing Around Your Neck. Oh, this author is so talented! I loved this collection of short stories about Nigeria and its people, gorgeous and brilliant slices of life. There is such a variety of points of view and even a few stories written in the second person. I loved every story.
We All Want Impossible Things. I first read this in 2022 and decided, after hearing Catherine Newman interviewed on a podcast, that it deserved a reread. I have read and loved everything Newman has written, since her days as a Babycentre blogger, when my oldest was a baby. She inspired me to start my own blog! I really love this book about a woman caring for her best friends in her last weeks of life. It’s about grief but so much more than that – it’s about love and friendship and the complicated beauty of hospice. Newman has a new book coming out next month and I cannot wait!
Single, Carefree, Mellow. I read this in 2021; I loved it then, and I love it now. Katherine Heiny is a gift to the world, and this collection of short stories is brilliant and hilarious and thoughtful and witty, and is everything I want in a book. A few of the short stories have the same characters, which is delightful in every way, and every one of the stories is a little slice of life with the most wonderful characters you can imagine. And so funny, she is SO funny. One of my favourite lines in the book – although basically the whole book is my favourite – “She collects garden gnomes…You had an affair with someone who collects garden gnomes.” I laughed until I cried.
I had such a fun and busy week filled with friends, and I am looking forward to more of the same this week. I also received a mock-up of my book cover design, and I cannot WAIT to share it with you. So many people have very kindly asked about details regarding its release, and I don’t have those details yet but believe me, the Boyhouse readers will be the first to know! Take care this week, friends. xo
Earlier this year I wrote a post about how I would spend a windfall of one million dollars, and I got there, but it was a bit hard. Now you’ve upped the game to a billion dollars! Yep, I guess I will just have to get staff. I could also use some equipment upgrades, so instead of road tripping in a small car I’ll get an RV with a couple of drivers, and my own plane with a couple of pilots and a crew. But that only uses up a few million, so I have more work to do. Oh wait, if I had my own plane I wouldn’t be able to use credit card points to play for my flights, so I’d have to get a new hobby. Mo money mo problems…
I’ve never read Catherine Newman but if she inspired you to start your blog, then she’s my favorite author.
With a billion dollars I am SURE you could find a new hobby! A staff for SURE. It’s a must!
I’m glad you made this a billion dollars and not a million- a million just doesn’t go as far as it used to. While I applaud your idea of a personal busker, I don’t know if I’d want all those people around me all the time! I would DEFINITELY move out of Florida… I would say ASAP, but I would let my daughter finish high school and then move. Oooh! I could have a summer house and a winter house! I would also hire a personal trainer and a running coach, and get lots of massages (obviously in this scenario I would immediately quit my job). Basically I would live the life of a professional athlete, which still being the slow plodder that I am. Ooh, I like Birchie’s idea of getting an RV for EPIC ROADTRIPS! Okay… I have to stop or I’m going to get depressed about my actual life.
Oooh see, it is a VERY fun game to play! And no, a million just doesn’t go that far (remember Dr Evil in Austin Powers?). Once you buy a house and a car, there’s not a lot left.
Unfortunately, I recently required a handicap sticker for my orthopedic problems. On the days I feel ok, I don’t use the designated spot, but sometimes, I really need it. With that being said, I’ve come to notice there are NO cart returns near handicap spots. It makes zero sense. Now I know why there are usually carts left in those spaces. Those who have trouble walking or using a wheelchair are the people that NEED a close place to put their carts. Those designing parking lots needs to think that through..lol..just saying..
Does it make you mad when people use the handicap zone and they don’t need to? It would make me mad, especially if I needed it that day! And it is a good point – the cart carrels don’t make sense if they aren’t close to handicap zones. I think that people who can’t physically return them get a pass. The rest of the people who CAN return them and don’t, those are the people who are getting the vehicle boot in my billionaire fantasy.
My daughter and I were having this conversation yesterday, and deciding how to get to our house in France with our many dogs was the problem of the day. Do we fly on that fancy airline for dogs? Do we have our own plane (too much environmental impact, I think)? Do we take a ship and go slowly across the ocean? She said we would just wait and get dogs when we were settled in France. She’s sensible that way.
We would definitely have staff, and of course they would be well paid. For some reason, even with all of our fabulous wealth, I decided we would keep our little two bedroom townhouse. We would fix it up and rent it out. Unlike you, however, we would NOT be living in our current house.
I’m a fan of Adiche, but I don’t think I’ve read this one. I may put all three of these books on my list.
I mean, any of those options would be great! Other than the private jet, I think the environmental impact would outweigh the ease of having my own plane. Although if this is a fantasy world, maybe it would be an environmentally friendly private jet?
Flying business/first class would definitely be on my list along with a personal chef and grocery shopper and maybe a personal masseuse. I’d also have my own private tennis court and coach but he/she would have to be super patient. A billion dollars boggles the mind, but I guess I don’t have to worry about my mind being boggled that way.
Hahaha no we probably don’t need to worry TOO much about it. But it’s nice to dream!
The thing with all these personal assistants is… no more privacy! No sprinting naked from the bathroom because the cleaning lady’s around, no sneaking into the kitchen in pyjamas because the personal chef is there.
I guess I’ll need to get a really big house so I never bump into the shift-working staff.
Here in Switzerland (and Germany too), people are militant about returning carts thanks to the coin-deposit system. Vrabel and you would be completely out of a job here.
Do you think there would be some (overpriced) things you wouldn’t pay for, no matter how much money you have? (like “Bling H2O” bottled water for USD 40)
I mean, I’m not sprinting around naked anyway so it’s probably okay – and I’d buy a separate house for my staff. In my fantasy lifestyle!
About half the carts are coin-operated here and so of course they are all put back neatly. The non-coin-operated ones, though, the parking lots are chaos (hello Costco). This means that people CAN do it. They just choose not to. It’s like the invisible hand of cart returns.
The Heiny short stories are everything! I can’t remember, but have we ever talked about Sloane Crosley’s books? She’s one of my faves.
A constant in my life is me telling my husband something that I would NOT do, even for a million dollars. This blows my husband’s mind, as he thinks ‘Who would turn down one million dollars?’ That answer is moi! I cannot think of anything I need or would do if I had a sudden intake of income like that. I guess that makes me either privileged or low maintenance?
We have! I have read a couple of her books.
Wow, you really wouldn’t do anything – not even fancy business class flights all around the world? Impressive! I would probably travel the same amount, just way more expensively.
To clarify, I wouldn’t do anything I wouldn’t want to do (bungee jump, eat snails, go on Survivor, the list goes on) if someone paid me $1 million. I’d happily take a million for doing something easy that I wouldn’t mind doing. My husband thinks I’m weird.
Ahhhh I misunderstood! I get you now. Also – I’m with you! I don’t think I could bring myself to do a lot of things for $1M!
“Ah, the stresses of being a make-believe billionaire. ” You crack me up, Nicole! I love the idea of your little entourage. What would the busker play while your Vrabel-lookalike lays down the law with shopping cart jerks???
Oh, I have a shopping cart story for you! I went to Target and noticed that a person was in the process of leaving his cart in the parking space next to his. Like, he’d just put shopping bags into the trunk, and his passenger was walking around to the passenger side and now he was getting in the driver’s side, door open, one hip on the seat. There were plenty of parking spots, Nicole, and yet I pulled immediately into the one that was blocked by his cart, and I rolled down my window and called out pleasantly, “Oh dear, I don’t want to hit your cart!” and he came back and moved it to the cart return!
Just downloaded the Heiney book via Libby. I have heard SUCH good things about Catherine Newman’s books, from reliable sources, and have even checked out the book you mentioned today and Sandwich on a couple of different occasions… and yet I still haven’t read any of them. I am so afraid they will make me TOO SAD. I don’t like being sad! It is the worst!
YOU ARE MY HERO. That is the BEST thing to do! OMG Suzanne – brilliant!
I would say that Newman’s books can be very sad and also very funny all at once! But the one I mention today does deal with the end of life of a friend, so be warned.
Hmm what song WOULD he play? I have to give this some thought.
Nicole, you are the best! I’m smiling the hugest smile thinking of you walking around with your own personal busker! You would have the happiest employees in the world. I think I’d put the billions right here into my small town. I’d fix the roads so traffic could actually flow through instead of getting backed up, make walking paths, have a little trolley for public transport, more books for the library, more cool machines for the hospital – wow, I’ve got quite a nice fantasy going here! And now I want to do these things for every town!
Oh your fantasy sounds so nice! I mean, if we had $254 billion we could do all of that and more!!
I love your billionaire imaginings. Definitely flying first class all the time would be on the top of my list as well. I recently heard Judge Judy on a podcast and she talked about a case where someone left an abandoned cart and the wind blew it into a car causing damage. The person with the damaged car was suing the cart-abondoner and Judge Judy ruled that it was her fault for leaving the cart where it was. Shortly after she was shopping, found herself with an empty cart far from the carrel, and saw 3 women watching her. Well of course she walked the cart back and said the moral is to always park close to here the carts need to be returned haha.
Oh wow the car damage! Thank you for sharing that story (I think I’m going to search my podcast app for Judge Judy now!!) People CAN return carts, because you never see abandoned carts when they are coin-operated! It’s just that people DON’T. I wish all the parking lots had coin-operated carts!
It was on Amy Poehler’s podcast, Good Hang.
Thank you – I’ll go download it right now!
I, too, hate it when people don’t return the carts and when people park in a handicapped zone, so rude. My daughter was in a wheelchair for 8 weeks when she broke her leg, but you can’t get a permit for that short a time, so I used to have to drive around to make sure I found a carpark that we wouldn’t get boxed in on her side. Fun times!. Mainly, we were driving to her weekly appointments at the hospital, so I got to know the best parks for us. Her school also let us drive into the little driveway and unload, although I didn’t love doing that because of all the kids around.
I don’t know what I would do differently if I had a billion dollars. There are a lot of things we could afford that we don’t do because they seem excessive and would probably leave us feeling a bit icky when we think about the difference that money can make to someone who really needs it. I’d also prefer not to have people in my space, but I love the idea you came up with—not for myself, but the perfect thing for you.
Right – some things ARE icky. But this fantasy was pretty fun! I wish I had a busker strumming his guitar right this second.
Oh that must have been so frustrating with your daughter. Also some parking lots are so tight and small – I’m trying to imagine getting a wheelchair through the parked cars, and it seems really difficult.
I love these kinds of imaginings, but I’d nix the busker(s). That would annoy me mightily.
BUT!
A long time ago, when the boys were little, we used to watch Bozo the Clown. Every time Bozo would say or do something noteworthy, he’d turn around to the band in studio, make a gesture, and they would play the TA DA flourish. I used to say I’d love to have Bozo’s Ta Da Band with me all the time so that whenever I did or said something wonderful, it would be recognized. That might be fun, at least for a while.
And I totally get you about rude parking lot behaviour. I am a self-styled Parking Lot Avenger, and I do what I can to right wrongs in parking lots everywhere.
Ooooh I like your style, Nance! I love the TA-DA! I will go and read how you avenge the parking lots (will you have vehicle boots like Mike Vrabel?)
YES! All the people. I’d hire all the people. And I pay them WELL. Surely there’s someone who LIKES vacuuming (earphones on! I don’t care) and dusting and reconciling my work and personal calendars and thinking about food and making food and labelling the spices in the cupboard so you can tell what they are without rooting around like a ravaging rodent.
I’d have a person whose job would be just to make sure all the annoying things in our house get fixed. Oh, the blinds in the guest bedroom broke? I guess Joe or Jill the Handyperson better deal with that.
And I do understand the privacy concern from above. Outside of the cooking person, I say they only have to be at my house when I’m not there. Their hours are 7:45am – 4pm. That seems fair, right?
Engie, we would be really great employers! Decent hours, excellent pay, and just our own awesome selves. I love it! I just did the dishes for like the fourth time today and I’m imagining a world in which I…wouldn’t.
What a fun fantasy! $264B is mind-boggling…and even $1B is mind-boggling! I think I can live very happily on just the earnings alone! LOL I love your fantasy!
It’s funny because I vacationed with someone in a country whose residents are poor. The residents are happy to work for a pittance because no jobs are available. I went with someone who vacations there regularly — they hire housekeepers, cooks, drivers, and personal assistants. The first time, I went with the driver to buy a few things and when he took my shopping bag (very light — like 2 clothing items) because it’s what they do, I felt so weird! “I can carry my own bag, thank you very much!” But by the 2nd vacation, it was more comfortable…and the next vacation, it was glorious! LOL I loved hearing, “What would you like to eat for lunch/dinner today?” and making it happen, including going to buy/gather the freshest ingredients, without me having to lift a finger. Those days were nice and I enjoyed the break from my regular I-do-it-myself (my son used to say that all the time when he was little so I love saying it) days .
It’s SO boggling, but I love my fantasy world!
I mean, imagine not making dinner every single night! For me, I would also love not thinking about driving, and where I’m going, and just have someone drive me everywhere. Oh! And imagine not doing laundry!
I have always said that if I ever became extremely wealthy, I would not buy a fancy car – I would pay for a chauffeur. And he/she could drive me around in a Toyota Corolla for all I care. I do kind of have a chauffeur now – Phil. He does 90% of the driving, including driving me to work while I play my NYT games. My kids are shocked when I get in the driver seat since I drive so rarely!
I need to read that collection of short stories!!!
Wouldn’t a chauffeur be amazing??
Oh Lisa, I think you would love those short stories – they are very character driven, and I know that’s your jam!
I think you would need two buskers, right? Otherwise what would you do when your lone busker had a day off?
I was just at the Renaissance Faire and one of the jugglers works as a jester in a castle the rest of the year. I thought that was pretty fantastic. (He also runs Dungeons and Dragon weekends at the castle… I mean that’s not really something kids say they want to do when they grow up. Or do they?)
Earlier this year I became a little obsessed with watching videos of Sotheby’s auctions on YouTube – I find the auctioneers so fascinating to watch. But then also I kept wondering who would just drop $30 million on a dinosaur fossil???? Like sure drop $30 million on a house, I get it – we all need a place to live. But to have enough money that you can buy a dinosaur skeleton? That’s jaw dropping to think of.
Yes you’re right – I would need at least two buskers. I cannot work my busker to death over here!
I know what you mean and I feel the same way. I am always stunned when I hear of things like that at auction. I don’t know – having staff or a house or something like that feels like putting money into the world, but who benefits from the dinosaur fossil? Maybe some society does? I don’t know, it is very strange to me.
what a fun fantasy, something that I rarely do as I try to focus what I have than what I don’t. but I know you’re not doing it because you are not happy with your life, you are very much, but a thought experiment for living an extravagant life. it reminds me of manila, we had a driver and two nannies it was too much. I will hire a massager on call 24/7, one massage every night before I sleep. hahaha.
Ooooh here we all are talking about staff and you’ve lived it! Daily massages do sound perfect for you!
Wait, why did this post only show up in Feedly this morning??? I was like: Nicole doesn’t usually post Sunday morning. AND THEN I DISCOVERED YOU POSTED THIS DAYS AGO. Um, what now??????? I am sufficiently stressed now.
Moving on.
This is one of my favourite posts you’ve ever written. What an interesting thought experiment indeed. I’d join you on the business-class-only tickets. And a chef. YES. I’d also hire someone to clean my house and do my laundry. Oh and a hair and makeup artist. I hate doing my hair (HATE IT) and would love to just sit in a chair and relax while someone else does it for me.
I now feel both lazy and indulgent but, since this is a fun fantasy experiment, I’m sticking with my choices!
I *would* get a different house; by the ocean, with a giant open-concept kitchen with an island. I don’t want a big house (more to clean, though I guess I would have someone to help with that!), but I would love to have something right by the water.
And I’d travel. A lot.
I’d still buy most of my clothes thrifted, though!
And I cannot wait to see the mock-up of your book cover. I have no idea if your book is Safe for Elisabeth, but I WILL BE BUYING IT THE SECOND IT’S UP FOR PREORDER. I am so dang excited and proud of you!!!
I love how we both gravitated to “staff.” A hair and makeup artist would be perfect! And just imagine how lovely it would be to not do laundry or clean or make dinner! This would be the life. The business class flying especially.
I hope you like the book! There is some language in it that you will not like, though.
Also, I now have If I Had $1000000 Dollars by Barenaked Ladies on repeat in my head!
Me, too.
Welcome to my world for the past ten days! “maybe a nice chesterfield or an ottoman”
After the beach house, you mean?
Oooh yes, what else would you get? Would you staff the beach house?
Weird that this just showed up in Feedly on the 14th, but thank you for the laugh about “I might have to get a bigger car in this scenario.” Yes, I think you will need a bigger car for your entourage.
I haven’t fantasized about being a billionaire specifically, but I do think about what I would do if I won the lottery (as my brother says, when you buy a ticket, you’re buying the fantasy.) I would quit my job in a New York minute, then start figuring out who to give millions to: some friends and family who could really use it, and various organizations I believe in. It would be so fun to go from “recurring monthly donation of $5” to “Here’s a million”!
Meanwhile, I have a gnome picture I took for you that I have been meaning to get onto my blog. I will make that happen today!
So strange about feedly! Well, better late than never – I wonder when tomorrow’s post will show up!
Oooh I can’t wait to see the gnome! And the billionaire fantasy is pretty fun!
I can’t help but hear Bare Naked Ladies singing, if I had a million dollars this morning….
I’d hire someone to cook dinner at least five nights a week. Other than that, I don’t want anyone in my space all the time.
Laughing at the book quote about the Gnomes. Like, a personal attack on my friend Nicole!
Can’t wait to see the cover art for your book.
The personal chef aspect would be amazing, I think!
Lol, yes! I felt so attacked!!!
(just a note, from someone whose chronic illness used to be invisible, that sometimes people who *look* able-bodied aren’t)(with my thing, you get dizzier the longer you are standing or walking, especially if it is hot, so an extra 50 feet in a parking lot in summer can make the difference between being able to do a thing and not being able to do the thing [or, as I did once in Target in summer, ending up nearly blacking out, on the floor of the party goods aisle, inspiring Substantial Concern])(I did end up 1. getting a parking placard and 2. getting sicker so now I have to be in a wheelchair for the most part when out and about, but for a while there, I had no visible mobility devices [no one could see the layers of compression stockings under my clothes!] and could still grocery shop, just with… strategies [examine a product on the lowest shelf very very closely while squatting!][do that again before self-checkout and, while examining the product, keep an eye for the self-checkout line to be short enough to not black out in! then pause again after checkout to squat and “tie shoelaces” and then make it out to the car!])
I still get reactions sometimes for the Audacity of being young-ish and using a wheelchair without visible limb problems; a bunch of people somehow do not grasp that people can need a wheelchair without being obviously disabled or elderly (in general, people who can walk 20 feet may not be able to walk 200 feet, though? and this *seems* obvious-ish given that in general people know that being able to run a 5k does not mean they can run a marathon?), but generally with a wheelchair involved, no one approaches us to contest the disabled parking space, which is nice!
Re: a billion dollars: I have, for a long time, wished it were feasible to open a tea shop and, on alternate days from random normal customers, fill it with women who need a break or who are serving the community (teachers! social workers! foster parents! parents of challenging kids!) and have free childcare so they can actually enjoy their frilly sandwiches and optional hats from the Closet of Hats and optional books from the Shelf Of Light Reading. (I’d also want to run field trips from the nearest lousy retirement facility one day a week or so; have the menu be denture-friendly on that day and the menu be Large Type Printed and have someone medical in the building but otherwise give them the treat experience?) It would just be a lot of fun. Soooo if I could find trustworthy people to do the childcare and if I was required to not use the money for, like, more efficient Fixing Bad Problems The US Is Honestly Kinda Responsible For (Vietnam agent orange cleanup cancelled by USAID, heeey) or similar “look, this money could really *do* things” stuff like vaccine production and distribution or cancer research or enough birth control and feminine hygiene products for everyone, that would be my pet project, I think (I know someone who would run it if I was still too sick to be useful in person). And a hamster (with that level of money, we could definitely find someone willing to board a hamster even if they’d never thought of doing so until then, right?). But: billions: unlikely to happen to me.
(but if they did, I would aim to at least not make the world a noticeably *worse* place via xenophobia and fascism, and innovating in worker oppression and privacy invasion for all but the very rich? Like, ideally?)
I would haaaate the idea of a busker following me around providing life soundtrack (aack extra humans! watching me!!! nooooo!) but I love that idea for you! And would love to see it happening! This is one of the neat things about humans, that we vary enormously but also can like people a lot who are substantially different from us.
Oh I love what you would do with billions! Love it so much! It’s so lovely and compassionate. I feel like if you DID get billions, you would absolutely make the world a better place.
Re: your illness – I’m so sorry, it sounds really rough, Kate. I think it’s so important for us all to remember that everyone has a battle and a struggle and it’s not always visible, as you point out. It really makes a case for compassion over judgement. I do think that makes it even more important for people who CAN do things like walk the extra 100 metres or return the shopping cart, SHOULD. Because there are people for whom that is just a bridge too far! And I’m glad you point that out. It makes me even madder when people who can, don’t.
Hahaha not many people are in agreement with me about the buskers! In fact…no one is!
I suspect if I did do it, I’d rapidly get somewhat frustrated by people Not Being Satisfied and such, though, so it may be better as a dream than as a reality. Also if I became a billionaire then people would know about me and expect things of me and that would be a nightmare for me personally.
Also the best test of what you’d do with $$$$$ more than you absolutely need is what you currently do with, like, $100 more than you absolutely need (which is currently a mix of saving like a terrified squirrel preparing for an indefinite winter; books and craft supplies; and some donation to our local unified food bank, which is a good organization).
Being sick has not been a fun ride, but it has been educational, at least? And YES everyone who can, return some extra shopping carts!!!
Yes, looking through the comments, not many people want personal buskers themselves, but I think there may be wider agreement about how much *we* would enjoy it if *you* to have a soundtrack-busker system in place, though… now wondering if the busker would also alter songs so that, for instance, various pop music which would be musically appropriate to a situation would suddenly also include references to gnomes or yoga? 🙂
KC’s comment is on the money: Invisible disabilities exist and those people deserve to park in a handicap spot just as much as someone with a visible disability. Do people abuse handicap parking? Absolutely. But why do I get to be the judge of that?
This also just showed up in my Feedly, too! I was like, “Wait. Why is Nicole posting on a Sunday?” LOL. Get it together, Feedly!
I would definitely want a chef if I was a billionaire! And Lisa is right: a chauffeur, too. I hate driving and would love to be driven around like the princess I deserve to be! I’d also buy a very large house where I could live with my mom – or maybe we could just build houses next door to one another! Yes, yes. The cats would prefer that so they don’t have to coexist with two little dachshunds, ha.
Yes you’d probably need either separate houses, or separate wings for the animals! Great idea!
HA! I love this! Ben and I talk about this, too, and we would both keep working our same jobs, which says a lot about how much we like our jobs.
Wow that is amazing, Sarah! So few people would be able to say that!
Your thoughts on billionaires and how to spend money are very similar to mine. After all that I would do—I would want a daily massage. Maybe weekly? No—probably daily. My own personal yoga class. Like, have my own instructor teach me and my friends. That sounds more exclusive than I wanted it to…
Have you ever seen Cup of Jo’s interview with Catherine Newman when they go to her home? Her home changed how I look at my own. It isn’t designer by any means—it’s lived in and loved on, and it is perfect. I fell in love with her instantly.
I can’t wait to see your cover art for your book!!
Kari, YES, I have seen that home tour and I love it. It’s exactly what I expected/ hoped it would be!
I saw Chimamanda Adichie speak the other week at a book festival – now that was interesting. I don’t know if you’ve heard of/googled the scandal involving her. Now, I’m definitely not for canceling people and I think we can appreciate great work independent of the actions of the author. But, I will say – she straight up got into a really weird and tense argument with an audience member that rubbed me the wrong way. I will still probably read her books, but actually seeing it in person like that was unique and will definitely color things for me!
Hi Sarah, no I haven’t seen anything about her that would be scandal related! I can understand how you might feel though!
I cannot tell you how often I have thought (and said out loud) how easily these incredibly wealthy (and incredibly self-centered white) men could save the world’s problems!! And it makes me so mad that they’re not doing so!!!
I will admit, pondering what one would do with that amount of wealth (AFTER solving the world problems) is kinda fun though. And since this is all theoretical: can I buy extra time for each day?
I know. I know! It’s incredibly frustrating and depressing.
But what a fun thought exercise – and sure! There are no rules, you can buy time!
I am still stuck on the “why don’t they try to FIX things” issue. The only person who seems to be doing so is (shocker) the woman in the room – Mackenzie Scott. Everyone else seems to be focused on me-and-mine.
I honest to Pete have no idea what I would do with any amount of money. I read an article (NYT, probably) about lottery winners who lost it all – and quickly. It was a cautionary tale about thinking too big in terms of self-indulgence, if that makes sense.
Sorry for the downer of a comment. 🙂 I might splurge on someone who can help with errands and/or chores. A hire-a-spouse, if you will.
Oh, lottery winners becoming bankrupt within five years is a VERY common thing! I mean, it’s common among lottery winners, not generally common. But it makes sense: generally the amount won is more money than anyone can comprehend, and so it seems limitless. Alas, it is not. Thinking about it, a million dollars would go pretty quickly after taxes and, say, buying a house. Even five million dollars could go quickly. A billion though…that would be harder to do.