Day #1,102 - Pole Climbing

A spiral staircase always seemed like a neat thing to have. It’s been on my wish list for 20 years. Today it went from dream to reality.

This morning I was planning to stop at Home Depot for some lag screws and other supplies. Instead I was ‘nudged’ to go to Lowe’s. I thought the fast food diner next door was closed, so I walked over to the drive up window. Found one penny under the window, one drowned one in a puddle and one in a crack. I thought, “that will do for today”. So I turned and headed back. The sun gleaned on something in the dirt planter. A shiny penny! I picked it up and spotted another, and another, and there was another, and another… I kept ‘mining’ for pennies until a car drove up and ended the magic. I returned to my truck, grabbed a little bag, and counted the coins. There were 24 coins in my hand. I said, “WOW Angels! A coin mine! Too bad it wasn’t 25 coins since that is my favorite number. Hey, I bet you can get me one more special coin to make the 25. After that car pulls away, I’ll go back over there if you will provide one more coin”. I walked around to the driver’s side of my truck in order to lock my door. There in front of me was a penny! The 25^th one as requested. Plus it was a Wheat Penny dated 1946! I had asked for a special coin.

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I spent 45 minutes in Lowe’s trying to get everything on the shopping list. And one penny as I was leaving the store. (Coin #26)

Meanwhile Doc went to McDonalds for breakfast and four pennies. (Coins #27-30)

At the Penny Palace the landscaping team was mixing and pouring concrete all day. They formed the base level for the stone pathway and steps.

The plumbers spent the day installing the hot water tank, a pressure regulator for the house, and all the shut off valves under the sinks.

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The spiral staircase came with an installation manual plus an instructional DVD. Doc and I carefully reviewed both - several times. The manual sketches show a man and a woman methodically (and seemingly easily) assembling the staircase. The video shows two guys doing it in a matter of hours. All I can say is “BULL!” It took Doc, Daryl, HVAC Brian, his father Ed, me, plus 3 of the landscaping guys pulled in to help. That center pole was long and heavy. At a critical moment, one of the guys said, “We just need to keep the pole straight and guide it gently into the hole.” To which someone else quipped, “That is the goal of most Guys!” Which had us all laughing.

By 5:30 p.m. we at least had the treads in place and a temporary plastic handrail. I was excitedly climbing around the center pole. The rest of the spindles will take another day of work at a later time.

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I was exhausted and went straight home to start cleaning house and dealing with incoming emails. Doc stopped at a grocery store for dinner, a dime, and a penny. (Coins #31&32).

Thought: Sometimes dreams take a lonnnnnnnnng time to become reality.

Total: 32 Coins P (30), N (0), D (2), Q (0) = $0.50 (which is 25 x 2)