Day #436 - Medal Collection

It’s been fun Penny Finding - including that Found Canadian quarter while the Olympic sports have been going on over these past few days! Since the Opening Day on Friday, February 12 the Shelton Team has taken home 145 coppers, 31 silvers and one gold!

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On the way to school this morning Doc stopped at Starbucks. He got his coffee, I got 1¢. (Coin #1). Doc was not satisfied, so he drove across the street to the gas station. He walked around the gas pumps while I went inside the convenience store. I searched the store three times and found nothing. Finally bought some throaties and spied a penny under a dust bunny in the corner. (Coin #2).

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We worked a few hours at school, then Doc “needed” to get home and watch the US vs. Canada hockey game. We stopped at a burger place to grab lunch on the way home. It was taking a really long time for our order, so I hopped out of the van and ran inside the diner. There was a penny on the floor. When I retrieved it, there was also a dime. Then a penny at the feet of a customer waiting to place her order. I smiled, gave her a Penny Card and took the penny. She smiled. (Coins #3-5).

Doc had not advanced any in the line of cars, so he was getting bored. He kept searching as far as his eyes could see - and he spotted a penny almost totally buried in the dirt! Eagle eyes! (Coin #6). We finally advanced to the pay window where I collected two pennies and a dime in front of the van, then a penny behind the van! (Coins #7-10)

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This afternoon Doc watched hockey, I worked on class prep. We took a break this evening to go grocery shopping. Found two pennies at the first store. (Coins #11&12).

No coins at the second grocery store. Found another two pennies at the third grocery store (Coins #13&14). After unloading the grocery bags into the van, there seemed to be no safe place to leave the empty cart. I did not feel like pushing the cart all the way back to the store entrance, so I was doing it half-heartedly. I was rewarded with a dime for my efforts. (Coin #15).

Total: 15 Coins P (12), N (0), D (3), Q (0) = $0.42

Lesson: Go the extra distance - it can be rewarding

Day #435 - Doc-sledding

Today was spent “taking care of business”. I graded papers and prepared for classes. Doc ate, napped, and worked with son Stephen on some property management tasks.

I spent the entire morning grading papers, then around 1 PM declared it time for a one-hour break. It had been raining heavily all day. We hopped into our “sled” and careened down the course. It was a fast run; completed in less than an hour.

The first turn was the post office. It was very crowded and there were no coins.

Doc next steered us through the high school parking lot chute. He found one penny, then pointed to a second one. I asked him why he didn’t pick up the one he had just stepped over - because he hadn’t seen it! I got back in the “sled” to continue our run, but Doc kept walking the parking lot - finding three more pennies. (Coins #1-6).

We next went to the bank for some cash. That only takes one person, so I let Doc handle that while I slalomed through the grocery store earning a silver in one check out lane, then a copper in another. (Coins #7&8)

The In-N-Out Burger diner was in the same parking lot, so we headed there for lunch. Last week I found an In-N-Out gift card in the street in front of our house. It was a trash pick up day, so I assumed that card was used and had fallen from someone’s trash can. Back to the “assumptions” lesson of two days ago. We placed our order at the counter inside the store where I asked the cashier if the card had a balance. It did! Our lunch bill was $5.14. With a $5 credit, that meant only 14¢ due. That was a nice surprise!

While waiting for our burgers to be prepared, Doc noticed a penny or two through the window. Going out in the drive through lane would be suicidal with that long line of “sleds”! No way! Our burgers were taking a long time and the desire to retrieve those coins was getting stronger and stronger … The vehicle at the window was huge and imposing, but the two-person team inside it looked really friendly. So I ran outside, smiled, motioned for the driver to roll down her window, handed her a Penny Card, and said, “It’s Day #435 and I’d like to reach under your car so please don’t run over me”. I collected SIX pennies, then gave two to the female passenger with a smile and said, “God’s 2¢ worth for you two!”. Profit Sharing. (Coins #9-14).

It was a fun run and we were quickly home safe and sound.

Total: 14 Coins P (13), N (0), D (1), Q (0) = $0.23

Day #434 - Sprinting

Today was a furlough day at school. Which is another way of saying “work from home”.

I wanted to just stay home all day and make progress on the pile of papers to be graded. Doc insisted upon running out for coffee and pennies. Yesterday he thought he might have spied a penny at the In-N-Out Burgers, so he dragged me there to investigate. Nope - gum blob. I walked around the picnic tables and spied the two pennies embedded in the tar. I had seen those before and knew they were embedded. Wrong assumption. (See yesterday’s blog). One of the pennies was very run over, but loose! (Coin #1). The other two were still embedded.

While Doc went next door to the bank teller machine to get cash, I quickly walked through the grocery store check out area - collecting one penny. (Coin #2)

Doc’s next stop was Starbucks where he collected HIS penny (Coin #3).

After that, we visited the optometrist office. My eyeglasses had been hurting me since their encounter with the baseball last week. The technician took a look at the glasses and asked “What the heck happened to these?”

We were approaching a red light, so Doc took his time and searched the street median. He put the van into park, unbuckled, grabbed two pennies and was back in the van before I could even grab a camera. That man is quick - when motivated! Maybe he could qualify for Olympic Penny Short Track Sprinting! (Coins #4&5)

I spent the rest of the day and evening grading papers - except for an hour just now. Drew some sketches for the front of the new house. Constant Positive Progress (CPP).

Total: 5 Pennies

Day #433 - Assumptions

This morning as I was arriving at work, there was a blob near the door to the Engineering building. My first thought, “I’ve looked at that blob a number of times already, I know it is not a penny. But today it looks different. But I’ve looked at it before and I KNOW better.” There was a nudging to look anyhow. It was a penny.

Lesson: Don’t assume. Things do Change!

Tonight when I arrived home there was a Love Note on the dining table.

“Sparky and I went back to the bank today to get that cash. Then to CV S to take my blood pressure. Found a penny under the newspaper rack.

Next we went for coffee at the Starbucks drive thru. Collected a quarter from the driveway.

Stopped at the 99¢ only store. Found a penny on the floor.”

Total: 4 Coins P (3), N (0), D (0), Q (1) = $0.28

Day #432 - Endurance

As I was leaving the office at 10:30 tonight, I passed by the Student Study Room. It was deserted except for one student and a half dozen backpacks and laptop computers scattered about the room. Hmmmm… which model computer would I like? I thought maybe the rapture had just occurred and the one student and I were left behind.

It turns out the other students had gone to play broomball for a few hours and would be returning after midnight to continue working. Wouldn’t it be nice to be young again and have that kind of endurance? (Although I think some of them sleep through the late morning).

Back to Penny Finding … On the way into work I asked the Penny Angels what they had planned for today since penny searching was not on my agenda. Within a few minutes I found a penny under the vending machine, then when I kneeled to retrieve it, there was a second penny hidden from my original view. 2¢ worth.

Doc has gone to bed so let’s see what his Love Note says:

“Went to the bank to get some cash. Teller machines were gone due to remodeling. Found a dime in the parking lot”.

Whew! No lengthy findings on his part today.

Total: 3 Coins P (2), N (0), D (1), Q (0) = $0.12

Lesson: You come up with something. I’m pooped tonight.

The dictionary describes Endurance as:

…..the ability or strength to continue or last, esp. despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina

Day #431 - Ladies Competitions

The primary focus today was work - with a one hour detour to meet with the architect on the New House. Constant Positive Progress (CPP).

This morning Doc insisted upon his Starbucks stop on the way to the architect. I went next door to the CVS store in search of coins. Nothing. Then, as I was exiting, there was today’s penny (Coin #1). Doc emerged from the Starbucks. He was stepping over a curb in front of the van, but paused briefly to pick up a shiny penny which was prominently positioned on top of the curb! (Coin #2).

We met with the architect for an hour. That was exciting. This is round four of the front view of the house. We are close enough with “the look” that she is now going now to continue sketches for the other three sides of the house for next week’s meeting.

On the way to school Doc and I were both hungry. We went through the Carl’s Jr. Drive through where Doc got food and I got coins. At first I just saw a penny under the window. Then I saw a dime deeply imbedded on edge in a narrow crack. I was going to get tweezers to extract it, but long fingernails managed to pry it out. Meanwhile Doc spotted a Sit-N-Find penny as he was waiting for me to move aside before advancing the car. I went to hop in the van and found a quarter and another penny. (Coins #3-7 and a burger at that stop).

Late this afternoon Doc dropped by my office. He had just visited the Starbucks on campus so he had a coffee in one had and his found quarter in the other hand. (Coin #8) Yes, this is a fun competition. Tina: 5 coins = 38¢

Doc 3 coins = 27¢

Total: 8 Coins P (5), N (0), D (1), Q (2) = $0.65

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Here is a neat story from one of the Penny Finders and StakeHolders:

Yesterday I was at mile nine of the Pasadena Marathon, and a yard ahead of me I spotted a penny. I didn't want to stop. I had been chasing a guy for the last five miles and he was almost mine. Then the darned penny angels started in. "You have to stop and pick up that penny." "I can't bend over. I've been at this for two hours and my hands are beginning to swell. My fingers are sausages." "Quit whining and pick up the penny," They replied. I painfully bent over and managed to pick up the penny in an awkward two-finger manner that would have made a lobster proud. "Can I go now?" "No more pennies?" "No more pennies," they said. I caught that guy anyway! 1 penny -- 1 cent for the day.

Day #430 - Dancing with the Angels

One of the Olympic ice skating commentators said, “The objective with each performance is to give it your all. Be prepared, go out to win, know that you gave it your best, and then have no regrets.” That’s a pretty good way to look at every day.

Today my attitude was “just get the job (Penny Finding) done”. I had 10-12 minutes before needing to get to class, so I ran over to the Marketplace. Singsong as I walked in the door. “Penny Angels, Penny Angels, what d’ ya say? Can we get the job done quickly today?” Within 60 seconds I found a coin at the Taco Bell area. It was essentially between the feet of a lady awaiting her order. I did not feel like “sharing and giving” today, so I merely said, “Excuse me. You are standing over a penny which I would like to retrieve in order to write about it in today’s Penny Tale”. I handed her a Penny Card, got a nod of approval, grabbed the penny, picked up two more nearby, smiled and was outta there! (Coins #1-3).

I quickly walked through the rest of the Marketplace and found Coin #4 at the Carl’s Jr. line. I rarely find coins at Panda Express because the floors there are white tile and coins would be so obvious. I almost did not search there. I noticed a spot. Could it be? Right smack dab in the middle of the room with people walking over it? Yes! And then another one a little further. Wow! (Coins #5&6).

I lectured in my first class and “gave it my all”. I was pretty worn out. I set up things by the entry door to greet my second class. I then returned to the front of the class to get my notes in order for the next lecture. There was a penny under the table. Mushroom penny or planted penny? I’m not sure. But I held it up, showed the class and said, “OK. Now we can get started”. (Coin #7) Good number.

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I arrived home around 9 pm just hungry for dinner and hoping that Doc hadn’t found any coins. (Not wanting to write much tonight). I still had my purse and briefcase in hand as I notice a lengthy Love Note on the dining table and Doc saying from the other room “Hi, let’s work on tax stuff tonight”. Not what I wanted to hear. He’s watching the Olympics right now. Let’s see what his note says:

Sparky & I went for coffee and then to CVS to check my blood pressure and log some steps on the pedometer. Found 1¢ at the coin counter, 1¢ under a chair by the BP machine, and 1¢ in an aisle.

Next we discovered a new foot massage place. Grand Opening. $20/hour. Must get back there and try it out.

At the 99¢ Store I had seen a shiny under the carousel the last time I was there. Got down to see underneath - 2 pennies and one dime. I walked the store for more steps and thought I needed one more coin to make it 7. I found a penny in one of the aisles. Note: Doc is really learning this manifesting stuff too!

I guess Doc finally did make it to school this afternoon for a meeting.

His note says, “Stopped at the grocery store on the way home from CPP. Got muffins and 4 pennies”.

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Lesson: Give it your all every day, so that each night you have no regrets.

Total: 18 Coins P (17), N (0), D (1), Q (0) = $0.27

Day #429 - Solitary Find

This morning on the way to school, Doc made the usual run through Starbucks. I hopped out and collected a penny.

I spent half the day at school grading papers and preparing for my classes.

Most ‘normal’ people would perhaps go to the movies or rent a video for entertainment on the weekend. For our “show”, Doc and I took a different way home from school so that we could get a closer glimpse of the landslide on the 10 / 57 freeway interchange. Neat to see how the bulldozers are working to terrace the hill. The Edison tower at the top of the hill is now much closer to the cut edge. Never noticed before what a really long span of wire goes across that freeway. Neat stuff!

The remainder of the day we were home working on tax stuff and more class prep. I am still not adequately prepared for the upcoming week.

One penny

Day #428 - Delayed Starts

This morning I wanted to be out the door and start my day by 8 AM. I was ready to go when Doc told me there were things he wanted me to do around the house first. Delayed Start.

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After the household chores. Doc insisted upon a Starbucks and Penny Finding run. Grrr… More of a Delayed Start.

We headed for the high school parking lot. There was some type of function going on and the school gates were unlocked, so I searched through the hallways and lunch tables. Nothing in 15 minutes of searching! I next walked the parking lot. Still nothing! (Could that have anything to do with my pissy attitude this morning?)

I headed for the skateboarding area. Walked all around it. Nothing. I was growing impatient. “Penny Angels, enough! I gave you 25 minutes this morning and your time is up.” There were suddenly two shiny pennies under a picnic table in front of me. (Coins #1&2) I glanced along the iron fence as I was leaving. There was a penny in the dirt, then another, then another! (Coins #3-5). As I exited the gate, there was a penny next to the trash can. But I had looked carefully around that trash can as I entered the area. And no one had gone past there since that time. I bent to pick it up and there were two more pennies! Mushroom Coins (Coins #6-8).

Meanwhile Doc had found one coin while he was driving the parking lot. Sit N Find. He parked the van, then Sparky “walked the Doc” to find an additional seven pennies. (Coins #9-16).

As of 10:30 AM the score was tied 8:8

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We got Doc’s coffee and then went home to work on taxes for a few hours. I was minutes from leaving the house. There was an unexpected knock on the front door. It was my mom. Her car was being serviced nearby, so she needed a place to hang out. More Delayed Starts.

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Finally, I managed to get on the road to school. I was stopped at a red light. When the left arrow turned green, I looked at the traffic in the other direction. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, yet something “nudged” me very softly to delay my start through the intersection. Delayed Start for just a moment - to let an SUV come running through the red light. I had my dog Norman with me in the truck and he was thrilled to have his side of the vehicle still in tact.

Lesson: LISTEN to those nudgings! Sometimes they ask you to do nice things for others. Sometimes they save your backside!

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At school I said to the Penny Angels, “I looked here last night when I was leaving, and this place is pretty deserted. What would be the chance of Finding a Penny at the entrance doors today?” I guess 100% when the Penny Angels are running the show. (Coin #17).

I worked until 5:30, then headed home.

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For fun, Doc and I went to the jeweler to pick up my “new” Valentine’s bracelet (the broken one that he found in the parking lot last weekend). (Today’s Gold piece). It wasn’t quite ready, so we wandered the grocery store aisles. Doc was walking closer to the registers. I was just warning him that he should walk to the other side of me, because it would be foolish to stand between me and a Found Penny - I might bowl him over. But he is as aggressive as I am, so when we simultaneously spotted the penny, it was a race. I let him get it so that the score would be again tied at 9:9. (Coin #18)

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Doc next wanted to stop at the 7-11 and check his lottery ticket (and look for coins). I found one penny in the parking lot, then Doc found one under the Chips display. The score was now10:10 (Coins #19&20)

I was looking under the counter at 7-11 and told Tony, the cashier, “No coins there tonight”. He gave a big smile, reached down on his side of the counter and produced a penny from the floor. Smiles Shared! Now who gets that coin? (Coin #21)

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As we parked at the grocery store, I spotted something before I got out of the van. I told Doc “Dime. No. Yes. No. Yes?” It was. Yay. Silver for today. (Coin #22). We were entering the store when I heard someone say, “Bet I know what you two are doing!” It was Penny Finder Stakeholder #1!!!! What a nice surprise. We only run into him once or twice a year. He was getting ready to run a marathon tomorrow. That hug from him was sure a nice Delay.

As we walked into the grocery store, Doc and I both spotted the penny. Race! I then spotted a penny in one of the closed aisles. (Coins #23&24).

Total: 24 Coins P (23), N (0), D (1), Q (0) = $0.33

Day #427 - Compulsory Routine

Tonight’s Olympic coverage is focusing on the Ice Dancing Compulsory Routine.

I did my Compulsory Routine early in the day.

As I approached the building where I work, I said to the Penny Angels, “This might be pushing it a bit, but would you consider another easy find today? Maybe like you did two days ago?” Within two minutes I found a penny at the entry to the building. “THANKS! This will be fun to share with the Penny Finders team”.

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I had back-to-back-to-back-to-back meetings with various faculty, staff and students most of the day. Finally by 6 p.m. they all went home and I could then focus on my work. Took action on some of the items from the meetings, then graded papers. Didn’t even make a dent. Gave up around 9 p.m. to go home for dinner.

Arrived home to find Doc watching the Olympic skating and his Love Note on the table:

“Went to the office supply store for some new tax software. Found penny, penny + dime. Went to CVS store to get more steps on the pedometer and check my blood pressure. Found 3 pennies as I walked the floor”.

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Thought: I can hear the broadcaster on the TV in the other room saying: Nice skating performance, clean, no-nonsense. Same with today’s Penny Find.

Total: 7 Coins P (6), N (0), D (1), Q (0) = $0.16

Day #426 - Wiped Out

Today was a continuation of National Engineers week activities. I needed to set up for various events and Doc had some pieces being manufactured overnight on the 3-D plotter, so we had an early morning. When we arrived at school there was a very worn penny in front of the van. (Coin #1). Great! That task was completed and out of the way.

Doc had a busy morning. He dealt with his plotted part and then headed to Starbucks and the bank. While adding steps to his pedometer by walking through the parking lot at the bank, he collected 2 pennies. (Coins #2&3). He then went home to shower and change before attending the funeral of a friend’s father. After the funeral, a stop at McDonald’s yielded lunch and a dime. (Coin #4)

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This afternoon was our bimonthly playtime with the niece and nephews. I was Wiped Out from this weeks activities and hoping the kids would want to do something fairly mellow today.

It was a gorgeous day, so we spent the first hour playing in the park. I pitched a few balls for Brandon to bat, then he went off across the park to play with Nicholas and Uncle Doc. Ashley wanted to learn how to whack a ball. She got better and better on connecting the bat and ball. She then said, “This is my last one, then I’m going off to play too. I’m going to make this a good one!” I pitched, she connected, the ball came at me faster than I could move and suddenly I was Wiped Out. I was laying on the ground, curled in pain, tears streaming down and my face hurting like heck! Ashley looked down and said, “OK, I’m going off to play now!” I don’t think nursing is in her future. (She takes after her Aunt in this area).

Brandon came running across the park because he saw me laying in a heap. I instructed him to let Uncle Doc know what happened and that I was heading to the car to get an ice pack out of my lunch pail. I would return to them in a little while. Brandon dutifully informed Doc. Meanwhile, Nick arrived and escorted me to the car - he is very tenderhearted. Brandon came shortly after that - because he wanted a snack from the ice chest. J

Lesson: Learning new skills often involves risk.

Also: Teaching others can be an eye-opening (or eye-swelling) experience.

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The kids next wanted to go to the library and read about time travelers. That sounded more mellow and a little safer. After that, it was Mongolian BBQ for dinner. Then Chuck E Cheese for indoor play. After 30 minutes there, I could no longer take the noise and commotion. Doc likes shooting hoops at the basketball games and doling out the tokens in exchange for kisses and hugs. He stayed while I escaped for a few minutes outside. I collected 2 pennies at the Rite-Aid store next door. (Coins #5&6). Doc meanwhile found a penny inside CEC. (Coin #7). We drove the kids home and had a quick flashlight walk before they went inside to prepare for bedtime. Always fun to have time with them.

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Doc and I were both very thirsty, so we stopped to buy a beverage befor getting on the freeway. Doc spotted a penny under a trashcan! He says he was just thinking like Sparky does. (Coin #8)

Then Doc had a craving for the peanut butter he likes, so we had to stop at Sprouts grocery before getting home. I found one penny at the check out area. Doc found a Sit-N-Find dime in the parking lot as we were leaving. (Coins #9&10).

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I got home, did a few chores, drafted this Penny Tale, then fell asleep while leaning over the sofa to watch the Men’s figure skating. Wiped Out.

Total: 10 Coins P (8), N (0), D (2), Q (0) = $0.28

Day #425 - Short Performance

Full day at work. This afternoon, just before class, I needed to deliver a document. I left my office saying, “Penny Angels, I do not have any time to play today, and quite honestly I’m tired and do not even want to think about silly pennies. If YOU want a Penny Tale today, you will need to make it pretty obvious, because I am not going out of my way at all to go searching. Do you understand me?” It was a Short Performance. Within 60 seconds there was a penny in my pathway as I exited the building.

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This evening I arrived home from work around 9:30 pm and was totally wiped out. I hoped Doc did not find any coins. There were three pennies on the table, a stack of today’s junk mail, dirty dishes on the kitchen counter, his pants to be mended draped over my chair, 17 flashing messages on the answer machine, etc. and Doc was watching the Olympics! Read my thoughts here.

I had to interrupt Doc’s Olympic sofa time in order to extract his Penny Finding story.

He found the first penny at school today. He visited and reviewed a lecture by one of the newly hired faculty. As he exited the elevators, he saw a penny through the window and proceeded outside to retrieve it. That would have been almost the same location where I found my penny shortly thereafter. Maybe that is a mushroom coin field! He found two more pennies when he got dinner at the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) drive through window.

Total: 4 Coins 4 pennies

EMail from WG in response to my wanting to search the Olympic Village for coins: “Duh, I didn't think to look for pennies in Vancouver! We were just there.”

Day #424 - Campus Games

This week it is National Engineers Week - a chance to make people aware that every item you use is somehow linked to an engineer. For instance: the alarm clock which wakes you up, the clean water for your shower, the food on your table, your cell phone, cars, roadways, etc. etc.

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On campus there are numerous activities and competitions this week. One advantage to arriving early for set up is a close parking space! By noon things seemed to be running smoothly. I paused in the shade to survey the festivities and noticed a penny at the trash can next to me. (Coins #1) Thanks Penny Angels.

At 7 pm I was grading papers and hungry. Hit the vending machines for a granola bar and coins. No coins, merely calories.

At 8 pm I was walking to my truck. An electrical engineering professor joined me for part of the way. We were walking through a fairly dark area and “talking shop” when suddenly I interrupted him saying, “Excuse me, I think I see a penny over there”. Sure enough! (Coin #2). He was my witness which gave me the opportunity to give him a Penny Card and Share the PennyFinders Story.

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I arrived home to find Doc’s Love Note on the dining table:

l Had breakfast downtown

l Went for steps. Walked the aisles at Big Lots until I spotted a penny at the end of an aisle

l Went to Starbucks for coffee. Dime in the driveway.

l This evening I met a grad student at Starbucks. Quick stop at the grocery store afterwards to get some muffins and two dimes.

Sounds like Doc performed well today in the “Discount Store Slalom” and

“Coffee Downing” events.

Total: 6 Coins P (3), N (0), D (3), Q (0) = $0.33

Today’s Thought: Hug an engineer - they make your world.

Day #423 - Cross-town Finding

Today was President’s Day and thus a holiday from school. But I graded papers and did some class prep anyhow.

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Doc and Sparky went for coffee this morning. Doc stood at the dining table when they arrived home and didn’t bother to write a love note; just debriefed me as he dropped the coins in front of me:

“Sparky and I stopped at the high school on our way to Starbucks. I spotted a shiny thing as we were cruising the parking lot. A Sit-N-Find dime.

Sparky wanted to get out and search the bushes. There was a penny as we hopped out of the van. Then we found two more pennies. I saw what looked like an ugly button with a big hole in it. It was a penny which was badly mutilated and ‘diseased’. When we got back to the van I was giving Sparky some water and there was a new penny next to the van. (Mushroom coin). (Coins #1-6).

I quickly stopped at Stater Bros. and was not even going to look for coins there, but couldn’t pass up the penny in one aisle.” (Coin #7).

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We had a 1 PM meeting with the architect. We reviewed house front view concept #3 and discussed positioning of the garage and driveway. CPP. Getting closer to some working concepts…

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After intense meetings like that, I am usually hungry. So Doc parked at Carl’s Jr. and ate lunch while I searched for pennies. (I was going to eat at home - less calories). There were two cars at the drive up window, so I couldn’t search there. But there was one penny in the driveway area and a second penny by the front door. I was content with today’s find. (Coins #8&9)

I walked around the building to find the drive up window free of cars - a chance to search and quickly capture a shiny penny! (Coin #10)

The drive up window next door at the Taco Bell cleared of cars, so I dove in. Collected a dime and a quarter! (Coins #11&12)

I returned to find Doc getting his food and filling his beverage cup. He pointed to a dime on one of the tables! I did a quick search around that table as well as the others in the room. I told Doc, “No more coins to be found”. He replied, “What about this dime under the table where you retrieved the first dime?” I still did not see it. He had to kick and move it for me to notice it. (Coins #13&14).

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I needed to get some little envelopes for Valentine’s cards. The cards I bought were surprisingly inexpensive - now I know why -- envelopes not included. Penny Angels - I need envelopes. I had looked up the address for a local paper store. We were heading to that one, but were “nudged” to stop at party store we were passing. They had a box of ‘defective’ small envelopes (odds and ends) . We found some in the right size which were 10¢ each or 100 for $4. I only needed 60, so we could buy those 60 for $6 or 100 for $4. Hmmmm… let’s do the math here! (We did proceed to the paper store just for fun. 75 envelopes there would have been $18) Talk about manifesting!

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In order to “Hit for the Cycle” we needed a nickel. So Doc drove to a nearby grocery store. I spotted a shiny penny (Coin #15) plus some “leftover” flowers. Bouquets with a dozen beautiful long-stemmed red roses were $5! I couldn’t resist. I grabbed a bunch for Doc. But he actually paid for the groceries and flowers, so on the way home we debated as to whom the flowers were To: or From? (As if it mattered).

I kept saying, “Nickel, nickel, nickel …” as we were driving away.

The final stop was just to quickly donate my old cell phone. I ran into the store and told Doc to “go find a nickel while I run inside”. I emerged less than 2 minutes later to see him across the parking lot holding something triumphantly above his head. He came back to the van and showed me the nickel he had just found over by a light pole in a place he would not logically expect it to be. (Coin #16). More manifesting.

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Penny Finding may not be an Olympic Sport, but it is a fun one. Can be a single’s or couple’s sport. Doesn’t take years of practice or special equipment. (At least under ordinary circumstances). At the advanced levels, the moves can become quite entertaining and inspiring.

Total: 16 Coins P (10), N (1), D (4), Q (1) = $0.80

Day #422 - Heavenly Games

The Penny Angels were participating in all kinds of sporting events today - from basic parking lot finds, to sinkronized underwater retrievals and even deep trench diving. Several times I challenged them to deliver - and they did!

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The morning began with a Starbucks coffee meeting with our oldest son and his fiancée. (Yesterday was morning coffee with our youngest son). I don’t drink coffee, but I had ulterior motives. Brian can fix anything.

This past week the exterior handle on my truck broke and I was having to crawl through the passenger side to get in. Very awkward. After coffee, Brian took apart the door panel in the parking lot of Starbucks.

We needed replacement parts so we tossed the door panel behind the seat and headed for the nearest Toyota dealership. I said, “Penny Angels I wish I had some zip close bags for all these little loose parts.”

It is Sunday and the dealership was closed. So we headed to an auto parts place instead. Brian managed to use standard parts to make the door work. He is awesome. He does not like people in his way, so of course I went penny finding while he was working. There were no pennies to be found in the parking lot or in the store. His fiancée was asking about penny finding and I was determined to show her how this worked. I walked across the street to a parking lot and did a Singsong: “Penny Angels, Penny Angels, what do you say? How about a coin for Celeste today?” I spotted one little gold sphere, 4 new zip baggies (see previous paragraph) and then a penny all within a few moments! Talk about manifesting! (Coin #1)

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After all that work, Doc and I were hungry, so we stopped for a romantic Valentine’s brunch -- at Carl’s Jr. While Doc used the bathroom, I searched the drive through. Found a penny deeply embedded in a concrete crack. Lots of dirt; needed to pry it out. (Coin #2). Then as Doc placed our order, there was a penny by his left foot. (Coin #3).

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Next we went to school to work for a few hours. I graded some student exams and then sent Valentine’s emails to them. J Doc and I decided to take a quick drive up to the Kellogg Mansion on campus. Because the Mansion has Spanish style architecture, we took a few pictures for our meeting with the architect tomorrow. That home has been the site of a few special events in our lives: we took our engagement photographs at the Mansion 29?? years ago, it was the site of Doc’s surprise party when he earned his PhD, plus it has been the venue for many other activities. Therefore, we might be OK with that kind of feel for our new home.

Doc insisted upon driving through the upper parking lot at school to look for coins. He said it would be a good omen regarding the Spanish architecture if we found a coin there. He almost immediately found a Sit-N-Find penny! I was impatient to get home and finish some of the projects I was supposed to complete on Friday and Saturday. Doc kept driving around the parking lot! When he drove one row for the SECOND time, I was not happy. I told him to push on the gas pedal and leave NOW! And then I immediately shouted, “STOP! Penny!” I hopped out to collect the coin and then said, “Now go!” and followed quickly by, “STOP! Penny!”. I hopped out to gather a penny and then another one! “OK, Now it’s time to go home.” “Stop! Another one!”

Talk about conflicting instructions! What is a poor husband supposed to do? (Coins #4-8).

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We stopped at Circuit City for a little CD/cassette player. They only had one model and I was disappointed. But Doc found a penny in the aisle where we were shopping and I found a penny as we were leaving. (Coins #9&10).

The drive through lane at the Carl’s Jr. across the parking lot was vacant. Penny Fever! Gotta look. Penny found (Coin #11).

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At the next shopping center I found a nickel as the car in the parking stall next to ours was leaving. Yippee! Finally some silver! Doc asked, “But why not pick up the penny here as well?” (Coins #12&13)

I went left to Michael’s craft supply as Doc went right to the CVS where he collected two pennies (Coins #14&15). We met back at Trader Joe’s to do our shopping. As we paid for our items, there was a penny under Tim, the cashier. So I handed Tim a Penny Card, told him the story, thanked him for being part of Day #422 and then walked around the counter to collect the penny. (Coin #16).

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At the next shopping center Doc hopped out of the van to find his nickel. (Coin #17). It almost seemed like he was trying to beat my fast retrieval time from the previous shopping center. We were both laughing. The score was even at that point. We each had a nickel and 7 pennies. The race was getting intense … we were neck and neck …

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Doc spotted a coin as we entered the grocery store. A dime! As we were checking out, I saw a penny under the coin return chute. I tried to get it, but only managed to push it further under the tray. Tried again and a dime emerged instead! So now we each had a dime and the score was STILL tied! This really was becoming quite an exciting competition! (Coins #18&19)

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As we were driving out of the parking lot I said to Doc, “We need a quarter to hit for the cycle”. Followed by “Quarter, Quarter, Quarter, Quarter….” To the Penny Angels. At the corner of the first major intersection, Doc swung into the 7-11. I searched the parking lot very carefully, but found nothing. Doc was right behind me and said, “Silver!” True. But it was a nickel, not the requested Quarter. No coins at all inside the store tonight. (Coin #20).

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I was disappointed. So close. So Doc pulled into the self-serve car wash which was right next to the 7-11 store. I told Doc I would just be a moment and quickly walked through three of the four bays (the 4^th was occupied). I was firm with the Penny Angels. “Look. I don’t plan to leave here until I have today’s quarter. So please deliver it. Even if it is in one of the drain channels, I am determined to leave here with a quarter in hand!” A moment later I spotted a quarter in the far end of a drain channel. It was embedded in the mud. (Hit for the Cycle. Coin #21). I ran over to Doc and grabbed the chopsticks and the camera. He came over to take the photo and asked me why I didn’t pick up the 3 pennies and dime which were just laying there on the concrete? A much easier retrieval. He makes things look so easy sometimes! (Coins #22-25).

The newly found quarter and the chopsticks needed washing so I looked for a sink station at the car wash. Found one, but the sink had 4-5 inches of standing water and algae growing in it. Gross! I said, “Penny Angels, it would be just like you to have a penny in this muck and tease me.” Sure enough there was a penny! And then another one. Doc came over to see what I was doing. Neither one of us wanted to reach into that water, so we used the chopsticks. I scootched the coins up the side of the sink and then he grabbed them. Sinkronized Penny Finding! We collected three pennies and then the 4^th one kept slipping away, but it revealed a nickel under the muck! We were working together to conquer these Finds. It was Valentine’s Night and we were being silly both IN SYNC and IN SINK! We fished 5 pennies and a nickel from the depths of that muck. (Coins #26-31).

I was ready to go home when Doc’s phone rang. So, he sat down on the concrete step in order to chit-chat. I was growing impatient. Doc had already searched the vacuum pump area, but I decided to walk it anyhow. I began by saying: “Hello Penny Angels. It is now dark out here and Doc has already searched this area. Therefore I don’t really expect to find a coin. However, it would make for a really good story and validation of all this craziness to my readers if you chose to deliver a penny against these odds.” Instantly something in front of me gleamed in the light of the street lamp. Yes, it was a shiny copper penny! Those Penny Angels love a good story. (Coin #32).

Total: 32 Coins P (24), N (4), D (3), Q (1) = $0.99

The Olympic Games are limited to Vancouver. Heavenly Games can be played anywhere.

Day #421 - One Silver

This morning we needed to meet with our son and grandson. Doc and I were stopped at a red light at a major intersection (6-8 lanes in each direction). Doc was penny searching out his window. I said, “No, honey. Not here.” He replied, “There’s One!” And hopped out to retrieve that penny before I could stop him.

After our meeting, we drove up to the new Deer Creek property to look at other houses in that development. The Tudor style we had planned for the previous lot is not allowed in this community. We must use a specific red clay roof tile and have more of a Mediterranean style. We looked at every house in the area, but didn’t find any desirable designs. However, we did meet our new neighbor, her four dogs, and her parents who were visiting from Maine.

Next we stopped at Henry’s grocery. Doc spotted something silver in the parking lot. (Coin #2) Yesterday, if you recall, I asked the Penny Angels for foreign coins. Today they delivered a 25¢ Canadian coin! Then, inside the store we found a very shiny penny under the Italian bread cart. (Coin #3)

Total: 3 Coins -- 2 Pennies and a Canadian quarter.

…and the hunt continues…