Thursday, August 31, 2006

Today I found 3 cents . . . all pennies.

All change was found in and around the Astros ballpark. I found two cents by parking meters on the way into the ballpark and one penny on the ground under a seat after the game.

Totals for the day: 3 cents
Race Totals: $353.33

________________________________

August Monthly Report:

This month I found 285 pennies, 15 nickels, 23 dimes, and 27 quarters. I also found three $1 bills.

Monthly Total: $15.65
Change Cycle Days: 5
Dollar Days: 3
Monthly High: $3.11 (August 12th)
Monthly Low: 3 cents (August 31st)
Daily Average: 50.4 ish cents

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Today I found 7 cents . . . all pennies.

All change found at the Kwick Kar Wash, on the way home from the Astros game.

Totals for the day: 7 cents
Race Totals: $353.30

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Today I found 32 cents (for the second day in a row) . . . 1 quarter & 7 pennies. One of the pennies was a 1941 Wheat Penny.

At the Dallas, TX airport I found a penny by a TSA checkpoint and back in Houston, also at the airport I found another penny. The Houston penny was under a bank of chairs in a coucourse.

On the way home I stopped at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, and found 30 cents (one quarter & five pennies). One of the pennies was a 1941 Wheat Penny.

Totals for the day: 32 cents
Race Totals: $353.23

Monday, August 28, 2006

Today I found 32 cents . . . 2 nickels, 1 dime, and 12 pennies.

This morning I stopped in at the post office and found a penny in the coin return slot of a stamp machine. It was a short visit as I was heading to the airport to catch a flight to Dallas, TX for work. Along the way I stopped at a no name car wash and found 9 cents (one nickel & four pennies).

Inside the airport I found eight cents (one nickel & three pennies). The first penny was by a TSA checkpoint, a nickel and penny were found by a Chinese food stand, and the last penny was on the ground by my gate.

Once in Dallas I found 14 cents (one dime & four pennies) as I walked around town in an effort to kill some time after dinner. The dime was at the base of a parking meter and the pennies were on different sidewalks.

Totals for the day: 32 cents
Race Totals: $352.91

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Today I found 27 cents . . . 1 quarter & 2 pennies.

At Wal-Mart this evening I found two cents, each penny by a different checkout line. I was there to purchase some mailing envelopes, which I was running low on.

Afterwords I made a quick trip to the post office. In a stamp vending machine I found a quarter. I was particularly pleased with this find, as the quarter was sitting on its side and I really had to have some good eyes to notice it.

Totals for the day: 27 cents
Race Totals: $352.59

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Today I found 24 cents . . . 1 nickel, 1 dime, and 9 pennies. I also found a HOMO Milk cap, which sadly will not count toward the daily totals.

In a rather unusual Saturday I had to work for a few hours this afternoon. Aside from the comp time I was rewarded with a penny that I found in my office parking lot as I was leaving for the day. On the way home I stopped at McDonalds for some food and found a penny by the checkout line. The remaining change, 22 cents (one nickel, one dime, seven pennies) was found at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex. The vast majority of the change was in a sticky pile by a bank of vacuum cleaners.

The HOMO milk cap (pictured below) was found in my apartment complex laundry room. I’m not sure if it is worthy enough to make it into my “Not Change Cup,” but it was amusing so I picked it up. I leave you tonight with a picture of the HOMO milk cap:


Just FYI, this is not milk from a homosexual cow but is apparently an abbreviation for homogenized milk.

Totals for the day: 24 cents
Race Totals: $352.32

Friday, August 25, 2006

Today I found 32 cents . . . 1 quarter & 7 pennies.

Penny number one came in the apartment complex laundry room. It was sitting on a ledge by some washing machines. The second and third pennies were found in the parking lot of a local strip center, where I went to check the status of the repair of one of my watches. The watch was still not fixed, but this was expected as they had to order a part from Switzerland and I was told up front that this would take about eight weeks.

The remaining change, 29 cents (one quarter & four pennies) was found at a no name car wash along FM 1960 West. The pennies were on the ground and the quarter was sitting on a ledge in a car wash station.

Bold prediction, but if the Phillies keep up their pace they could sneak in and be the NL Wildcard. Everyone is terrible and they seem to be playing well.

Totals for the day: 32 cents
Race Totals: $352.08

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Today I found 37 cents . . . 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 2 pennies.

This evening I joined my friend Tara for dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant across the street from the post office. In the parking lot I found a quarter as I opened my door. On the way home I stopped at the car wash next to the post office and found 12 cents (one dime & two pennies) scattered about on the ground.

Totals for the day: 37 cents
Race Totals: $351.76

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Today I found 62 cents . . . 1 nickel, 2 quarters, and 7 pennies.

I got the first penny this afternoon in the parking lot of the Potato Patch, a restaurant known for throwing rolls at people. The second penny came in the parking lot of my apartment complex as I was walking to JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex. At JR’s I found the remaining change, 60 cents (one nickel, two quarters, and five pennies), the vast majority of which was sitting atop a ledge in a car wash station.

Totals for the day: 62 cents
Race Totals: $351.39

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Today I found 3 cents . . . all pennies.

Yikes, what a slow change day it was. Driving home I spotted and retrieved a penny from the road. I was stopped at a red light so retrieval of the penny was not too difficult. In the evening I went to Sonic for dinner and found two pennies in the parking lot. I also found the cherry at the bottom of my cherry coke, a wonderful surprise that I sometimes almost forget about.

Totals for the day: 3 cents
Race Totals: $350.77

Monday, August 21, 2006

Today I found 51 cents . . . 1 nickel, 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 11 pennies (the wonderful change cycle). One of the pennies was a 1949 Wheat Penny.

This afternoon I ate lunch at the mall and on the way out I spotted a dime on the ground by the exit. It was slightly under a sign, but is now moments away from being deposited into my change jar.

In the evening I headed out to the post office and after depositing some packages I stopped at the nearby car wash. There I found four cents (all pennies). On the way home I stopped at Al Gator’s Car Wash and found my remaining change, 37 cents (one nickel, one quarter, and seven pennies).

The Wheat Penny was found at Al Gator’s Car Wash. It was sitting alone by itself on the ground by a vacuum cleaner. It’s a 1949 model and was minted in Denver. For an old penny it is in surprisingly good shape.

Totals for the day: 51 cents
Race Totals: $350.74

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Today I found 56 cents . . . 1 nickel, 2 quarters and 1 penny.

Another wonderfully lazy Sunday and I couldn’t be happier. I didn’t leave my apartment until 11pm this evening, and only then to take some packages to the post office. At the post office I found six cents (one nickel & one penny). The penny was on the ground by the front door and the nickel was in the coin return slot of a stamp machine. On the way home I stopped at a local convenience store and found 50 cents (two quarters) in the change return slot of a game. The game, get this, involves putting in quarters in an effort to dislodge other quarters. The machine is a fairly new edition to my local convenience store and I’m hoping that it will continue to be a profitable new edition.

So this evening I did decide to head over to the apartment complex laundry room to look for change. I checked the washing machines and found no change, but a towel that I had accidentally left in the laundry room earlier in the day. Just another reason why it pays to look for change.

Totals for the day: 56 cents
Race Totals: $350.23

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Today I found 52 cents . . . 2 quarters and 2 pennies.

This morning I found a penny on the ground by some shelves at a local convenience store. I was there to buy some PowerAid, as the day was already hot. In the evening I went to HEB, a local grocery store, and found a penny by a checkout line. I also got groceries for next week. I capped off the evening with a trip to the post office and 50 cents (two quarters) that I picked up in the change return slot of a stamp machine.

Driving back from the post office I was flipping around on the radio between the two sports stations. One was running a commercial, the other had a soccer talk show. I opted to listen to the commercial.

Totals for the day: 52 cents
Race Totals: $349.67

Friday, August 18, 2006

Today I found 31 cents . . . 1 quarter and 6 pennies.

All change was found at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex.

Totals for the day: 31 cents
Race Totals: $349.15

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Today I found 25 cents . . . all pennies. I also found a Canadian penny, which sadly will not count toward the daily totals.

On my way home from work I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found 21 cents scattered about on the ground. At JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, I found an additional four cents.

The Canadian penny, with no Race of the Century value, was found at the Kwick Kar Wash. It was under a vending machine. Although its value will not effect the totals for the day it has already been deposited into my “Not Change Cup,” keeper of such items.

Several days ago I made another “Not Change Cup” find but forgot to mention it:


As you can see the find was a stainless steel pocketknife, which I picked up off the ground at the car wash next to the post office. It’s a fairly cool looking knife so it becomes worthy of a blog picture.

Totals for the day: 25 cents
Race Totals: $348.84

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Today I found 37 cents . . . 1 nickel, 3 dimes, and 2 pennies. I also found two tokens which sadly will not count toward the daily totals.

On my way home from the Astros 18-inning loss early this morning I stopped at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, and found 21 cents (two dimes & one penny). Driving down FM 1960 this afternoon I was stopped at a red light and spotted and retrieved a nickel from the side of the road. The final find was 11 cents (one dime & one penny) which I picked up in a change counting machine at HEB, a local grocery store. I was there to pick up a sandwich for dinner.

The two tokens, one for Chuck-E-Cheese and one for Border Town Fold & Fun Center, were found atop the change counting machine at HEB, the aforementioned local grocery store. Although their effect on the daily totals is a big fat zero they have already been deposited into my “Not Chang Cup,” keeper of such items.

Speaking of big fat zeros the Astros were shutout this afternoon by a rookie pitcher making his first MLB start. They have now gone 21 innings without scoring a run. At least the Astros were able to follow up yesterdays game, played in 5 hours, 38 minutes (the longest regular season game in Minute Maid Park history), with a 2 hour, and 18 minute game (second shortest in Minute Maid Park history)

Totals for the day: 37 cents
Race Totals: $348.59

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Today I found $1.28 . . . 1 nickel, 4 dimes, 2 quarters, and 33 pennies (the extra innings Change Cycle).

The Astros went 18 innings tonight on their way to a loss to the Chicago Cubs. The game didn’t end until 1am and I’m in no mood to write about change. Totals will have to speak for themselves tonight, but I will say that I found some of the change on the way home from the game the night before. My last find, a quarter, was found in the stands by the visitors dugout just before midnight. If I had to guess it might have been sometime around the 14th inning.

Interestingly enough this was the third 18-inning game that the Astros have played in over the past 10 months. Arizona also played in an 18-inning game today, making today the first time two 18-inning games were played in the same day. The Chicago Cubs used every player on their 25-man roster. Trivia is done now. Good night.

Totals for the day: $1.28
Race Totals: $348.22

Monday, August 14, 2006

Today I found 49 cents . . . 1 nickel, 4 dimes, and 4 pennies.

The Astros game this evening featured a great pitching duel; Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs vs. Roy Oswalt of the Astros. Sadly, I was not in the mood for baseball so it wasn’t appreciated. Early in the game I realized that I didn’t have the willpower to sit for several hours so I decided to walk around the downtown area and stretch my legs. While walking I found 49 cents (see above). Of the found change most was at the base of parking meters, including 25 cents (one nickel & two dimes) at a single meter.

I made it back to the game in time to catch the end, a 3-0 win by the Cubs and the Astros third loss in as many days.

Totals for the day: 49 cents
Race Totals: $346.94

Sunday, August 13, 2006

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

On the way back from a terrible Astros game I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found six cents (all pennies). At the Sonic next door I found 28 cents (one quarter & three pennies).

In the evening I went to Wal-Mart for some semi-cheap gas ($2.66 with a Wal-Mart card) and I found 12 cents (one dime & two pennies). The dime was by a closed checkout line and the two pennies were by the front door.

The final find of the evening was a single penny that I picked up outside of Subway, where I went to pick up some dinner.

Totals for the day: 47 cents
Race Totals: $346.45

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Today I found $3.11 . . . 1 nickel, 3 $1 bills, and 6 pennies. I also found a Chinese or Japanese coin, which sadly will not count toward the daily totals.

Walking to the Astros game this evening I found three cents by various parking meters. After the game I was looking for some season ticket stubs (it was the unsuccessful Major League debut for Jason Hirsch, our best pitching prospect) and I found three crumpled $1 bills in the stands.

On the way home I stopped at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, and found eight cents (one nickel & three pennies). The nickel was atop a car wash station stand and the pennies were on the ground.

It was at JR’s Car Wash that I also found the Chinese or Japanese coin. It looks to be made from a light copper and has a hole in the center. Sadly, the coin will not count toward the daily totals but it will be a welcome edition to my “Not Change Cup,” keeper of such found items.

Totals for the day: $3.11
Race Totals: $345.98

Friday, August 11, 2006

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

Driving home from the ballpark last night my friend Becca and I stopped at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex. It was already after midnight so the finds counted for the Friday totals. At JR’s I found 17 cents (one dime & seven pennies).

In the morning it was time to take Becca to the airport. After I dropped her off I decided that it would be a good idea to return a few baggage carts and collect the 25-cent reward per returned cart. Before I put in the first cart I checked the coin return slot and found that someone had forgotten to retrieve their quarter, thus adding 25 cents to my daily totals. I also returned an additional four carts and got $1 which I used to pay for my airport parking. Of course the returned carts and the $1 in quarters does not count toward the daily totals since it was not “found” change. Still, it was a nice way to offset the cost of parking.

Later in the afternoon I found a single penny in my apartment complex. My final find of the day was another single penny, this one picked up off the ground at a Shell gas station, where I stopped after the Astros game to get a drink.

Random highlight of the game: Pitcher Andy Pettitte hit his first career homerun in the Astros 4-2 win over the San Diego Padres of San Diego.

Totals for the day: 44 cents
Race Totals: $342.87

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Today I found 6 cents . . . all pennies.

It was a busy day today and not a lot of change was found. That was OK, though. My friend Becca was visiting and I tried to cram a lot of Houston into a very short visit. We ate some good Texas BBQ, went down to the Gulf Coast, saw an Astros game at Minute Maid Ballpark, checked out the Museum District, and hit the downtown area. On the way home in the evening we stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and I found four cents and at the Sonic next door where I found an additional two pennies.

Totals for the day: 6 cents
Race Totals: $342.43

Wednesday, August 9, 2006

Today I found 10 cents . . . all pennies.

This afternoon my co-worker Jennifer and I went to Greenspoint Mall for lunch. While there we ran into a former co-worker and had a great time catching up. After lunch Jennifer graciously waited as I walked the food court in search of some change. I found a penny, a shiny 2006 model. Little did Jennifer know that she would later be involved in another find.

After lunch we were driving on the Hardy Toll Road and had we pulled up to the tollbooth and waited to pay. Jennifer was driving and from my vantagepoint in the passenger seat I spotted some change on the side of the road. Since we were at a stop I opened the door and quickly retrieved seven cents (all pennies). Sadly, Jennifer started to move and I had to sprint in order to catch up and get back into the car. Oddly, Jennifer was a bit taken aback by my change dash (I believe she used the word “embarrassed”). Still, I was seven cents richer so I was OK with that.

At the Astros game this evening, a 14-1 win over the Pirates of Pittsburgh, I found a penny by a Pepsi machine outside the ballpark. On the way back to my car I found another penny alongside the sidewalk.

Totals for the day: 10 cents
Race Totals: $342.37

Tuesday, August 8, 2006

Today I found 36 cents . . . 1 quarter and 11 pennies.

For lunch this afternoon some co-workers and I went to Wings n’ More, a sub par wing restaurant. The only saving grace was a found penny in the parking lot. The wings themselves were not that great.

On the way home I stopped at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, and found 35 cents (one quarter & 10 pennies). The pennies were scattered about the ground and the quarter was sitting atop a vacuum cleaner.

Totals for the day: 36 cents
Race Totals: $342.27

Monday, August 7, 2006

Today I found $1.97 . . . 1 nickel, 4 dimes, 5 quarters, and 27 pennies (the Rockstar Like Change Cycle).

I didn’t find any change this afternoon, but I did well in the evening after stopping at the post office to mail some eBay items. I stopped at two no name car washes and found 23 cents (two dimes & three pennies) and 11 cents (all pennies), respectively.

Next to one of the car washes was a Shipley’s Donuts, which was closed for the evening. I took a walk through the drive-thru and found 20 cents (one nickel, 1 dime, and five pennies). My final stop, and most profitable one, was Ale Gator’s Car Wash, where I found $1.43 (one dime, five quarters, and eight pennies). The five quarters were sitting atop a car wash station and the rest of the change was scattered about on the ground.

Totals for the day: $1.97
Race Totals: $341.91

Sunday, August 6, 2006

Today I found 11 cents . . . all pennies.

All change was found at a semi local car wash.

Totals for the day: 11 cents
Race Totals: $339.94

Saturday, August 5, 2006

Today I found 52 cents . . . 1 nickel, 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 12 pennies (the rarified Change Cycle).

Several days ago a co-worker was asking me about my change finding streak and asked what would happen if I just didn’t leave my residence for the day. Obviously, the answer was that the streak would end. Today was one of those days where I almost didn’t get out, but I made the most of it when I did.

This was the first weekend where I had nothing planned in a few months. I slept in, did some cleaning, and caught up on some reading. In the evening I went out with my friend Jim to get some dinner. After dropping Jim off I went back out to fill my car with gas.

At the gas station I found a penny by an adjacent gas pump. I also went to the post office to mail some packages. At the car wash next to the post office I found 40 cents (one dime, one quarter, and five pennies). The quarter was a bicentennial model, only the third bicentennial quarter I have found in this race. On the way home I stopped at another car wash and found 11 cents (one niclel & six pennies).

____________

Today Troy Aikman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a Redskins fan I never liked Troy that much. Aside from being at his last game (it was in Dallas and a hit from LaVar Arrington ended his career) I don’t have a lot of fond memories of Troy. I do smile every time I see a commercial that he did several years back for Acme Brick (a commercial that is getting a lot of airtime these days). In it he interviews a monkey about who the best brick company is, etc. It’s a terrible commercial and to be honest I think the monkey does a better acting job than Troy.

Totals for the day: 52 cents
Race Totals: $339.83

Friday, August 4, 2006

Today I found 11 cents . . . 1 nickel and 6 pennies. I also found a smushed elongated penny, which sadly will not count toward the daily totals

At JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, I found 10 cents (one nickel & five pennies). As I was walking back from my mailbox I saw that there were not a lot of cars in my apartment complex parking lot and thought to myself, “I bet I’ll find some change in an empty parking space.” Just then I looked down and spotted a very run over penny.

The smushed elongated penny was found at JR’s Car Wash. It was from the Houston Zoo and had a rhinoceros on it. Although the smushed elongated penny has no value that will be applied to the change race it is a welcome edition to my “Not Change Cup,” keeper of such items.

Totals for the day: 11 cents
Race Totals: $339.31

Thursday, August 3, 2006

Today I found 36 cents . . . 1 nickel, 1 quarter, and 6 pennies.

I stopped for some breakfast at a taco stand this morning and found a penny on the ground. At lunch I spotted another penny on the ground. I was in downtown Houston at the time.

Heading home I pulled over into a no name car wash to check for some change and I found 32 cents (one nickel, one quarter, and four pennies). The quarter was in the coin return slot of a dollar bill changer and the remaining change was scattered about on the ground.

__________________

It looks like my tropical storm is going to be downgraded. That means there will be no cool headlines for me to clip. I guess I should look at it on the bright side. The storm could have produced a lot of wind and the headlines could have read, “Chris Blows.” That’s not good for anyone!

Totals for the day: 36 cents
Race Totals: $339.20

Wednesday, August 2, 2006

Today I found 18 cents . . . all pennies.

Heading home from a long day of work I decided to stop by Sonic and pick up a cold drink. As I exited my car I spotted a penny, then another, then a bunch more. When all was said and done I had 17 pennies. The change was scattered all over the place, from the parking lot to the patio.

In the evening I dined with my friend Tara and on the way home we stopped at the post office so I could mail a package. I found a penny in the coin return slot of a stamp machine.

So, several months ago I planted a garden and attempted to grow a few things. The mint and basil did well, the lavender died, and my peppers met with mixed success. I also attempted to grow cucumbers. The vines got big but no cucumbers actually appeared . . . . or so I thought. Today I found this on the vine:



Granted, it is not a good looking cucumber, but a cucumber it is nonetheless.

_____________

I also found out today that there is a Tropical Storm that is now named after me. Hopefully it doesn't do a lot of damage, but I'm hoping to get a few headlines out of it. I can see it now, "People Run Scared of Chris," or "Chris Gains Strength." I'm excited.

_____________

Why is it that every player who ever leaves the Phillies comes out and says that they are not committed to winning? The first time it happens you figure it is hard feelings. The second time I wonder if there is something to it.

Totals for the day: 18 cents
Race Totals: $338.84

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Today I found 98 cents . . . 1 nickel, 1 dime, 3 quarters, and 8 pennies (the groovy Change Cycle).

On my way to an appointment this morning I had cause to use the Beltway 8 Toll Road. At a tollbooth I spotted and retrieved a quarter from the ground. Later in the day, at lunch, I found a penny in the parking lot.

On the way home I stopped by the Kwick Kar Wash and found 33 cents (one nickel, one quarter, and three pennies). At the car wash next to the post office I found 39 cents (one dime, one quarter, and four pennies). In each car wash instance all change was scattered about on the ground.

Totals for the day: 98 cents
Race Totals: $338.66