Living in a fantasy world

In an earlier post, I noted that a year or so back, a painting by Jackson Pollack sold for 142.7 million dollars in a private sale. I thought the price was outrageous and that anybody who was willing to pay that price was likely some kind of lunatic.

Just for the hell of it, I thought it might be fun to compare the price paid for that painting with a few items of real value; just in case some long lost uncle should buy the biscuit and leave me $140 million or so.

Let’s see. I could buy a new house, like the little place in Toronto pictured above. It’s situated on over an acre of land overlooking the Rosedale Golf Club and features eight bedrooms, 11 baths, a pool, two entryways, and a formal ballroom. And, it’s available for a mere $19.5 million Canadian.

And I guess I should spend a few bucks on a couple of automobiles. I think I’ll pick up a Lamborghini and a Ferrari so that I’ve got something for family and friends to use when they come for an extended visit. And, since neither the wife nor I drive, I should have a Rolls so that the chauffer can get the wife back and forth to No Frills and the Dollar Store. I can get all three for roughly a million bucks.

And, I’ll have to fill the fridge with beer. Samuel Adams/Boston Beer Company’s Utopias is said to be the world’s strongest and most expensive beer and it goes for a mere $100 per bottle. And, since they only produced 8,000 bottles, I could probably get a discount for buying in bulk. The beer is brewed with a blend of high-quality hops and sold in an ornate copper-plated brew kettle. The world’s most expensive beer is non-carbonated and should be served at room temperature.

But, then again, the very thought of warm, non-carbonated beer is a little revolting. But you’ve got to have something to serve the guys when they come over to watch the football game on Sundays. So, I think I’ll just stick with my “Buy Canadian” policy when it comes to the beer. The chauffer can take my new Rolls down to the beer store once a week to keep the fridge full. Unless, of course, my brother Tom comes to visit; in which case, the chauffer will be making once a day visits to the beer store.

And a boat. I’ve always liked the water; I come from the east coast, after all. Maybe a little cabin cruiser will be just the ticket; something that can make the trip from Lake Ontario, down the Seaway and through the Gulf to Cape Breton. There’s a nice little 54 foot rig available for only $4.5 million.

Damn it! I’ve still got over $122 million dollars to spend. This is tougher than I thought. Maybe if the Donald isn’t too busy firing people, he can give me some advice on how to spend that kind of cash.

Now, what the hell did I do with his number?