Friday, July 29, 2005

Today I found 47 cents. . . 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 12 pennies.

At lunch today I had little cash and needed food so I took a trip to Sonic. After eating my burger and drinking my vanilla coke I walked the parking lot and found 13 cents (one dime & three pennies). Leaving Sonic I drove through a Wal-Mart parking lot and looking out the window I spotted and retrieved two cents in the parking lot. Both pennies were stuck in a crack in the pavement. One had to be pried loose with a pocket knife that I keep in my car.

Driving home in the afternoon I stopped at a car wash and found 29 cents (one quarter & four pennies). All the change was scattered about on the ground, the quarter laying at the base of a car wash station. My final three cents of the day were found in the Chevron gas station parking area, where I stopped to gas my car.

On the baseball front the Astros beat the Mets again. I only managed to obtain two autographs, but they were both good ones; Jose Reyes and David Wright (Mike Piazza signed three autographs today, but I didn’t get him, alas). Last night after the game I saw the Mets manager, Willie Randolph, leaving. I asked him to sign my ball and he took it and signed it, but not on the sweet spot. For those not in the know a manager ALWAYS signs the sweet spot. He was clearly not in the mood to sign, but he did anyway. Tonight I saw him again and he was signing a few autographs. This time I held the ball when he signed so the sweet spot was the only place he could sign. I wouldn’t even hand it to him to sign, I insisted on holding it the entire time. I think he appreciated my effort, because I got a nice signature.

In my final news of the night I can report that I was selected as the “Men’s Warehouse Fan of the Game.” This is a silly promotion that the Astros do. A fan is picked from the stands and is recorded wearing their normal clothes and is then dressed in a tux. For being “made-over” I was presented with a $25 gift certificate to the Men’s Warehouse and a $25 certificate good for dry cleaning at the Men’s Warehouse. I won’t use either, but it’s always nice to get something for free.

Totals for the day: 47 cents
Race Totals: $114.55