Monday, August 8, 2005

Today I found $1.32. . . 2 nickels, 1 dime, 4 quarters, and 12 pennies (the incomparable change cycle).

The day got off to an embarrassing start on the change front. As my co-worker Jennifer and I walked from my car to lunch it was Jennifer who spotted a shiny penny on the ground. She generously offered it to me, but as she was the one who found it I could not count it toward my daily totals (I did pocket it, however). On our way back from lunch I suggested that we stop at a Burger King drive-thru, and Jennifer seemed keen on the idea. It is quite unusual for her to support my change habit, but I think this race is starting to grow on her. Unfortunately the drive-thru was so crowded that I had to abandoned my plan and return to the office coinless.

After lunch I had to take the toll road (Beltway 8) to an appointment. It was there that I hit the jackpot, finding 90 cents (one dime, three quarters, and five pennies). I had actually positioned myself in a different lane, but I decided to pick a different lane when I saw the car in front of me actually open the door and pick up change on the ground. Come on people, let’s leave the change picking up to professionals! Lucky I was able to shift lanes, and it all panned out in the end.

On my way home from my afternoon appointment I stopped at Sonic and found 41 cents (two nickels, one quarter, and six pennies). I was actually pulling out of the lot when I spied the quarter, but I was in position to stop and retrieve the quarter with ease. My final stop on the way home was Kroger, a local grocery store, where I found a penny on the ground by the self checkout lane.

Totals for the day: $1.32
Race Totals: $124.50