Jessie McGinnis, 55, had already spent days searching in vain for the $10 in “quick picks” that he purchased at a Yuba City 7-Eleven the day after Christmas. But after going through all this belongings he had given up. “I was hoping someone claimed it so I didn’t think the rest of my life I had lost the winning ticket,” he said. National lottery

In the end, it was stuck in a barbecue and behind plastic bags in a kitchen cupboard. So, when McGinnis, spotted the small square of orange paper in his kitchen Monday, he knew exactly what to expect. Lottery numbers

“I turned it over — 23, 32, 33, 39, 43,” he said Thursday with a wide smile, still marveling at his luck. “$338,106″

The Yuba City store at Stabler Lane and Butte House Road was one of three to sell a Mega Millions ticket matching five out of six numbers. The winners split a $1,014,318 prize, each receiving $338,106.

McGinnis’ curiosity started last week when he was heard that no one had claimed a winning ticket sold at the local store. He remembered buying a ticket there before leaving for Bakersfield. He wondered if it was worth it to drive 50 miles from his station to the office where his truck was parked with the ticket. In the end, the desire to know won out. But McGinnis tore through his truck twice and couldn’t find it. “I knew there was a chance it was a winner and it was gone,” he said.

On Monday, McGinnis was looking for trash bags when he opened the lower kitchen cabinet and right in front of him was the ticket he’d been looking for five days. He called his wife and asked her to sit down. “I said, “I found the ticket, and it’s a winner,’” he recalled.”There’s dead silence on the phone. She didn’t believe me.”

It wasn’t until he drove to Yuba City and returned to the 7-Eleven on Wednesday that the win was confirmed.

He walked over and kissed store manager Ravinder Dhindsa on the forehead and stuck his ticket in the machine.

“I’m just amazed. It’s really hard to fathom,” he said. “It’s been a fairy tale until now.”

First thing Thursday morning, McGinnis drove to Sacramento to the lottery district office to claim his prize, and state lottery officials confirmed he is the winner.

“I’m so happy for him,” Dhindsa gushed. “He’s a nice customer, regular customer and good customer.”

McGinnis and his wife have been married 33 years and have three adopted children, ages 14, 17 and 18.

They plan to pay off everything but the mortgage, set aside the rest for the future and college funds and perhaps go on a Disney cruise.

“There’s a lot more important, I think, like raising kids, being healthy, living your life,” he said. “This is great, but it’s not the most important.”

Until that December morning, McGinnis had gone two years without buying a ticket. He was once a regular, but in a decade’s time he only won $5 twice and $90 once.

“I never matched more than two numbers so I quit buying. What possessed me to buy that ticket I have no idea.”

“I might start playing a little bit more now,” McGinnis added. “But I’m not buying tickets from anyone other than Ravinder.”