Say you won the lottery..

[draggar]

Say you won an insane amount of money from a (real) lottery, enough that you never have to worry about working again (assuming you're responsible, but I think most people here are).

After taxes you have far more than enough money to live off of.

What would be the first things you'd do (assuming the sky is the limit - say your first year check is $5 million after taxes).

I'm assuming everyone here would pay of their debts (loans, mortgages, car loans, student loans, credit cards) so I don't want to hear about that. I'm also assuming most people would also buy a new car and/or a new house.

What would YOU do for YOU.

I'm thinking I would find a two week cruise, preferably Caribbean. Plan a trip late in September, early October (least busy time) and book the nicest room that they have for my wife and myself. I would also book very nice rooms (and airfare) for my parents, my sister's family (her, her husband, and their son), my in-laws, and my wife's 3 siblings (+1 significant other).

We'd fill it up with excursions, fun days, and as much as we can fit in while we're at port and days of relaxing during "sea" days.

Then, I'd buy a few domains (gsd.com comes to mind) and then try to build them out into good sites.

I'd also probably pay for 10 years of hosting and domain registration (seriously, that would most likely be under $3,000) and VB licensing for CS.com (and maybe even try to buy the actual domain - CS.com).

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

What would YOU do for YOU.

Zooey Deschanel. After my own private concert of She & Him songs.

Something about that voice of hers....man, I don't know...

[Victory Sabre]

Play in the WSOP main event. Play in several WPT events, including the Bay 101, which was a lot of fun the time I did it. Sponsor my friend, who sponsored me in the Bay 101 in the WSOP main event. Donate money to my local VFW, because I've got a lot of friends there. Go travel to all the places I want to go. Invest in my future.

[AdminAssistant]

Europe. Seriously, just take 6 months - year and travel alllll over Europe. See lots of theatre, of course, but also take in the culture, the food, etc.

More minor - but I'd also get LASIK eye surgery done and probably laser hair removal. And hire an awesome personal trainer.

[Sliceanddice]

hmmm after the house for my mom i would....

Book a year or so worth of travel to Ireland, Italy, France, England well Scotland but visit England too since im there, China, India, Japan and Russia.

Im not talking 5 star hotels or trips or restaurants.

Im talking homey places, tours of places that ive only seen in movies, eating food that i cant pronounce and should be happy for that just seeing the world.

a say a year or so because i would probable do about 6 weeks in each country.

after that i would go back so school and finally get my social work degree.

I would either purchase the land or already standing apartment complex or some other economy crushed structure in town and give it a new life as a modern green entertainment center.

And i would start a charity.
A charity that helped Gays, Lesbian, Transsexuals and Bisexuals adopt or produce children of their own including egg and embryos donations.

and that's what i would work at since life without some kind of responsibility drives me crazy.

after that my money would go to a saving/retirement fund for me when i cant handle the work any more and other little things.

[chikenlady]

Europe. Seriously, just take 6 months - year and travel alllll over Europe. See lots of theatre, of course, but also take in the culture, the food, etc.

I would do this too but I would also visit the Caribbean countries for awhile

[tacohuman]

i would equip myself and make all the necessary arrangements to thru-hike (hike all the way through in a single season) all three of the major long-distance hiking trails in the country: the appalachian trail first, then the continental divide trail, then the pacific crest trail. given that each of these trails is around 2000+ miles, i of course wouldn't be able to do them all in succession, since weather would keep me from being able to hike them during part of the year, but i figure i could take 5-6 months (march through august or september, most likely) in each of three consecutive years to complete the trifecta.

then i would buy myself all new, top of the line caving and climbing gear, and set up an endowment for my local caving grotto.

then, skydiver certification!

i would also at some point participate as a soloist in the texas water safari.

[Dreamstalker]

After the usual (buying a house for mom and myself, making sure she's financially set and paying off all debts), I'd:

--head off to Japan for six months or so after taking enough language lessons to where I'd feel reasonably comfortable trying to converse. Sure I'd go to some of the usual touristy spots, but mainly stay as inconspicuous as possible.

--Finally finish all my props that have been in stasis since 2002.

--Take all the computer forensics training I've been wanting.

--Rebuy all the Ghostbusters toys my grandmother gave away/threw out.

--Buy a private jet (and be ridiculously generous to the crew).

[Lady J'ssem]

Decide whether I want to live in England or in Ireland (So long USA ). Buy property and build my dream home, and have it completely paid for, and completely (and PROFESSIONALLY) done in new tech.

While that's being built, go on a loooong honeymoon with my fiance, to Austrailia, Fiji, Italy, SOUTHERN Japan, maybe Hawaii, etc., places in England, Ireland, and Scotland. Get tickets to have my family visit me in my new house.

Get my writing/illistrating buisness started. Help my sister out with her's.

Get a ren faire/con wardrobe, and go visit the cons and faires before coming home and enjoying my house, my husband, and thrive.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Just for myself:

The biggest, flashiest, gaudiest Dodge Ram dual-cab 4X4 truck I can find and pimp it up some more decked out with more lights than an airport runway.

Either buy or build my own home . . . 3 stories with an elevator and surrounded by a 12 foot high steel spikey fence. Nobody comes in our out without approval (and we'll have remote controls to operate the gate.)

Have plenty of time to sit around and write stories galore . . in my new custom-built home office.

Travel back and forth between the homeplace (where Mom and my brother will be) and the beach.

Go to MediaWest (which is held every May (IIRC) in Detroit for various fandoms) just to see what it's all about.

I might even buy myself a hot tub.

Or I might take some college courses, just for the heck of it. Perhaps PC repair or programming.

Or just shop 'til I drop.

[Dave1982]

Let's see......

I'd get my dream car (no points for guessing what that is) and use it to circumnavigate the continental US, stopping along the way to see anything interesting.

I'd take my family and friends on various trips. Ireland, England, France, Amsterdam, and a few other places.

I'd also become a "spaceflight participant" and visit the International Space Station.

[The Last to Know]

And i would start a charity.
A charity that helped Gays, Lesbian, Transsexuals and Bisexuals adopt or produce children of their own including egg and embryos donations.

I would probably do something like this as well. Maybe a charity for GLBT youth & possibly figure how to donate to a candidate in the state of VA who supports GLBT rights or maybe hire a BIG TIME lawyer who would somehow help me to overturn the change they made to Virginia's constitution making marriage only between one man & one woman.

Of course, after paying off all bills, I might just research a place I want to live in another country, build a home on land there & have all supplies brought to me & never leave the house again.

I'm very down right now about a lot of things so that could change I guess.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Decide where I really want to live, buy a house and fill it with puppies.

Travel wherever my fancy takes me...

Maybe take a world tour to meet some peeps from here...

[Sliceanddice]

I would probably do something like this as well. Maybe a charity for GLBT youth & possibly figure how to donate to a candidate in the state of VA who supports GLBT rights or maybe hire a BIG TIME lawyer who would somehow help me to overturn the change they made to Virginia's constitution making marriage only between one man & one woman.

Of course, after paying off all bills, I might just research a place I want to live in another country, build a home on land there & have all supplies brought to me & never leave the house again.

I'm very down right now about a lot of things so that could change I guess.

my charity is my dream.

to help men and women like myself have children even if physically they cant, through surrogates, donations, adoptions, and even looking into embryo donations for Embryos that would usually be discarded due to age or lower genetic possibility... also helping those who aren't like mega millionaires adopt or do the donations and surrogates.

sigh if i had the money i would sink half of it into this cause.

[Sarlon]

me?

Easy...

Buy this duplex from my parents, sink $100,000 into renovations (includes grey water system, and solar panels), and while that is being done, TRAVEL!

Japan, scotland, germany, australia, southern new zealand.

Get home to my beautiful new green home, buy a new car, geek out my new home, and maybe go back to school and complete my massage therapy schooling.

thought about this much? no not really...why do you ask?