New HFC Record

My nieces are here for a two-night sleepover.  We have about 34 waking hours to conquer everything on our “to do” lists.  When Ashley (age 14) was asked what SHE would like to do, her reply was, ”Whatever”.  Jamie (age 11) was determined to do two things FOR SURE – go to Rockin’ Jump trampoline park and go Penny Finding! 

Uncle Doc and I picked up the girls yesterday precisely at 10 a.m.  One of the first stops was a sentimental visit to Chuck E Cheese’s where we used to take them when they were young.  Next a stop at Sprouts where each girl was given $10 to buy some snacks for the rest of the trip, then they “checked in” at the Penny Palace.  Uncle Doc took a nap, then it was off to 2+ hours at the trampoline park.  Don’t know how they could do some of those maneuvers – and to do it for hours! 

Of course the girls were starving after all that exercise, so dinner was next, followed by the movie Anne of Green Gables.

A pretty nice haul yesterday:  9P, 3N, 4D, 5Q and 16 Chuck E Cheese tokens (worth 25¢ each).

That made three Hits for the Cycle on Day #1.

Hit for the Cycle = Penny, Nickel, Dime, Quarter

 

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This is Day #2 of our adventure.  Jamie asked what my record was for Hits for a Cycle in ONE day.  I told her “four”.  She said she was going to beat that today!

We went coin searching in the morning.  Found coins at the grocery store, car wash, 7-11, etc.  A total of 15 P, 4 N, 6 D, and 7 Q!   WOW!  That made FOUR Hits for the cycle.

This afternoon we did the Big City Scavenger Hunt in Riverside.  That was a neat experience.  We were looking for clues and for coins.   

Jamie noted how we had enough pennies, dimes and quarters, but really needed some nickels.  I replied “Take a look at the sidewalks and gutters where people are hopping on and off buses.  Sure enough within 60 seconds we had a nickel in hand!  Manifesting at its finest!

This afternoon we collected 8 P, 1 N, and 2D. 

That set a new record of FIVE Hits for the Cycle in One Day. (Just two more nickels would have made it seven HFC).

EIGHT Hits for the Cycle in two days!  Pretty Exciting!

Lessons:     Always Strive to be Better

                       Set High Goals

                       Persistence Pays!

2017 Summary

WOW!  One week of 2018 has already been completed and we are off to a running start in this new year.  Of course, the Penny Angels have produced coins every day so far.

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The Penny Finding data from 2017 has now been summarized.  Last year the Penny Angels provided  2675 coins, 5 paper bills and numerous international coins. 

It was painful in June when the continuous streak of 791 Days ended.  Doc and I, plus our extended families, were confined on an ocean vessel which advertised a “cashless shipboard experience”.  They weren’t kidding!  I searched and searched to no avail.

Upon returning from our travels, the coin finding has resumed and we are now on Day #177 of this new Continuous Streak.

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The 56 coins found on Christmas Day were special.  The finding of those coins was more precious to me than any jewels or other material gifts I could have received.

Doc and I went to Tehachapi to visit my brother and family.  One of our favorite things is to take the four nieces and nephews for Vanilla Steamers at Starbucks, then Penny Finding!  So after breakfast and gift opening, we drove the 12 miles into town for 2.5 hours of fun and laughter.

Since it was Christmas Day, many businesses were closed.  We asked the Penny Angels to guide us in our search.  The first stop was Frosty King.  There were +/- 38 coins at the drive up window!  The Angels definitely answered our request – except that the coins were embedded in the asphalt!  We could not collect them.

Lesson Learned:  Be more specific with the goals / requests.

We subsequently asked to find coins which we could actually take away with us.

We next went to Starbucks for Doc’s requisite coffee and the kids’ vanilla steamers.  Five coins found at that stop.  We hit the Kmart lot, Circle K, the High School, the Middle School, gas stations, the Flying J truck stop, Love’s truck stop and more.  At one point we had pennies, nickels and dimes, but needed a quarter to obtain our “Hit for the Cycle”.  We were all asking the Angels for a quarter.  At the next stop I hopped out of the van and immediately found that quarter.  Then Uncle Doc also found one.

Such a fun two hours.  We laughed and played.  Niece Jamie (10 years old) was a penny hog and would shove me out of the way as I went reaching for MY finds.  (She claims she merely ran faster than I did).

We had 15 minutes remaining before we needed to head back to the house for Christmas Dinner.  Niece Jamie wanted to search at the Sonic Burger.  We found a few coins there.  Jamie noticed the closed Taco Bell next door and insisted that she and I look there.  JACK POT!  There were 15 pennies, 3 nickels, 5 dimes, and a quarter!  That completed 3 Hits for the Cycle during those few hours.  That was our “Grand Finale” experience for 2017.

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For you Data Nerds

In 2017: 

      1938 Pennies, 159 Nickels, 448 Dimes, 126 Quarters, 66 Foreigns and Others, 92 Norman Pennies and 34 Hits for the Cycle.

Since Penny Tales began in December of 2008:

      26,433 U.S. Coins, Numerous Foreign coins and tokens for $1,156.53

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It has been nine years of Penny Finding and Penny Tales. 

It’s NOT really the money which matters – it’s the messages.  Each coin has a story linked to it and each penny somehow makes a difference.

Coffee, Crap and Coins

Doc has been sick for the past five days and has refrained from Starbucks coffee during that time.  The man was experiencing serious withdrawals.  This morning he asked Norman, Dundee and I to go with him for a coffee run.  Of course the dogs were all for that idea! They love to go for walks and crap where the grass is greener …  I, of course, planned to keep eyes open for coins.

While Doc went to get his coffee, I walked the dogs and dealt with their crap.  Of course, that is not so fun, but that was more pleasant than the pain in my heart.  This morning I received a very hurtful email from someone of whom I thought very highly.  It has been a really great 11-year relationship and she has chosen to end that.  She is attempting to do something which I perceive as immoral and quite controversial.  I can not agree with what she is doing and questioned her about it.  She plans to continue on her course which will knowingly hurt many people.  Crappy.  My heart was very heavy during my walk as my thoughts were on her.

The dogs and I walked around one fast food place.  I saw only one penny and was disappointed.  I turned to look back at where I had been.  There was a penny!  And a dime! And another Dime!   Thought:  “Wow!  Looking back can sure change how we see things”.

The dogs and I next walked through the gas station.  I spotted one penny and was content with that.  As we walked away, I looked back. There was another two pennies and a nickel!  Thought: “Hindsight gives us a different view of things”

Doc’s interpretation of this morning, “You can’t see very far if you are just looking at the crap.  Look beyond it”.

Lesson:  “What we are seeing today, may look very different when we look back on it.”

Coin Count:   8 Coins                      5 (P), 1 (N), 2 (D), = $.30