Day #337 - Reaching Out

It seems like the entire day today was spent on PennyFinder related things … with much more yet to do tonight.

I began the morning outlining the Free Report: 10 Ways PennyFinding … Then spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon working on the PennyFinders Guidebook. By 4:15 I was exhausted and needed to get away from the computer. I also realized we had not found any coins today. (Tough to do when you are sitting at home on a computer). Doc suggested doing the weekly grocery shopping as a break. (I hate grocery shopping). L

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On the way to the grocery store we were passing a high school parking lot and there were maybe 15 minutes of daylight left. Penny Fever. I could not resist getting out and searching. Doc tossed me out saying he would go to the bank and come back for me in a few minutes. I started walking. One of the teenage skateboarders I had met on my last walk there (see photo Day #282) recognized me. “Hi Penny Lady”. Shared smiles.

A dear friend just returned from 4 weeks of travel so I used that walking time to call him. As we were chatting and walking, I found a penny, then another, then a few minutes later a few more. Fun to walk with a friend! I also spotted 3 pennies behind a chain link fence.

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Those would have to wait until Doc returned with the back scratcher tool I keep under the car seat for just such a need. 8 pennies found. Plus Doc had found one penny after dropping me off as he was leaving the lot and then another penny and a quarter when he returned. (Coins #9-12). That was a profitable stop.

The coins found at the high school got our temperatures rising! We just had to stop at the 7-11 to search. Doc walked right over 2 pennies in the parking lot which I found (Coins #13&14),. No coins found in the store. As we were leaving, a gentleman and young man held the double doors open for Doc and I to walk through. There was the shiniest penny right on the threshold! (Coin #15) I paused, picked up the penny, thanked them for holding the doors open, gave the lad a business card and said, “Thank you so much for being a part of Day #337 Penny Tale”. A moment of Shared Joy.

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We finally made it to the grocery store. Doc paused for a moment to look around the check out area and coin counting machine. I asked him if there was a reason he was not picking up the very shiny penny at his feet? He had not noticed it! (Good thing it was not a snake). (Coin #16)

I looked quickly at the check out area. Spotted a dime and was walking toward it. A lady in an electric cart hopped up and grabbed it! I saw a second dime and hoped she would not see it. She did and took that one too! Bummer. Foregone coins.

Doc retrieved one shiny penny from the coin chute as we were paying. (Coin #17). Then at the door he said, “Is that a coin?” I replied, “No, that is trash. However, right next to that is a nickel!” (Coin #18)

When we were back in the car, Doc shifted into reverse as the car next to us also left. Rats if there wasn’t a penny there. Park the car again, retrieve the coin (Coin #19)

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Now we were getting silly. It was Saturday night and we were having fun. Both of us were also avoiding going home. He was supposed to be grading quizzes and I was supposed to crank out another page for the PennyFinders Guidebook. Penny Hunting was much more fun.

We stopped at the Shell gas station to hunt. None at the pump area and none spotted in the small convenience store. But then I spotted a lonely penny on the bottom shelf in a mostly empty box for mint rolls. (Coin #20).

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Doc was dismayed that he had fewer coins than I did, so Doc next detoured into a CVS pharmacy. He claims it was a nice place to walk and log 2,000 more steps for today. I know it is because he had found fewer coins than I did. Upon entering the store he veered right and I went left. He had a penny within a few seconds (Coin #21). From the doorway I spotted two beautiful, shiny new log house pennies by the cash register. A very tall, gorgeously dressed lady was standing there in 4-5” spiked heels. Now how was I going to approach this? I waited for a few minutes, but got impatient. So I quickly dove in, grabbed the coins, and said, (all in one breath) “God’s 2¢ worth for today, I write Penny Tales, you’ve just witnessed a Find on Day #337, here’s my business card, have a nice day” and I continued walking. (Coins #22&23)

Doc found anoher penny by the back door (Coin #24) so we were two and two at that stop.

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This was turing out to be a Penny Hunting safari.

Doc pulled into Carl’s Jr. 3 Pennies and one burger at that drive through (Coins #25-27).

We really wanted a dime to Hit for the Cycle. So Doc drove through the Starbucks. Zero coins, just one coffee. We did share the story with the really nice cashier. Lots of Shared Joy.

At the next stop Doc searched the Rite Aid while I walked to Carl’s (yes, another one). I kept saying dime, dime, dime, dime. Found 3 silver washers the size of dimes. Close, but they don’t count. I found one penny in a parking spot while waiting for the lone car at the window to leave. (Coin #28) When the SUV finally moved aside, I walked through. Nothing L So I turned around and walked back - finding two pennies where I had just passed! Mushroom coins. (Coins #29&30)

Lessons:

l You must get off your … computer … and move in order to find coins.

l You snooze, you lose.

l Even with eyes wide open, we don’t see the obvious blessings in front of us.

Today’s Total: 30 coins P (28), N (1), D (0), Q (1) = $0.58