Day #1,333 - Life Happens

It’s the first day of a new week and I was going to get a running start on several projects. I got up early, made a few calls, and did a few chores.

I was still in pajamas at 8:00 when Doc announced there was a truck in our driveway with someone approaching the door.  Yikes.  It turned out to be Handyman George and his wife Anna who needed some assistance with a project.  So I worked with them for a while.

I called Mom shortly after 9 a.m. to get her moving.  She made some calls and arranged to see an orthopedic doctor at 2 p.m.  I told her to   a) take a shower (since she would not get one for a while after getting a leg cast applied, b) eat breakfast, c) water her plants, and d) pack an overnight bag for 2-3 days because I would not be taking her back to her house tonight.  Of course she protested and argued for quite a while.  I told her she would be wearing the same underwear and clothes for the next few days unless she did some packing.

The new plans totally changed my day.  I had planned to leave my house at 9 a.m., but finally managed it at 11.  Doc has been pushing me to get window coverings, so I spent 45 minutes at a fabric and window covering store.  That was only enough to say hello and set a future appointment with a designer.

Pippy was running on fumes so I stopped to fill her belly and give her a quick rinse off.  Found one penny there.  Thank You Angels.

I picked Mom up 10 minutes later than I had planned.  She brought along items to be refrigerated!  Keep in mind that air temperatures were over 100 degrees today and my truck was likely to be parked for several hours.  Grrr…  So we detoured to the Pomona house to leave the food there.

Wrap it Up

Of course the whole drive Mom was saying she was not, absolutely not going to allow a cast to be put on her leg, take any type of medication, or allow any treatments which would prohibit her from applying her own lotions to the injured knee.

The time with the doctor was about 5 minutes.  The other 1.5 hours were filling out paperwork and waiting.  Good news.  The doctor ordered a removable brace!  Mom may take it off to shower, sleep, and stretch her leg.  Whew!

By 4 p.m. Mom and I were both hungry for lunch, so we stopped for a quick bite.  Then I picked up the new filing cabinets for the Family Room.  (I called earlier in the day to have the store pull the items for quick payment and loading when I arrived).  I am laughing as I am typing this.  I just realized that we have filing cabinets in all four “bedrooms” (the Master Bedroom, my office, Doc’s office, the Aussie Guest room), the hallway and now in the Family Room!  That is probably not typical in most households.

Mom, Brother Mikey, and kids

At 5:15 p.m. we met my brother Mikey along with his two kids at the Pomona house.  They helped transport our convertible sofa bed from the Pomona Aussie bedroom to the new Aussie bedroom.  We would need a place for Mom to sleep tonight.

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As many of you know (because you have been with me virtually every day these past 18 months), the drive from the old house to the new house normally takes about 25 minutes.  Tonight was the longest commute ever between those two points. 

At 6 p.m. Temperatures were still approximately 100 degrees.   We were stuck in stop-and-go rush hour traffic on the freeway.  Mom was not excited that she was being shanghaied and letting me know it.   My brother and his kids were in the truck behind us with the sofa … and then Mom began coughing and sputtering.  She had taken a vitamin before getting in the car and it had opened up in her esophagus.   She said it felt like acid in her throat.  She was desperately seeking water, napkins and other items to deal with the situation.  She kept sputtering, then wrenching, then repeatedly vomiting.  It was a very long 16 miles.

When we arrived at the house, the dogs ran out (I thought Doc had corralled them) to jump on Grandma (with her bad knee), Doc was confused as to why I was in panic mode, brother had no clue as to what was happening and asking me where the heck I wanted the sofa to go, and I just wanted to go pee!

The remainder of the night was a blur.  Mom took over Doc’s recliner and his TV in the family room, Doc retreated to his office, and the dogs were underfoot. I was scrambling to find bedsheets, reply to emails, make calls and merely FIND my “To Do” list for the day to see what still needed to be done.

Doc says I am inflexible and don’t like it when things don’t go according to my schedule.  Today was one of those kinds of days.  Life Happens.

Total:  1 Penny

Day #1,293 - Celebration

CELEBRATION!  Not for the Country’s Birthday, but because we reached a Major Milestone:  I got everything out of MY room at the Pomona house.  That in itself should raise our “move out” percent by five points.  Now maybe we are at 70% moved out.

This morning Doc went out for breakfast with his two sons and grandson.  After breakfast they went to Starbucks for coffee and a penny.  (Doc Coin #1).

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Meanwhile I worked on loan documents, dishes, research, cleaning, etc.

By Noon it was time to head to the Pomona house.  Doc insisted upon stopping for coffee - after all it had been 3 hours since his last one.  We collected a dime and two pennies there.  (Coins #1-3).  One of the pennies was right next to Doc's door upon his return to the van.

Our next stop was at the office supply store where Doc got what he needed for his computer and I found a nickel.  (Coin #4)

At the Pomona house I set a goal to get one pile of stuff conquered within the first hour.  I made that goal.  Then I set a goal to clean out the dregs in my office.  That took every bit of fortitude I could muster.  I wanted to do anything else but face that Stuff!  I just kept saying over and over out loud: “As soon as this room is empty I can go home…”  After three hours the floor was clear and the piles were by the house door and ready for transport.

It was 5:45 so Doc and I stopped for a counter meal before heading home.  Also stopped at a grocery store to look for a gift.  Did not find anything appropriate except two pennies.  (Coins #5-6)

Shelf Assembly

Doc and I were both tired and Doc really just wanted to watch the July 4^th shows on his new TV.  He agreed to at least help me assemble one corner shelving unit so I could make a little progress in putting things away in my office.  Doc planned to just leave all the stuff in the van until the morning.

Mailbox Decoratin

I needed a break, so I created a new display on the mailbox shelf out at the street.  A picnic basket with tablecloth, glasses, plates, etc.

A while later Doc carried in an armful of stuff in from the van, then another load, then another.  Wow!  Neither one of us wanted to begin tomorrow with a van load of Stuff to deal with.  So while the TV was playing patriotic music, we marched back and forth from the van.  By the end of the three hour National Celebration, we had all the Stuff inside the house (and sprawled in my office as well as below and around Doc’s new TV).

Total:    7  Coins        P (5), N (1), D (1), Q (0) = $0.20

Day #1,267 - Grounded

This morning I had begun packing to go to the cabin.  Doc and I planned to focus on getting 767 final exam pages graded.  I had also planned to put the first coat of clear sealer on the staircase handrail before leaving.  Those plans changed in a mere moment.

For the past two weeks I have been trying to talk to our new neighbor Louis.  Going next door to his house after 8 p.m. in the evenings seemed a bit bold, and going in the morning as his family was trying to get off to work and school seemed a bit rude, so I just kept putting it off.  Finally last night before going to bed I asked the Angels if they could make it happen today before Doc and I left for the cabin. 

Around 8:15 a.m. I noticed movement in the driveway next door.  OK Angels, is now the time?  I quickly walked over and began chatting with Louis' wife, Kim.  Then Louis came out as he was leaving for work.  Perfect Timing!  After talking, I needed to get something for him from the Penny Palace.  Since I was delaying Louis from going to work, I began to run home.  Mistake.  After a few steps I heard a very loud pop from my right calf and felt excruciating pain.  Ouch!  Louis mentioned that he, too had recently turned 50 and experienced the same injury when trying to sprint against a youngster.  He advised me to put it on ice immediately and noted that it took him 3-4 weeks of healing.  Yikes!  No way!  I have things to do.

Doc and I realized that packing up and going to the cabin was no longer an option.  Instead Doc went out to the garage and got out some crutches for me to use.  Just getting to the bathroom was now long-distance travel!

Doc put in a call to son Stephen who is a medical doctor, lives 17 houses away, and is on vacation this week.  He lovingly made a house call and advised to ice the injury and stay off it!

Doc allowed me to use his recliner to keep my leg elevated.  After a short sit, he came in saying, "No free Parking!  Start grading papers!"  I did that for a while, balanced one checking account, sorted through 2 piles of Owner's Manuals which had been tossed in a heap, and even took a nap!  I tried reading, but after 15 minutes was anxious to get off my butt!  It was great that the waterfall got fixed yesterday so that at least I could enjoy that and the birds and dragonflys.

Crutch Walking to Dinner

This evening at 5 p.m. Doc and I headed out.  How could I find coins if I stayed in the house all day?  We cruised through one high school parking lot and found a Penny.  (Coin #1).  We made a quick stop at the lighting shop for some special lightbulbs.  Our electrician Stan was there!  It was great to sneak up and surprise hug him.  Also fun to give him a debrief on the electrical portion of the house now that we are moved in.

Doc was not satisfied with only one penny for today, so he drove through a second high school parking lot. For a long time we found nothing.  Doc said, "I think coins will be closer to the tennis court area of the lot versus the classroom and gymnasium area".  That did not seem entirely logical, but that is what he felt.  He immediately spotted a quarter.  Then I spotted a dime.  I carefully got out of the van to collect it and there was a penny within inches of the dime.  So of course, I said out loud:  "Nickel, Nickel, Nickel ...", and within a few parking stalls I found that nickel!  Hit for the Cycle in 4 out of 4 coins!  What is the mathematical probability of that?

Now we are at the Pomona house.  Doc is grading papers while I am checking emails and writing Penny Tales.  Don't think I will do much packing tonight.

Total:    5 Coins        P (2), N (1), D (1), Q (1) = $0.42

Day #1,248 - He's Back

This morning my body did not want to uncurl and move.  However, I promised to meet a friend on campus and give her some of my time and assistance.  I showered, packed Pippy with ‘poop’ for the PP, took a quick unexpected call from another friend, replied to emails, dropped checks off at the bank, mailed all the bills I paid last night and arrived only 10 minutes late for our appointment.

Duck Family

One of the first things I spotted on campus was a duck family.  The wildlife at school always makes me smile.  That was good energy which I needed to drag myself up the long flights of stairs up to Lita’s office.  Lita has been working on her goal (BS degree) for twelve years!  Taking 1 or 2 classes each term.  Talk about dedication, that makes three years of Penny Palace construction pale in comparison.  I reviewed her Senior Project and made a few suggestions.  After 3 hours, there was red ink all over 6 pages - with 14 pages left untouched. But I had to leave.

Lita had saved 10 photocopy paper boxes for me and we loaded those into Pippy.  As I was about to get on the freeway, I noticed the passenger window was down and door unlocked.  I was going to just pull over to the curb, but was ‘nudged’ to stop at the gas station instead.  Of course while I was stopped I walked the gas pumping area.  Nudging, “Go inside”.  I went inside and did not see any coins.  Tina: “Angels you are wasting my time today.  Stop it”.  I looked around the store a second time.  Still no coins.  “OK Angels I am leaving”.  As I walked out of the store I glanced back to see a penny through the window, but under a magazine rack. I was just going to return quietly into the store and get the penny.  Nudging, “Go to the truck and get a Penny Card first”.  Tina, “I’m in a hurry and don’t wanna!”  Nudging: “Do It Anyway!”

I obtained a Penny Card from the truck and returned into the store.  Got down on both knees, nose almost to the floor and reached for the penny.  Came up with fingers full of dust.  Went outside again to get better visual coordinates.  Back down on the floor.  There were no customers when I started this adventure.  The cashier by now was wondering why I was stretching under the rack of men’s magazines?  I triumphantly retrieved the penny (Coin #1) and gave him the Penny Card in exchange saying, “I needed a penny today for my Penny Tale”.  I turned to walk away when he said, “WAIT!”

I stood aside as a customer walked up to the cash register, then another, then another.   The store had been empty when I reached for the penny the first time.  Suddenly there were at least 10 other persons in the store and trying to pay for their items.  The young Cashier, Romeo, kept gesturing for me to wait.  I was growing impatient and wanting to leave, but that would be rude.  Tina’s question: “Dear Angels - WHY am I standing here on pause like this when I have things to do?”

Finally another cashier took over and Romeo came over to speak with me.  He said, “PLEASE tell me more.  I felt something when you handed me that Penny Card”.  So I spoke with him for 10-15 minutes about various topics.  He shook my hand several times and said, “Thank you so much for this time of sharing”.  OK Angels, I guess maybe THAT was what I was supposed to be doing.

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Lunch Munch

I arrived at the Penny Palace to find Doc and Jim having lunch.  Doc had found a nickel when stopping for their Hawaiian fast food lunch.  (Coin #2)  Evidently on the way down the mountain from the men’s retreat they were discussing job safety and how even tasks like painting could be dangerous.  Little did they know …  That’s about when Doc noticed my bruises.   “Well Honey … a few things happened while you were out of town…”

Doc took Jim to the airport and then returned to the Penny Palace.  We packed up, then locked all the doors (see yesterday’s Penny Tale). 

We were driving separate vehicles.  Doc motioned to me to stop at 7-11 for a beverage.  He picked up a quarter and two pennies as soon as he hopped out of the van.  (Coins #3-5)  His comment, “We make a good team. It’s good to be back together.  Now YOU just need to get a dime to complete the Hit for the Cycle for today.”  I walked into the store and immediately spotted one coin under a display. I quickly snatched it and kept walking.  Opened my hand to discover the requested dime!  (Coin #6)

Doc and I then spent several hours obtaining new cell phones. That task is even more undesirable than bra or shoe shopping.  It makes dentist visits seem fun in comparison.  We got the simplest phones we could find - which is about 10 times more complex than I want.

Total:    6  Coins        P (3), N (1), D (1), Q (1) = $0.43    Hit for the Cycle

Day #1,194 - Inspectors

It is nearly 9 p.m. and Doc is not home from work yet. When he gets here, he’ll want dinner and a debrief, so if I type this update for you, he can just read it!

Up at 5 a.m. to get an early start for the day. At the lumber yard by 7:30 when they opened in order to get the wood for the mailbox post and the post cap - no luck on that piece.

At the jobsite there were 5 guys working on the landscaping and backyard waterfall issues. It was exciting to see the 5 fruit trees being planted. The special gift jacaranda tree was put in place today. That one has sentimental value in various ways.

We had requested two City inspections today. The first one was for the building final. The second was for approval of formwork for the driveway approach. We can not pour concrete there until we have the OK. Inspector Mike came out for the Building Inspection. He said we must complete the concrete and landscaping before he can do anything.

Inspection #2 was scheduled as a morning inspection. No one had yet arrived by 11:30, so I called. I was told someone would call me back shortly. By 3:00 I was getting concerned. The concrete crew and a truckload of concrete were scheduled for tomorrow at 7 a.m. If the forms were not ‘blessed’, then I needed to cancel the pour. After 10-12 calls, I was finally connected to Inspector Robert who was off work at 4 p.m. and agreed to stop by the jobsite on his way home. Thank You angels. Of course the forms were approved and we are set to pour.

Considerable time was spent trying to figure out a plan of action along the South wall. How to keep the slope away from the house, away from the neighbor’s wall, at the proper height for envelope requirements, draining to the street, easy to navigate, etc. All within the 5 ft. width.

I managed a few tasks today inside the house: some painting on the bathroom mural, filling and activating the Aussie corner waterfall and stream, cleaning, and more cleaning!

Contractor Hank (at Rental #2) called to say he had completed all of the Action Items required by the Housing Authority Inspector. So I called Inspector Steve and set an appointment for a re-check tomorrow.

At 4:15 I locked up the house and headed for the cabinet shop. Phantom Plumber left a note to get one of the kitchen drawers cut down because it interferes with the cooktop gas regulator.

Then I went to the Fixture Shop to return one of the water filters. Phantom Plumber actually ran a plastic water line under the floor and across the room to save us the expense and hassle of having a second filtering unit. There was a dime on the floor when I entered the store - good omen. (Coin #1).

As I was driving home I was talking to the Angels.

Tina: “Yes, I know I should get a penny for Penny Tales, but I’m too tired. I don’t feel like it. I am just 2 miles from home and I don’t want to detour”.

Nudging: find a penny.

Tina, “Bug Off”.

Nudging: pull into that car wash.

Tina, “I don’t want to”

Nudging: Do it Anyway

I pulled into the car wash and parked Pippy. I walked around the vacuum pumps. The place was super clean. This was the cleanest car wash I had ever seen. No trash, debris or even leaves. Everything looked newly hosed down.

Tina, “So Penny Angels, why did I bother stopping?”

Just then I spotted the penny …. And a nickel within inches of it! … and then a dime a few inches away!

“OK Angels, you win, but why no quarter? That would have been REALLY good”.

I drove toward home and was at the final intersection. There was a quarter just outside my window, but the signal was green and there were many cars around me. Foregone coin.

Total: 5 Coins P (1), N (1), D (2), + one foregone Q = $0.26 in hand

Day #1,159 - Role Reversal

On nights like tonight I can barely move. I certainly don’t FEEL like composing - a chore which I dread under even the best of circumstances. So I ask myself “WHY the H___ write these Tales?” This week several persons shared the challenges they are having in their lives. They say Penny Tales help lift their spirits. So for you my friends, I will share the escapades of the Penny Angels and the Penny Palace. May they bring you JOY.

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Yesterday tile Bob said he would begin a little later today (7 a.m.) so that I would have time to get my sleepy butt out to the jobsite. I gave him 30 minutes to set up before I arrived at 7:30. He had already placed a good number of tile, but was mixed up on some dimensions, so it was good I didn’t arrive any later.

The painters arrived around 8:30 and began acid washing the detached-garage floor.

At 9:30 the contractor from across the street came over and said they would be digging the pool today and would set aside some boulders as I had requested.

At noon the Slagle brothers arrived to work on the elf door, cabinets, and other finish work.

Spoke with our new neighbor to the South. That was a whirlwind conversation. At 1:30 Landscape Rod arrived with one of his students; yard and house tour time. He and Doc also ran the waterfall and confirmed it is loosing a great deal of water. Must be a broken pipe somewhere in the supply line. Not good.

At 2:30 Grader Rick arrived to take his backhoe to another job. Had him quickly fetch two huge boulders from across the street.

By 3 p.m. everyone had left except Doc and I. It was time to get serious about moving the STUFF out of the attached garage. I planned to clean for an hour until 4 p.m. and then take care of other errands.

For 3.5 hours Doc and I moved cases of tile, bags of mortar, sheet goods, crates, trash, cardboard, paint, etc. etc. By 5 p.m. I was exhausted (see video), but Doc kept pushing. This Role Reversal stuff was not much fun! By 5:30 p.m. I was almost in tears saying I could not take any more lifting.

At 6 p.m. a car pulled up. It was a gentleman who said he would like to buy a house in that neighborhood, would we like to sell ours? I told him the Penny Palace was not for sale. It was not merely concrete and lumber. There were miracles attached and there is no way to accurately price miracles.

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Doc and I finally left the Penny Palace at 6:40. We headed for a home improvement store to find a garage storage unit for Rental #1. We want to get the unit on-site by tomorrow morning.

At 7:30 p.m. we were both famished so went to a local steak house for dinner. That was actually a nice few quiet minutes together.

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I realized I had not found any coins today. So I walked next door to the grocery store and asked the Penny Angels to do their thing. I looked in each of the check out aisles and did not see any coins. Finally, at the last aisle there was one shiny penny. Done!

By 8:30 we were home feeding the dogs, making calls for tomorrow’s work session and responding to emails.

Doc found a dime and two pennies when he stopped for coffee this morning.

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

Day #1,153 - Delays

It rained most of the day and the yards are now saturated. That means we will not be running the irrigation lines Friday and Saturday. It also means we can’t coat the garage floors yet. More delays.

This morning I met Handyman George and Jose at the Penny Palace promptly at 8 a.m. The rain had ceased for a little while, so for the first 1.5 hours of the day we cleaned and rearranged some things down in the dungeon. Then we hauled boxes of flooring and leftover tile down there. Tonight my brain is happy by that progress, but my body is telling me it did not appreciate that work.

Most of the day it was raining pretty heavily and it was cold. George continued with drywall patching while I painted tile edging behind toilets locations. Then we chiseled away some edge tile where it had been placed accidentally. Unfortunately the tile took chucks of wallboard out too, so more repair work was needed.

At 11 a.m. a cabinet guy arrived to take measurements. These cabinets differ from the kitchen cabinets. (Commercial style vs. residential).

The painters were working today. They completed the walls on the detached garage and more touch-ups inside the house.

This morning Doc went out to breakfast, to Home Depot, to Lowe’s, then went for coffee. He obtained one planter penny. Doc arrived at the Penny Palace early afternoon to take lunch orders and then go procure the food.

George, Jose and I placed the remaining pieces of tile on Doc’s coffee bar. Those now need grouting.

At 4 p.m. Doc and I shut down the Penny Palace and headed for the paint store. One hour there to learn about and order the epoxy resin system for the garage floor coating. Just need 5 days of consecutive good weather in order to apply that. It is now mid-winter, so what are the chances of that?

The next 1.5 hours were spent at Lowe’s in purchasing 3 countertops and other supplies. After that I was ready to head home, but had no coin for the day! I went over to the nearby closed car wash and said, “OK Penny Angels, the car wash has been closed today, plus everyone knows you can’t find pennies in the dark, so Do It Anyway.” There was one penny near a planter area.

Total: 2 Pennies

Day #1, 053 - Messy Stuff

Some nights (like tonight) I don’t even want to talk about the Penny Palace. After being “in the field” all day, and then coming home to deal with related emails, I want a break!

Today there were four crews working. Clear skies, so the roofers worked the whole day. The masonry crew, as usual, put in a full 7-3:30 day. The tile crew grouted the picket fence tub and put the scratch coat on the Master Tub. The painters were hoping to spray both coats on all the doors and moldings today. The weather was a bit cold, so they will do the second coat tomorrow. The painter and I had different ‘expectations’ as to what is ‘standard’ procedure and color schemes. I wanted three colors: walls, molding, doors. He wanted to finish the job in two days. Those were not compatible goals.

I spent the day answering questions, grinding rocks, testing different mortar dye additives, and dry fitting a stone mini-mountain. (Messy Stuff)

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There was an older, partially deaf, black lab which wandered onto the construction site and stayed for a few hours. Tried taking her around the neighborhood to get her home. Tied her on a rope in the front yard, gave her water and a snack, called the number on her collar and left a message with our address. Finally at the end of the day, her people came for her.

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At 4 p.m. I shut down the jobsite and headed for home to fetch one of our dogs and get him to the dog groomers. Yesterday Dundee caught his dew claw on Norman’s collar. A serious fight ensued and the ripped out dew claw left blood drops on the floor. Messy Stuff. Thus, today it was a high priority to get Dundee’s other nails trimmed. (I had neglected him for too long). The pet groomers closed at 4 p.m. Rats! I went to another pet shop. They did not offer nail trimming, but referred me to another pet shop. I went to the third place, and after several delays, was told that nails could not be trimmed without proof of a valid rabies certificate. The groomer, Christina, said due to all the hassle, there would be no charge if I would come back tonight. By then it was 5:30 p.m. I was so tired, I did not want to drive all the way home and then return. But the thought of Dundee’s bloody paw made me agree.

I told Christina I would be back in an hour. She suggested 7 p.m. when she returned from her break. I was at the shop door precisely at 7 p.m. Christina was with another customer. She was so patient and kind with them. I, on the other hand, was grumpy and wanting her to keep our scheduled appointment. Dundee was becoming increasingly agitated by the scary noises, slippery floors, and animals of all sorts which were throughout the store.

Dundee and I wandered around the register area while waiting. We found a penny! Thank goodness. I hadn’t even thought about Penny Finding yet today.

Finally we began the process of trimming Dundee’s nails. He was cooperative - for the first paw. After that, he had to be muzzled. Messy Stuff. At the end of the process he and I both just wanted to be out of there.

I got Dundee settled in the car and was ready to drive away when that danged ‘nudging’ hit. “Go back inside and tell Christina about Penny Finders and give her some $ for the day 1,000 Celebration”. I argued back, “NO! I want to go home! I am tired, hungry and totally covered in concrete dust. (Messy Stuff) Back Off Angels! I am not to be messed with today.”

I went back into the store to see Christina. She was patiently waiting on an elderly lady who needed lots of assistance to choose one collar. I was growing increasingly agitated. “Angels, PLEASE back off!” Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Christina asked if I needed something else. “Yes, as a matter of fact…” In a few moments I told her about Penny Finding, Day #1000 and that she deserved recognition for her caring assistance which I had observed. She was in tears. “THANK YOU so much. You don’t know how much that means; how much I needed to hear that”. A few hugs and smiles were exchanged and JOY was shared.

ATTITUDE ADJUSMENT! My heart was singing on the way home. Thank you Angels for insisting on that ARK.

Total: 1 Penny

Day #512 - Conference Day

I am not a morning person so I set 3 alarm clocks to make sure I wouldn’t oversleep today. Arrived at campus at 5:30 AM Here goes …

A few bunnies and birds greeted me as I arrived at school. Animals are always a nice start to the day. Some students were gathering last minute gear outside my office and soon we were headed with a load of gear across campus. We set up and by 6:50 were greeting guests.

The conference was going extremely well. We were using a new location, so that meant new things to learn and new adjustments. Approximately 250 students checked in. These are the ‘cream of the crop’ ones, so it is exciting. Both morning speakers were great and people thanked me for arranging those.

After I got off the stage I was thinking how much fun that was! Then I realized, “WOW! A few years ago I was one of those students. At that point in life I would have felt ill for a week if I had to do a 5 minute talk in front of even 10 people! There was nothing I feared more.” Times have changed and so have I. I was having a blast on stage and sparring with one of the other speakers.

After all the guest were tucked into the various workshops and I was returning to the Check In area, I said, “Good Morning Penny Angels. Today my total focus is on the guests and speakers at this conference. If YOU want a Penny Tale today, then you will need to provide a very obvious penny, because I am not looking”. When I got to the Check In area, there was the shiniest penny you can imagine, right on the dark blue carpet in front of the card swipe table!

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The afternoon activities went really well. There was learning, networking, and so much more. Wish I could share some of the absolutely hilarious antics - I think the Penny Angels must have been involved there as well.

After the conference the team had a debriefing session, then hauled all the carts of gear back to my building. Around 7:30 p.m. I finally tried to leave. I could barely move. Must have run 10 miles today. My body had seized up. I contemplated laying down on the floor of my office and just staying there until work begins on Monday. But the dogs needed feeding.

I began the lonnnnnng trek to my truck. It felt like a marathon. The thought of penny finding crossed my mind. The little voice said, “You have only ONE penny today! That is embarrassingly meager!” I told the voice to shut up and go away. I was focusing on taking the next step forward and just making it to my truck. Then I said OUT LOUD, “Penny Angels, if you want more than one coin found today, then you will need to make it really obvious and really accessible because I’m hurting and not even going to turn my head to look! Got it?” Within 60 seconds there was a very new, very shiny 2010 shield penny right in my path in a spot that made no sense for it being there.

I guess the Angels wanted to give their 2¢ worth today.

Day #465 - Good Neighbors

Yesterday we “squirreled” away coins for the coming week. Good thing.

Doc went to school at 7:15 a.m. this morning. That was too early for me! I arrived mid morning. It was the first day of classes for the new term, so neither one of us put any focus on coin finding. We finally left work around 9:30 p.m. to come home feed the dogs, have dinner, and prepare for tomorrow’s classes.

I said we did not “focus” on finding coins, that doesn’t mean we didn’t find any …

As I was leaving my house this morning, I noticed the empty trash cans out on the street. So I moved our trash cans into the back yard then was “nudged” to take in the neighbor’s bin for them. I argued back to the Penny Angels, “I’m running late for work, they can certainly take in their own trash cans. It’s not a big deal”. But again I was “nudged” to Do It Anyway. Acts of Random Kindness (ARK). So I did. There was a penny on the pavement next to where I needed to park their trashcan! Reward.

Lesson: Be a Good Neighbor - it doesn’t take that much extra effort.

Doc stopped at Starbucks on his way to campus. He did not spot any coins in the drive through and was disappointed. Then he saw one in the street as he was leaving. He parked the van at the McDonald’s next door and walked back to get - a quarter! This evening he looked at the quarter in his hand (which was very battered and run over) and said, “Yeah, that coin sure depicts how I feel tonight”.

Lesson: Today you may get run over, but perhaps tomorrow you will be lovingly scooped up, wiped off, and tenderly tucked away. Or you may be put right back into ciculation to do something good. Are you prepared for either circumstance?

Total for today: 2 Coins P (1), Q (1) = $0.26

P.S. I took in ONE trashcan for the neighbor and one for us. When I arrived home this evening, my neighbor had taken in my additional TWO cans. (My initial ARK was doubled)!

Day #439 - Fishing

Doc is such a brat! He called me at 8:15 this evening. I was in my office grading exams. He said, “There is a movie of one of your favorite books (Little Women) on TV right now. You should come home and watch it”. Yeah sure! Today was crazy busy and I haven’t even begun to think seriously about the event for several hundred people on Saturday morning!

Today I gave midterms in my classes, but I did squeeze in 15 minutes to talk about attitude and I gave them the Paradoxical Commandments. It’s a challenge to me to “package” these life lessons within the engineering curriculum. Newton’s law and other principles are looked at a little differently in this class! J

I suddenly realized I had not found today’s penny! I scrambled to shut down by 9 pm and go penny hunting. I stopped to say “Good night” to the kids in the study room. I was hugging one of them when I spied a penny next to him. J Then there was another penny over by the sofa. I laughed and shouted “God’s 2¢ Worth for today”. Joy Shared.

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Yes, technically that was today’s coins, but I’m not sure those are “strong” finds. I headed out to the parking lot. The lighting is fairly good along the pathway, so I have never been nervous about it. Tonight there was a gang of 5 guys walking in front of me. I realized I could keep my pace and stay moderately behind them. Slow down and keep a “safe” distance from them, or speed up and walk with them! That was a weird thought!

I increased my pace and started a conversation with the 5 guys. They all had huge backpacks and fishing tackle boxes (electrical parts inside). I had seen the guys in one of the electrical engineering labs as I was leaving tonight, so I knew they were engineering students. I jokingly asked them if they were going night fishing. I told them I was fishing too - for pennies. We had a great conversation on the long walk to the cars. Such fun! Joy shared.

Thought: How blessed I felt to be able to share that time with them. There are parts of the world (or the US) where a lone female would not be able to just tag along with five young male strangers and have a really fun experience. Counting my blessings.

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I was still seeking a “real” find today. So I stopped at a gas station on the route home. I walked through all of the gas pump bays and found nothing. Thankfully there was a penny inside the convenience store by the register. Thank You Angels. Then another penny outside as I returned to my truck. 2¢ worth there too.

I arrived home with dreams of dinner waiting on the dining table…

The dogs were watching TV on the sofa downstairs and Doc was watching TV on the sofa upstairs. There was a found dime on the dining table - not even a love note tonight!

I guess that means less to write about!

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

Day #389 - On Strike

Today my body went on strike and said, “I am not going to race”. I woke around 3:30 AM with an incredible headache. That is two this month! It would be rare to have two in a year, let alone in one month. This is not good. Didn’t know if it was from a kinked neck, food poisoning or mid-life hormones going berserk! I spent those early hours today in simultaneous purgings from both ends. Not fun. Finally after a few hours, I was able to go back to sleep.

Doc woke me when he got up and asked about work today. Sure, in just a moment …

It was 12:15 PM when he called me from work to see what I was doing? Sleeping deeply. Guess I missed my 9:30 and my Noon meetings. L

I did a few things around the house until Doc came home at 2:30. He had collected a penny at Starbucks. (Coin #1). I headed back to bed for a few hours. I eventually woke up to do a bit of class prep for tomorrow.

Finally at 7 PM I changed out of pajamas and took a 1-hour break from being sick. I’d had enough of that today!

We headed out for today’s Penny Finding. Our first stop was Sprouts groceries for some fruit. One dime when I entered the store. Another dime in a check-out aisle. (Coins #2&3). Katie was our cashier this evening and said, “I’m a student at CPP and recognize you from the Penny Finding article last week”. J Smile.

Yesterday I challenged each of you to do one little Act of Random Kindness. I had not managed to do that yet today, so we offered to let the customer behind us in the check out line move ahead of us. Not very creative, but I was not real energetic today.

At the next grocery store I did not see any coins in the check out lanes as we entered the store. Doc found a penny in the aisle as we were getting napkins. (Coin #4) Then I found a dime as we were checking out. (Coin #5)

I wanted to go home. Doc insisted upon stopping at 7-11. He said that way I could say hello to Tony the cashier if he were working. In reality, Doc wanted a coffee. I found a penny in the dirt of the planter outside. Then there was a penny on the floor mat as we walked in. There were two pennies under the counter. A penny behind Doc where he was getting his coffee. I told Doc there was a possible coin deeper under the check out counter and tilted up on one of the wires. He said the store was getting busier and not to worry about that coin. While Doc paid for his coffee, I couldn’t resist “bowing down to him” and reaching for that wayward dime under the counter! (Coins #6-11)

After that it was home to work on class prep for a few hours.

Plus, we have a meeting first thing tomorrow morning with the architect to review our house floorplan so I need to get prepared for that as well. Good night!

Today’s Total: 11 coins P (7), N (0), D (4), Q (0) = $0.47

Day #257 - Lost and Found

Today was a normal run errands, go-to-work day. We had things to do at the bank, post office, etc. before work. Doc’s requisite Starbucks stop yielded a dime and a quarter. (Coins #1&2) I was content with that haul and headed to work while Doc went into retirement mode again.

Mid afternoon Doc appeared at my office! That was a surprise. He had, of course, stopped at McDonalds for a coffee en route. He gleaned 2 pennies there; one on the curb and the other on a wall brick underneath the pick up window. (Coins #3&4). He “hung out” at my office while waiting for the Realtor’s daily update around 4:10 PM. She finally called at 5:30. No news from Escrow today.

We got home, had dinner, then Doc declared he needed 5,000 more steps for today! He was off to walk someplace air conditioned and to complete the “hit for the cycle”. Penny Fever. Role Reversals here. This is a CHANGED man!

His first stop was at OSH hardware. He “mopped up” a hairy nickel in the cleaning products aisle. (Coin #5) More steps, but no coins at Office Depot. Upon entering the grocery store he found a very shiny penny in a closed check out lane. (Coin #6).

This was the first penny we have even seen of Design #3 in the 2009 Penny series. They were released August 13^th. It’s only been two weeks and this one has already been lost and found!

Doc spotted a penny in the 15 items or less aisle. He hung around there as the lane was being shut down, then swooped in for his prey. There was a third penny collected when he paid for his items. He used a credit card to pay, so it was a little awkward reaching for the penny under the coin return chute, but he did it anyhow. J (Coins 7&8)

Total for the day: 8 coins Q (1), D (1), N(1), P (5) = $0.45

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Doc likes playing with the data. The Penny Finding Data from August was impressive.

440 Coins Total P (308), N (25), D (68), Q (31) + tokens = Value: $19.67

Daily averages using those numbers:

` P (9.9), N (0.8), D (2.2), Q (1.0)