Day #660 - Currency Exchange

There was a “To Do” List of 40-50 items for this weekend. - most of which neither Doc nor I were thrilled to do. So when son, Brian called and mentioned he was planning to erect a retaining wall today, Doc ‘jumped at the chance’ to be a good Dad and help. (He was avoiding what he should have been doing). That left me at home to tackle the yucky jobs without him.

After a long day laying blocks, Doc called to say he was on his way home. He was going to stop at McDonalds for a soda. I told him to get a coin as well. When he arrived home around 6 PM, he presented the dime and penny he had found. (Coins #1&2). He also claimed he had two foregones while stopped at red lights. (At the same intersection, but in different directions). Sounds similar to a Fisherman’s Tale!

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Doc quickly showered and then we headed out for this week’s grocery shopping and my penny finding. Doc suggested a cruise through the high school parking lot.

When we arrived I said out loud, “Penny Angels, I have dealt with yucky jobs all day, I need a boost. Would you just make this a quick find?” As I finished the sentence, there was a dime next to the van! I hopped out and went around the back of the van to fetch it. When returning to my seat, I walked around the front of the van to find a penny! Then as I bent down to pick it up, there was another penny! Doc and I cruised and walked to lot for a few more minutes. There were three more pennies. (Coins 3-8) Sit-N-Finds.

Things were actually very sparse after that. Nothing at 7-11, Trader Joe’s or Sprouts. I thought today’s Penny Tale would end here.

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Then we went to Stater Bros. grocery. There was a dime as we walked through the door, then a dime by the coin counting machine. (Coins #9&10). At the end of one aisle Doc was greeted with an energetic “Hello Dr. Shelton”. It was Vince, a former student and MEP workshop leader. He mentioned that his son is now 19 and attending CPP in Mechanical Engineering! It seems like Vince just graduated. There is no way 20 years could have passed since his graduation! (Doc said , “Look in the mirror for verification”).

Vince had just returned from the Phillipines where he is doing commercial air conditioning units. He says there is definitely no recession there. Construction is booming!

Vince asked if we had ever built that house we planned. Well … we are currently working on it. As we exchanged contact information, I couldn’t resist giving him a Penny Card and telling him the story. He seemed to like it. He pulled out a coin - a Fillipino 10 Centavos.

I traded him for a Penny Card. He got the better financial deal (since his coin was worth maybe 2/10 of a penny), but I got a good story from it.

As Doc and I were checking out, we found a quarter and two dimes! (Coins #11-13)

I had not thought about taking a photo when Vince gave me the coin, so I met up with him while he was paying for his groceries and told him a few more Penny Tales. I told him how sometimes when I am telling people the story, a penny will manifest right then. He replied, “Now I’m going to look around here.” I told him Doc and I had just passed through there and had already retrieved the coins. Just then, I spotted the edge of a penny from about 10 ft. away. I told Vince about it, then proceeded to retrieve it for him! (Coin #14). Such fun. Shared Joy!

Total: 14Coins P (6), N (0), D (6), Q (1) = $0.91 + one penny gifted

+ 10 Phillipino centavos