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2026QOTD January 11-15
Jan. 7th, 2026 05:44 amFull list of January questions is here.
11. The first National State lottery in England was drawn in 1569. The first prize was £5,000, and other prizes included tapestries and high-quality linen cloth. How much does it cost to enter where you live (and have you ever bought a ticket)?
We have several lottery games available in the US in states that have opted in. You don't have to be a resident to play or anything, but the tickets are only for sale in those states. That leads to people buying lots of tickets while on vacation, and I've heard of a store or something that's right on a state border and has something like one corner that overlaps and the vending machine is there. I used to buy two tickets each for Powerball and Mega Millions twice or so a week without fail, and the occasional Lotto. I once matched five of six numbers on Lotto and won $1,000, but the jackpot at the time was $2.9 million and I realized that's not a jackpot I would want. Sure, it'd be nice to win, but if I'm going to win, I want more! So these days I buy Powerball tickets once a week on Monday if the jackpot is over $200 million. I used to also get Mega Millions under the same conditions, but stopped because it now costs $5 to play instead of $2. They improved the game buy making the minimum jackpot $50 million instead of $1 million, but I'd rather have more chances for my money. Powerball recently got up to $1.9 BILLION and I ramped up my purchases quite a bit in those last few draws. Unfortunately someone else won.
12. In 1948, the first Supermarket in the UK opened - the Co-op, the country’s first permanent self-service store, in East London’s Manor Park. Do you use one specific supermarket to buy groceries, and do they have a loyalty card scheme you belong to? How does it work?
I love this question because I go to different stores for different things.
Safeway: We've always lived close to a Safeway. In Seattle, the condo was across the street from one, and there was one .7 miles east of the apartment complex we lived in for four months before buying our house. The house is .4 miles from one, which is so handy when the party goes on longer than anyone thought and runs out of wine. If I was forced into shopping at only one store, it'd probably be Safeway because the only coffee creamer I like is a Safeway exclusive, Lucerne salted caramel. Lucerne also makes fantastic cheese and it's always inexpensive and often on sale! We use Garrett's mom's loyalty card which is based on her phone number so we can rack up as many gas reward points as possible, and we use the Safeway gas station almost exclusively because of that. I also created a second one using my phone number so I can easily sign into the store's app and take advantage of digital coupons that need to be scanned in the store. When I use one of those, I type in my number instead of Bev's at the register.
QFC: The next closest store to us (1.2 miles) is QFC and it's also a great store. It's just over the hill from the Y and if I need something, I'll often stop there after teaching my class to get it so I can look for things from the deli that have been marked down. Their deli is better than Safeway's and for some reason way more likely to have items from the previous day at a discount. As much as I like that stuff, I'm highly unlikely to pay full price for it. The loyalty card works the same way and we use Bev's number, but we don't do as much shopping there and thus won't have as many gas rewards. Just like with Safeway, I have my own account on the phone if I need it. QFC is in the same strip mall as our favorite neighborhood bar and we used to be able to walk to them in about ten minutes until the shortcut at the end of our street became overgrown.
WinCo: It's 5.9 miles to WinCo and I'm glad I teach at the Mill Creek Y once a week so WinCo isn't out of my way. WinCo can be found in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, and Oregon, hence the name. The locations are huge with an incredible selection of bulk items that has to be seen to be believed. It's employee-owned, and they've chosen not to accept credit cards to help keep prices low, so you need cash, checks, or a debit card to shop there. In spite of doing absolutely no advertising, the store has a huge following due to the low prices and huge selection, which is why I always go on the way to my class. Any other time, it's completely mobbed. Lots of people who own food businesses do their shopping there instead of at the "cash and carry" restaurant supply store. And it's open 24 hours a day! They have a lot of their own products and we're huge fans of their breakfast sandwiches, but unfortunately those haven't been in stock for a while. There's no loyalty program and there are never even any sales, but shoppers there will tell you they don't need them. You also never end up seeing things like limited edition chip flavors. I would have a hard time moving somewhere that didn't have a WinCo because I consider their bagels a staple item and eat them several times a week. Speaking of which! I came up with a great bagel hack and may as well share it now. I slice all my bagels the day I buy them and keep them in the freezer, and if I remember to, I slice them off center so the bottom is one third the thickness and the top is two thirds. That way if I want a sandwich, I can use two of the bottoms so it's not as big, but if I want a topped bagel half, it's thicker and more satisfying. This came about by accident on my part, but then I remembered that Ina Garten slices her bagels in thirds so they're all thinner.
Trader Joe's: I almost never go to Trader Joe's (5.1 miles away) even though I love it a lot and it's perfect for single people and couples with its convenient, pre-made items. Trader Joe's is famous for its aisles packed with people and terrible parking lots, but the Everett location recently moved to the mall and is quite the opposite from most locations. Tons of easy parking and they kept the same layout but in a much larger space so there's way more room to move about. I should go there more. TJ's has no loyalty program but people are very fond of their newsletter.
EDIT TO ADD: I almost forgot Amazon Fresh. They don't have a great selection and it's not often I "need" groceries delivered, and everyone offers delivery now anyway, but I have regular items I get from Amazon Fresh. I have no idea why none of the stores carry Ballpark brand premade frozen hamburger patties, but they're one of my favorite products. I really don't like cooking my own burgers, and for me burgers at home are about the toppings anyway. It's great to be able to heat one up in a minute whenever I want one. Safeway and QFC have Freshpet dog food logs, but somehow they're so much cheaper from Amazon Fresh. I usually throw in an Avocado because they're cheap there, too, and whatever else catches my eye. This last time it was a pizza and a salad, we'll probably have those tonight.
EDIT 2: How in hell did I forget Grocery Outlet? It's just two blocks from our QFC and is such a fun store. Much of what they sell is overstock they buy from other stores and closeout items, but there are also things they stock regularly and they've been adding more of their own brand as well. Fantastic deals but there's the occasional heartbreak when you find something you like and what they have on hand is the last that will ever exist. I was even in a video when the one near us opened.
Tod (correct spelling) and Debbie have moved on but the store remains, thank goodness.
13. January is the best time to see the bright gas giant planet Jupiter in the sky – have you ever seen it?
I don't think so. As I previously stated, Washington's not a great place for stargazing and spotting meteors for the most part.
14. Mark Antony was born today in Rome in 83BCE. Have you ever seen “Cleopatra” starring Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra and Richard Burton as Mark Antony?
No, but if it ever shows up in any streaming packages I have, I will. Right now it's $3.79-$3.99 to watch. I might grab a DVD the next time I'm getting some on eBay. What ends up happening is that I want to see a movie that's not included in streaming plans, so I find someone selling it on eBay who has a deal like buy-two-get-one, buy-three-get-five, or a certain amount off if a certain total is reached. Our local library has two streaming providers, but I just checked both and neither has it.
15. If you could, would you like to be a little bit taller or a little bit shorter?
I'd probably choose to be a little taller even though I'm happy with my height. I used to be 5'11' but I've lost an inch!
11. The first National State lottery in England was drawn in 1569. The first prize was £5,000, and other prizes included tapestries and high-quality linen cloth. How much does it cost to enter where you live (and have you ever bought a ticket)?
We have several lottery games available in the US in states that have opted in. You don't have to be a resident to play or anything, but the tickets are only for sale in those states. That leads to people buying lots of tickets while on vacation, and I've heard of a store or something that's right on a state border and has something like one corner that overlaps and the vending machine is there. I used to buy two tickets each for Powerball and Mega Millions twice or so a week without fail, and the occasional Lotto. I once matched five of six numbers on Lotto and won $1,000, but the jackpot at the time was $2.9 million and I realized that's not a jackpot I would want. Sure, it'd be nice to win, but if I'm going to win, I want more! So these days I buy Powerball tickets once a week on Monday if the jackpot is over $200 million. I used to also get Mega Millions under the same conditions, but stopped because it now costs $5 to play instead of $2. They improved the game buy making the minimum jackpot $50 million instead of $1 million, but I'd rather have more chances for my money. Powerball recently got up to $1.9 BILLION and I ramped up my purchases quite a bit in those last few draws. Unfortunately someone else won.
12. In 1948, the first Supermarket in the UK opened - the Co-op, the country’s first permanent self-service store, in East London’s Manor Park. Do you use one specific supermarket to buy groceries, and do they have a loyalty card scheme you belong to? How does it work?
I love this question because I go to different stores for different things.
Safeway: We've always lived close to a Safeway. In Seattle, the condo was across the street from one, and there was one .7 miles east of the apartment complex we lived in for four months before buying our house. The house is .4 miles from one, which is so handy when the party goes on longer than anyone thought and runs out of wine. If I was forced into shopping at only one store, it'd probably be Safeway because the only coffee creamer I like is a Safeway exclusive, Lucerne salted caramel. Lucerne also makes fantastic cheese and it's always inexpensive and often on sale! We use Garrett's mom's loyalty card which is based on her phone number so we can rack up as many gas reward points as possible, and we use the Safeway gas station almost exclusively because of that. I also created a second one using my phone number so I can easily sign into the store's app and take advantage of digital coupons that need to be scanned in the store. When I use one of those, I type in my number instead of Bev's at the register.
QFC: The next closest store to us (1.2 miles) is QFC and it's also a great store. It's just over the hill from the Y and if I need something, I'll often stop there after teaching my class to get it so I can look for things from the deli that have been marked down. Their deli is better than Safeway's and for some reason way more likely to have items from the previous day at a discount. As much as I like that stuff, I'm highly unlikely to pay full price for it. The loyalty card works the same way and we use Bev's number, but we don't do as much shopping there and thus won't have as many gas rewards. Just like with Safeway, I have my own account on the phone if I need it. QFC is in the same strip mall as our favorite neighborhood bar and we used to be able to walk to them in about ten minutes until the shortcut at the end of our street became overgrown.
WinCo: It's 5.9 miles to WinCo and I'm glad I teach at the Mill Creek Y once a week so WinCo isn't out of my way. WinCo can be found in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, and Oregon, hence the name. The locations are huge with an incredible selection of bulk items that has to be seen to be believed. It's employee-owned, and they've chosen not to accept credit cards to help keep prices low, so you need cash, checks, or a debit card to shop there. In spite of doing absolutely no advertising, the store has a huge following due to the low prices and huge selection, which is why I always go on the way to my class. Any other time, it's completely mobbed. Lots of people who own food businesses do their shopping there instead of at the "cash and carry" restaurant supply store. And it's open 24 hours a day! They have a lot of their own products and we're huge fans of their breakfast sandwiches, but unfortunately those haven't been in stock for a while. There's no loyalty program and there are never even any sales, but shoppers there will tell you they don't need them. You also never end up seeing things like limited edition chip flavors. I would have a hard time moving somewhere that didn't have a WinCo because I consider their bagels a staple item and eat them several times a week. Speaking of which! I came up with a great bagel hack and may as well share it now. I slice all my bagels the day I buy them and keep them in the freezer, and if I remember to, I slice them off center so the bottom is one third the thickness and the top is two thirds. That way if I want a sandwich, I can use two of the bottoms so it's not as big, but if I want a topped bagel half, it's thicker and more satisfying. This came about by accident on my part, but then I remembered that Ina Garten slices her bagels in thirds so they're all thinner.
Trader Joe's: I almost never go to Trader Joe's (5.1 miles away) even though I love it a lot and it's perfect for single people and couples with its convenient, pre-made items. Trader Joe's is famous for its aisles packed with people and terrible parking lots, but the Everett location recently moved to the mall and is quite the opposite from most locations. Tons of easy parking and they kept the same layout but in a much larger space so there's way more room to move about. I should go there more. TJ's has no loyalty program but people are very fond of their newsletter.
EDIT TO ADD: I almost forgot Amazon Fresh. They don't have a great selection and it's not often I "need" groceries delivered, and everyone offers delivery now anyway, but I have regular items I get from Amazon Fresh. I have no idea why none of the stores carry Ballpark brand premade frozen hamburger patties, but they're one of my favorite products. I really don't like cooking my own burgers, and for me burgers at home are about the toppings anyway. It's great to be able to heat one up in a minute whenever I want one. Safeway and QFC have Freshpet dog food logs, but somehow they're so much cheaper from Amazon Fresh. I usually throw in an Avocado because they're cheap there, too, and whatever else catches my eye. This last time it was a pizza and a salad, we'll probably have those tonight.
EDIT 2: How in hell did I forget Grocery Outlet? It's just two blocks from our QFC and is such a fun store. Much of what they sell is overstock they buy from other stores and closeout items, but there are also things they stock regularly and they've been adding more of their own brand as well. Fantastic deals but there's the occasional heartbreak when you find something you like and what they have on hand is the last that will ever exist. I was even in a video when the one near us opened.
Tod (correct spelling) and Debbie have moved on but the store remains, thank goodness.
13. January is the best time to see the bright gas giant planet Jupiter in the sky – have you ever seen it?
I don't think so. As I previously stated, Washington's not a great place for stargazing and spotting meteors for the most part.
14. Mark Antony was born today in Rome in 83BCE. Have you ever seen “Cleopatra” starring Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra and Richard Burton as Mark Antony?
No, but if it ever shows up in any streaming packages I have, I will. Right now it's $3.79-$3.99 to watch. I might grab a DVD the next time I'm getting some on eBay. What ends up happening is that I want to see a movie that's not included in streaming plans, so I find someone selling it on eBay who has a deal like buy-two-get-one, buy-three-get-five, or a certain amount off if a certain total is reached. Our local library has two streaming providers, but I just checked both and neither has it.
15. If you could, would you like to be a little bit taller or a little bit shorter?
I'd probably choose to be a little taller even though I'm happy with my height. I used to be 5'11' but I've lost an inch!
