Monday, October 31, 2005 (Happy Halloween!)

Today I found 13 cents. . . 1 dime and 3 pennies.

On my way home from work it was pouring down rain and I was sitting on zero change. Braving the downpour I checked an Exxon gas station car wash area and found 10 cents (one dime). Also on the way home I stopped at Sonic and found three cents.

Totals for the day: 13 cents
Race Totals: $189.28
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October Monthly Report:

This month I found 495 pennies, 21 nickels, 62 dimes, and 16 quarters. I also found one $1 bill. Oddly, I found 16 cents on two different days (Oct. 14th & 19th).

Monthly Total: $17.20
Change Cycle Days: 3
Dollar Days: 5
Monthly High: $1.89 (October 15th)
Monthly Low: 1 cent (October 26th)
Daily Average: 55.4ish cents

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Today I found 31 cents. . . 1 nickel, 3 dimes, and 6 pennies.

For the second day in a row I went without a change find until late in the evening. Around 10pm I had to go out to recycle some newspapers and to drop off some packages at the post office. On my way to recycle my newspaper I stopped by the drive-thru at Boston Market and found three cents. I also stopped at a Shell gas station for a drink and found a penny by the front door. On my way back to my car I checked the car wash area at Shell and found 27 cents (one nickel, two dimes, and two pennies). They were all in a sticky pile by a vacuum cleaner. I must note that Tara talked me through the change finding process, as well as my trip to the post office. She was tired but stayed on the cell phone with me like a trooper.

Totals for the day: 31 cents
Race Totals: $189.15

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Today I found $1.83. . . 5 nickels, 5 dimes, 3 quarters, and 33pennies. I also found a broken neckless, which I picked up and repaired. Sadly, the broken neckless (that has since been repaired) does not count toward the daily totals.

Saturday. A day to sleep in. I woke up at 10am, and still managed to find time in the day for a three hour nap. As such, there was not a lot of early change finding. I met my boss (who I was giving some football tickets to) in the parking lot of Pet Smart this afternoon, and there I found a penny. I sat at one cent for the entire day until after dinner. I dined with my friend Kate, who is short. After dinner Kate enthusiastically agreed to change search with me (that was nice of her).

It was already 11pm, so there wasn’t a lot of time. We made some quick stops and ended up with a ton of change. Although specific amounts of change at specific locations are tough to remember right now I can say that stops were made at: Chic Fil-A, Mr. Car Wash, a KFC drive-thru, Ale Gator’s Car Wash, an Exxon gas station car wash, and a no name car wash (where I remember that I found a quarter in the change return slot of a soda machine).

We also stopped at Laser Car Wash, where Kate and I discovered a wooden beaded neckless (that was broken) laying on the ground. It was sharp looking, so we picked up all the beads and took it home. At home I fixed it using fishing string and some neckless clasps. Kate is now wearing the neckless and when asked for a comment regarding the neckless she responded, “awesome.” Thus, Kate gets to keep the neckless and it will not be deposited into the “Not Change Cup.”

In sad change related news today I was swindled out of 26 cents at the post office. Here is the scenario: I put $1 (a bill) into a stamp machine. I only wanted one 37 cent stamp, but the machine told me that it was out of change. I ended up purchasing two stamps (for 74 cents) but my remaining 26 cents was gone. The machine told me that I could receive a refund from the Post Office front desk (which was obviously closed at this time of night). Rest assured, I will be there Monday seeking restitution.

Totals for the day: $1.83
Race Totals: $188.84

Friday, October 28, 2005

Today I found 19 cents. . . 1 dime & 9 pennies.

On my way home from work I stopped at between the Sonic and the Kwick Kar Wash and did some change searching. After checking both parking lots I was five cents (five pennies) richer. At a car wash located off of FM 1960 I found another three cents and at the car wash next to my apartment complex I found 11 cents (one dime & one penny). The dime was a solid find, as it was lodged upright in a crack.

Totals for the day: 19 cents
Race Totals: $187.01

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Today I found 14 cents. . . all pennies.

Driving back from the World Series last night it was already after midnight. The Astros might have lost, but that wasn’t going to keep me from my standard stop at the Kwick Kar Wash. I was glad I made the stop as I found five cents (all pennies).

On my way home from work this afternoon I stopped at the car wash next to my apartment complex and found six cents (of course, all pennies). Three cents were in the front and three cents were in the back. After dinner with Susan this evening I stopped at Ale Gator’s Car Wash and found my final three pennies of the evening.

Totals for the day: 14 cents
Race Totals: $186.82

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Today I found 1 cent. . . a single penny.

I thought I would be disappointed about it, but I’m not. It was a busy day of work and I didn’t do any change searching until after the World Series this evening. As I left the stadium I went across the street to a Shell gas station for a drink and I found the penny on the ground by the cash register.

I thought I would be bummed out about the Astros losing the World Series, but I’m really not. This entire season has kind of been like one of those strange dreams, and maybe now I can wake up. All year we didn’t play impressive baseball, but somehow we just managed to win when we needed to. I thought the Braves were a better team and we beat them. I thought the Cardinals were going to kill us, and we beat them. I though the White Sox were amazing, and they creamed us. It was a season that had too many ups and downs for me and I’m honestly glad it’s over.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $186.68

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Today I found 38 cents. . . 2 dimes & 18 pennies.

Wow. 14 innings, the longest World Series game in history, and the Astros down 0-3. I’m too tired to even compose coherent sentences right now (I was at the game, my seats were bad, and the ending was less than acceptable, and the singing of "God Bless America" was bad again). All my change for the day, save two pennies, was found in El Campo, TX, where I spent the day for work. The final two pennies were found in and around Minute Maid Ballpark. The first was outside on the sidewalk and the second was in the concourse along the Crawford Boxes. Good night.

Totals for the day: 38 cents
Race Totals: $186.67

Monday, October 24, 2005

Today I found 32 cents. . . 1 quarter & 7 pennies. I also found a Mexican 2 peso coin, which sadly will not count toward the daily totals.

It was three single penny finds that started my day today. Pennies were found at a Sonic where I ate lunch; a nearby car wash; and a self checkout line at HEB, a local grocery store. I moved up to a two penny find at Ale Gator’s Car Wash. One penny was by a vacuum cleaner and the other was in a car washing port. Ale Gator’s was also where I found the Mexican two peso coin, which was sitting on top of a vacuum cleaner and was covered in some sort of stick goo, which has since been removes. The Mexican coin has also since been deposited into my “Not Change Cup.”

On my way home for the afternoon I stopped at a Shell gas station for a drink. There was a display of sunflower seeds by the counter and I spotted a glimmer of silver as I was paying the cashier. I bent down and discovered 27 cents (one quarter & two pennies), all lodged in the sunflower display.

For those into sports betting I will give you my lock of the week. The Astros will not lose tonight. Of course it is an off day, but nonetheless I feel confident that the bullpen will not implode and the hitters will not choke. That said, the way the Astros are playing it is entirely possible that they lose the off day. We will see.

Totals for the day: 32 cents
Race Totals: $186.29

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Today I found 53 cents. . . 1 nickel, 3 dimes, and 18 pennies.

I intended to wake up early this morning in time to run some errands. It didn’t happen, but when I finally did get going this morning I made sure to make a few change stops. I wanted to check the drive-thru at Starbucks, but it was much too busy. However, I did find three cents in the parking lot. I also found two cents in the parking lot of a KFC, and one penny in the parking lot of Boston Market.

I had to go to the bank this afternoon to get some money to pay for some World Series tickets (I now have tickets to all three home games, and my bank account is much smaller as a result). In the parking lot of Randalls, a local grocery store, I found two cents.

After picking up my tickets downtown I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found 29 cents (one nickel, two dimes, and four pennies). One of the Kwick Kar Wash pennies was a 1938 Wheat Penny, a nice find indeed.

I joined my friend Tara for dinner and on the way to her house I stopped at a Sonic to pick up a few cents. I was rewarded by finding four pennies, all by one of the exits. My final stop of the evening was a Kroger where I checked the change sorting machine. Nothing there, but as I walked back to my car I did find 11 cents (one dime & one penny) in the parking lot.

The Astros lost again this evening, and this one did not have a good feel to it. The game went back and forth all night, but I think that many Astros fans will point to a phantom hit batsman that loaded the bases and ended the night for Dan Wheeler. Relief pitcher Chad Qualls was summoned and his first pitch was a grand slam. It was tough to watch, but sadly not the reason the Astros lost. Undoubtedly Wheeler was going to walk the man that he hit, which would have ended his night and Qualls still would have relieved. The real question of the evening is how can one of the best relievers in the game surrender a home run to a guy in the bottom of the ninth that had hit no home runs the entire season? If Brad Lidge is not right and Clemens is out this series is officially over.

Totals for the day: 53 cents
Race Totals: $185.97

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Today I found 96 cents. . . 1 nickel, 5 dimes, and 41 pennies. I also found a token to Six Flags Amusement Park, which sadly does not count toward the daily total’s.

This morning I took a walk around the neighborhood and did some change searching. At a Starbucks drive-thru I set myself up nicely for a possible cycle by finding 22 cents (one nickel, one dime, and seven pennies). Sadly, the cycle was not to be.

I later found 12 cents (one dime & two pennies) at a KFC drive-thru, two cents at a Burger King drive-thru, four cents at a Boston Market drive-thru, and 22 cents (two dimes & two pennies) at Ale Gator’s Car Wash.

Later in the day I went to Randalls, a local grocery store, to deposit some checks into my bank account. I was saddened to learn that the store will be closing, thus reducing my access to good banking hours and a coin counting machine. Still, Randalls came thru for me like a champ by delivering two pennies in the parking lot.

At a Shell gas station where I stopped for a drink I found an amazing twenty cents (all pennies) on the ground by the front door. Obviously, someone that had entered or exited before me chose to throw away all their pennies. I was happy to be the one to retrieve the pennies.

On my way home from watching Game 1 of the World Series at a local bar I stopped at Kroger, another local grocery store, and found 12 cents (one dime & two pennies) atop a coin counting machine. The two pennies were quite sticky and the dime was under a piece of trash. This is where I also found the Six Flags token, which has already been deposited into the “Not Change Cup.”

Thru the wonderful world of the Internet I have secured tickets for Games 3 & 4 of the World Series. I paid way too much, and I’m not happy about it. Still, not going would make me even more not happy, so there was obviously no good solution.

Question of the day: As the baseball game was getting ready to start today I was seated on the patio of a bar. The National Anthem came on and everyone stood up and removed their hats. After the anthem was over I commented to no one in particular at my table that I wasn’t sure how I felt about standing for the anthem when the game was on TV. Opinions were divided as to what was proper. One point was that it was a matter of respect and you should stand. The counter point was that if you were watching the game alone at home you would probably not stand and the only good reason to stand was that everyone else was doing it. Thoughts?

Totals for the day: 96 cents
Race Totals: $185.44

Friday, October 21, 2005

Today I found 33 cents. . . 3 dimes and 3 pennies.

On my way home from work this evening I stopped at the car wash next to my apartment complex and found two cents. Later in the evening I made a post office run and stopped at a Shell gas station for a drink. There I found 10 cents (one dime) under a newspaper display rack that was situated diagonal to the front counter. At Ale Gator’s car wash, which was right next to the Shell, I found 21 cents (two dimes & one penny). All the change was on the ground, one dime in a car wash stall and the second dime and penny by a vacuum cleaner.

Still no luck with World Series tickets. It’s a sad fact, but I’m starting to realize what friends are good friends and what friends are not. I’m happy for anyone with tickets, but at least one is rubbing it in Bailey’s and my face that she has them and we don’t. Not cool at all.

Totals for the day: 33 cents
Race Totals: $184.48

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Today I found 24 cents. . . 2 dime and 4 pennies.

With the exciting events of yesterday still fresh in my mind I woke up at 7am this morning and was on the road from St. Louis to Houston by 8am. I honestly still don’t know how I feel about the win and the first trip to the World Series for the Astros. Words describing my feelings range from relief to tempered excitement. I almost wish I had stayed in Houston and watched the game on TV. As thrilling as it was to be in the stadium for the final out it was also depressing to see the St. Louis fans so broken up about the loss and the loss of their stadium. I was certainly in no position to scream, cheer, and go nuts, so part of me feels cheated. Cheated and slightly depressed.

Prior to leaving the city I took a walk over to Bush Stadium and wrote some words on the wall (the stadium is being torn down in two weeks and team officials have been permitting fans to write on the outside walls of the stadium). After saying my piece and saying goodby I turned my attention to acquiring the morning newspaper, headline: “Lights out at Bush.” In the newspaper box, located on Bush Stadium property, I found 10 cents (one dime) in the change return slot. It was one final gift from the City of St. Louis to a visiting Astros fan.

In Oklahoma I had to stop for gas and at the Kum & Go gas station I found 11 cents (one dime & one penny) on the floor by the cash register where I purchased some Mountain Dew for the long drive.

Back in Texas I stopped for a drink at Sonic outside of Dallas and found two cents while walking the Sonic parking lot. My final find of the day was a single penny on the floor of a gas station in Huntsville, where I filled up my tank for the last time.

Totals for the day: 24 cents
Race Totals: $184.15

Wednesday, October 19, 2005 (Relief)

Today I found 16 cents. . . 1 dime and 6 pennies. I also witnessed the last game in Bush Stadium in St. Louis and saw the Astros clench their first ever National League Pennant.

At 9:40pm on Tuesday evening I got into my car and began the 13 hour drive to St. Louis. Along the way I drove through three states (Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri) and recorded finds in each. As the drive was long and there was some excitement at the end of the day I must admit that I can’t recall the exact denominations and locations of each find.

The truly big news of the day was the Astros 5-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. I was at games 6 & 7 last year and witnessed the Astros loss and I felt the pain. This year was different. This year I witnessed the win and the St. Louis suffering. I can’t say enough great things about Bush Stadium and the city of St. Louis. As the Astros recorded the last out of the game the fans stood and applauded the Houston Astros as they celebrated. They then stood, tears in eyes, and watched a video presentation on the history of Bush Stadium. Hours after the game fans still stood in the stadium, crying and cheering for their team. At least 50 people came over to me and offered congratulations and well wishes for the World Series. It meant a lot and I was grateful.

Totals for the day: 16 cents
Race Totals: $183.91

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Today I found 48 cents. . . 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 13 pennies.

Like the Astros had better to tomorrow night I made a solid recovery from the disastrous day that I had yesterday. There was little time for change searching, but I managed to hit a trifecta of car washes. At the car wash next to my apartment complex I found two cents, and at the car wash next to the post office I found three cents. Also, at Ale Gator’s car wash I found 42 cents (one dime, one quarter, and seven pennies). My final find of the day was a single penny in a washing machine at the apartment laundry room.

This evening I am leaving for St. Louis, a 14 hour drive. I figure that I will arrive by 10:00 am on Wednesday morning, leaving me a few hours for a nap and then Game 6 of the NLCS. I would like to point out that I am absolutely miserable about the prospect of a 14 hour drive only to watch a baseball game. However, considering where the Astros are I feel that this is something that I almost have to do. Several friends have stated that if I don’t want to go I should just stay home and watch the game on TV and that no one is forcing me to drive all the way to St. Louis. These are friends that don’t understand baseball.

Assuming the Astros win Game 6 I will drive back Wednesday night and be back in Houston on Thursday afternoon. If it goes to Game 7 I will drive back Thursday night and be back in Houston on Friday. Please plan your blog reading accordingly, as I may not have access to a computer in St. Louis (although there is a possibility that I will).

Totals for the day: 48 cents
Race Totals: $183.75

Monday, October 17, 2005 (One Strike Away)

Today I found 2 cents. . . both pennies.

Fuck Pujols. The two pennies were both found at the Harris County Court House, where I spent a forgettable day that later became even more forgettable.

Totals for the day: 2 cents
Race Totals: $183.27

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Today I found $1.39. . .6 dimes, 2 quarters & 29 pennies.

I did some more change searching early this morning, and again I made some large finds. I found two cents at both a KFC drive-thru and a Wendy’s drive-thru, for a total of four cents. At a car wash near my post office I found 42 cents (one dime, one quarter, and seven pennies) and at Ale Gator’s Car Wash I found a whopping 81 cents (five dimes, one quarter, and seven pennies). All the change at each was scattered about, and I’m not sure if I have ever found so many dimes in one place as I did today.

On the way to the ballpark I stopped at the car wash on Interstate 45 (the place where Bailey made the discovery of the open car supply machines yesterday) and found six cents (all pennies). A bit further down the road I found two cents at a Sonic. One of the pennies was actually embedded in some cement and I had to remove it with a hammer and a screw driver. The final finds of the day were in the proximity of Minute Maid Ballpark. I found three pennies while walking around the ballpark before the game.

The good news of the day comes from the Astros winning again and going up three games to one against the St. Louis Cardinals. The bad news is that not a single person (out of 60) who entered the drawing for World Series tickets for Bailey and I won the right to purchase tickets. I’m happy for the Astros win today, but me not being at a World Series (after having missed a total of seven games in three years) is unacceptable. I find it hard to get excited when my prospects are to pay out the butt for a ticket from a scalper or watch the game on TV. I should be happy right now, but I’m not. Nothing more to say.

Totals for the day: $1.39
Race Totals: $183.25

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Today I found $1.89. . .2 nickels, 5 dimes, 3 quarters & 54 pennies (the swell change cycle). I also found a Canadian quarter and a Mexican two peso coin, neither of which will count toward the daily totals.

After midnight last night I decided to do some change searching as I could not sleep. I hit a plethora of fast food drive-thrus and recorded some nice finds. At a Boston Market I found two cents, at a KFC I found 11 cents (one dime & one penny), at Burger King I found three cents, at Wendy’s I found 10 cents (one dime), and at Starbucks I found 37 cents (one quarter, one dime, & two pennies). On the way home I stopped at the post office and found 25 cents (one quarter) in the change return slot of a stamp machine. I also stopped at a Shell for gas and found 16 cents (one nickel, one dime, & one penny). All the Shell change was laying on the ground near my gas pump.

On my way to the ballpark this morning I stopped at another car wash. There was no American change found, but I did find the Mexican two peso coin. Also, at the ballpark by a parking meter I found the Canadian quarter. Both foreign coins will be deposited into my “Not Change Cup,” which for accuracy should probably be called my “Not American Change Cup.”

Walking around outside the ballpark (illegally scalping some tickets) I found three cents at various locations. On my drive home I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found 11 cents (all pennies). My final stop of the night was the car wash next to my apartment where I found an astounding 71 cents (one nickel, one dime, one quarter, and 31 pennies). The vast majority of the change, save a few pennies, were found in two stacks which were both on top of vacuum cleaners.

The Astros managed another nice win against the St. Louis Cardinals this evening. I have been down the road of getting excited about the possibility of a World Series appearance before (last year we went back to St. Louis with a 3-2 lead and only needed to win one game–we didn’t) so I’m trying to remain as calm about this as I can. If we actually win tomorrow I’m afraid that my calmness will fly out the window, as we will be up 3-1 and have Pettitte, Oswalt, and Clemens scheduled for the next games. Tomorrow will tell a lot.

Totals for the day: $1.89
Race Totals: $181.86

Friday, October 14, 2005

Today I found 16 cents. . .2 nickels & 6 pennies.

I didn’t have to work today, so I spent a lot of time around the house. Around lunch time my friend Robert and I went to grab a bite to eat at a Vietnamese restaurant. On the way home Robert had to stop at HEB, a local grocery store, to pick up some baby food for his dog (the dog is sick, and at the moment he won’t eat his dog food unless it is covered in baby food–a picky dog if you ask me). At HEB I found 10 cents (one nickel & five pennies) in the coin return slot of a water vending machine.

Continuing home we stopped at Randalls, a local grocery store, so I could deposit a check in my bank, which has a branch at the grocery store. On the way out I spotted and retrieved a nickel from under a coke vending machine.

After dinner with my friend Susan I peeked into another Randalls and found a single penny in the change return slot of a change sorting machine. As I was on my hands and knees looking under a coke machine (I though I spotted a quarter, but alas it was a gum wrapper) an employee asked me what I was doing. I truthfully told him that I was trying to retrieve a quarter. He offered me a quarter to use in the vending machine, but I declined his generous offer. I considered telling him to drop the quarter and walk away, but that certainly would have defeated the spirit of the race.

Totals for the day: 16 cents
Race Totals: $179.97

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Today I found $1.70. . .4 nickels, 6 dimes, 2 quarters, and 40 pennies (the slamming change cycle).

Work took me to Bailey’s neck of the woods today and I decided to hit it hard looking for change on my way home. I recorded quite a few finds and if memory serves me correctly they were at two gas station car washes, an HEB, a Kroger, Wendy’s, KFC, Taco Bell, the middle of the street, Sonic, Arbys, the parking lot of Wal-Mart, and a Sonic. All told I found 78 cents (two nickels, four dimes, and 28 pennies).

Closer to home I recorded finds at a Whataburger where I found eight cents (one nickel & three pennies), a Sonic where I found 11 cents (one nickel & six pennies), the post office where I found 10 cents (one dime), Randalls where I found a penny, McDonalds where I found 12 cents (one dime & two pennies), and a car wash by the post office where I found 50 cents (two quarters).

Game Two of the NLCS was won by the Astros this evening, marking the first time since 2003 that a road team has won a game in the National League in that series. Roy O was amazing and the Astros managed to win despite Phil “Look at my Mustache” Garner’s questionable moves. Following the off day the series will return to Houston, where the Astros play well. Seven more wins, that’s all I ask.

Totals for the day: $1.70
Race Totals: $179.81

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Today I found 46 cents. . .2 dimes and 26 pennies.

My first two stops of the day were a Chevron car wash and the car wash next to my apartment complex. I found nine cents (all pennies) at each for a total of 18 cents. On my way home I hit another local car wash and found four cents and at the post office this evening I found three cents in the coin return slot of a stamp machine.

After the Astros loss to the Cardinals I made a quick change run. At a Chevron gas station I found one penny at the front door. I also hit the drive-thru at Boston Market and Starbucks, finding 10 cents (dime) at each, for a total of 20 cents. I want to go to the World Series. After tonight I’m not happy.

Totals for the day: 46 cents
Race Totals: $178.11

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Today I found 68 cents. . .1 dime, 1 quarter, and 33 pennies. I also found a Tilt Family Amusement Center token, which does not count toward the daily totals.

I ate lunch at Greenspoint Mall this afternoon and I found three cents by the cash register at the Chinese stand where I ate. After lunch my co-worker Carl and I took a walk around the arcade in the mall on a change search. Sadly, Carl found a quarter and I only found a token. Ideally it would have been the other way around. Nevertheless, the token shall be deposited into my “Not Change Cup,” keeper of all things not change.

On the way home I stopped at a car wash at Exxon and found eight cents (all pennies) on the ground. A quick stop at Sonic for some dinner earned me an additional 23 cents (13 pennies & one dime). All the Sonic change was scattered about on the ground.

My final stop on the way home was the car wash next to my apartment complex. There I found 34 cents (one quarter & nine pennies). The quarter was atop a vacuum cleaner and the pennies were scattered about.

Totals for the day: 68 cents
Race Totals: $177.65

Monday, October 10, 2005

Today I found 47 cents. . .2 nickels, 1 quarter, and 12 pennies.

On my way to dinner this evening I spotted and retrieved a penny from the road. To be honest, it was actually half a penny, as the other half was somewhere else. Somewhere else meaning it was not attached to the actual penny that I found.

Following dinner my friend Susan and I looked around a store selling Halloween costumes. While Susan looked at the shelves I looked at the floor and found eight cents (one nickel & three pennies) on the floor by a shelf that contained some severed hands and a cat tail. On my way home I stopped at Chevron for a drink and retrieved a nickel from the base of a cash register. The nickel was in a box that contained David Sunflower Seeds, which are quite delicious and one of my snacks of choice.

Continuing home I stopped to recycle some newspapers and then paid a visit to Ale Gator’s Car Wash, where I found 30 cents (one quarter & five pennies). All were scattered about the ground. The quarter was a particularly rewarding find, as it was stuck between two grates in the car wash area. My final stop was Sonic, where I found three cents in the common eating area.

Totals for the day: 47 cents
Race Totals: $176.97

Sunday, October 9, 2005 (18 Innings of Ball)

Today I found 25 cents. . . 2 dime & 5 pennies. I also sat through the longest MLB playoff game in history, 18 innings.

In the fifth inning of the Astros game I decided to move down from the upper deck to the lower section. First I took a trip to my car to drop off my backpack, which I didn’t want to carry around with me for the rest of the game. At that point the Astros were down 5-0, and it was not looking good. Outside the ballpark, at the base of a parking meter, I found a dime (which is now my lucky dime and it will be with me for the rest of the playoffs).

After the game (more on the game in a minute) I stopped at the Hallmark Car Wash and found 15 cents (one dime & five pennies). An assist on the 15 cents goes to Tara, who had joined me for dinner and drove to the car wash with me. She used her car headlights to illuminate the areas that I searched.

For the better part of the game (at least the first nine innings) the Astros did not play well. They were down 6-1 going into the eighth inning. Then Lance Berkman hit a Grand Slam, and with two outs in the ninth Brad Ausmus tied the game with a solo shot. The game remained tied until the 18th inning, when Chris Burke ended the game with a walk off homerun. The game featured quite a bit of history. Besides being the longest game in playoff history it was the first time that both team had grand slams, and it was only the second time in over 20 years that Roger Clemens came in to pitch as a relief pitcher. I would also wager that it was the first time in his career that he was used as a pinch hitter. Anyhow, 18 innings of baseball was fun, but I don’t feel the need to do it again anytime soon.

Totals for the day: 25 cents
Race Totals: $176.50

Saturday, October 8, 2005

Today I found 40 cents. . . 1 dime & 30 pennies. I also found a yellow marble, which does not count toward the daily totals.

Walking around the ballpark before the game this afternoon I found a penny by the base of a tree. On my way home from the game I stopped at Sonic and found eight cents (all pennies) and the Kwick Kar Wash, which was right next door, where I found 31 cents (one dime & 21 pennies). Just out of curiosity I checked the dates of all the pennies, and found that my oldest was from 1967 and the newest was from 2005. It was at the Kwick Kar Wash that I found the yellow marble, which was near a trash can. The yellow marble shall be deposited into my “Not Change Cup,” keeper of things found that are not change.

The Astros won Game 3 of the NLDS, taking a 2-1 lead over the Atlanta Braves. A win tomorrow will send them to the NLCS, for the second year in a row. The offense exploded again this evening, albeit against the Braves bullpen. I’m convinced that Bailey, Marti, Brian, Liza, and myself could do a decent job hitting the Braves bullpen.

On the autograph front I added considerably to the Braves ball that I had started earlier in the season. Notable autographs include Jeff Francoure, Marcus Giles, Andrew Jones, and Brian Jordan. I also got pitching coach Leo Mazelli (who rocks back and forth during the games) on a ball. He wrote “14 Straight!” below his signature, referring to the division titles that the Braves have won.

My best autograph, at least as far as I am concerned, was Braves GM John Schuerholz. John and I went to the same university, which was not a huge one, so he seemed excited to run into an alum. He was actually standing next to Tim Kurkjian, of ESPN, and pointed me out and told him about the kinship that we shared (or something like that). I don’t think Tim was as impressed as he should have been.

Totals for the day: 40 cents
Race Totals: $176.25

Friday, October 7, 2005

Today I found 22 cents. . . 2 dimes & 2 pennies.

Coming home from work this afternoon I stopped at the car wash next to my apartment and found 22 cents (two dimes & two pennies). That was it for the day.

It was nice to see the Yankees lose tonight. Seven years ago I moved to Houston from Baltimore. I absolutely love National League baseball, but my hatred of the Yankees is deep, so anytime they lose it’s a wonderful time. Randy Johnson absolutely melted down, and the Angels took advantage of it. Randy Johnson has always been an ok guy in my book, though.

Several years back I asked him to sign a ball for me. I had been asking him for years and he always blew me off. Anyway, he agreed to sign so I threw him the ball and then I threw him my pen. Only problem was he had already ducked down and had a pen, so my pen went flying and hit him square in the head. He looked up, kind of pissed, so all I could think to do was turn around, look at no one in particular, and say, “come on guys, stop throwing shit at Randy.” He signed my ball and was done signing. Ah well, it makes a nice story.

Totals for the day: 22 cents
Race Totals: $175.85

Thursday, October 6, 2005

Today I found 37 cents. . . 1 dime, 1 quarter, & 2 pennies. All finds were natural.

On my way to the post office this evening I was stopped at a red light and I spotted and retrieved a penny from the road. At the post office things got even better. Not only was the line short and I was able to mail a poster tube (which can’t be mailed on the automated postal machine because it was over 17 inches) but I found 25 cents (one quarter) in the coin return slot of a stamp machine.

My next stop was HEB, a local grocery store, to purchase a few provisions for an Astros watching party. In the coin deposit slot of a change sorting machine I found 10 cents (one dime) and on the ground by a cash register I found a penny.

Well, there are two outs in the 7th inning of the Astros v. Braves game right now. The Astros are behind 5-1. John Smoltz held up his end of the bargain for the great pitchers match up. Roger Clemens struggled and the Astros bats fell silent. Pending a great comeback it looks like things will be knotted up when the series comes to Houston on Saturday.

Totals for the day: 37 cents
Race Totals: $175.63

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

Today I found 59 cents. . . 1 dime & 49 pennies.

Driving home from work today I was listening to the Astros game on the radio. As one inning had just ended and a commercial had come on I swung into a Sonic to do some quick change searching. At Sonic I found eight cents (all pennies) but the big find of the day came at the Kwick Kar Wash, located in the adjacent parking lot. At the Kwick Kar Wash I found an amazing 32 cents (all pennies). Twenty of these pennies were laying in a pile on top of a trash can. During another commercial break, closer to home, I checked the car wash next to my apartment complex and found eight cents (all pennies).

After the game I headed to the Randalls, a local grocery store. There is a branch of my bank at Randalls and I had to deposit some checks. As I walked into the store I spotted and retrieved a dime from the floor by a group of shopping carts. My final find of the day was a penny, which was on the floor of the post office by a trash can.

Just as I predicted the Astros won game 1 of the NLDS with their unstoppable offense. As loyal readers know I have supported the Astros offense 100 percent of the time for the entire year.

In a recent post Brian had mentioned some words spoken by a co-worker: “Of all things unimportant, baseball is the most important.” This struck me as very true. Baseball helped heal a nation after 9/11, it captivated the nation as we watched Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa hit home run after home run, and we were moved as a nation as Cal Ripken, Jr. passed Lou Gehrig in consecutive games played. Today in Houston there was a special feeling around, and it was baseball. Every place that I went there was a conversation about the Astros and the ongoing game. Baseball may be unimportant, but it certainly did feel like it mattered today.

Totals for the day: 59 cents
Race Totals: $175.26

Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Today I found $1.32. . . 1 $1 bill, 3 dimes, and 2 pennies.

On my way to my car this morning I found 10 cents (one dime) in the parking lot of my apartment complex parking lot. After lunch this afternoon I checked a Burger King drive-thru, and was shut out. However, I went into a Chevron that was attached to the Burger King to purchase a drink. At the base of the cash register, stuck in a candy case holding gum, was a crumpled up $1 bill. I’m not sure how the crumpled bill ended up there, but I know how it got out (in my hand).

In the evening I made a post office run and found 10 cents (one dime) at the base of the automated postal machine. On the way home I checked Al Gator’s Car Wash and found 12 cents (one dime & two pennies). The first penny was on the ground by vacuum cleaner, the dime was in the change return slot of a Pepsi machine, and the final penny was on the ground by the car wash exit.

Scanning the pages of ESPN today I noticed that six of 16 “experts” have picked the ASTROS to win the World Series. This amazes me, but I guess people want to make the unexpected pick and see if it sticks. There are lots of good reasons why it could happen (Clemens, Pettitte, Oswalt) but more reasons why it won’t (offense, defense, history). If I had to bet my change would be on the later.

Totals for the day: $1.32
Race Totals: $174.67

Monday, October 3, 2005

Today I found 26 cents. . . 1 nickel, 1 dime, and 11 pennies.

After dinner this evening I was sitting at no finds, which seems to be becoming a bad habit. I stopped at a car wash near the post office and I found 11 cents (one nickel & six pennies). At the post office I found a single penny in the change return slot of a stamp machine and in my apartment complex laundry room I found another single penny on top of a washing machine.

The final find of the day was recorded at a Chevron gas station late this evening. I decided to walk over for a drink and I found 13 cents (one dime & three pennies). The three pennies were on the ground outside of the bullet proof window and the dime was in the drawer that the gas station employee uses to slide the purchase to the customer. It was lined with newspaper and it’s likely that when he returned change to a previous customer that customer did not notice that he left behind a dime.

Totals for the day: 26 cents
Race Totals: $173.35

Sunday, October 2, 2005

Today I found 82 cents. . . 1 nickel, 4 dime, 1 quarter, and 12 pennies (the playoff bound change cycle).

On my way home last night (actually early this morning) from a party I stopped at a Starbucks on FM 1960 and found 23 cents (two dimes & three pennies) in the drive-thru. Closer to home I checked another Starbucks drive-thru and found 45 cents (one nickel, one dime, one quarter, and five pennies). It’s always nice to hit the change cycle in one location. Nearby the Starbucks I checked a KFC drive-thru and found 12 cents (one dime & two pennies).

At the Astros game this afternoon I found a penny in the street. It was nearby a parking meter and likely fell from someone’s pocket as they reached for change to pay a meter. My final find of the day was one penny at a Shell gas station. It was on a counter next to the slushie machine that I used to fix myself a drink.

The Astros beat Gregg Maddux and the Chicago Cubs today to clench their second consecutive National League Wild Card spot. Like last year they clenched it on the final day of the season. Last year the team was amazingly good down the stretch, while this year we limped into the playoffs at the expense of a surging Philadelphia Phillies team (who could not muster a single win in head-to-head competition against the Astros this year). I have been negative about the Astros chances for the entire season and I continue to doubt our chances in the playoffs. Hopefully I will be wrong again.

Totals for the day: 82 cents
Race Totals: $173.09

Saturday, October 1, 2005

Today I found 19 cents. . . 1 nickel, 1 dime, and 4 pennies.

It was another day where I was on the verge of finding nothing. On my way home from the Astros game I took a quick detour to the Kwick Kar Wash and I found two cents. I also stopped at the Hallmark Car Wash and found 17 cents (one nickel, one dime, and two pennies).

The Astros won tonight. If they win tomorrow they make the playoffs. If they lose and the Phillies lose they make the playoffs. If they lose and the Phillies win there is a one game play in for the playoffs in Philadelphia. Make sense? Sure. All I can say is that it had better not come down to the bullpen, because I can personally attest that they celebrated today’s victory quite well. It was the who’s who of bullpen pitchers at the bar I was at this evening. So, here is keeping my fingers crossed that Roy Oswalt wins #20 tomorrow and the bullpen gets to relax.

Totals for the day: 19 cents
Race Totals: $172.27