View from the North 40: What are the odds of that reality?

I'm sure you've all heard the terrible news by now: I did not win the big Powerball jackpot. I know, you wanted it for me as much as I did. Thank you for that, but I'll be OK. Really.

I didn't cry myself to sleep that night at all — mostly because I didn't stay up to see the results of the draw. I just wanted one last night of imagining what I'd do with a big jackpot.

By the time I went to sleep I had bought a ranch, populated it with rare and expensive horses and hired a ranch manager/co-owner who is vested in the success of my great, galloping herds of rare and expensive horses.

I h...