Day #467 - Holiday & Up Your Belief

Today was supposed to be a “Holiday” (Caesar Chavez Day). I guess the Penny Angels didn’t stop working - they celebrated instead!

Doc and I began the day at odds. I had stayed up until 3:30 this morning in order to make edits on the house plans we received yesterday. I was excited and anxious to show those to him and get his comments so that we could make copies and be prepared for our upcoming meeting with the contractor. Doc wanted me to get dressed ASAP and get on the road. I packed a lunch, grabbed my stuff and grumpily headed out.

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Our primary task this morning was to get new brake pads on the van. We needed to allow enough time for the work to be done before our afternoon Play Time date. As we were checking in the car for service, Doc noted a penny on the counter. The service guy said, “It’s been there for a few days”. I, of course, gave him a Penny Card and told him about Penny Tales. Shared smiles. A nearby customer was listening while feeding her baby, so I also gave her a Penny Card. More Shared smiles. I accepted the penny, but said it was only a partial find since it was on the countertop. (Coin #1) I would need to yet get a “real find” today.

While Doc was working with the auto service guy, I walked across the street and searched the Starbucks inside the grocery store, the hardware store, the donut shop and a few other places. I finally found a penny at a little fast food place. Meanwhile Doc called to say he was looking for me and had just found a dime and his coffee at the Starbucks! (Coins #2&3).

I had time to walk around the car wash before Doc arrived. I found a penny in the detail area and then a gorgeous shiny penny at the threshold of the car wash office. A shiny penny in the threshold may be a good omen regarding the new house? (Coins #4&5).

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Doc arrived at the car wash just as I spotted a nickel in the drain grate. Rats! My chopsticks were in the van which was being serviced. But Doc needed to go back and get his parking pass. So we fetched both items and returned to the car wash to claim the nickel. I fished for it a few times with the chopsticks, caught it, and then lost it. Finally I got really impatient with the process and just pulled up the drain grate, moved it aside, and grabbed the penny! Duh! Why didn’t I just try that at first? Why did I drive all the way back, retrieve the chopsticks, spend so much time playing around, and get myself frustrated? The solution was so simple. I could have had direct custody of that nickel within seconds if my thinking had not been so limited. (Coin #6)

Lesson: Expand your Thinking

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We headed to school to get some work done. With the campus being closed for the holiday, there were no students or employees as distractions.

Doc agreed to review my house plan edits before we began our school work. I was exited about some of my ‘improvements’. With most of my changes he just came back with comments like “You are increasing costs. You can’t keep doing that, We can’t afford it, With you leaving your job we can’t do this… and on and on…” I was frustrated and in tears over his pessimism. I told him the Penny Angels would help us. He mumbled something about needing more than pennies for my farfetched scheme. He then left for a coffee. He returned with a dime and a nickel! That is more than pennies. See??? Up Your Belief! (Coins #7&8).

At that point I was saying, “Quarter, quarter , quarter. Penny Angels, do you hear me? We need at least 2 quarters today in order to get a Double Hit for the Cycle”. Plus, you need to Up Doc’s Belief a little right now. (and mine too).

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We picked up the kids for our bi-weekly Play Session and headed to the big mall

. We were planning to go to Jump N Jamin. We read books at the bookstore for the first hour. Doc noticed a Quarter at the register and Ashley claimed it! That was our requested Quarter and Hit for the Cycle. That helped to Up my Belief a little. (Coin #9)

Doc noticed that the movie “How to Tame Your Dragon” was playing. So the guys went to that, while Ashley and I went to Jump N Jamin’.

At 6 p.m. when Jump n Jamin closed, Ashley and I headed for the theatre to see when the movie would be finished. There was an expanse of maybe 50x70 feet of beautiful polished granite flooring - with a folded dollar bill just sitting there for us! That was upping my belief even more!

Ashley and I had an hour to spend together while waiting for the guys. We claimed two pennies in the food court area, then a dime and a very pretty ??? I thought at first it was a foreign coin. It was a new 2010 penny! Very different design. (Coins #10-13)

Doc and the boys found one penny when they emerged from the theatre. (Coin #14). We then enjoyed dinner in the food court - along with trying numerous free samples.

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After we returned the kids to their home, Doc and I stopped at Trader Joe’s. There was a penny at the threshold area as we entered the store. (Coin #15). We seem to have quite a number of threshold finds. Good sign. I immediately searched the check out area before we began shopping. There was some crumbled paper near the foot of a customer. It could almost be paper money. Surely if it was she would be reaching for it. It was nearly biting her toe! She continued her transactions and moved slightly aside. I walked past, scooped, and kept walking until I found Doc. Then I uncurled the paper to reveal a $5 bill! Hey Doc - Does that help Up Your Belief?

Total: 15 Coins P (9), N (2), D (3), Q (1) = $0.74

A Hit for the Cycle Plus a $1 and $5! Total value: $6.74