Thursday, November 30, 2006

Today I found 3 Hungarian Forint (one two Forint coin and two one Forint coins). I also found a 50 Haleru coin in Prague. Although the foreign currency is change for the purposes of this race it will sadly not count toward the daily totals. Change was found in Hungary and the Czech Republic, marking the first time I have ever found change in TWO countries in the same day!

The three Hungarian Forints were found at the train station before I left for Prague. The 50 Haleru coin (a coin that was actually taken out of circulation in the Czech Republic on October 31, 2003) was found on the sidewalk outside a store by the Charles Bridge.

Speaking of the Charles Bridge, it looks amazingly cool at night:


And here is a view of a statue on the Charles Bridge (also at night, moon in the background):



Tomorrow some pictures from Prague during the day.

Totals for the day: 3 Foreign Coins
Race Totals: $461.04

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Today I found 105 Hungarian Forint (one 100 Forint coin and one five Forint coin). Although the foreign currency is change for the purposes of this race it will sadly not count toward the daily totals. Change was found in Hungary.

Walking around Budapest I found the 100 Forint coin up in the area of town where the zoo is located. It was on the sidewalk of a park. The five Forint coin was found on the ground at a train station that I went to go look at (the station was designed by the same company that built the Eiffel Tower in Paris so it was fairly ornate).

Here are a few pictures from the day today. First, Parliament at night from atop Castle Hill:


And finally a really cool night picture of a monument in the city:


Tomorrow I leave for Prague.

Totals for the day: 2 Foreign Coins
Race Totals: $461.04

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Today I found 2 Hungarian Forint. Although the foreign currency is change for the purposes of this race it will sadly not count toward the daily totals. Change was found in Hungary.

My train left Budapest last night and arrived in Hungary late this morning. Along the way I passed through Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary (and did passport checks at each point).

Once in Hungary I met up with my cousin and his wife, who are both currenly residing in Budapest and were kind enough to let me stay with them for a few nights. We immediately set out to see some sights including this old church:


And the Parliamennt buliding (which was faily fortified because of political riots that happened last month):



The Forints that I found happened later in the day. The first was on the ground at a Christmas Market and the second was on a sidewalk nearby. Since the Forint trades at about 200 to 1 vs. the US Dollar my two Forints would equal about one US Penny if I was doing such conversions.

Totals for the day: 2 Foreign Coins
Race Totals: $461.04

Monday, November 27, 2006

Today I found 22 cents Euro (1 twenty-cent Euro and 1 two-cent Euro). Although the foreign currency is change for the purposes of this race it will sadly not count toward the daily totals. Change was found in Italy.

My flight to Venice got diverted because of fog so I didn't get into my hotel room until 3am. I promptly hit my bed to lie down and noticed something shimmer under the bed. I looked and it was a 20 cent Euro. In the evening I found a two-cent Euro at the train station, prior to boarding the train from Venice, Italy to Budapest, Hungary.

Venice was a great city. A few of the sights that I checked out were St. Marks Square:


And the Rialto Bridge:


I managed to fit a ton into one day, but those are just two pictures from the more famous sights.

Totals for the day: 2 Foreign Coins
Race Totals: $461.04

Sunday, November 26. 2006

Today I found 1 cent US. I also found 87 cents Euro (2 five-cent Euros, 3 ten-cent Euros, 2 twenty-cent Euros, and 7 one-cent Euros. Additionally, I found 22 Pence from Great Britian (1 two-pence piece and 1 twenty pence piece. Although the foreign currency is change for the purposes of this race it sadly will not count towards the daily totals. Change was found in Ireland.

It was my last day in Irleand. My friend Becca and I got dropped off at the airport in the early afternoon. Her flight (back to the US) was several hours earlier than mine so I entertained myself by walking the airport and finding change. All the change was found at the airport in Shannon, Ireland.

As I picked up a single Euro penny an Irishman saw me and remarked that I would have good luck if I placed it in my upper shirt pocket. I asked him if that was their custom and he said that it was. Even though I didn't have an upper shirt pocket he assured me that if I just kept the penny I would still have good luck.

As I passed through security for my flight (to Venice, Italy) I found a single US Penny on the floor by a table. It's good to know that security checkpoints around the world are good places to find change!

Totals for the day: 1 cent (and 16 Foreign Coins)
Race Totals: $461.04

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Today I found 21 cents Euro (1 one-cent Euro and 1 twenty-cent Euro). Although change for purposes of this race the foreign currency will sadly not count toward the daily totals. Change was found in Ireland.

Today we visited the Cliffs of Moher on the West Coast of Ireland. The cliffs were amazing and the wind was so strong that it actually would push water hundreds of feet up the side of the cliff and spray it around. Despite the wind we walked along the edge of the cliffs, at a relatively safe distance, and enjoyed the view:

On the way home we stopped at a gas station and I found all my change. The Euro penny was in the parking lot and the other coin was by a cash register.

Totals for the day: 2 Foreign Coins
Race Totals: $461.03

Friday, November 24, 2006

Today I found 9 cents Euro (1 five-cent Euro and 2 two-cent Euros). Although change for purposes of this race the foreign currency will sadly not count toward the daily totals. Change was found in Ireland.

The lot of us (that sounds very Irish) drove to Kilkenney, Ireland today. Along the way we stopped at a gas station to fill up and I went in to get a drink. There I found a single two-cent Euro by the front counter. I actually ended up purchasing a Coke to drink. I had been told that in foreign countries Coke uses real sugar instead of corn syrup. The lable showed this to be true so I wanted to give it a shot. To be honest I couldn't really tell the difference.

Walking around Kilkenney I found the remaining change. One of the attractions we visited was the Dunmore Caves, caves where vikings killed local villagers many centuries before. The tour guide shared an interesting Viking factoid, which I happily pass along:

Vikings did not have pockets on their clothes, so they carried their change by coating it in wax (usually from a bee) and sticking it to their body. When coins were found in the caves years later the speculation was that as the Vikings were building fires to smoke the locals out of the caves the heat caused the wax to melt and the coins to drop.

Totals for the day: 3 Foreign Coins
Race Totals: $461.03

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Today I found 7 cents Euro (2 one-cent Euros and 1 five-cent Euro). Although change for purposes of this race the foreign currency will sadly not count toward the daily totals. Change was found in Ireland.

Happy Thanksgiving, from Ireland. Although the Irish do not celebrate Thanksgiving, Americans in the country certainly do. Three Americans (my friend Becca and her two sisters) and the husband of one of the sisters (an Irishman) had an actual Thanksgiving dinner today.

Prior to dinner Becca and I walked upto the village store to purchase a few supplies for dinner. It was there that I made all my finds. All the change was by and under the counter by the cash register.

Totals for the day: 3 Foreign Coins
Race Totals: $461.03

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Today I found 1 cent . . . . I also found $1.15 Euro (3 one-cent Euros, 1 two-cent Euro, 1 ten-cent Euro, and one $1 Euro). Change was found in Ireland.

It was about 8am when my plane landed at Shannon Airport in Southern Ireland. The flight over wasn’t too bad, about eight hours. At the airport my friend Becca and I quickly cleared Customs and proceeded to retrieve our bags. It was at the bag return that I made my first ever European Change Find, a Euro penny under a Coke machine. Walking around the airport I also found another two Euro pennies and a single Euro dime.

The most unique find of the day was a single US penny. Of course it will count toward the daily totals. The penny was found at the base of an ATM machine at the airport. It’s nice to know that even on foreign soil Americans are careless with their change.

Walking around Limerick, Ireland (yes, the town was really called Limerick) I found a single two-cent Euro and a single $1 Euro. The $1 Euro would turn out to be my most lucrative find for the entire trip.

Totals for the day: 1 cent (and six foreign coins)
Race Totals: $461.03

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Today I found 53 cents . . . . . 2 dimes, 1 quarter, and 8 pennies. Change was found in two states, Texas and New Jersey.

On my way to the airport this afternoon I stopped for the last time in a while at the trustworthy Kwick Kar Wash. She did not disappoint, delivering 18 cents (one dime & eight pennies). At the airport in Houston I found another dime, this one was sitting in the middle of the walkway that connected my terminal to my departure gate.

The flight to Ireland was not direct. Instead it stopped for a layover in Newark, NJ. I took the opportunity to get something to eat and find a quarter. The food was Chinese and the quarter was under a table in the food court.

Totals for the day: 53 cents
Race Totals: $461.02

Monday, November 20, 2006

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

It’s my last full day in America for several weeks. This morning I found a dime at the gas station and a penny in the parking lot of a store that I went to. In the evening I found three cents at the Kwick Kar Wash, and another penny at a convenience store that I stopped at to get a drink.

Tomorrow I’m leaving for Ireland. Following a few days in Ireland I’ll be taking a plane to Venice, then a train to Budapest, another train to Prague, a train to Linz (Austria), and a plane to London. I’ll be back December 4th and hopefully I’ll be able to report that my streak is alive.

I found out this evening that I’ll have Internet access in Budapest, so at worst there should be updates by November 28th. I’ll also try to keep in touch with Bailey, who has generously offered to provide Europe updates (change and otherwise) on His Blog.

Totals for the day: 15 cents
Race Totals: $460.49

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Today I found 28 cents . . . . . 1 nickel & 23 pennies.

Today I went and saw the miserable Houston Texans lose a game they should have won to the Buffalo Bills. I drove to the stadium with my friend Robert and before we went in we stopped at a McDonalds so he could get something to eat. While he got his food I picked up a very dirty nickel from the corner of the restaurant. Walking back from the game I found a penny just off the sidewalk. It was sitting in the street, but the light traffic allowed me to retrieve it.

On the way home from the game we stopped at Sonic (tried the new banana malt—delicious) and I found 19 cents (all pennies). Pennies were found on the patio, in the parking lot, and around parking spaces. The final three cents of the day were all found sitting in a little pile in the parking lot of the convenience store across the street from my apartment complex. I went there to purchase a drink.

Totals for the day: 28 cents
Race Totals: $460.34

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Today I found 75 cents . . . . . all quarters.

It was the first time since July 20th that I didn’t find any pennies, but I’m not complaining since I did get three quarters at the car wash next to the post office. They were all sitting atop a ledge in a vacant car wash station, abandoned by some motorist with a newly cleaned car but now empty pockets.

So this afternoon I took my car to my mechanic because I had run over a screw and it was stuck in the tire. He had about 20 cars that were being repaired so I figured I would be sitting around all day. Not so. He actually took care of me right away and when I asked if he would rotate my tires to compensate for some tread damage he told me that I could do it myself. He put the car up on a lift, gave me the tools, and a few minutes later I was playing mechanic. Total charge for everything: $0. I love that guy!

Totals for the day: 75 cents
Race Totals: $460.06

Friday, November 17, 2006

Today I found 36 cents . . . . . 2 dimes & 16 pennies.

At lunch I found a penny on the ground at Annie’s Hamburger Stand on South Post Oak Dr. At a nearby car wash I found an additional 16 cents (one dime & six pennies). In the evening I went to Boston Market for dinner and found 11 cents (one dime & one penny) by the drive-thru window, which I walked by on the way out. The remaining nine cents (all pennies) were found at Kroger, a local grocery store. They were all in the coin return slot of a change counting machine.

Totals for the day: 36 cents
Race Totals: $459.31

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Today I found $1.11 cents . . . . . 3 nickels, 7 dimes, and 26 pennies.

At Randalls, a local grocery store, I found 38 cents (three dimes & eight pennies). All the change was stuck in and around a change counting machine. I had to take a few items to the post office and then went to the car wash next to the post office. There I found 12 cents (one nickel & seven pennies). The final find of the day was 61 cents (two nickels, four dimes, and 11 pennies), at the always-reliable Al Gator’s Car Wash.

So, here are my thoughts on my trip to Europe and my change streak. To recap, I have currently found change for 642 consecutive days (counting finds for today). Next week I’m going to Europe for two weeks and I wondered what effects the trip would have on my streak. The bottom line is that I have resolved that I will need to find change in foreign countries for my streak to continue. Although the foreign coins will not count toward the daily totals I have determined that change is change, regardless of value in my race. Thus, for the consecutive day streak to continue I will need to find foreign coinage.

That said, should I not find change one day I am willing to invoke Brian’s Foreign Soil No Change Act (FSNCA) and continue my streak, with the asterisk that it a consecutive finds in America streak only. It certainly wouldn’t be as rewarding as finding change in all the countries, but it seems like an acceptable compromise.

Just FYI, I’ll be spending time in Ireland, Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, and England. There will be a few other countries that I’ll be traveling through so hopefully I’ll have a good amount of foreign coins to report on upon my return. Of course I’m not leaving until next Tuesday, so for the next four days it is business as usual here at Race of the Century.

Totals for the day: $1.11
Race Totals: $458.95

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Today I found 11 cents . . . . . all pennies.

On my way to a meeting this morning I was stopped at a red light and I spotted and retrieved three cents from a crack in the street. Someone next to me gave me the thumbs up sign when they saw me retrieving the change. Later in the day I stopped at a no name car wash in south Houston and found the remaining eight cents.

Tune in tomorrow for my official decision on the change streak. If you don’t know what I’m talking about you should probably read Tuesday’s post before tomorrow.

Totals for the day: 11 cents
Race Totals: $457.84

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Today I found 53 cents . . . . . 1 nickel, 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 13 pennies (the noteworthy Change Cycle).

On the way home from work this afternoon I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found 16 cents (one dime & six pennies). A bit further down the road I stopped at a gas station to pick up a drink and found a penny on the ground by the cash register.

In the evening a trip to the post office gave me a quarter. It was sitting in the coin return slot of a stamp machine. My final find of the day was 11 cents (one nickel and six pennies), which were all found at the car wash next to the post office.

Totals for the day: 53 cents
Race Totals: $457.73

Monday, November 13, 2006

Today I found 13 cents . . . . . all pennies.

This morning I found a penny on the ground in the parking lot of my apartment complex. At lunch I found another penny in the parking lot of the Chinese restaurant that I dined at. In the evening I found three cents at Wal-Mart. One was by a checkout line and the other two were by the front door. My final find, eight cents, was at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex.

I now pose a question that I have been giving some thought to lately. Next week I’ll be leaving for Europe for a two-week vacation. Since the inception of the Change Race I have found change every day, giving me a streak of over 600 consecutive days of change finds. I’m not sure what the change finding prospects will be in Europe, although I’ll certainly be looking. My question is, does a missed day of change finding in Europe end the streak? Conversely, is the streak only in America and regardless of Europe finds it would continue when I return? Or, would the streak continue, but with an asterisk. These are the questions that must be answered in the next week.

Totals for the day: 13 cents
Race Totals: $457.20

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Today I found $1.05 . . . . . 4 quarters & 5 pennies.

This afternoon I was at Randalls, a local grocery store, and found $1 (four quarters). All the quarters were in the change return slot of a payphone. On the way home I stopped to get some lunch and found five cents (all pennies) at a Sonic. Three of the pennies were on the patio and the remaining two were in the parking lot.

Totals for the day: $1.05
Race Totals: $457.07

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Today I found 70 cents . . . . . 1 dime, 2 quarters, and 10 pennies.

It was my third consecutive day of watching tennis and I had another good time. I still don’t really understand the scoring and rules, but it was nevertheless fun. It was made even more fun when I found a quarter by the concession stands when I took a break for lunch.

Continuing with my healthy eating for the day I stopped at KFC for dinner and found three cents by the drive-thru window. Stopping for gas I also found a penny by the gas pump. The remaining 42 cents (one dime, one quarter, and seven pennies) were found at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex.

In what might be my final tennis report ever (since I’m not going back for the finals on Sunday) I will report that John McEnroe got in another argument with the umpire:


Also, for your viewing pleasure, I have made a quick composite of the three main players who I saw play in the tournament (from left to right: Pat Cash, John McEnroe, and Jim Courier):


Enjoy!

Totals for the day: 70 cents
Race Totals: $456.02

Friday, November 10, 2006

Today I found 11 cents . . . . . 1 dime & 1 penny.

Both coins were found at a gas station that I stopped at on the way to my second evening of watching tennis. The dime and penny were below the cash register, stuck in a impulse buy food display.

Totals for the day: 11 cents
Race Totals: $455.32

Thursday, November 9, 2006

Today I found 19 cents . . . . . 3 nickels & 4 pennies.

I didn’t find any change until around 11:30pm today. In an 11th hour coup I found two cents at Sonic and 15 cents (three nickels) at the Kwick Kar Wash. The three nickels were in the coin return slot of a coke vending machine. On the way home I stopped at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, and found an additional two cents.

One of the reasons for my lack of early change finds was that I attended my first ever professional tennis match this evening. It was actually more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be. The tennis was fun to watch in person and was a lot faster paced than I thought it was going to be. It was an old timers tournament and two of the players were Jim Courier and John McEnroe (who got into TWO arguments with the line judge). Both players were kind enough to sign some baseballs for me after the event:


I can now say with pride that I have now added tennis players to my signed baseball collection.

Totals for the day: 19 cents
Race Totals: $455.21

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Today I found 16 cents . . . . . 1 dime & 6 pennies.

Penny number one came at the post office in the coin return slot of a stamp machine. The remaining change was found at two local car washes.

Totals for the day: 16 cents
Race Totals: $455.02

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Today I found 56 cents . . . . . 1 nickel, 2 dimes, 1 quarter, and 6 pennies (the fantastic Change Cycle).

On the way home from work I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found all my change. It was busy so I only got to check in the front. Hopefully I can check out the rest tomorrow.

I love voting. It ensures that I now have the right to complain for the next two years.

Totals for the day: 56 cents
Race Totals: $454.86

Monday, November 6, 2006

Today I found 17 cents . . . . . 1 dime and 7 pennies.

It rained most of the day. In the evening I walked over to JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, and found all my change. At first I only found 13 cents, but I had a feeling I had missed some change and when I went back I found the remaining four pennies.

Totals for the day: 17 cents
Race Totals: $454.30

Sunday, November 5, 2006

Today I found 46 cents . . . . . 1 quarter and 21 pennies.

This afternoon I decided to attend an auction to see if there was anything that worth buying. There wasn’t, but on the way home I was stopped at a red light and I spotted and retrieved a penny from the middle of the road.

Closer to home I stopped at Sonic for lunch and found 19 cents (all pennies). Most of the pennies were on the patio and in car parking spaces, while the remaining few were in the middle of the parking lot.

In the evening I took a Sunday trip to the post office to mail out one eBay item and then I stopped at the car wash next to the post office. There I found 26 cents (one quarter & one penny). The penny was sitting atop a ledge in a car wash station and the quarter was on the ground by a vacuum cleaner.

Totals for the day: 46 cents
Race Totals: $454.13

Saturday, November 4, 2006

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

I filled my car with gas this evening and found three cents around on the ground. At the post office I found a penny on the ground by a stamp machine. Finally, I found 28 cents (one quarter & three pennies) at the car wash next to the post office. All the change was on the ground by various vacuum cleaners.

Totals for the day: 32 cents
Race Totals: $453.67

Friday, November 3, 2006

Today I found $4.20 . . . . .. 1 nickel, 5 dimes, 2 quarters, 15 pennies, and 3 $1 bills (the auspicious Change Cycle).

The change finding portion of my day got off to a great start when I found $3.03 at JR’s Car Wash. The three pennies were on the ground by banks of vacuum cleaners. I was actually driving away when I spotted the three $1 bills on the ground in a car wash bay.

Later I went to Kroger, a local grocery store, to pick up a few items and I found a penny in the coin return slot of a change counting machine. I also found 91 cents (one nickel, five dimes, one quarter, and 11 pennies) at the car wash next to the post office. All the change, save two pennies, was sitting in a pile atop a ledge in a car wash station. The remaining two pennies were on the ground nearby.

In the evening I went over to the convenience store across the street from my apartment complex to get a drink and I found a quarter in the coin return slot of a quarter gambling machine.

Totals for the day: $4.20
Race Totals: $453.35

Thursday, November 2, 2006

Today I found 10 cents . . . . .. 1 nickel & 5 pennies.

At a local gas station I picked up my first penny. It was stuck in a candy display just below the cash register. I had lunch downtown this afternoon and found seven cents (one nickel & two pennies) at the base of various parking meters as I walked back to my car. The final two pennies were found in the laundry room of my apartment complex.

This morning I woke up early so I could attend a book signing by Helen Thomas, former dean of the White House Press Corps. Ms. Thomas covered nine presidents over 57 years and is truly one of the most important media figures in US history. After the book signing she graciously signed a baseball for me. I leave you this evening with a picture of said baseball:


Totals for the day: 10 cents
Race Totals: $449.15

Wednesday, November 1, 2006

Today I found 3 cents . . . . .. all pennies.

Penny number one was found in the parking lot of the Diamond Club at Minute Maid Ballpark. I was working in the area this afternoon and stopped by at a local restaurant to eat. I parked in the Diamond Club because it was free parking and was rewarded with a penny find.

The second and third pennies were found at Texaco, a gas station near by apartment complex. My neighbor Robert, who I was following home after he picked his car up from being repaired, stopped there to fill up with gas.

The coin is a wonderful thing. So many uses besides currency. Take this article which appeared in the Sunday edition of the Houston Chronicle about an election in Juneau, Alaska (reprinted with no permission):

Coin Toss Calls Race for Dead Candidate

A coin toss made a dead woman the winner of a rural school board race. Incumbent Katherine Dunton and challenger Dona Highstone were tied after the Oct. 3 election in Adak, the same day Dunton died. Even with Dunton’s death, state law requires a tie vote to be settled by lot after an official recount has been done. Division of Elections Director Whitney Brewster flipped the coin to determine the winner Friday. Highstone called heads, but the coin landed on tails. The school board must now find a replacement for the three-year term.

Totals for the day: 3 cents
Race Totals: $449.05