It's that time of year again — the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway. Every year HGTV builds and decorates an incredibly large house in an incredibly beautiful area. After 6 weeks, they give it away. Previous homes have been in places like St. Marys, Georgia and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This year's prize is nestled in the hills of North Carolina in a way that redefines "nestled." At 5000 square feet, it adds a whole new dimension to the hills.

For a dollar, you can buy a lottery ticket and dream. It costs nothing to dream about the Dream Home. In addition to the online pictures and floorplans, an hour-long tour is airing at regular intervals on HGTV. My daughter Amanda and I got up early this morning to watch it before starting our real life. The house sleeps 11, including a separate guest area with its own entrance, sitting room and laundry room (how long are they staying?).

I liked the plasma TV above the fireplace and the sitting area in the kitchen so people can talk to the cook. With a low table and comfortable chairs in front of a window, it looked more appealing than my kitchen table or my kitchen island, both of which were purchased on a promise that, yes, my family really would sit in the kitchen while I cooked for them. I am thinking of trying comfortable chairs and replacing the wooden kitchen door with something that looks out on the backyard. Without a TV in the kitchen, though, I have little hope for company. With a TV in the kitchen, I have little hope for company that acknowledges my existence. Still I watched the Dream Home tour and dreamt of the attentive family chatting away in front of the spectacular view.

Amanda liked the kids' bunk room and the doghouse outside. Our current home is not set up for dogs. The steady stream of cats (including a ever-changing litter of foster kittens) and chickens and other assorted small creatures has never satisfied Amanda's desire for a dog. I promised we could get one when we move to the Dream Home. I also promised she could fill the bunk room with her friends.

So we made plans. Would we move to North Carolina, or vacation there and rent it out? The dream is most fun when you plan to move. The prize includes $250,000 in cash that ought to cover taxes. Selling our current home ought to give us enough to make the transition. There's a new SUV included in the prize too.

Towards the end of the show, Madeleine, Amanda's twin, came in to toss cold water on the fun. She informed us that we had very little chance of winning and even less of a chance of moving to North Carolina if we did win. I shooed her away.

Undaunted, Amanda looked at me and sighed. "And to think I was going to let her use the sauna."