At Midway Liquor Market on Pico Boulevard, owner David Michael said Thursday, “Everybody's excited and they think they're going to get it." Charlie Blair, for example, began playing the lottery this week after he noticed the $500 million Mega Millions jackpot. That's when the 70-year-old man headed to a Shell gas station on Vermont Avenue, close to his Koreatown apartment, to buy a single ticket. "It's so high–I mean, that's astronomical!" the retired mechanical engineer said Thursday. "You can't beat the investment: $1 for such a high return." California Lottery officials said 283 million tickets have been sold in the state for Friday’s jackpot, which began accumulating in January. Spokesman Elias Dominguez thinks that with all the number combinations being played, someone’s going to win.  And he has an idea on what to do with the money. “You can almost buy the Dodgers with that, but not quite,” he said. “Maybe instead you buy the Reds.” ALSO: Record Mega Millions jackpot draws players, lines What to do if you win the Mega Millions lottery jackpot Mega Millions fever will peak Friday with $540-million drawing –Anna Gorman, Corina Knoll and Matt Stevens Credit: Mladen Antonov / AFP/Getty Images