Day #382 - Survival Mode

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There was a news article in today’s Poly Post.

http://www.thepolypost.com/news/professor-finds-change-in-pennies-1.2129996

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The day did not start off as well as hoped. I had planned to do numerous things before work, but awoke to one of those headaches which causes diarrhea and vomiting due to the intense pain. Couldn’t make it beyond the living room floor. Canine Kisses didn’t even make a dent in the pain. Doc non-sympathetically said, “Serves you right for making fun of your husband in yesterday’s Penny Tale”.

I finally took pain killers and headed back to bed. Woke up at 11:02 and figured I could still make my Noon meeting at work.

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Scrambled and got to work and into the meeting by 12:01 - only to realize the meeting had been at 11 AM. Uh Ohh. Not good.

This afternoon was a barrage of student requests. Most of them were begging to be admitted into my classes. “If you won’t let me in I will lose my financial aid, I will lose my housing, I will not be able to graduate in June” and on and on. Mid afternoon I needed a time out. Walked outside in the wonderful sunshine and found a penny on the staircase. (Coin #1) Thank You Penny Angels.

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My student officers were planning to meet at 6 PM. Long day. But then they said 7 PM instead. L At 9:30 PM as I was walking to my truck - which was at the far end of the parking lot, I was having a griping session with the Penny Angels:

“Thank you for keeping it to only one penny today. I am in no mood or condition to type anything tonight. And about that recent email to the team regarding spreading Joy at work. Are you kidding? Who has any extra energy for Joy? Today is merely survival mode!”

At that point I noticed the parking lot was deserted. (Easy to find my truck).

Tina to Angels: “It has been months and months since I have found a coin in this lot. If I were in a better mood, I would use this opportunity while the lot is vacant to look for coins. But how the heck can you see coins in the dark - especially pennies against the dark asphalt?”

At that very moment, a car turned into the driving lane where I was walking. The headlights shown toward me and illuminated a penny about 3 ft. in front of me! Coincidence? (Coin #2) I actually burst out laughing. “OK Penny Angels - you won this round. Pennies can be found in the dark. That is not impossible.

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I arrived home around 10:15 PM and Doc said my mom and brother wanted to come over tonight and discuss some important issues. I opened a can of chicken soup and listened. More survival mode …They left around midnight.

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I had asked Doc to mail a few envelopes today. He never got to those. He was “Too busy”. He put over 12,000 steps on his pedometer.

When Doc called me at school at 9 PM to see if I was OK, he said he found a bunch of coins today. I told him to write his own *** Tale ‘cause I was too tired.

So when I arrived home, there was Doc’s note on the table:

Sparky and I went to a local fast food diner to get breakfast. I put in the order, then drove around the corner of the building and spotted a penny. As I approached the pick up window, I spotted another penny in the driveway. As I retrieved that one, I also collected a dime. There was an additional penny by the front tire of the van! (Coins #1-4 for Doc)

After a morning nap, lunch, and some TV, I drove to Pasadena to feed the GrandFISH. After I exited the freeway I went Penny Hunting along Lake Avenue. There was 1¢ in the Walgreen’s parking lot. At CVS there was 1¢ on the sidewalk and 1¢ under the kiddie carousel. A dime at Kragen’s Auto Parts. 1¢ in the Chase Bank parking lot. (Coins #5-9)

I stopped at WalMart and called Tina. While calling, there was a quarter next to me in the parking lot. A dime at Carl’s Jr. (Coins #10-11 for Doc).

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Today’s Total: 13 coins P (9), N (0), D (3), Q (1) = $0.64

Lesson: Pennies CAN be found in the dark - with special assistance.