How Bev Roers Korkowski is spending the $25,000

Hey, Stan:

It's been awhile since I've checked in but I've enjoyed reading the latest entries to be sent in. Loved hearing about homecoming, gosh, it brings back memories! I saw Kathy Sherry Skadsberg's new title (you go girl!) and of course, the latest on the Twins' games. So, Kathy wondered how I spent my $25,000 (don't forget the year's supply of Pepperidge Farm frozen products!) Well, here's how it's played out....

After almost eight weeks of waiting, the check finally came, along with the 52 coupons for Pepperidge Farm frozen goodies. (Anyone need dessert??)

It was sort of like a comedy of errors....while on 10 days of vacation at the lake, the UPS guy tried three times (and then you're out) to deliver my money. The neighbor picking up our mail contacted me to say she thought my money was here and gave me the contact information.
In calling UPS, they were nothing short of remarkable in trying to get the money (although they had no idea what I was waiting for) to me...deliver to the lake, set up a new delivery date, etc. Finally we agreed to have delivery the day after we returned from the lake; she even gave me an approximate time of 10:30 in the morning.

Couldn't find the envelope
So, all day, I sat here, waiting and waiting and waiting. In checking the UPS site, it kept telling me my package was out for delivery. Finally, at 6 PM that night, the UPS man came to my door, looking nothing short of frazzled! He kept apologizing, saying he was supposed to deliver that morning but once he had loaded his truck, he couldn't find the envelope!!! It was only after day's end, when the truck was nearly empty, that he found the envelope...all covered with dirt marks and gravel! I didn't have the heart to tell him what was in there or he'd probably have had a heart attack. As you can see in the pictures, everything looked sort of smushed.

Then, after taking pictures to prove my wonderful prize, I took it to the bank for deposit. I had already told one of the VPs there that I'd be coming in some day with my winnings. Well, would you believe that the day I came in to deposit my check, they were actually having a meeting of all their VIPs, re: scams!! So, when I show up with my check, which as you can see from the picture didn't look all that impressive, they weren't sure it was actually for real. It was only after I agreed to having a 30-day hold on it that they put it in their system. By then, even I was beginning to wonder if it was real!

Taxes, cabins, countertops
But, 30 days later, the entire amount was in my savings, and there it remains. Our first priority is to make sure we have enough to pay the taxes, anywhere from 30-40% according to the accountants. After that, we have decided to take our entire family (including nine grandbabies) to the family resort that Cliff and I still visit every year but the kids haven't been to since they graduated from high school.

We have cabins reserved for all of us during the third week in June of 2007, and it is our way of celebrating our 40th anniversary which will be in September of 2007. Our kids are absolutely thrilled with the plans since we have had many years of memories take place there over the last 30+ years.

What money is left after that, I am planning on updating my kitchen....new countertops, new lighting, etc. I had already been stashing money aside for that purpose, so this was sort of like icing on the cake to win the jackpot. It's amazing what extra money allows a person to do!! We are so blessed to be able to do these things, and we look forward to many good memories as a result of it.

Bev