Mega Millions

I have itemized my list of family, friends, churches, and organizations that I plan to give a monetary amount to out of my winnings from tonight’s $640,000,000.00 Mega Millions jackpot. So #’s, don’t let me down! Haha.

I always wondered this but never knew but there is 176 million different combinations of numbers so technically if someone spent $176 million and played all the combinations they would actually in this case win $523 million. Now here is the big kicker and I thought of this myself. I wonder how long it would take to fill out that many combinations. Forget the sheer fact that you probably couldn’t locate 3.52 million Mega Million play cards (5 tickets on one) but say you could then all you have to do is fill them out. Now I filled out my share this week and for one game on the 5 game ticket it took me maybe 7-10 seconds. Now even though my name is Kent I am not superman but if I were and say I was able to shave a couple of seconds off and do each game in 5 seconds, meaning 25 seconds for each 5 game card guess how many years it would take to fill out 3.52 million cards? Try 28! Yep, 28 years. Unfortunately the Mega Millions draws every Tue and Fri so at the most you get 3 ½ days to fill out a card so there goes the idea of trying to beat the system.

Now let’s get to the fun stuff. I mean the real fun stuff. If by any chance there is one sole jackpot winner and that jackpot winner is from the state of California their take home amount after taking the cash option and being taxed 25% from the federal government would be $347,000,000.00. WOW – let me say that backwards – WOW! Ok so breaking it down with approximations because my calculator can only be expected to do so much here is some fun facts about what that single jackpot winner could do if they so choose. Assume that you put $1,000,000.00 in the bank immediately in many states you could live off that interest for the rest of your life so even after doing that you could do the following.

For the next 50 years you could spend:

$6,940,000.00 every year
$578,000.00 every month
$19,610.00 every day
$817.00 every hour
$13.00 every minute

That’s a lot of green doughboy sugar!

So in closing, as if this is a courtroom and I am a lawyer, duh, whoever wins the lottery tonight will be super rich. Rich in wealth and rich in luck. I can only hope as well that whomever does win this jackpot tonight they give to churches, those who are less fortunate, and those who really need it. I myself compared to most people consider myself to be very very lucky and very very blessed and no I don’t need a Lottery win to make my life more fulfilling however I believe I could helps others do just that, many others, many many others. I am kind of from the Bresters Millions mindset where I truly believe you couldn’t spend that much money in your lifetime unless you literally wasted it on frivolous things each and every day. I don’t think people can really fathom how much money that REALLY is. Personally I think there will be several winners tonight. I don’t think with a jackpot this astronomical it will produce any less than 3 winners tonight. We will see. If I do become one of the lucky winners it will really make it quite odd for me to explain to my new landlord that even though we are moving in this weekend we will most likely have to move out next weekend. I'm sure they will understand and heck I’d let them even keep the full deposit. haha

Happy 1st Birthday Brooke Ashley Montgomery

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY TO OUR BEAUTIFUL ANGEL, BROOKE ASHLEY MONTGOMERY! Born a year ago today, 3/19/11 at 11:13am! You have changed our lives forever and GOD has blessed us in so many unbelievable ways! Today, tomorrow, and always you are our GIFT FROM GOD!

A Midsummer Nights Dream!

Since I have decided to delete my facebook page I am transferring over some of my "notes" from FB which are basically blogs I wrote. This one was written on 7/31/09, more than 2 and a half years ago. I remember this dream so well!

Tell me this isn't a creepy way to wake up in the morning!

On Wednesday morning I had a very realistic dream that I figured Id share because it was more intense than almost any other dream Ive ever had. To the best of my knowledge this dream occurred somewhere between 4:50am-5:27am but definitely ended at 5:27am on the dot. Here goes.

I was driving down the street, a street which resembles the street I drive down to get to work, basically its an industrial park so its a two lane road with not much traffic. My employer's building is on the right hand side and as I'm driving by I notice two guys in a car who look to be in an undercover police vehicle just watching car's go by. As I drive by and park nearby they are still within my sight and something is just odd and I don't feel right about them being there. I sit in my car for about 30 seconds or so and watch them and as I do so I watch another car go by, an older beat up white colored Cadillac and there are two guys in the car, both front windows are down and they look real suspicious. I sense the two individual's who I believe are cop's to be very interested in them and they start to sit up in their seat's a little straighter. As the car passes by they turn into a business across the way and park right out front in a regular parking spot and slowly get out of the car. As they walk to the building entrance it is evident that they work there as others around them follow in for there normally scheduled work time I assume. One co-worker even offer's a wave as they head in. Seeing that Ive been sitting in my car now for a couple of minute's I go to get out and enter in to my work when all of a sudden I see the two guys from the car who I believe are police dash out of there car and walk very quickly towards the building where the other two guys entered. As they headed across the street their police badges were slightly visible and it was not confirmed these were indeed undercover cops, for that matter maybe even FBI. Seconds later the cops enter the building and no sooner did groups of panicked employee's start to spew out of the entrance. You could tell by their faces they were concerned and scared as they dashed across the street right to the right of where my office building was. I saw this and just keep watching as about 25-30 people easy crossed over the street and headed to the parking lot area next to my office building. I'm not sure what made me do this but I followed them as they headed to the parking lot and it was like a scene out of a movie. The parking lot was big and rather empty, only a few cars spread about and people were walking and walking until the reached the end of the parking lot and that was weird to me because it wasn't like there car's were parked over here, they were all on the other side in the parking area of their work building. As I looked around while I was walking it looked as though it was an actual airport parking lot where you would eventually run into a huge tall fence separating the airport runway and the parking lot. As I was walking across there were two individuals who I tried to get the attention of and ask "what is going on", "should I be concerned"? Only one answered me and at first glance he looked exactly like Ryan Reynolds and he said, "yes, very concerned". OK so this was freaking me out and as I attempted to keep up with everyone I hear yelling and screaming behind me and I see the two guys from the Cadillac running towards everyone. Right there and then my dream fast forwards and I am all of a sudden in a spot hidden from everyone else and I keep hearing these voices speaking but I cannot understand them, I cant see them either, my eyes are closed and then all of a sudden I can see. I was somehow wrapped up like a mummy in explosives and they were untangling me like unwinding a mummy's cloth and I kept feeling this prickling as they continued to untangle me on my chest and stomach. It's like they were unwinding me and at the end I was expecting to explode. As they continued to untangle me over and over and over I kept feeling these prickly pinch's over and over and then finally at the very end of my dream they completely untangle me and run away screaming out loud language once again I cannot understand and poof - dream over and I'm awake.

I awoke in a sweat and panic as the dream was very real to me, more so than most. I noticed immediately the time and it read 5:27am, 12 minutes later than I originally needed to be up and who do I see kneading me as I awoke right on top of me on my covers inches away from my face, my cat Topanga and that "prickling" I was feeling was no doubt my cat kneading me over and over again as she does every morning waiting for me to get up and feed her. Only this morning was different, this morning her kneading added more than I wanted and more than a measly wake up call, it added stress and realness to a dream I didn't need to be more real in the first place.

I CANT WAIT

Photo Fun

Why must I look so different in different pictures?

2011

As the end of the year approaches us and my family gets ready to celebrate our daughter’s 1st Christmas I can’t help but reflect on what a ride it has been this past 12 months.

The year started with my wife getting ready to enter her 3rd trimester with our daughter and with my family just coming off of its 1st Holiday season with my Grandfather. It was an emotional time for us all but my wife and I were excited about what the future had in store for us. January was a blur as that month just seemed to fly by but I got a raise at my job which was good news (but short lived). In early February my wife and I celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary at one of her favorite restaurants, the Macaroni Grille. I had surprised my wife with something special that night which was helped made possible by the wait staff and manager of the restaurant. It was a very memorable evening. The rest of February was filled with getting prepared for out little one’s arrival. March would be much of the same as we had new carpet and paint installed in our place and our daughter’s Nursery would be completed all decked out in Beatrix Potter motif. Of course there was also the quick approaching March Madness where my beloved Duke Blue Devils had a chance at repeating as National Champs.


March 19th, 2011 our daughter was born in Newport Beach, CA. We had a room overlooking the ocean and my wife’s labor took less than 8 ½ hours, particularly quick compared to some I’ve heard. We were challenged right from the get go as new parents as complications arose after Brooke entered this world. Without going into great detail all I can say is my wife and I prayed and prayed and for those first few minutes of our daughter’s lives and God really watched over us. After 4 days in the NICU we brought out daughter home and on that very evening the Duke basketball team lost to Arizona in a game that really didn’t matter quite as much anymore. Having a child puts a lot of things in perspective and really reminds you of what is important in life. That was kind of cool. The rest of March was a blur and in early April my Father almost lost his life as a result of Heart Attack. On top of being first time parents I was worried for my Dad’s health as well. May flew by and it was pretty cool to celebrate my wife’s 1st Mothers Day. That was fun and then came along June and I got to celebrate my 1st Father’s Day but not without a little more drama. My father had gotten an infection in and around his arteries by his new pacemaker and initially he was told he would be held up in a hospital for 4-6 weeks. Yes this is the news I received on my 1st Fathers Day. Luckily we found out he only required 2 weeks in the hospital and was home for the 4th of July.


In the middle of the summer as July 4th came around we celebrated by taking Brooke swimming for her very first time. Yes I know she was only 3 ½ months old but I gotta be honest, she loved it! The rest of the summer went by in a flash but we did take her to Disneyland for her 1st trip ever during the summer. Her 1st ever ride was the Merry Go Round. She was interested to say the least. In August I lost the job I had for more than 4 years abruptly, unexpectedly and quite unfairly. There decision to discriminate against me after the birth of my daughter being born is something I never knew that company would stoop to but they did and that was that. There is so much more that could be said about that but all I know is that it opened up a brand new door for me, one in which will give me the opportunity to get back east where my wife can be a stay at home Mom and where we can finally own a home and actually live somewhere that has “seasons”. I was very lucky to land the job I did and it was all God watching over me.


As the fall approached we were excited to see our daughter’s reaction to our Halloween decorations. We quickly came to learn that she is a fearless little girl who isn’t afraid of much and especially not any of the spooky animated decorations we had to show her. She loved them! On my wife’s birthday in September we all headed to Disneyland where she had her first meeting with Minnie Mouse. All captured on camera it was quite awesome. She also rode on the Little Mermaid ride and a couple of rides in It’s a Bugs Life themed area. All in all a great day. The rest of the fall went by so quickly but my wife and I did manage to get out to Knotts Halloween Haunt and of course enjoyed the Pre-Scare dinner – yumm! We also took Brooke to Disneyland a couple of more times and even took her on The Haunted Mansion Holiday, she loved it! We visited the Pumpkin Patch at Irvine Park as well! Later in October I even got a guys night out with the twins as we headed to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood. Fun night as well. After Halloween my wife and I decided to take Brooke again to Disneyland, this time for Daddy’s birthday. Another great day at the park and she even got to meet Snow White, The Little Mermaid (her favorite), Belle, and the princess from the movie The Princess & the Frog. A Montgomery family tradition is to get started on the Christmas decorations the first week of November. I was a little skeptical about this now having a baby and all but rest assured it started on time and the Christmas tree was in the house and decorated by Nov 5th. Damn skippy!!


In November I started my new job and since it is in a brand new industry there will be a lot of learning that needs to take place on my end. Having been in one industry the past 7 years it is going to be expected that it might take me a little bit to pick up this new industry but 6 weeks in I feel confident that I'm picking up on it fairly quickly. Knowing the future opportunities this company has to offer me is such a blessing. So basically November came and went by quickly but we enjoyed Brooke’s 1st Thanksgiving at my in-laws place and my wife decided she wanted to shop with me on Black Friday. A 45 minute line at Khols and 1 ½ hour line at Macy’s didn’t stop us as we got Brooke some wonderful Xmas outfits for 75% off..at Macy’s! I even got my wife the best Christmas gift ever later that morning while online shopping. I love to bargain shop! As December approached the first thing I was looking forward to was taking Brooke to Disneyland during the Holidays. Even though Disneyland had their decorations up on Nov 14th we didn’t go until December but when we did she loved it!! We went on It’s a Small World Holiday and watched the Christmas Fantast Parade. Very fun!! This year my wife’s work Christmas party was on the Queen Mary so that was cool, you know it is haunted right? As our families were preparing for the upcoming Holidays we got word that my Uncle Dave had a Massive Heart Attack and 5 days later on December 9th he had passed away. This was very upsetting news for our family and my immediate thoughts and prayers went out to his wife, and his son and daughter and her three kids. It is so incredibly sad on so many levels and not something any family wants to go through during the holidays. What we can at least be comforted by is knowing that he is in a better place now not that it is any consolation to his family.


So as I sit here and think back to what this year has brought it has been filled with ups and downs and twist and turns but when I look at our daughter I can’t help but feel blessed in so many ways that for this Christmas, for the first time in my life I will truly have been given the best gift ever, our daughter, Brooke Ashley Montgomery who is now, for this holiday season, and will forever be our Gift from God. I wish everybody this year a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Life is so Precious

Last November my Grandfather passed away at the age of 94. Two weeks ago my Uncle Dave, my Grandfather’s first born child passed away at 64. It does not quite seem fair that my Uncle’s father lived 30 years longer than he did. 30 years! That’s the entire life of my wife. As our family struggles to understand my Uncle’s passing all we can really do is be assured that he is in a better place. Having a Memorial Service in my Grandfather’s church just 13 months after his passing for my Uncle was not an event any of us planned. In fact the entire day with a Graveside burial just 2 plots away from my Grandfather’s was all too much of a reminder that our family had to deal with the loss of 2 family members so close in time. My Grandmother has remained strong as I cant imagine what it must be like to lose your husband of more than 65 years then 13 months later have to bury your first born child.

In the past 5 years I have witnessed death more so than in my previous 30 years of life. My wife and I have been connected to 10 people who have died in the past 5 years via being a family member or personal friend. Deaths that ranged from old age, to sudden illness, and even a father in his 30’s who left behind two young sons and a 90yr old who opened up her home to a stranger in need and was murdered. We have attended 7 Memorial Services together. Having dealt with this in the past 5 years has really made me think about Death more often. It makes me realize that is short and we must truly live it to the fullest. We need to tell those whom we love that we love them, each and every day. We need to not worry about the little things as much and realize we are not in as much control as we think.

During this Holiday Season I am thankful for my health and the health of my family and for all the God has blessed me with but I also think about those I have known who have passed. I pray for their families and friends and for God to watch over them during this time of year. It reminds me of how precious life truly is and how we have to enjoy each and every day and live it to the fullest.