Sunday, December 31, 2006

Today I found $1.84 . . . 1 nickel, 1 dime, 2 quarters, 19 pennies, and $1 bill (The New Year’s Eve Change Cycle).

Leaving the Texans game, a terrible football game despite the win, I found two cents. Both were in a McDonald’s parking lot. After the football game Becca and I drove down to Galveston, TX to go to the Moody Garden’s Festival of Lights. It was great. There were lots of lights, as should be expected when something is called the Festival of Lights.

Anyhow, on the way home we stopped at a no-name car wash and found 61 cents (one nickel, two quarters, and six pennies). Continuing home we stopped at Fiesta, a local grocery store, to try to find some apple cider. No cider was found but I did pick up an 18 pound bag of oranges and a French baguette for under $5. I also found a dime while leaving the store.

Closer to home I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found seven cents (all pennies) and at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, where I found $1.04 (1 $1 bill and four cents). The pennies were scattered about on the ground and the $1 bill was on the ground in a car wash bay.

December Monthly Report:

This month I found 300 pennies, 10 nickels, 25 dimes, and 14 quarters. I also found one $1 bill. Change was found in three foreign countries; the Czech Republic, Austria, and Great Britain. US change was found in six states; Texas, Louisiana, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.

Monthly Total: $10.50
Change Cycle Days: 4
Dollar Days: 2
Monthly High: $1.84 (December 31st)
Monthly Low: 1 cent (Multiple times)
Daily Average: 33.8 ish cents

Totals for the day: $1.84
Race Totals: $471.54

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Today I found 47 cents . . . 4 dimes and 7 pennies.

Becca and I went down to visit the Johnson Space Center this afternoon. As we waited in the one-hour line for the 40-minute tour I found a dime on the ground. As we moved towards the front of the line I noticed that people were being required to pass through metal detectors before getting on the tour trams.

At the front of the line someone who was in a rush had left 25 cents (two dimes and five pennies) on a table by the metal detector. After ensuring that the change was abandoned I helped myself to it and added it to the daily totals.

On the way home from the Space Center we stopped at Sonic where I found a penny and at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, where I found 11 cents (one dime & one penny).

Totals for the day: 47 cents
Race Totals: $469.70

Friday, December 29, 2006

Today I found $1.08 . . . 1 nickel, 4 dimes, 2 quarters, and 13 pennies (the swell Change Cycle).

I was in the downtown area around lunchtime today and as I was walking around I spotted 23 cents (two dimes & three pennies) at the base of various parking meters.

My friend Becca came in to visit this evening, and driving home from the airport we stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash. There I found 47 cents (one nickel, one dime, one quarter, and seven pennies). We also checked JR’s Car Wash where I found 11 cents (one dime & one penny) and the always reliable Al Gator’s Car Wash, where I found 27 cents (one quarter & two pennies).

Becca, who is a bit of a change searcher on her own, hit a daily high of 67 cents (plus a cycle, plus change found in two states). Of course her finds are not factored into my daily totals and will not count towards my race totals.

Totals for the day: $1.08
Race Totals: $469.23

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Today I found 1 cent . . . a penny.

On my way to an appointment I stopped at a convenience store to get a drink and found a penny on the ground by a cash register.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $468.15

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Today I found 44 cents . . . 1 quarter and 19 pennies. Change was found in two states, Virginia and Texas.

At National Airport early this morning I found a penny on the floor by a news stand. Back in Texas I headed home from the airport and stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found 43 cents (one quarter & 18 pennies).

Totals for the day: 44 cents
Race Totals: $468.14

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Today I found 30 cents . . . 2 nickels and 20 pennies.

All my change was found as I walked around the campus of Towson University after I met a friend for lunch. Most of the change was in a parking garage, but some was found along the sidewalks and some patio areas.

Totals for the day: 30 cents
Race Totals: $467.70

Sunday, December 25, 2006--Merry Christmas!

Today I found 17 cents . . . all pennies.

This morning I had to go to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute things for Christmas lunch. While shopping I found three cents. One penny was outside the store by a coke machine, the second was by a cash register, and the third was on the ground by a change counting machine.

In the evening I took my grandmother home and stopped at a parking garage in Towson and found 14 cents (all pennies).

Totals for the day: 17 cents
Race Totals: $467.40

Saturday, December 24, 2006

Today I found 4 cents . . . all pennies. Change was found in three states; Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.

At the Maryland House, a rest stop off of I-95 I stopped for a drink and found a penny by an ATM machine.

I was on my way upto New Jersey to visit a friend, and while in Jersey I found one penny. Ironically, it was in the parking lot of a grocery store that I had visited with Brian almost exactly one year to the day.

On the way home I stopped for gas in Delaware and found two cents in the gas station convenience store.

Totals for the day: 4 cents
Race Totals: $467.23

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Today I found 41 cents . . . 1 dime & 31 pennies.

This afternoon I attempted to do some last minute Christmas shopping at the Towson Town Center Mall. In the foodcourt I found three cents and walking around the mall I found another penny.

The remaining change, 37 cents (one dime & 27 pennies) were found at Towson University in several parking garages. I did a quick change walk before meeting a friend for dinner, and checked another parking garage after dinner.

Totals for the day: 41 cent
Race Totals: $467.19

Friday, December 22, 2006

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

It was found at a Hess gas station by the cash register. I stopped there to purchase a drink on my way to meet a friend for dinner.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $466.78

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Today I found 3 cents. . . all pennies.

Driving upto Abingdon, MD I stopped at a no name car wash off of I-95 and found two cents. I was in Abingdon to visit a friend from college, who had to do some last minute shopping for his wife. One of the places we went was Best Buy, where I spotted and retrieved a penny from the parking lot as we walked back to my friend's car.

Daily Totals: 3 cents
Race Totals: $466.77

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Today I found 2 cents. . . both pennies. Change was found in two states, Texas and Virginia.

This afternoon I stopped at Subway for lunch and as I was getting out of my car I spotted and retrieved a penny from the parking lot. In the afternoon I got on a flight to go home for Christmas. I was flying into National Airport, which is actually located in Virginia, not Maryland or DC. At the airport I found a penny on the ground by the luggage claim.

Daily Totals: 2 cents
Race Totals: $466.74

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Today I found 59 cents . . .. 1 nickel, 1 quarter & 29 pennies.

At lunch I found a penny in the parking lot of Mamba’s Restaurant. In the evening I stopped at CVS, a local pharmacy, and found two cents by the front counter. I also got a haircut and found a penny in the parking lot.

At the Kwick Kar Wash I found seven cents (all pennies) by various vacuum cleaners. The big find of the day was at the always reliable Al Gator’s Car Wash where I found 48 cents (one nickel, one quarter, and 18 pennies).

The Houston Texans sent me a Christmas card today. Not only are they a bad team but their Christmas cards aren’t all that cool either. Free is free, but . . . .



I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Totals for the day: 59 cent
Race Totals: $466.72

Monday, December 18, 2006

Today I found 44 cents . . .. 1 quarter & 19 pennies. Change was found in two states, Louisiana and Texas.

My flight from New Orleans to Houston left this morning at 8am so I had to wake up fairly early. As I got dropped off at the airport and opened the car door I found a penny right on the ground. In the airport I found 27 cents (one quarter & two pennies). The first penny was on the ground by a TSA security checkpoint and the second penny and the quarter were on the ground by a coke machine.

I had to work a full day when I got back to Houston, so it was fairly late when I was driving home. Still, I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found 17 cents (all pennies). There might have been more but it was raining fairly heavy so I didn’t stick around to do my usual thorough search.

Totals for the day: 44 cent
Race Totals: $466.13

Sunday, December 17, 2006

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

I picked up my lone penny as some friends and I were walking back to our car after having a few beers at a local bar in New Orleans. I was celebrating the Redskins win over the Saints. As locals they were not.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $465.69

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Today I found 5 cents . . .. all pennies. Change was found in two states, Texas and Louisiana.

Late Friday night I got a call from a friend of mine who lives in New Orleans and he invited me out for the weekend to watch the Redskins play the Saints. I found a very cheap flight so I decided to go. On the way to the airport I stopped at Chevron to get a drink and found two cents by the base of the cash register. At the airport I found a penny by the TSA checkpoint.

In New Orleans I found two pennies by a Coke vending machine as I waited for my friend to pick me up.

Totals for the day: 5 cents
Race Totals: $465.68

Friday, December 15, 2006

Today I found 44 cents . . .. 1 nickel, 3 dimes, and 9 pennies. I also found a car wash token with “No Cash Value.” Sadly, the car wash token will not count toward the daily totals.

Driving home from work this afternoon I stopped at the Roger Clemens Foundation, a place where Roger Clemens shills oddly signed things for his charity (including signed soap dispensers, signed book shelves, signed Christmas ornaments, and signed bath towels). Walking out after purchasing a Christmas present I found a penny in the parking lot.

This evening I joined my friend Robert for dinner. He picked up the tab and I picked up a penny from the ground by the cash register. I thought it was a good deal.

On the way home I stopped at a no-name car wash and found 32 cents (one nickel, three dimes, and seven pennies). All were by banks of vacuum cleaners. It was at the car wash that I also found the car wash token with “No Cash Value.” Although the token will not count toward the daily totals it has already been deposited into my “Not Change Cup,” keeper of such items.

For me it was a bit of a sad day since Jeffry Robert Bagwell announced his retirement from baseball. I was driving past the ballpark right after his press conference and decided to pull over to see if I could find Bagwell after the press was done with him. I waited about 10 minutes and out came Bagwell, who I have always admired as a player. Mr. Bagwell was kind enough to sign two baseballs for me (I always have them in the car just in case) and I got to personally tell that I was going to miss seeing him on the field. Like I said, it was a bit of a sad day.

Totals for the day: 44 cents
Race Totals: $465.63

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Today I found 72 cents . . .. 4 dimes & 32 penny.

Going into a Mexican restaurant for lunch this afternoon I found two cents. In the evening I found a penny in the laundry room of my apartment complex.

Later in the evening I went to the post office and stopped at the always reliable Al Gator’s Car Wash. There I found 50 cents (four dimes & 10 pennies). By the post office I checked in at the car wash next to the post office and found an additional 19 cents (all pennies). The amazing thing about that find is that the 10 of the pennies were in a single pile and another eight pennies were in another pile (in different parts of the car wash). Only one penny was actually on the ground.

This morning I was driving through Pearland, TX and saw a road sign that I know Bailey will appreciate. Lucky for me I had my camera so pulled over and snapped this picture:


It isn’t often that you see a street that was clearly named after your friend.

Totals for the day: 72 cents
Race Totals: $465.19

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

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

Both were at Kroger, a local grocery store. The two coins were sitting under a change counting machine that I checked after dining at Rocky’s Subs, a delicious substitute for the real Philadelphia Cheessteak.

This evening there is a metier shower. The best viewing time is from 2-3 am so I doubt I’ll actually see too much when I go out to check in a few minutes. However, there are supposed to be 100 meteors per hour at the peak time, so I’m hopeful that I’ll see something before I turn in this evening.

Totals for the day: 11 cents
Race Totals: $464.47

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Today I found 29 cents . . .. 2 dimes & 9 pennies.

This morning I stopped at Chevron and got a drink. Pulling out of the parking lot onto the street I thought I saw some change by the side of the road. I parked my car and walked over to the area and found two very badly worn pennies that were by the exit.

On the way home I stopped at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, and found 27 cents (two dimes & seven pennies). Almost all of the change was sitting on the ground in the bay of a car wash station.

Totals for the day: 29 cents
Race Totals: $464.36

Monday, December 11, 2006

Today I found 63 cents . . .. 1 dime, 2 quarters, and 3 pennies.

This afternoon I stopped in at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex. There I found 38 cents (one dime, one quarter, and three pennies). Usually I find most of the change in the back of the car wash, but today I found the majority by the front vacuum cleaners.

This evening I checked my mail and found a quarter by the mailboxes. It was raining most of the day so I guess that someone dropped the quarter and chose not to retrieve it because of the weather. At least that’s my guess.

Totals for the day: 63 cents
Race Totals: $464.07

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Today I found 50 cents . . .. 1 nickel, 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 10 pennies (the grand Change Cycle).

Walking back from the Texans game I found a dime on the sidewalk. Taking a shortcut back to my car I walked past a McDonald’s drive-thru and picked up 39 cents (one nickel, 1 quarter, and nine pennies). The final find was a single penny that was found in the parking lot.

Totals for the day: 50 cents
Race Totals: $463.44

Saturday, December 9, 2006

Today I found 17 cents . . .. 1 nickel and 12 pennies.

The first penny was found on the floor of the Lincoln-Mercury car dealership in Baytown, TX. I was there to get Lance Berkman’s autograph. Lance plays for the Astros, who foolishly let Andy Pettitte go back to the Yankees. I don’t want to talk about that. Anyhow, I got the penny but not the autograph and I don’t want to talk about that either.

On the way home I stopped to get a burger at Sonic. There I found 14 cents (one nickel & nine pennies). All the change was scattered about in the parking lot and on the patio.

In the evening I went to Hobby Lobby, a local craft store, to pick up some supplies for a stained glass project that I am working on. Leaving the store I found two pennies in the parking lot.

Totals for the day: 17 cents
Race Totals: $462.94

Friday, December 8, 2006

Today I found 40 cents . . .. 1 nickel, 1 quarter, and 10 pennies. I also found a 1962 British Two-Shilling coin. Sadly, the British coin will not count toward the daily totals.

Driving down FM 1960 this afternoon I was stopped at a red light and spotted a quarter next to my car. The light had just turned red but I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to retrieve the quarter because it was stuck in some tar. With pocketknife in hand I went for the quarter and pried it loose, complete with some tar:


On the way home I stopped at the always-reliable Al Gator’s Car Wash and found 15 cents (one nickel & 10 pennies).

It was also at Al Gator’s where I found the 1962 British Two-Shilling Coin. The Two-Shilling coin is a coin that is no longer produced. It's worth about 1/10th of a pound, or about 19.5 cents. Although the British Two-Shilling coin has no outcome on the daily totals it has already been deposited into my “Not Change Cup,” keeper of such items.

Totals for the day: 40 cents
Race Totals: $462.77

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Today I found 72 cents . . .. 1 nickel, 1 dime, 2 quarters, and 7 pennies (the sublime Change Cycle).

On my way into work this morning I stopped at Kroger, a local grocery store, to pick up some food for lunch. Walking in I saw a vending machine guy emptying quarters from a bank of gumball machines. On the way out the guy was gone but a quarter was sitting on the ground, right where he had been working.

On the way home I stopped at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex, and found 18 cents (one nickel, one dime, and three pennies). All the change, save two pennies, was sitting atop the ledge of a car wash station. The remaining pennies were on the ground.

In the evening I went to the post office and did some grocery shopping. I found 28 cents (one quarter & three pennies) at the car wash next to the post office. The last penny was found on the ground by a self-checkout line.

Totals for the day: 72 cents
Race Totals: $462.37

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Today I found 2 cents . . .. both pennies.

Both pennies were found at Sonic, where I stopped for dinner this evening.

Totals for the day: 2 cents
Race Totals: $461.65

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Today I found 58 cents . . .. 2 dimes, 1 quarter, and 13 pennies.

First and foremost, my blog has been updated. Hopefully someone will take the time to read the updates from my trip to Europe (November 22 to December 4th) since it took awhile to post it all. There are also a few good pictures from the trip.

I didn’t have to work today so I had the entire day free to recover from jetlag. In the afternoon I met my friend John for lunch. On the way there I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found eight cents (all pennies). At the Chinese restaurant where we ate I found a penny in the parking lot.

In the evening I went to the post office and after that I stopped at the car wash next to the post office. There I found 13 cents (one dime & three pennies). The final find of the evening was 11 cents (one dime & one penny), which I found in the laundry room at my apartment complex. In a late find I found 25 cents (one quarter) in the laundry room when I went to put my laundry in the dryer. It was sitting on a table.

Since I was out of town at the end of the month I now offer a review of the month of November, as well as a summary of my European finds:

November Monthly Report:

This month I found 207 pennies, 11 nickels, 24 dimes, and 16 quarters. I also found three $1 bills. American change was found in two states, Texas and New Jersey and in one foreign country (Ireland).

Monthly Total: $12.02
Change Cycle Days: 3
Dollar Days: 3
Monthly High: $4.20 (November 3rd)
Monthly Low: 1 cent (November 22st & 26th)
Daily Average: 40 ish cents

Europe Report:

Total Foreign Coins Found: 53
Total US Coins Found: 2
Countries Where Finds Were Made: 6 (Ireland, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, & Great Britain)
Approximate Value of Foreign Finds (in US Dollars): $4.95
Most Finds (by coin): 16 (November 26th)
Fewest Finds (by coin): 2 (Multiple times)
Largest Coin Found (by value in USD): 1 Euro (approximately $1.31)
Smallest Coin Found (by value in USD): 10 H Hungarian (approximately 1/2000th of a dollar)

Totals for the day: 58 cents
Race Totals: $461.63

Monday, December 4, 2006

Today I found 1 cent US. I also found a Canadian Penny, a two-cent Euro, a British Penny, and a British two-Pence coin. Change was found in Great Britain and the United States. This marks the first time that I have found change on two continents in the same day!

I found all the foreign coins at Gatwick Airport in London in the morning. The flight back to the US left at 12 noon and took 10 hours. However, because of the time difference I landed around 5pm in the evening. My first and only stop on the way home was to pay a long overdue visit to my old friend, the Kwick Kar Wash. I found a penny and then went home to sleep.

Totals for the day: 1 cent (and 4 Foreign Coins)
Race Totals: $461.05

Sunday, December 3, 2006

Today I found 5 cents Euro (2 two-cent Euros and 1 one-cent Euro) in Austria and I found 6 Pence (one penny & one five-Pence coin) in Great Britain. 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 the Austria and Great Britain.

All the Austrian change was found walking around the city in the morning and at the train station in the afternoon. The Great Britain coins were found at Stanstead Airport just outside of London. The penny was under a ticket machine and the five-Pence coin was under a Coke machine.

Totals for the day: 5 Foreign Coins
Race Totals: $461.04

Saturday, December 2, 2006

Today I found a 10 Haleru coin in the Czech Republic and 3 cents Euro (one one-cent coin and one two-cent coin) in Austria. 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 the Czech Republic and Austria.

I found the 10 Haleru coin walking at the train station in Prague. It was on the floor of a food stand at the train station. After getting off the train in Linz, Austria I decided to walk around the area.

Linz is primarily an industrial city. The only reason I went there was because it had an airport where I could get a cheap flight to London the next day. Linz nevertheless had some charm. I walked around a Christmas Market in town and sampled some good sausage and punch.

After the Christmas Market I walked down some local streets and found the one-cent Euro and the two-cent Euro along the sidewalk.

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

Friday, December 1, 2006

Today I found 2 Czech Koruna and a 50 Haleru. 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 the Czech Republic.

I found the 50 Haleru coin walking to the Charles Bridge and the 2 Koruna coin in a store in Old Town Square. Old Town Square is best known for this astrological clock, which depicts the religious circle of life:


In the upper right corner of the above picture (or in this one below) you can see the skeleton, which represents death:


Another nice part of Prague is the castle, which sits atop a hill and overlooks the city:


To get to the castle you either have to take a really long tram or make a very long walk. I elected to walk and can honestly say that it was a very tough climb.

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