Day #1,300 - Kidz Prep

Food Prep for Kidz Week

Working with various subcontractor teams on the Penny Palace was scary, but the team arriving tomorrow is intimidating!  Four kids coming for a “Kidz Week”.

We always have a great time with the nieces and nephews.  The terrifying part is what to feed them?  How to make it tasty as well as nutritious and keep their tummies from rumbling.

This morning Doc met to “consult” (have coffee) with a colleague at the “Bad Ass” Coffee Company.  When he stepped out of his van upon arrival, he saw a dot in a parking spot - it was a penny.  (Doc #1)

At noon I headed out to run a few errands.  The first stop was a gas station.  It had been seven weeks since I fuelled Pippy and she was hungry!  Found a quarter next to the gas pump as I was washing the windows.  (Coin #1).  Next I went to the post office.  I chose to visit the small, local office versus the main  branch and was concerned that it would be busy at lunch time.  I walked in and was the only customer there!  Great service.

I asked the postal worker if I needed to use “Rancho Cucamonga” as the mailing address or if “Alta Loma” was acceptable?  (It is so much shorter and easier to spell).  She said Alta Loma is the correct City name to use!  Made my day.

Then I went for a preliminary grocery run.  Bought twice as many groceries as Doc and I usually do.

This evening at 8 p.m. I headed out to do the real grocery shopping.  Sure glad I don’t have four kids to feed every week.  That takes a lot of time to load a full cart!  I did find a dime and quarter there.  (Coins #2 & 3)

Doc found one dirt penny near the drain at the car wash, then a penny at Starbucks with his afternoon coffee.  (Doc #2 & 3)

Doc spent some time at the Pomona house packing up gear which he then transported and dumped here at the Penny Palace.

Total:    6  Coins        P (3), N (0), D (1), Q (2) = $0.63  

Day #1,297 - Sleeping with the Dog

Sleep w/Dundee

Last night Doc said I was required to shower before sleeping next to him.  By the time I went to bed, I was too tired to shower.  Dundee didn’t mind if I was smelly.  I found six doggy beds, put them all side by side and slept across them.  The other two dogs were in their beds in the Master Bedroom, so Dundee got private snuggle time which he seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

Today was filled with an assortment of minor activities.  I washed 5 loads of laundry, stained the green shelf supports for my office, logged in weeks of coin finds, prepared for tomorrow’s initial meeting with the realtor and more.

Doc assembled a new interior dog barrier, folded some laundry, and tested the dishwasher with the first empty load.

Son Stephen dropped in for an hour this afternoon.  Doc and he picked fresh peaches which were hanging over our fence from the neighbor’s tree.

75% Moved In

At 5 p.m. we headed for the Pomona house.  The first thing we did was a room-by-room walk through to outline what needs to be done before putting the house on the market.

At 7 p.m. we began our weekly grocery shopping.  I was too tired to care about food, but needed at least to find today’s coin(s).  Found one dime and two pennies.  (Coins #1-3)

Dishwasher Loading

When we got home, Doc loaded the dishwasher to test the first actual load.

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

Day #1,275 - Prepping

Assembling Shelves

The primary focus this morning was to prepare the rear garage for the arrival of the 38 Chevy.  So we assembled shelving and tried to shuffle some of the stuff so it was out of the way.

Supervisor Sparky

We made a call to the nieces and nephews for their birthdays.  Since they moved away we sure miss those bi-monthly play times we had with them for so many years.  We are looking forward to a few days with them in July.

Charging the Chevy

Around 2 p.m. Doc was getting hungry and we needed to get an additional shelf for the storage rack, so it was time to head out.  We were approaching Lowe’s when Doc noticed a local airport on the North side of the Lowe’s center.  He detoured into the airport grounds to investigate and search for a diner.  Sure enough!  There was Maniac Mike’s Airport diner.  Lunch was a fun and unique experience.

At Lowe’s we returned an item, got supplies and Doc collected one dime  (Coin #1).  Doc pulled into a 7-11 for a cold beverage (icee) and so I could get MY coin for today.  Got a penny and a quarter  (Coins #2&3).

Doc's Discoveries

We spent a few hours at the Pomona house organizing things and going through old papers - school records, insurance papers, property papers, bank statements, etc.

Checking EMails

On the way home we stopped at an auto supply place to get a drip pan for under the Chevy.  Then a stop at the new, huge thrift store which just opened.  Needed to find their hours for accepting donations.

Top Dog

We were almost home and realized we had forgotten to buy the additional shelf at Lowe’s this morning.  That was the purpose of going .  We made Trip #2 to Lowe’s and obtained the shelf, one dime at check-out and then a penny by my door of the van.  (Coins #4&5).

Total:    5 Coins        P (2), N (0), D (2), Q (1) = $0.47

Day #1,246 - Hanging

Today Doc went off to a Men’s Retreat and I went off to the Penny Palace.  I had visions of getting the spindles on the staircase painted, cleaning floors, getting the pantry cleaned out, etc.  Then tomorrow I planned to do lots of packing and maybe Sunday I could take an hour and get a facial or something relaxing.  Tonight I got a facial and partial bath - with Mineral Spirits!  Don’t think dermatologists would recommend that product for healthy skin.

On the way to the Penny Palace I stopped at Home Depot.  Two pennies there.  Good to get that item of business out of the way.  At 1 p.m. I met with HVAC Jim at the Penny Palace.  He just replaced the furnace at the cabin.  (The existing one quit and was estimated at being at least 25-35 years old).  I expected a 5-minute interface, but Jim had heard about the Penny Palace and wanted a tour.  If the Angels have given it to me as a “tool”, then I must share it.

After Jim left I did a few other jobs (actually procrastinating ‘cause I did not want to paint those stair spindles).  By 2:30 I had to get started because I wanted to leave at 4 p.m. to take the damaged kitchen drawer to the cabinet shop.

I was using my 6 ft. light-weight ladder because Doc’s 8 ft. ladder is too heavy for me to move easily.  I had the container of paint in my left hand and paint brush in the right hand.  A combination of a rickety ladder and stretching just a little too far resulted in the ladder going over!  I grabbed two spindles and hung on for dear life.  If you ever watched “I Love Lucy” shows on TV, this would have looked like one of those episodes.  I was not laughing at that moment.

I was dangling from the spindles and wondering what to do.  I could not just drop my hold because the toppled ladder was directly beneath me and my legs or ankles could be twisted with the aluminum frame.  I couldn’t keep hanging on.  (My upper body strength has never been that great).  I did not want to release the container of paint or drop the paint brush because the oil-based paint does not wash off!  Did not want that on the walls, stairs or floor.  So I pleaded (out loud) with the Angels to please come help.

In what now seems like the blink of the eye, I tried to toss the paint container and brush onto some cardboard to minimize the clean up.  Then I released my panic grip to slip a few inches further down the spindles. That allowed me to dangle over the ladder and drag it with my feet to at least get it out of the way.  Then I asked the Angels to please make it a soft landing as I let go …

I lay on the floor trembling for a while.  Then the phone rang.  It was the Bank Appraiser.  She wanted to come by in a few minutes to take final photos.

Off-Balance Ladder

I needed to clean up the paint mess before it dried.  Mineral Spirits smells terrible.  I cleaned up the mess on the treads and a bit off me, but I needed to get the drips and splatter on those spindles.  That meant back on the ladder ….My legs were still shaky as I got out the taller ladder and stood higher than I had been before the fall.  Not good.  As I was standing there, Doc called. He needed to report the penny he found at McDonalds.  By this time I had put my phone in my pocket in case the Appraiser called again.  Doc said, “You are sounding funny”.  I said, “Oh, I’m just up here on your ladder doing a little painting of the spindles.”  He replied, “Well you be extra careful working out there on your own.”  Yes Sir!  You bet!

Appraiser Brenda arrived 30 minutes sooner than expected.  She had not seen the project since the time it was paper plans and a bare lot.  She was surprised and pleased with the finished product.  She said she felt very welcome and comfortable. The Penny Palace is definitely not sterile (think flies in the toilet).    I forgot to get a photo of Brenda.  Rats!

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On the way home from the Penny Palace, my cell phone went goodbye - like to phone heaven. It has been acting up for a year and it finally died.  Then as I was attempting to get cash, the ATM machine would not read my card. 

So in summary, Doc has left me high (on a ladder) and dry (no phone or cash) as he went off for the weekend!  LOL

Total:   3 Pennies

Day #1,197 - No Lawn

“Unique” -- a word I keep hearing about the Penny Palace and it’s various components. Several people have noted (with dismay) that we have No Lawn in the front yard. True - who needs grass when you have Rocks! There are 373 homes in the development and I have seen only one other property without a front lawn. Why be like all the other ones? Unique is more interesting!

This morning I finally obtained the second wagon wheel bench. It took four guys to lift it onto Pippy, and three other guys to carry it into position. It looks great along the walkway leading to the front door.

Doc spent the whole day working on the grading of the South side of the house. Daryl brought his hedge trimmer and cut back the jasmine out of Doc’s way. We also retrieved all the leftover fireplace stone veneer pieces (which were headed for the dump) and transported them to use as slope stabilization.

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The landscaper liked how the wagon wheel looked in the front yard and asked if I could get another one. I made a call to ensure the business would still be open, then drove out there. Wheel #3 obtained.

I stopped to buy a greeting card. There was a dime on the floor at check out. (Coin #1). Thanks Angels, but remember this is PENNY Tales. Within a minute I found a penny - but it was Canadian. “Angels does that one count?” (Coin #2) Within a few more seconds I had a U.S. penny also. (Coin #3)

I went to the nursery for a few additional plants. As I parked the truck, a nearby family noted the wagon wheel and wanted to know how they could obtain one too.

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Back at the Penny Palace Doc had taken a lunch break to collect food, a penny, a dime, and a quarter. (Coins #4-6). He had also obtained a penny when getting fuel for the van (petrol) and for himself (coffee). (Coin #7)

Late afternoon Amir (a CPP colleague), his wife, and dog came to visit at the Penny Palace. Doc played tour guide for an hour.

I returned to the Penny Palace around 6:00 p.m. to offload the wheel and help Doc. After a while our neighbors to the South walked over to say hello and meet Doc. So we put down our tools and had a lovely two hours walking around the yards with them, then touring inside the Penny Palace. Their two dogs Cece and Valentine were also included.

The Penny Palace guests today were comprised of six humans and three canines. I think all of them enjoyed their visit.

Total: 7 Coins P (3), N (0), D (2), Q (1) + 1 Canadian Penny = $0.48 + Foreign

Day #1,185 - Prep Work

Today we went to school to do some prep work for the upcoming term. Of course on the drive over there Doc had to stop for a coffee. I collected a penny. (Coin #1)

After a few hours at school, it was time for lunch. My mom said she had taken leftover cabbage and potatoes from a function yesterday and made them into soup. So we stopped at her house and picked up the pot with yummy smelling contents. We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day a little late.

This afternoon Iron Jimmy FAXed his design for the North Fencing along the driveway at the Penny Palace. I made a few revisions and sent them back to him. He will begin assembly of the gate and fencing this week.

I also worked on the driveway scoring designs in anticipation of the concrete pour planned for Tuesday.

I made a call to Australia and ordered a new Souvenir Map for the Aussie bathroom. That way the current map can stay with this bathroom. John, the bloke helping me, invited Doc and I for a cup of coffee and a visit to his shoppe. Anxious to take him up on that offer after the Penny Palace is completed.

This evening Doc and I conducted our standard 3-store grocery shopping tour. Found a dime at the first store, a dime at the second store, one dime and four pennies at the third store. (Coins #2-7).

Total: 7 Coins P (4), N (0), D (3), Q (0) = $0.34

Day #1,180 - Off Site

Doc thinks that if I am not at the Penny Palace, then I am not making progress on it. I disagree.

Today we were not expecting anyone to be working at the Penny Palace, so I chose to take care of off-site tasks. I spent the morning working on rental documents and other things at home. Then in the afternoon I headed out. In three hours I went to ten places including the bank, Home Depot, the mailbox center, the glass shop, a janitorial store, etc. I made deposits; purchased paint, caulking, storage containers, supplies; selected the glass for the kitchen shelves; turned in batteries for recycling, and much more.

While running errands I collected 7 coins.

Meanwhile Doc went out to a department end-of-the-term luncheon with Colleagues and then took an afternoon nap. He looked at my 7 coins and was dismayed that I did not bother to get a nickel today.

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To prepare for the move to the Penny Palace, I have been trying to clean and sort one or two things each day. This evening I sorted the sanding supplies and numerous rolls of tapes (duct, electrical, strapping, plumbing, double sided, strapping, planting, masking, painting, etc.) in the garage. Inside the house I organized the gift wrap paper, ribbons, bows, and bags. Baby steps …

Total: 7 Coins P (5), N (0), D (1), Q (1) = $0.40

Day #1,175 - Flowing

Doc and I aren’t too keen on these days where we need to be at the jobsite at 7 a.m. But we were both in good spirits in anticipation of a great day together.

At 7 a.m. we stopped at a Subway Sandwich for Coffee and breakfast. While Doc placed the order, I walked the parking lot. Tried to pick up a penny embedded in the asphalt. No luck. Found another penny, then a dime. Walked past the first penny and a car drove up and parked with it’s tire right on the penny! Then a few minutes later, the car left and I grabbed a screwdriver from the van in order to pry out the coin. Things were flowing nicely already. (Coins #1-3)

When we arrived on site, three concrete guys were working at full speed on the front walkway. I quickly set down my gear and spent the first hour making the final adjustments to the formwork. We “nudged” some rocks so that visually they flowed better.

In the second hour, all the blocks were laid for the retaining wall! It looks great and flows into a large boulder at the end of it.

In the next hour, the concrete truck arrived and as you can imagine, 5 cubic yards of the brown stuff was flowing!

Then my brother called and we spoke for 1-2 minutes before we each had to get back to work. He is also building a house and called to share the Celebration. He has electricity flowing to his garage!

Then I got a call from someone who said they wanted to repay me for a loan. I had totally forgotten about that. Seems like money has been flowing out rapidly. Nice to have some flow in as well.

Around noon, Hank, the contractor for the rental properties called. Yesterday he could not get the tub in Rental #1 draining well. Today he got out his Big Snake and cleared out the vent pipe. He said things were flowing now.

Doc brought lunch for the three workers and we set up a table for a picnic in the garage. That was nice. The burritos were tasty and the salsa was flowing.

After lunch Jaime placed the capstones on the retaining wall. We actually removed a few concrete blocks so that the caps flow better into the boulder.

Miguel and Serafin worked the finish on the front walkway. To me, the pathway flows like a river from the door to the driveway. It feels so inviting as it flows past the boulders and the soon-to-be bench.

At 2 p.m. we met with Rick, a City Public Works Inspector. It was a pre-construction meeting for the driveway. He wants to ensure that everything flows smoothly on that aspect of the project.

This afternoon Doc did quite a bit of cleaning while I applied the last few pieces of the bathroom decal.

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We locked the Penny Palace at 4 p.m. and headed for Home Depot. Two pennies there. (Coins #4&5)

We had a 5 p.m. meeting at Rental House #2 with the realtor and potential tenant. Things flowed very well. I asked the Penny Angels for a sign regarding the renter. Within minutes of arriving, I found a dirt penny in a planter bed. (Coin #6) COINcidence? Here are a few more….

When I walked into the house, there was a feather in the family room. I thought, “Better pick up that feather or else the potential renter may think this place is not clean”. I got distracted and forgot about it. We conducted the house tour and found out more about one another. Then the lady said, “I prayed for a sign if this was the right place. I often get feathers as a sign to proceed. When I saw the feather in the family room, I knew it was a good sign!” Good vibrations flowing. There were several other “COINcidences”.

After the realtor and potential renter left, Doc suggested calling Handyman George to see if he would come over and give a quote on fixing up the back yard. I told Doc “what are the chances George could just drop whatever he is doing and come right over?” I called. George was in the area and was at the house within 10 minutes! COINcidence?

Meanwhile in those 10 minutes, the neighbor Shawn came over to introduce himself. I apologized for all the roofing debris in their back yard. He said, “That’s OK. We plan to totally clean up the yard, install sprinklers, and put in grass. (Right now it looks as bad as ours does). I said, “Really? I have a guy coming in 5 minutes to give us a quote, do you want one as well?” “Yes!” Talk about timing! Things were just flowing perfectly today. George assessed the work and will get our yard looking good as soon as the roofers and contractor are finished with their mess making.

We stopped at another Home Depot since the first one did not have the rolls of floor protections we were seeking. This time we got the materials as well as a penny. (Coin #7)

The van needed fuel, so we stopped at a gas station. When I went inside to get the receipt, there was the tiniest sliver of coin peeking out of a crack in the wall! One dime retrieved with my handy multi-tool key. (Coin #8)

There was so much more, but much of my high energy has flowed away. Must prepare now for tomorrow.

Total: 8 Coins P (6), N (0), D (2), Q (0) = $0.26

Day #1,157 - On the Money

This morning on the way to the Penny Palace Doc stopped for coffee. I took Sparky out for a walk. I did a SingSong to the Penny Angels. Sparky and I walked past the closed drive up window at the nearby fast food place. No coins. I looked and looked. Sparky decided to leave a pile right there in the planter by the window. I was not prepared with anything to clean it up. Poop! Then I found the bag of Penny Cards in my pocket. I emptied out the cards and then used the plastic bag to scoop the pile. Barely showing in the redwood bark mulch, was a penny right net to Sparky’s pile. He was almost “On the Money”. (Coin #1)

As Sparky and I walked back to the van, I was laughing. Found a quarter in the parking lot near the bank. (Coin #2).

Doc and I spent a few hours at the Penny Palace. Mostly working on the tile stream. We left at 3 p.m. and Doc needed a snack. Fish and chips and one penny at the Jack’s drive up window. (Coin #3)

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This evening we had dinner plans with friends who retired from Cal Poly Pomona 11 years ago. They now live in Wisconsin. 4 degrees (F) when they left home. Yikes! On the way to meeting with them I said, “Penny Angels, how about providing a penny while we are with the Rathmanns to let them witness this craziness!” We were shown to a booth, but the gentlemen did not like that spot, so we requested another table. We were asked to go stand in the lobby near the podium. We did. And there was a penny on the floor! I guess the Angels were marking “our spot!” (Coin #4)

Time flew as we enjoyed a delightful meal and conversation. As we stood and walked away from the table, there was a penny in our path. The Angels put in their 2¢ worth for that dinner. (Coin #5) Fun stuff.

Total: 5 Coins P (4), N (0), D (0), Q (1) = $0.29

Day #1,154 - Red Cent

Absolutely picture-perfect weather, yet no one was working on site at the Penny Palace.

Spent the morning making phone calls and contacts regarding Penny Palace, rentals, and other projects. At 11:30 headed out for the bank and coffee. At the Penny Palace around noon to drop off countertops.

By 1 p.m. Doc was demanding lunch. As we were making a left turn into the shopping center Doc said, “There is a red coin outside my window”. Sure Honey! He jumped out to retrieve it and prove his case. (Coin #1). The penny had been painted over when the curb was painted red.

Red Cent according to Wiktionary: (US, colloquial) A very small amount of money. Usually used in the negative.

After lunch I walked over to the grocery store to find MY coin. Found one penny. (Coin #2).

We stopped at the water store to refill bottles for the workers. Three coins at that stop. (Coins #3-5).

The next stop was Rental #1. Doc cleaned the garage and lumber from the patio. I wrote several pages of notes listing things to do before renting it out.

At 4:30 Doc dropped me at home and headed for school. He finally came home around 10 p.m. That gave me a good five hours to deal with numerous incoming calls as well as to tackle some of the paper piles which have been collecting around the house for weeks.

Total: 5 Pennies

Day #1,152 - Valentine's

This morning Doc and I awoke in anticipation of finally obtaining the teak bench from Thailand which I had discovered nearly two years ago in a warehouse. We had placed it on hold since we had no place large enough to keep it at our current house.

I checked emails first thing this morning and was amazed to find a chocolate bar and not one, but TWO Valentine’s cards from Doc on my keyboard! (Doc does not usually splurge to BUY cards).

Doc and Sparky went for coffee while I made calls and completed a few tasks. They found a shiny penny. (Doc #1)

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Doc and I had a great time getting the bench. While I was waiting in the side yard for the guys in the warehouse to roll up the door and load our bench, I said to the Penny Angels, "Wouldn't it make for a good story if I found today's penny HERE?" I looked around in the alley. Nothing. We loaded and tied down the bench. I was putting away my camera and there in the alley was today's penny! (Coin #1). That was a very good sign.

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Doc drove Pippy and the bench to the Penny Palace while I made some stops (4 hours) for supplies. I needed some lamp parts at Michaels where I also found a penny waxed into the floor. Used the screwdriver from my purse to pry the coin out. (Coin #2).

At the Penny Palace HVAC Steve installed the thermostats and connected the vents from the microwave and the cooktop. The painters finished the Belly Bands on the outside as well as many of the interior wall touch ups. Doc did some major cleaning in the detached garage in preparation for the painters.

The Penny Pendant was glowing in celebration of the One Year Anniversary.

This afternoon Doc met with the garage door installer at Rental #1. We called him yesterday and by today the job was finished!

Lots of email and minor projects to work on this evening. The Penny Palace demands much attention.

Hope Valentine’s Day was Sweet for You.

with Joy,

Tina

Total: 3 Pennies

Day #1,148 - Curb Cutting

One year ago the bank FINALLY gave us the OK to begin building the Penny Palace. That was a major milestone. (The City had approved our plans the prior November).

You have heard of Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies? Today we had a Curb Cutting Celebration. Neighbors Minnie and Bonita came over to investigate and Share the JOY.

This morning I arrived to find the concrete crew digging dirt so the street curb could be cut away. Now we can drive from the street onto the property without the use of that horrible-looking, broken-up lumber ramp.

Tile Bob and Tony worked on the kitchen countertops. They placed the no-drip tile edging and the ¼ round pieces at the sink.

Jesse replaced the damaged wall stone caps along the driveway and placed the new caps on the patio wall. That creates a nice place to sit and appreciate the waterfalls.

This afternoon at 3:45 we met with the Landscapers to lay out the plans for the next two weeks. The goal is to have the front yard completed by the end of the month.

At 5:30 Doc and I were leaving to go home for an hour and feed the dogs. Phantom Plumber appeared! We reviewed a few things with him.

Since I didn’t have any coins yet, we stopped at the 7-11 store before getting on the freeway. I collected a dime and one penny outside the store, then a dime, 3 pennies and a quarter inside the store. Also gave two cashiers each a Penny Card and shared the story.

Meanwhile Doc collected 9 coins in the parking area! (2 d, 6 p, 1 q). He had already found a dime and a penny earlier in the day when he stopped at a grocery store for coffee.

At 7:30 p.m. we returned to the Penny Palace to meet with Countertop Francisco. He thought he was coming over for a few minutes just to cut two faucet holes. Surprise! I asked him to trim three pieces, caulk a spot on a sink, and then cut and polish five of the recycled glass planks for Tile Bob to glue down. Since he still had two other appointments tonight, he measured things and took the pieces with him. He said he would return by noon tomorrow! Overnight service on countertops? Talk about Angel assistance!

Total: 18 Coins P (11), N (0), D (5), Q (2) = $1.11

Day #1,141 - Boulders

We were in Tehachapi for a few reasons:

a) To have a Play Time with the nieces and nephews (it had been 6 months)

b) To give brother and his wife two

nights away together (it had been over 3 years)

c) To celebrate my mom’s birthday and give her a chance to be with the kids again

d) To see my brother's house which he is building (and compare progress stories)

e) To visit “my Boulders”

After partaking of the hotel complimentary breakfast in the dining room, Doc and I headed for a grocery store to get flowers for my mom’s birthday. I collected a penny, Doc collected a dime. As we exited the store, HVAC Steve called in and as I was standing, talking to him, a penny appeared nearby. (Coins #1-3)

We may not have been at the Penny Palace, but that doesn’t mean we forgot about it. Next we went to Home Depot. I researched countertops while Doc investigated clothes washers and dryers. I think he selected the ones he wants. We found a dime there. (Coin #4)

At 3:30 we picked up the kids and headed for their construction site. Brandon gave us a tour of the house and barn. Then I visited my Boulders. I just wanted to visit with my rocks again. As you’ll recall, a dozen of the HUGE stones were trucked from the Penny Palace to brother’s house on Dec 2 because he didn’t have even a single boulder on the 20 acres. This also creates a sentimental link between the two houses. (See photo with the kids). Those rocks which looked so big at the Penny Palace looked like pebbles on his land.

For Girls Night, the two young ladies wanted All-You-Can-Eat Chinese food. After that we went to the hotel room and played games. At 8:30 Ashley wanted to go for a walk, so we ventured out. We collected a dime and two pennies at the Burger King drive-up window. (Coins #5-7). Then we cruised around inside Kmart for a birthday card and fun things.

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At the Penny Palace there was major concrete work going on. The painters were working on exterior trim. Plus the hole was cut through the street curb to drain water from the backyard. It just needs some piping to connect it to the rest of the drainage system.

Total: 7 Coins P (4), N (0), D (3), Q (0) = $0.34

Day #1,130 - Night Moves

This morning we met with the contractor at Rental Property #2. When we were initially considering purchase of the property, we did a preliminary estimate of repairs that were needed. Today we fleshed out and increased that list of fix ups.

Before meeting with the contractor, Doc stopped for a coffee and a dime. (Coin #1) After meeting with the contractor, we stopped for another coffee and three pennies. (Coins #2-4). Then we went next door to the Walgreens Pharmacy for diaper pins. They did not have any! Don’t people use diaper pins anymore? We did find a penny there. (Coin #5)

Since I could not find appropriate hardware at Home Depot, I thought diaper pins might work for the needed light fix. Since I did not find those pins, I went to a fabric store and obtained some large safety pins. We shall see how those work.

We went to the Penny Palace at Noon. I had planned to work there today, but it was very cold and raining. I went home instead. Doc had planned to spend the afternoon at Cal Poly Pomona. However, too much coffee and fast food seemed to disagree with him. He claimed that his recliner and the TV were the needed medications.

This evening around 7:30 Doc decided it was time to make his move. He would FINALLY go outside and cut the pieces for the shell block molds as promised. Of course he wanted me to be out there working with him. Although I was glad to finally get his help, being outside in the dark and cold (46 F) did not excite me. Why couldn’t he cut the pieces in the afternoon when we had sunlight?

Total: 5 Coins P (4), N (0), D (1), Q (0) = $0.14

Day #1,116 - Monopoly

Today felt like a game of real-life Monopoly.

This morning when I awoke and tried to brush my teeth, there was no running water. I was reminded that Doc shut off all the water to the house because we discovered a leaking sprinkler line yesterday. I think it is time we move on to our new house. We have been fixing this one now for 30 years.

This morning on the way to the Penny Palace we stopped for Subway breakfast sandwiches and coffee. While Doc got the food, I wandered the parking lot - retrieving two pennies and a dime. (Coins #1-3).

This morning at the Penny Palace we worked with the electrician in placement of more lighting fixtures: laundry room, dungeon, fireplace accents, etc. The landscapers continued placing stones and doing their stuff. Flooring guys were laying the floor in the Master Bedroom.

The City inspector toured the house and gave it his blessing. We may now request the Edison electric meter to be installed. At noon we went to City Hall to file the necessary paperwork (and pay the fees).

At 12:30 we met with Handyman George at the rental house. As we exited the freeway, Doc claimed a median penny. (Coin #4) George will lay sprinkler lines, topsoil and grass seed by the end of this week. Work is continuing inside the house to make it rent ready.

Handyman George agreed to come over to our current house and assess our sprinkler problem. In one hour Doc and George dug up the valves, solved the problem and had the dirt back in place! That was wonderful. Instead of Doc and I spending half a day wrestling together in a mud hole, Doc was George’s assistant while I was inside working on emails and other incomings. Much better for the marriage.

Bank of America FINALLY completed their side of the paperwork for rental property #2. (It has been a month). The contract originally said we are to close escrow on the 13^th. That gives us merely 4 days to conduct all our research and our “due diligence”. Dealing with the big banks is so frustrating! The rooms in this second house were each painted different and bold colors. The realtor said, “It look like someone used leftover paints here.” Thus I have nicknamed it “Paint Bucket”.

Total: 4 Coins P (3), N (0), D (1), Q (0) = $0.13

Day #1,112 - Motivation

When you have a ‘yucky’ task to complete, what do you use as motivation? I hate painting, so I have been procrastinating on the painting of the bathroom wall. Today I made a vow that I would not use the Porta Potty until that wall had been painted. Every time one of the subs asked me to do something, or I was tempted to detour to other action items, I remembered that things would get very uncomfortable if I did not get that wall painted! So by noon that wall was finished. Plus, while I was painting, the Waste Cleaning truck arrived and performed its weekly service, so the facilities were freshly cleaned. An added bonus.

Yesterday I spoke with the flooring installer to see when he might be able to start on the cork and laminate floors. His crew began this morning! I met him at the jobsite at 8 a.m.

The landscaping crew continued their efforts.

Doc took care of many errands this morning. He made stops at the bank, medical clinic, plumbing shop, lighting shop, storage unit, Home Depot and more. Plus he checked in at the rental house. The concrete team began working today. They demolished the existing driveway and patio, cleared the back yard, tore down the fence, and constructed the formwork for the new concrete pour. Wow!

Around noon, our student Chenski was taking his father for some medical appointments, and stopped by the Penny Palace. That was fun.

By 4:30 this afternoon I had my fill of the Penny Palace. I could take no more. So from 5-9 p.m. I went shopping for the cooktop. We need that as we move forward with the tile countertops.

Doc remained at the Penny Palace when I left. Son Stephen arrived with Grandson, Ethan. They helped Doc install the handrail which came with the spiral staircase kit. It goes from the center pole across the landing. Next will be the install of the remaining spindles.

There was an outdoor sports shop next to one of the Appliance stores I visited, so I wandered over there to look for new boots. (One of my current boots cracked even more today). Shopping for shoes is a horrible chore. After trying several pairs, I was ready to give up. I tried on one last pair. And they were comfy! When I looked at the price, it was an exact multiple of $25 - another good sign. I bought the shoes and walked out of the store. It was dark outside, but there was a shiny penny in my path! (Coin #1) Back to that old joke that “you can’t find pennies in the dark!” I had forgotten about Penny Finding today. Thanks Angels.

The next stop was Home Depot. No cooktops of interest there, but one penny. (Coin #2)

No desirable cooktops at the next store either. So at 9 p.m. I went home to eat lunch.

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This morning Doc collected four pennies while running his errands. One at the bank, one at McDonalds and then two at 7-11. He said one of them was in the planter when he arrived at the store. After buying his coffee and starting the car, he spotted a penny on the sidewalk. So he stopped the engine and went back for the penny. (Doc Coins #1-4)

Total: 6 Pennies