Thursday, January 31, 2008

Today I found 4 cents . . . all pennies. Change was found in two states, Texas and Massachusetts.

My first two pennies of the day were found at the airport in Houston. One was on the ground by the TSA checkpoint and the second was on the ground under a chair in an airport hallway. Once in Boston I found two pennies while leaving Logan airport.
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January Monthly Report:

This month I found 132 pennies, 1 nickel, 12 dimes, and 2 quarters. US change was found in two states (Texas & Massachusetts) and in one foreign country (Spain). I also found 22 foreign coins while on vacation in Europe.

Monthly Total: $3.07
Change Cycle Days: 0
Dollar Days: 0
Monthly High: 46 cents (January 20th)
Monthly Low: 1 cent (Multiple Times)
Daily Average: 10 ish cents

Totals for the day: 4 cents
Race Totals: $639.01

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Today I found 4 cents . . . all pennies.

It was my last full day in Houston and I didn’t take advantage of hitting all of my favorite change sports. I found a penny in the parking lot of the spot where I had lunch and another three pennies in the coin return slot of a change counting machine at Kroger, a local grocery store.

Totals for the day: 4 cents
Race Totals: $638.97

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Today I found 3 cents . . . all pennies.

All change was found at a car wash that was located in close proximity to Becca’s apartment.

Totals for the day: 3 cents
Race Totals: $638.93

Monday, January 28, 2008

Today I found 24 cents . . . 2 dimes & 4 pennies.

This afternoon I found a penny in the parking lot outside of Burlington Coat Factory, where I purchased a nice winter coat for my pending move to Boston. The remaining 23 cents (two dimes & three pennies) were found in the parking lot of a Sonic, where Becca and I stopped for dinner.

Totals for the day: 24 cents
Race Totals: $638.90

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Today I found 4 cents . . . all pennies.

Penny number one was found at Stein Mart, a clothing department store where everything was too expensive to purchase. The remaining three pennies were found near a vacuum cleaner at a Chevron gas station.

Totals for the day: 4 cents
Race Totals: $638.66

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Today I found 25 cents . . . 2 dimes & 5 pennies.

Becca and I headed up to The Woodlands for dinner and on the way back I stopped at the car wash near Bailey's old apartment. It didn't pay off quite as well as last time, but I did manage to find 25 cents (two dimes & five pennies).


Totals for the day: 25 cents
Race Totals: $638.62

Friday, January 25, 2008

Today I found 8 cents . . . all pennies.

An exciting evening was spent cleaning my apartment. Taking a break I headed to Sonic for dinner and there I found all of my change for the day.

Totals for the day: 8 cents
Race Totals: $638.37

Thursday, January 24, 2008

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

The quarter was found in the laundry room at Becca's apartment complex. The first penny was found in the coin return slot at a Capitol One Bank and the third penny was found at the drive-thru at Whataburger.

Totals for the day: 27 cents
Race Totals: $638.29

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Today I found 10 cents . . . 1 dime.

The dime was found at the drive-thru window at Hartz Chicken, which is located in close proximity to the car wash where I stopped yesterday.


Totals for the day: 10 cents
Race Totals: $638.02

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Today I found 3 cents . . . all pennies.

All change was found at the car wash next to Becca's apartment.

Totals for the day: 3 cents
Race Totals: $637.92

Monday, January 21, 2008

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

My movers came today and packed up all my stuff. As I type this on a borrowed computer all of my worldly possessions are on a truck and heading to Boston. After the movers left I headed to the Kwick Kar Wash, where I found 18 cents (one dime & eight pennies)

Totals for the day: 18 cents
Race Totals: $637.89

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Today I found 46 cents . . . 1 nickel, 2 dimes, and 21 pennies.

Penny number one was found at Papa Burger, a burger joint located just north of Minute Maid Ballpark. The remaining 45 cents (one nickel, two dimes, and 20 pennies) were found at the car wash next to the post office. Becca was along for the ride, but chose to wait in the car and listen to the football game instead of joining me to look for change. It was best that way. I hate competition.

Totals for the day: 46 cents
Race Totals: $637.71

Saturday, January 19, 2008

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

All change was found at Sonic, where Becca and I stopped for lunch.

Totals for the day: 18 cents
Race Totals: $637.25

Friday, January 18, 2008

Today I found 4 cents . . . all pennies.

My first three pennies were found at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex. The final penny was found on the floor at Brown Sugars, a delicious BBQ restaurant near my office.

Totals for the day: 4 cents
Race Totals: $637.07

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Today I found 8 cents . . . all pennies.

I flew back from cold Boston to cold Houston this morning. No airport change, which is highly unusual, but I did find eight cents (all pennies) at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex.

Totals for the day: 8 cents
Race Totals: $637.03

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Today I found 3 cents . . . all pennies.

The first two pennies were found in a planter directly outside Foodies Urban Food Mart, a local grocery store in the South End of Boston. Penny number three was a late evening find. It was found at Brodaway Gas near a gas pump. I stopped there this evening to fill my rental car in preperation for its return tomorrow morning.

Readers will be happy to learn (or at least I hope you will be happy to learn) that I signed a lease late last night for an apartment. It’s located in the South End of Boston in a neighborhood where a new building constitutes something that was build in the last 100 years.

Totals for the day: 3 cents
Race Totals: $636.95

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Today I found 3 cents . . . all pennies.

Penny number one was found in a snow pile next to a parking meter in close proximity to the Kendal Square T stop. Penny number two was found on a sidewalk in the South End of Boston, and penny number three was found in the parking garage that is located next to my hotel in Cambridge.

Totals for the day: 3 cents
Race Totals: $636.92

Monday, January 14, 2008

Today I found 2 cents . . . both pennies.

Today I faced my first major Boston change test, as it snowed fairly hard Sunday evening into Monday morning. I was worried that change would be hard to come by because of the snowy conditions, but I was quickly relieved to find that change was out there for the taking.

The first penny was found at Quincy Market in the indoor store section. It was on the ground by a Starbucks. The second penny was found on a freshly cleaned sidewalk in close proximity to the Federal Building (it was still snowing at the time, so the penny must have been recently dropped, because a few more minutes and it would have been snow covered).

Totals for the day: 2 cents
Race Totals: $636.89

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Today I found 44 cents . . . 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 9 pennies. Change was found in three states . . . Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

The morning started in the South End where I found six pennies all in a puddle of water. I’m guessing that someone had thrown them out with their trash.

I had a friend visiting and he had a burning desire to take a road trip to Rhode Island and Connecticut. It’s less than a two hour round trip so I was game. In Rhode Island we stopped at a car wash and I found 13 cents (one dime & three pennies) and in Connecticut I found a quarter at a gas station.

Totals for the day: 44 cents
Race Totals: $636.87

Saturday, January 12, 2008

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

The first penny was found in the lobby of my hotel. Pennies two through six were found in the South End (perhaps a good location to live considering the change luck that I have had recently). The remaining 11 cents (one dime & one penny) were found at the Downtown Crossing T stop.

Totals for the day: 17 cents
Race Totals: $636.43

Friday, January 11, 2008

Today I found 5 cents . . . all pennies.

Another day of apartment searching and another day of pennies in the South End. All five pennies were found at separate locations along sidewalks. For full disclosure I should note that one penny was actually found next to a sidewalk, in a gutter.

Totals for the day: 5 cents
Race Totals: $636.26

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Today I found 14 cents . . . 1 dime & 4 pennies.

So now might be a good time to mention that the reason that I’m in Boston is because I’m moving there at the end of the month. It’s a work transfer and although I’m certainly going to miss Houston I’m excited about the opportunity.

The four pennies were found scattered about the ground in Cambridge and the South End of Boston, where I spent much of the day walking and looking for apartments. The dime was my last find of the day. It was on the sidewalk in the South End, just outside the Brazilian restaurant where I had dinner.

Totals for the day: 14 cents
Race Totals: $636.21

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Today I found 1 cent . . . a penny.

It was found sandwiched between two ticket machines at the Kendall Square T Stop. I almost missed it as I was rushing to catch the train, but lucky for me my highly trained eye caught sight of the dim copper just as I was getting ready to move away from the machine.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $636.07

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Today I found 2 cents . . . both pennies.

I had to head to Boston today for nine days of work. At the airport in Houston I found a penny by the TSA checkpoint (I had to wait to retrieve it, because in one of the oddest things I ever saw at an airport a lady was picking up her suitcase and somehow managed to get her wedding ring stuck in the zipper of the suitcase). Sufficed to say everyone from TSA went to help her and it blocked my access to the penny. However, it all worked out in the end . . . I got the penny.

The second and final penny of the day was found in Logan Airport in Boston. The penny was on the ground by a Chinese fast food stand.

Totals for the day: 2 cents
Race Totals: $636.06

Monday, January 7, 2008

Today I found 1 cent . . . a penny.

It was in an otherwise empty washing machine at my apartment complex.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $636.04

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Today I found 2 cents . . . both pennies.

Both pennies were found at a Diamond Shamrock, a local gas station. One was by the base of the counter and the other was by the front door. Other than attempting to recover from jet lag it was an uneventful day otherwise.

Totals for the day: 2 cents
Race Totals: $636.03

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Today I found 5 cents. . . all pennies. I also found 4 foreign coins, which sadly will not count toward the daily totals. Change was found in two countries (Ireland and the United States), on two continents (Europe and North America), and in two states (New Jeresey and Texas).

This morning I found a 20 cent pound and a two-cent Euro at the airport in Shannon, Ireland. Back in the US I found another three cents Euro (one two-cent coin and one one-cent coin) in the Newark airport by baggage claim.

The five US pennies were found in New Jersey (four cents at the airport) and in Texas (one penny at the airport).

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Summary of European Vacation:

During my trip I found a total of 42 foreign coins. Change finds were recorded in Ireland, Germany, Turkey, and Spain. There were 32 Euro coins that totaled 1.14 Euro, seven Turkish coins that totaled 70 cents Lira, two British coins that totaled 21 cents Sterling, and one Polish coin that totaled 2 cents Zlotych.

Doing a rough conversion those 42 coins total $2.70 US.

While on the trip I recorded my first finds in several foreign countries (Spain, Germany, and Turkey) as well as my first find in Asia (Istanbul). A total of two US cents (both pennies) were also found in Spain.

Totals for the day: 5 cents (and four foreign coins)
Race Totals: $636.01

Friday, January 4, 2008

Today I found 10 foreign coins in two countries, Spain and Ireland. . . sadly none count toward the daily totals, but the streak remains alive.

The day started early in Spain with a 6am wake up to catch a bus to the airport. After the hour bus ride we hopped a plane and flew to Ireland to spend the night. Tomorrow morning will be another plan trip, this time back to the US.

Between the two countries I found a total of 21 cents Euro (two five-cent coins, three two-cent coins, and five one-cent coins). Coins were found at the train station in Spain (had to catch a train to the bus), by some vending machines, and at the airports in Spain and Ireland.

The final picture from the trip (tomorrow is mostly travel) is another Gaudi work, a temle that he designed. It was partially constructed in 1900, but was never finished. To this day the Spanish are working on completing it (per his plans, and thus the cranes in the background):


Enjoy!

Totals for the day: 10 Foreıgn Coins
Race Totals: $635.96

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Today I found 2 foreign coins . . . sadly none count toward the daily totals, but the streak remains alive.

Another day in Barcelona, but the coins did not come as easy today. Perhaps it was the pouring rain, or perhaps it was the fact that I was still feeling sick. Either way I did manage to find 11 cents Euro (one one cent coin and one 10 cent coin) under a vending machine in the Passeoie de Gracia Metro stop.

As most know Barcelona was home to the 1992 Summer Olympics. We arrived at the Olympic park area just as it was closing, and had time to snap a few pictures, including this which has a nice view of the city in the background:


Enjoy!

Totals for the day: 2 Foreıgn Coins
Race Totals: $635.96

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Today I found 2 cents . . . both pennies. I also found 5 foreign coins, that sadly will not count toward the daily totals.

It's always an added bonus when I find US coins in a foreign country, but that's exactly what happened today. I found my first US penny of the trip on the roof of the Barcelona Cathedrial, where I had climed for a view of the city. The second US penny was found shortly thereafter by a vending machine located in close proximity to the cathedrial.

The foreign coins were found scattered about Barcelona. There were five of them and they were three one cent Euros, one five cent Euro, and a two-cent Polish Grosze.

Barcelona is famous, amoung other reasons, for the numerous works of the architect Antoni Gaudí. One of his designs was Park Guell, which is a nature area atop a hill in Barcelona. One of the more notable features of the park is a giant ceramic lizard, that graces the entrance. Here is that lizard:


Enjoy!

Totals for the day: 2 cents (and five foreign coins)
Race Totals: $635.96

Tueaday, January 1, 2008

Today I found 1 foreign coin . . . sadly none count toward the daily totals, but the streak remains alive.

The coin, a five cent Euro, was found by a vending machine at the Intercontinental Airport hotel in Frankfurt, Germany. This was my first ever German find, although I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have since I was suffering from a nasty bug.

Since today was mostly a travel day and it was spent at a hotel and the airport there are not too many exciting pictures to share. More tomorrow.

Totals for the day: 1 Foreıgn Coin
Race Totals: $635.94