Monday, July 31, 2006

Today I found 34 cents . . . 1 nickel, 2 dimes, and 9 pennies. I also found a Mexican 50-cent piece. Sadly, the Mexican change will not count toward the daily totals.

I had to stop by the apartment complex office this afternoon to pick up some packages. I exited the office through the pool and noticed a penny on the ground in some dirt. Upon closer examination I found the entire set of change for the day. I’m not sure how it got there, but from the age it is clear that it had been there for a long time.

The Mexican 50-cent piece was also found at the pool, in the same dirt area. It was cleaner than the rest of the change, but it matters not since foreign currency has no value in The Change Race. Still, the Mexican coin is a welcome edition to my “Not Change Cup,” keeper of such items.

Totals for the day: 34 cents
Race Totals: $337.68
___________________________________________

July Monthly Report:

This month I found 184 pennies, 9 nickels, 18 dimes, and 15 quarters. Change was found in three states; Maryland, New York, and Texas.

Monthly Total: $7.84
Change Cycle Days: 1
Dollar Days: 2
Monthly High: $1.40 (July 2nd)
Monthly Low: 1 cent (Multiple Times)
Daily Average: 25.3 ish cents

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Today I found $1.23 . . . 1 dime, 4 quarters, and 13 pennies.

Race of the Century wishes to extend Happy Birthday wishes to loyal reader and friend Becca at Nerd Camp. Happy birthday Becca.

Thankfully I had more luck with change than the Astros did with Arizona. Roger Clemens pitched seven innings, left with a four run lead, and the Astros lost. Wow! They are terrible right now.

Anyhow, after the game it was kids run the bases day so I had plenty of time to walk around the stands and see what was on the ground. In addition to the two matchbox cars that I found (a kids giveaway today) I also found 75 cents (three quarters).

On the way home from the game I stopped by the Kwick Kar Wash and found seven cents (all pennies). In the evening I dropped off some packages at the post office. On my way home I stopped at the nearby car wash and found 40 cents (one dime, one quarter, and five pennies). The quarter was on a car wash station ledge and the remaining change was scattered about on the ground.

Did I mention how bad the Astros are right now?

Totals for the day: $1.23
Race Totals: $337.34

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Today I found 56 cents. . . 2 quarters & 6 pennies.

On my way home from the game this morning (it was already past midnight by the time the 11 inning game ended) I stopped at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, and found 54 cents (two quarters & four pennies). Both quarters sat atop a ledge in a car wash station and the pennies were scattered about on the ground.

This morning I found a penny in the parking lot of my apartment complex. In the evening I found another penny on the floor of the Home Plate Bar & Grill, where I stopped for a burger after getting bumped from the field level seat I was occupying without a ticket. After the burger it was back to the game, which the Astros won 4-1.

Totals for the day: 56 cents
Race Totals: $336.11

Friday, July 28, 2006

Today I found 69 cents. . . 2 nickels, 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 24 pennies (the Luke Scott Change Cycle).

I finally got to leave the boarder this morning and head back to Houston. Once home I stopped at the JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, and found all my change. The first 40 cents (one nickel, 2 dimes, and 15 pennies) were sitting atop a ledge in a car wash station. The quarter was in the return slot of a vacuum cleaner and the remaining change was scattered about on the ground. It’s good to be home.

No change was found at the Astros game this evening, and the Astros lost. Still, it was a great game. Astros Rookie outfielder Luke Scott had a walk in his first at bat. In his second at bat he hit his first Major League homerun. He followed that up with a triple, double, and in a late inning at bat a single. It was the first time I have ever seen a player hit for the cycle.

Totals for the day: 69 cents
Race Totals: $335.55

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Today I found 1 cent. . . a penny.

For the second day in a row change was found in a last minute coup. This time it was a single penny by the counter of a gas station. In gratitude for the penny I purchased a pack of gum, which was over 121 times the amount of the found penny.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $334.86

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Today I found 2 cents. . . both pennies.

It was 10:30pm in the evening and was pouring rain, but I hadn’t found any change. I checked a few spots in my hotel and met with no success. I knew I would have to venture out on foot if my streak was to stay alive. I walked about a quarter mile in the pouring rain to another hotel and found two pennies by a bank of vending machines.

Totals for the day: 2 cents
Race Totals: $334.85

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Today I found 1 cent. . . a penny.

The penny was under a table at the La Plaza Mall in McAllen, TX. I had Chinese food and a freshly squeezed lemonade.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $334.83

Monday, July 24, 2006

Today I found 1 cent. . . a penny.

My day started at 4:30am when the alarm went off and I had to catch a cab from the Upper East Side to Laguardia Airport. My flight left at 6:58am and I was back in Houston by noon. From there I made a quick stop in the food court, got some breakfast tacos, and found a penny. From there it was off to another gate and a flight back to McAllen, TX.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $334.82

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Today I found 1 cent. . . a penny.

Walking to the subway I found a penny by a parking meter. It was lodged in a grate on the ground but a quick eye and quick hands resulted in a successful retrieval.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $334.81

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Today I found 28 cents . . .. 1 quarter & 3 pennies.

I woke up around 11:30am, which isn’t bad considering what time I went to bed. Such is life in the big city of New York where bars stay open till 4am. Walking to the subway with my friend Becca and Alice I spotted a quarter sticking out of a slot in a parking meter. At Shea Stadium, home of the NY Mets, I found three cents. Two of the pennies were in a walkway and one was under a seat.

Totals for the day: 28 cents
Race Totals: $334.80

Friday, July 21, 2006

Today I found 27 cents . . .. 2 dimes & 7 pennies.

On my way to the office I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found 15 cents (one dime & five pennies). I was dressed in a suit and tie so I figure that if anyone was watching me they probably got a good laugh out of it.

After work I headed to the airport for a flight to New York. I am going to be there over the weekend to watch the Astros play the Mets and to visit with some friends. After I got onto the plane we found out that the flight was going to be delayed for at least three hours. We got off and I used that time to get some food in the food court and to find some extra change. I found an additional 12 cents (one dime & two pennies) so the delay wasn’t that bad.

Totals for the day: 27 cents
Race Totals: $334.52

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Today I found 10 cents. . . a dime.

For what I believe is only the second time in over 500 days I did not find a penny today. As best as I can tell the last time that happened was on August 3, 2005.

The dime was found in the parking lot of a local strip center, where I had parked over my lunch break to go pick up a watch that was beign repaired. The watch is fine now and the dime has been deposited into my ever growing change holder.

Totals for the day: 10 cents
Race Totals: $334.25

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Today I found 2 cents. . . all pennies.

The first penny of the day came to me in the doorway of Taqueria Del Zepada, a Mexican restaurant where I stopped for lunch in McAllen, TX.

Later in the day I hopped a plane back to Houston, TX where I have some work to do on Thursday and Friday. It will be nice to be home for a few days before I have to go back to McAllen next week. Of course my time at home will be short since I'm flying to NY over the weekend and then back to McAllen on Monday morning.

In the evening I did a few loads of laundry back at my apartment and found a penny in the apartment complex laundry room. It was half sticking out from under a bank of washing machines.

Totals for the day: 2 cents
Race Totals: $334.15

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Today I found 18 cents. . . 1 dime & 8 pennies.

Finally, a decent amount of change. The first penny was found in a store that I had to visit for work. It was by the front door. The next penny was found in the evening outside the front door to my hotel.

Later in the evening some co-workers and I visited La Plaza Mall and I found the remaining change. Most of the pennies were in the food section of the mall and the dime was under a coke machine.

Totals for the day: 18 cents
Race Totals: $334.13

Monday, July 17, 2006

Today I found 1 cent. . . a penny.

In a last minute find I got a single penny from under a coke machine in my hotel.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $333.95

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Today I found 1 cent. . . a penny.

Sunday brings another day of work. Not so fun. My "excitement" for the day was a trip to HEB, a local grocery store, where I found a single penny by a checkout line.

A friend of mine told me that HEB is named after the founder of the store, Mr. H.E. Butt. Wonderful.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $333.94

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Today I found 2 cents. . . all pennies.

The first penny came to me in Mission, TX where I was visiting a local Kmart Store (who knew those things still existed?). It was on the ground by a bunch of boxes near the back of the store. I found the second penny at a local no name gas station, also in Mission, TX. Some co-workers and I stopped there to pick up a few items and use the facilities after a day of work.

Totals for the day: 2 cents
Race Totals: $333.93

Friday, July 14, 2006

Today I found 20 cents. . . 1 nickel, 1 dime, and 5 pennies.

I finally got off my one penny skid and it felt good. It was also nice that all my finds were natural.

This morning I found a penny by the exit of a Wal-Mart, where I briefly stopped in the morning. A bit later in the day to kill time between appointments some co-workers and I went to HEB, a local groery store. On the floor by a change counting machine I found a penny and then a dime on the floor by a cash register.

In the evening I walked about a mile to La Plaza Mall to get some dinner and see the sights. In the parking lot I found a penny and in the food court I found another seven cents (one nickel & two pennies). The final find of the day was a penny that I found while walking back to my hotel.

Totals for the day: 20 cents
Race Totals: $333.91

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Today I found 1 cent . . . a penny.

It was another one penny day. This one was found in the parking lot of my hotel, right by the exit to the freeway. I knew change finds would be tight, so when I spotted it I had my co-worker stop the car so I could get out to retrieve it.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $333.71

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Today I found 1 cent . . . a penny.

As I walked out of a gas station in Edinsburg, TX I found a penny in the parking lot. Nearby a co-worker found a quarter.

This was certainly a Texas gas station. Inside patrons could get beer, gas, tacos, and even guns. Only in Texas, or at least I hope so.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $333.70

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Today I found 26 cents . . . 2 dimes & 6 pennies. I also found a Mexican peso, which sadly will not count toward the daily totals.

For the next three weeks I am stuck in McAllen, TX for work. I don't have a car that I can use and Internet access is limited so hopefully I can keep up the pace of posting and finding change.

Right now I'm sitting in the hotel loby of a hotel that I'm not staying at. The reason is that they have a business center and free Internet. Maybe I can do this for three weeks without being discovered.

Anyhow, my first penny was found on the sidewalk outside my hotel. I found another penny under a coke machine at a hotel next door. My next find was 12 cents (one dime & two pennies) at the drive-thru of a Whataburger that I found while walking around the area. Two pennies were found in the parking lot of an HEB, a local grocery store, and the final dime was found under another vending machine at another hotel.

The Mexican peso was found by a bank of newspaper boxes at my hotel. As astute readers will know McAllen is quite close to the Mexican boarder so I expect to find a little more Mexican change before my trip is over. Although the peso has no value towards the daily totals it is a welcome addition to my "Not Change Cup," keeper of such found items.

Totals for the day: 15 cents
Race Totals: $333.69

Monday, July 10, 2006

Today I found 15 cents . . . 1 dime & 5 pennies.

All the change was found at the drive-thru at Starbucks. It's an almost 24 hour a day Starbucks, but thankfully it was closed when I was in need of some change.

Totals for the day: 15 cents
Race Totals: $333.43

Sunday, July 9, 2006

Today I found 6 cents . . .. all pennies.

The first two were found outside my apartment complex laundry room in a pile of dirt. I speculate that when the maintenance guys swept out the laundry room and the pennies made their way outside. The remaining four pennies were found in and around Minute Maid Park, where the Astros played one of the sloppiest games I can recall in recent history. Sufficed to say they lost, deserveingly so.

Totals for the day: 6 cents
Race Totals: $333.28

Saturday, July 8, 2006

Today I found 35 cents . . .. 2 dimes and 15 pennies.

Outside Minute Maid Ballpark this afternoon I spotted a dime on the ground. I also found two pennies near parking meters. In the evening I found three cents at the post office and the remaining change was found at the car wash next to the post office.

Albert Pujols cursing at me in Spanish yesterday is forgivable. Hitting a game winning homerun this evening is not. Damn Albert.

Totals for the day: 35 cents
Race Totals: $333.22

Friday, July 7, 2006

Today I found 44 cents . . .. 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 9 pennies.

It feels like the movie Groundhog Day, where everything repeats itself. For the second day in a row I found 44 cents, most of which was picked up at the Kwick Kar Wash.

On a sad note the Astros lost (they won yesterday) but on a happy note I got Albert Pujols to sign my St. Louis Cardinals team ball this evening. Perhaps he was a tad upset that a friend and I chased him halfway around the stadium after the game. He signed but cursed at us in Spanish. No harm, no foul, and since he signed I forgive him.

Totals for the day: 44 cents
Race Totals: $332.87

Thursday, July 6, 2006

Today I found 44 cents . . .. 1 nickel, 1 quarter, and 14 pennies.

Change was found all over town, with the majority picked up at the Kwick Kar Wash.

Totals for the day: 44 cents
Race Totals: $332.43

Wednesday, July 5, 2006

Today I found 17 cents . . .. 1 nickel, 1 dime, and 2 pennies.

As I was leaving my apartment this morning I found the first penny. It was sitting on a sidewalk. The dime came next. It was in the coin return slot of a newspaper box at a local post office. The nickel followed. It was uncovered under a vending machine at work. The day ended with a final penny. This one was found by the counter at a Chevron, where I stopped for a drink before heading down to the Astros game.

Totals for the day: 17 cents
Race Totals: $331.99

Tuesday, July 4, 2006--Happy 4th of July!

Today I found 12 cents . . .. all pennies. I also found two car wash tokens, which sadly will not count toward the daily totals.

Down by the ballpark this afternoon I found two pennies perched atop a parking meter. On the way home I stopped at several local car washes and found the remaining 10 cents.

It was at the Kwick Kar Wash where I found the two car wash tokens. The Kwick Kar Wash does not utilize tokens so they probably came from somewhere else. Although they have no standing in the daily totals they are nice additions to my “Not Change Cup,” keeper of such finds.

This afternoon at the ballpark was $1 hotdog day. For years Bailey and I had a 9 in 9 competition where the object was to eat one hotdog an inning, for nine innings. Each time I would down the hotdogs with little effort as Bailey would tap out around the 5th inning. With no Bailey in Houston I decided to go all in and try to max out. I’m disappointed with my results.

I downed 14 hotdogs in three innings and had the room to continue. The thing that stopped me was that the hotdogs were terrible. I mean really terrible. They were so overcooked that it was like chewing on rubber. Had the hotdogs been of better quality I really think I could have broken the 20-dog mark, which is the amount of hotdogs one is required to eat to qualify as a professional eater (or so I have been told).

Totals for the day: 12 cents
Race Totals: $331.82

Monday, July 3, 2006

Today I found 44 cents . . .. 2 nickels, 2 dimes, and 14 pennies.

This afternoon I found a nickel sitting on the ground in close proximity to a soda machine. After the Astros game, the first win for Lord Clemens this year, I found a penny in the stands as I searched for game tickets and coke caps. On my way home from the game I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found 37 cents (one nickel, two dimes, and 12 pennies) and at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, where I found a single penny.

Totals for the day: 44 cents
Race Totals: $331.70

Sunday, July 2, 2006

Today I found $1.40 . . .. 1 nickel, 5 quarters, and 10 pennies. Change was found in Maryland & Texas.

Leaving Chestertown, MD this morning I found one penny at a local car wash. Back in Texas I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found 14 cents (one nickel & nine pennies) and JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, where I found $1.25 (five quarters). Lot’s of travel, so I’m going to bed now.

Totals for the day: $1.40
Race Totals: $331.26

Saturday, July 1, 2006

Today I found 2 cents . . .. all pennies. Change was found in Maryland and Washington, DC.

The first copper was found by a parking meter in Chestertown, MD. I was walking down to the Chestertown River to take out a boat for an afternoon paddle. The second penny was picked up off the ground at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC where I saw Nick Johnson and the Nationals defeat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Aside from penny and a walk off homerun the game was not that exciting

Totals for the day: 2 cents
Race Totals: $329.86