Monday, June 30, 2008

Today I found 1 cent . . . a penny.

It was found this afternoon by a ticket machine at the Back Bay T stop.

_________________________

June Monthly Report:

This month I found 79 pennies, 3 nickels, 8 dimes, and 8 quarters. Change was found four countries (Cambodia, Italy, Thailand, and the USA) and two states (Massachusetts and Texas).

Monthly Total: $3.62
Change Cycle Days: 2
Dollar Days: 0
Monthly High: 89 cents (June 23rd)
Monthly Low: 1 cent (Multiple Days)
Daily Average: 12 ish cents

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $665.33

Sunday, June 29, 2008

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

I had to drop off some things at my office this afternoon and I’m glad that I did. Walking into the building I found 12 cents (one dime & two pennies) in the foyer of my building. At Super 88, a local grocery store, I found a penny in the parking lot and then two cents by a change counting machine. One of the pennies was in the coin return slot and one was under the machine. The final penny of the day was found on the sidewalk outside Home Depot.

Totals for the day: 16 cents
Race Totals: $665.32

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Today I found 12 cents . . . 1 dime & 2 pennies.

Today I headed over to the Haymarket Farmers Market and then took the train to Beverly Farms to meet up with a friend. The train heads out of North Station and that is where I found all of my change for the day. The first penny was in by a newsstand, the second penny was in the middle of the floor, and the dime was on the ground by an ice cream stand.

Totals for the day: 12 cents
Race Totals: $665.16

Friday, June 27, 2008

Today I found 11 cents . . . 2 nickels & 1 penny.

The first nickel was found behind a change counting machine, located at my local credit union. On the way home I decided to take the Green Line and get off at Prudential Center to see if that was any shorter than my normal stop at Back Bay. It was about the same, but I did find another nickel in the change return slot of a T ticket machine. The final penny was found this evening as I walked down Tremont St. to get some dinner. The penny was sitting under a bus stop bench.

Totals for the day: 11 cents
Race Totals: $665.04

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Today I found 10 cents . . . a dime.

It was found at the base of a Dunkin Donuts stand at North Station this morning.

Totals for the day: 10 cents
Race Totals: $664.93

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

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

In the first few minutes of the new day I found myself at the Kwick Kar Wash in Houston, TX. I had gone there to find some 11th hour change and the clock had just hit a new day when I picked up three additional pennies. Back in Boston I found a penny on the sidewalk as I was walking home, a dime at Harry O’s Sub Shop, and a nickel on the front stairs of my building.

Totals for the day: 19 cents
Race Totals: $664.83

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Today I found 6 cents . . . all pennies.

Alas, I did not get to frequent the majority of the change spots that I wanted to visit today, my last full day in Houston before I head back to Boston tomorrow. I was swamped with work and just didn’t have the time. However, at lunch I found a penny at the base of a gumball machine at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. Co-worker Jennifer, who many long time readers will remember, responded with her usual enthusiasm for my find.

In the evening I headed to the Kwick Kar Wash for some 11th hour change searching. Prior to the clock hitting 12 I managed to pick up five pennies that were scattered about on the ground.

Totals for the day: 6 cents
Race Totals: $664.64

Monday, June 23, 2008

Today I found 89 cents . . . 2 quarters & 39 pennies.

Oh Houston, how I missed your vast amounts of scattered change! I had to go back to Houston for work this morning, and will be here tomorrow and Wednesday as well. I had very little time to devote to change searching, but I did want to pay visits to some of my favorite spots around the city. In the evening I swung by Sonic and found seven cents (all pennies) and the Kwick Kar Wash, which is located next door. At the Kwick Kar Wash I found 37 cents (one quarter & 12 pennies).

However, the big find of the day, at least volume wise, was recorded at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my former apartment complex. There I found 18 cents (all pennies) scattered about by vacuum cleaners and car wash bay stations. The day was closed out at a Shell gas station, where I stopped for an evening drink. By the base of a cash register I found 27 cents (one quarter & two pennies).

Totals for the day: 89 cents
Race Totals: $6644.58

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Today I found 2 cents . . . both pennies.

It was another beautiful day in Boston, save for the one-hour rain delay that involved very little actual rain, at Fenway this afternoon. Walking to the ballpark I found a penny on a dirt path that was once upon a time a sidewalk. Walking home I decided to cut through the Fenway Victory Gardens and I found a penny in some dirt by some rose bushes.

Totals for the day: 2 cents
Race Totals: $663.69

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Today I found 50 cents . . . 2 quarters.

I had a ticket to the Red Sox game this afternoon so I decided to take the easy route to the ballpark and opted to walk vs. taking the T. While walking to the game I found a quarter in a gutter along the street. It was in close proximity to some parking meters. After the game I found my second quarter of the day, this one under a seat between home plate and the first base side of the ballpark.

Totals for the day: 50 cents
Race Totals: $663.67

Friday, June 20, 2008

Today I found 51 cents . . . 2 quarters & 1 penny.

Getting off the T at North Station I found a quarter at the base of a ticket window. Walking about another 300 feet I found another quarter in a walkway. The lone penny was found in some dirt by a tree as I walked home this evening.

Totals for the day: 51 cents
Race Totals: $663.17

Thursday, June 19, 2008

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

The dime, a very beat up but not that old model, was found at the base of a change counting machine at a credit union that I frequent. The remaining penny was found at the entrance of the North Station T terminal.

Today I got to observe the Celtics victory parade, which went by my office building. It was the first time that I have actually lived in a city that won a championship.

I also got to chat with two very interesting people today. However, I’m going to leave it at that as I don’t want to jinx some possible future publicity for Race of the Century.

Totals for the day: 11 cents
Race Totals: $662.66

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Today I found 3 cents . . . all pennies.

The day started off great as I picked up a penny by a ticket machine at the North Station T terminal. That machine bank is really starting to pay off as of late. On the way home this evening I found yet another penny in the same place and my final penny by the entrance to the T station.

Totals for the day: 3 cents
Race Totals: $662.55

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Today I found 12 cents . . . 1 dime & 2 pennies.

This morning I found a penny by a ticket machine at the North Station T terminal. In the evening I joined some friends off Causeway St. to watch the NBA Championships. Walking to a nearby bar I found a penny on the sidewalk and a dime in the road. I’m not surprised that I found change there, as the area was already packed with a ton of people.

Totals for the day: 12 cents
Race Totals: $662.52

Monday, June 16, 2008

Today I found 4 cents . . . all pennies.

Penny number one came on the sidewalk as I walked to work this morning. The second and third pennies were found in the North Station T terminal, and the final penny of the day was found on the platform of the Back Bay T stop.

Totals for the day: 4 cents
Race Totals: $662.40

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Today I found 26 cents . . . 1 quarter & 1 penny.

I decided to head into work this afternoon to knock out a few e-mails. The thought process was get e-mails out of the way so I wouldn’t be swamped with them on Monday. On the way in I found a quarter at the door of a seafood restaurant and then I found a penny in the North Station T terminal. The penny was by an electronic entrance machine.

Funny thing that I saw today . . . a couple was walking down the sidewalk holding hands and both of them were on their respective cell phones. Nice to know that they cared enough for each other to hold hands, but not enough to actually talk to the other.

Totals for the day: 26 cents
Race Totals: $662.36

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Today I found 1 cent . . . a penny.

It was found as I walked to the post office this afternoon. Otherwise, the day was spend unwinding from vacation and doing some things around the apartment.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $662.10

Friday, June 13, 2008

Today I found 36 cents . . . 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 1 penny.

As Dropkick Murphy sang, “I’m shipping up to Boston.” Well, yesterday I was shipped and now I’m back. I already miss Thailand and Cambodia, but it is good to be home. Good to sleep in my own bed and good to be back in my own apartment.

This morning I headed to the post office to mail out a few things that I had picked up for people and I found a quarter there. Later in the day I found a dime near a parking meter and then a penny at a sub shop that I visited for dinner.

Totals for the day: 36 cents
Race Totals: $662.09

Thursday, June 12, 2008 (The 35 Hour Day)

Today I found 1 cent . . . a penny. I also found a total of eight foreign coins. Change was found on three continents, setting a single day change finding record that will probably last forever.

The day started at 12am at the airport in Bangkok and ended at 12pm at my apartment in Boston. As the time difference between Bangkok and Boston is 11 hours I had in effect a 35-hour day, making June 12th the longest day of my life!

At the airport in Bangkok I found 39 Baht (seven coins), the majority of which were found in coin return slots of free standing Internet access machines. My flight left at 3:30am and I had a brief two-hour layover in Rome, where I promptly found a one-cent Euro by the transfer desk at the airport. Once back in Boston I headed out to get some dinner and found a penny near Foodies, a local urban market. Three continents in one day (Asia, Europe, and North America). Not too bad, if I do say so myself!

Although vacation is officially over I feel compelled to leave you with one final picture:


Clearly it is a group of ants on a fence. This picture was taken at the Killing Fields outside of Phnom Penh. It isn’t a spectacular picture, but I liked the shot and it took me about 20 tries to get a good one, so by God, I’m sharing it with someone.

Totals for the day: 1 cent (and 8 Foreign Coins)
Race Totals: $661.73

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Today I found 1 foreign coin. Although it will not count toward the daily totals it does keep alive my consecutive change streak.

By far the worst part of any vacation is when it ends, and that is what is happening today. This morning Becca and I flew back to Bangkok from Cambodia. We have a full day in Bangkok and at 3:30am on June 12th I catch a flight to Rome and then to Boston.

I would be remiss in my blogging if I didn’t mention that this entire trip wouldn’t have been possible without Brookie, a friend of Becca’s who rocks. She lives in Bangkok and provided us with a place to stay and hours of entertainment with her natural, “I’m blond, but in a good way,” personality. Brookie has a blog, and to be honest the writing style is amazing. Anyone who loves funny and well-written ramblings should take some time to check her out.

And if you do decided to do some Brookie reading the two pictures below (Alouise and Chang) will make perfect sense. If not, it’s ok, because who doesn’t enjoy a good picture of a stuffed pocket monkey:


and the aforementioned monkey and his elephant friend:


As for me, it’s off to take in a bit more of Bangkok before I head home. Just FYI, the one foreign change find of the day was found in a payphone in the 11th hour at the Bangkok airport.

Totals for the day: 1 Foreign Coin
Race Totals: $661.72

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Today I found 1 foreign bill. Although it will not count toward the daily totals it does keep alive my consecutive change streak.

It is my last full day in Cambodia and I decided to test my luck at The Russian Market. The Russian Market, named such because it was a trading market set up years ago by Russian immigrants, is a collection of a mish mash of items for sale. Turn one corner and you might find hand painted Buddha’s. Around the next corner might be car engines, look again and it’s pirated DVD’s, take another turn and there are silk garments. Sufficed to say it was a busy day.

Walking around the Russian Market in the food section I spotted and retrieved a 1,000 Riel from the ground near a soup stand. As 1,000 Riel is approximately 25 cents I considered this quite the good find.

The remainder of the day was spent exploring the city, mailing some postcards, and getting lost thanks to a driver who didn’t know where he was going and didn’t speak much English. And, speaking of driving did I mention how chaotic it is in Cambodia? Talk about a great lead in to today’s picture, Monks on a Moped:


Throughout Thailand and Cambodia you see monks everywhere. At some point in his life almost every boy in these countries becomes a monk for some point in his life. The modern monk certainly does his chants and meditations, but you are just as likely to see him at an Internet café, talking on a cell phone, or riding a motorcycle.

Totals for the day: 1 Foreign Bill
Race Totals: $661.72

Monday, June 9, 2008

Today I found 1 cent . . a penny. I also found 1 foreign coin, which sadly will not count toward the daily totals.

Phnom Penh is one of those cities that it would be tough to describe and sell someone on. It can probably only be appreciated by a visit. It’s dirty, very poor, and doesn’t have any particular features that would define it. However, the people there have an incredible spirit and I really did like my visit here.

On the tough side of things, change wise, there are no coins in circulation in Cambodia! The basic currency is the Riel, which exchanges against the dollar at approximately 4,000 to one. Lucky for me I did manage to find a 1,000 Riel bill at the Killing Fields outside of the city (more on that in a minute) and a US penny at a restaurant that we ate at in the evening.

I have always been a history buff (majored in it in college) so one of the places that I wanted to visit were the Killing Fields. For those not up on Cambodian history the Killing Fields could be equated to Auschwitz in Germany. In the late 1970’s the Khmer Rouge came to power in Cambodia and promptly executed approximately two million of the seven million residents of Cambodia.

It is tough to describe the scene at the Killing Field that I visited (sadly there are multiple sights that are coined Killing Fields around Cambodia). Walk around and you can see mass graves and even more disturbing there are still human bones, teeth, and clothes that stick up from the ground.

The picture today, not for the timid, is a memorial that was built on the sight of the Killing Field. A glass stupa (literally meaning heap where remains are stored) was built and filled with the skulls of many of the victims:


Trust me when I say that the picture does not do justice to what a strikingly moving sight this actually was.

Totals for the day: 1 cent (and 1 foreign coin)
Race Totals: $661.72

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Today I found 3 foreign coins. Although they will not count toward the daily totals it does keep alive my consecutive change streak.

The day started in Ching Mai, had a middle at the Bangkok Airport, and ended in Phnom Penh, capital of The Kingdom of Cambodia.

All three of my coins were found at the Bangkok Airport, where Becca and I had a long layover between the flight from Ching Mai to Bangkok and Bangkok to Phnom Penh. One was found by a food court, another by an information desk, and the third in close proximity to some seats.

The picture for the day is actually one that was taken yesterday at Wat Phra Sigh in Ching Mai:


It was a nice wat, but the reason for this picture is that I really liked the angles from this shot.

Totals for the day: 3 Foreign Coins
Race Totals: $661.71

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Today I found 1 foreign coin. Although it will not count toward the daily totals it does keep alive my consecutive change streak.

Walking around Ching Mai this afternoon I found a one baht coin in the change return slot of a payphone. Lucky for me that I found it as it was the only find of the day.

Lots more sightseeing was the main event of the day. However, today’s picture is actually a different shot from yesterday’s visit to Wat Doi Sutep. Wat Doi Sutep is high up in the mountains outside Ching Mai. To get there you have to take 306 stairs straight up. This is a picture of those stairs:


The walk was brutal, but the views were great.

Totals for the day: 1 Foreign Coin
Race Totals: $661.71

Friday, June 6, 2008

Today I found 1 foreign coin. Although it will not count toward the daily totals it does keep alive my consecutive change streak.

So yesterday I hopped a flight from Bangkok to Ching Mai, a city in northern Thailand. Ching Mai is quite different than Bangkok in that it is much smaller, less congested, and has much more of a rural feel to it (although it is still a large city by Thai standards).

The one foreign coin, a 25 cent baht, was found while I walked down the streets of Ching Mai. It was in a gutter and I was happy to retrieve it and add it to my collection.

In one regard Bangkok and Ching Mai are very similar . . . both have tons of wats around. Today we visited Wat Doi Sutep. It’s on the outskirts of Ching Mai and was quite the sight. The picture today comes from there and it is the stupa (the golden arch that is prominent at every wat) and a Buddha:


Interestingly, you can tell a lot about the meaning of different Buddha statues based on the position of the body (sitting, standing, walking, or reclining) and by the hand gestures. There are six major poses of the Buddha, although roughly 80 poses have been documented, and each one has a particular meaning.

The Buddha in the above picture is in the “Subduing Mara” pose, the most common in Thailand. Subduing Mara is the pose that signifies Lord Buddha right before enlightenment. Buddhism explains that just before the event Lord Buddha summoned the Goddess of Earth to save him from Mara, the personification of evil. Buddha was saved and obtained enlightenment.

Totals for the day: 1 Foreign Coin
Race Totals: $661.71

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Today I found 3 foreign coins. Although they will not count toward the daily totals it does keep alive my consecutive change streak.

For a multitude of reasons Bangkok is a fascinating city to visit. The Thai culture is quite different than that of America. Saving face is huge and if there is one thing that Thais love it is their King. They actually have a Prime Minister that runs the government (in that respect England would be fairly similar), but the love that the Thais have for their king is amazing. Every day the King’s Anthem plays two times a day throughout the city and every day everyone will stop what he or she is doing, no matter what it is, and stand silently as it is played. It’s a spooky sight to see such a major city come to a complete stop, and then rev up again in a matter of minutes.

A few interesting things to know about the king if you ever visit Thailand. First, it is illegal to speak ill about the king. You can actually be arrested and imprisoned for doing this. Second, the entire royal family is very big. About three months ago the king’s sister died and the city is still in official morning for her death. Third (and this is the one that I love the best) it is illegal to deface or damage any image of the king. Examples of this (and this is the best part) is purposely stepping on a bill that has the king’s picture on it or (truly the best one) licking a postage stamp with the kings picture on it. As any Thai knows, you use a sponge on a stamp, not your tongue.

So, onto the finds of the day. This afternoon I flew from Bangkok to Ching Mai, a city in northern Thailand. At the airport I found one coin, and then walking around in the streets of Ching Mai at the marketplace I found another two coins.

Now for the picture of the day. While boarding a train I happened to look down off the platform to a balcony below and saw this:


Look closely and you will see that there are fish drying on the balcony. Not something that you see every day.

Totals for the day: 3 Foreign Coins
Race Totals: $661.71

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Today I found 1 foreign coin. Although it will not count toward the daily totals it does keep alive my consecutive change streak.

Yet another jam-packed day in Bangkok. Lots more sight seeing and exploring the city. Since I’m actually writing this after I got back from the trip I must admit that my days in Bangkok kind of ran together. Lucky for me I did keep some good change records, so I can report that I found my one foreign coin, one Baht, outside of a wat.

Speaking of wat’s, which are the Buddhist temples, they are everywhere in Bangkok. One of my favorites was Wat Arun, pictured below:


The view is actually from atop Wat Arun and in the distance are the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keao.

Totals for the day: 1 Foreign Coin
Race Totals: $661.71

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Today I found 1 foreign coin. Although it will not count toward the daily totals it does keep alive my consecutive change streak.

Surprisingly I’m not feeling the effects of jet lag in the least. This is odd since the time difference between Boston and Bangkok is 11 hours. But, I’m not going to complain.

I can’t even list all the places that we visited today, but I can tell you that at one of the many wat’s that we visited I found a 25 cent Baht on the ground. As the exchange rate is about 33 Baht to the dollar it would be silly to try to convert this. Sufficed to say, it was not a lot of money.

One of the cooler places that was visited was The Grand Palace, one of the many homes to the beloved King of Thailand:


Walking out I heard one of the best comments of the trip. As we passed an American lady on the way in she turned to a friend she was with and said, “Wow, it’s like Epcot, only real!”

Totals for the day: 1 Foreign Coin
Race Totals: $661.71

Monday, June 2, 2008

Today I found 1 foreign bill. Although it will not count toward the daily totals it does keep alive my consecutive change streak.

My plane landed at 5:30am in Bangkok. Becca and her friend Brooke met me at the airport (although they did go to the wrong gate so I had to hear, “Hello, you need Taxi? About 500 times while I looked for them).

After a short nap it was off to hit the town. One of the first stops was one of the many wat’s, or Buddhist temples, around Bangkok. At a nearby market I found a 50 Baht bill on the ground. At current exchange rates this equates to about $1.51.

As with all vacations I try to post at least one picture a day to give a flavor of the place I am visiting. This picture of a mailbox cracked me up, so I am choosing to lead off with it:


I really liked that the two choices were “Bangkok” or “Other Places.” The Thais are quite direct in that regard.

Totals for the day: 1 Foreign Bill
Race Totals: $661.71

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Today I found 3 foreign coins. Although none will count toward the daily totals it does keep alive my consecutive change streak.

Thank goodness for my layover in Rome. I had thought long and hard about the prospect of my change streak being kept alive if I were to lose a day in travel. Thankfully, I did not have to come up with an answer for what would happen if that were to be the case.

Getting off the plane in Rome I immediately found a foreign coin (perhaps Japanese) near the exit gate. Walking around the airport I found a Canadian penny by a security checkpoint and then found a one cent Euro under some chairs at the airport.

The Boston to Rome leg of the flight was only eight hours. I say only because the Rome to Bangkok is a ridiculous 12 hours. Sounds fun.

Totals for the day: 3 Foreign Coins
Race Totals: $661.71