Day #1,305 - Circus

Cleaning at the Cabin

I had been teasing the kidz for days about tonight’s activity.  It would be at the Huge Staples Center in downtown L.A. where the Lakers and Clippers play.  Thus, the kidz were expecting perhaps a basketball or hockey game.  They were sure surprised when they realized it was the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Dragon Show.

After having breakfast at the cabin we headed back to the Penny Palace.  We ate lunch and did some other things (Doc tried out his new leaf blower) before we headed to LA at 3:30 p.m.  Of course Uncle Doc had to stop for a coffee before getting on the freeway.  He spotted a dime before getting out of the van.  Then a quarter and penny inside the store, then we found another penny outside.  (Coins #1-4)  We just needed a nickel and we would have a Hit for the Cycle.

There was a man standing outside the store wondering what we were doing.  So I handed him a Penny Card and told him we were Penny Finding telling him it was day #1,305.  He smiled and began walking toward his car when HE found a dime.  Penny Fever is contagious!

Doc Sucking Leaves

I had allowed 2 hours of driving time to get into LA in case we hit traffic, but it only took us one hour.  So we cruised the garment district, jewelry district, financial district and more.  We finally stopped for dinner at the Green Bamboo - a quaint little restaurant decorated with American sports memorabilia, serving Chinese Food, located in Little Tokyo in the heart of Los Angeles.  What fun.

Ashley found one penny before we entered the restaurant, so that was a good sign.  (Coin #5).  Our waitress was a delight and enriched our experience there.  As I paid our bill I gave her a Penny Card and told here we KNEW this would be a good place to visit when we found that penny on the way in.  She had a huge smile and said she collects pennies and always makes a wish when she finds them.  We wished each other Happy Penny Finding and then the gang departed. 

Just a few feet outside the restaurant door where Ashley had found that first penny we discovered another one, then another, then another, then I found that Nickel we needed!  Hit for the Cycle!  (Coins #6-12).  We all ran back into the restaurant; each of us holding the coins we had just found and we showed the waitress.  Such pure silliness and JOY.  Smiles all around (except for Uncle Doc who did not understand why we should waste time going back to tell the waitress).   Ashley even found two more pennies as we returned to the van.  (Coins #13&14).  One of the pennies is a 1954 “wheat” penny.

It took some searching around the sports center, but we finally found the proper parking lot.  It was a long walk for Uncle Doc to get to the entrance.  He was walking much slower than the excited kids.  That allowed him time to find a penny. (Coin #15)

The Circus performance of Dragons was incredible.  Five-year-old Jamie kept asking, “How do they DO THAT?”  I had that same questions.  There were incredible horse stunts, a lion and tiger performance, elephants, dogs, felines, zebras, mules and more.  Then there were the acrobatics, the motorcyclists on high wires, the trapeze artists … at the finale there were eight motorcyclists racing inside a very small ball.  Amazing.

Lesson:  What we are conditioned to believe as IMpossible probably IS possible.  That is true on various levels.

Total:   15  Coins        P (12), N (1), D (1), Q (1) = $0.52