Better Weather.. not really :(

Today we found a total of $0.51 in the form of two quarters and a penny. This is a spectacular find considering the little amount of time I had to get things done. I have one more day til the movers come to tear apart my house... love the suspense!


Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.51
Total Since Blog Inception: $277.44

Quickie UPdate

Today I found 2 cents- one right by my parking space and the other at hubby's job parking lot. Still packing & moving.. slow process but making some headway

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.02
Total Since Blog Inception: $276.93

Monotony.

Nothing overly exciting going on 'round here. We did manage to get some stuff over to the new house (have I mentioned how much I love having TWO balconies??!) Changewise we made out like bandits (last couple of days have been utterly crappy). Here is the lowdown:

Today we found a total of $1.01 in the form of three quarters, two dimes, and six pennies. Kitty also found a canadian coin which I've added to the jar right next to the changepot. The change was all found by all four change hunters at Fort Totten, Brooklyn (thanks guys!).

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $1.01
Total Since Blog Inception: $276.91

Tumultuous Tuesday

It's still fairly early in the day but I figured I'd take a break to update the blog before I dismantle the computer. We found a total of $0.04 cents- all pennies. Kitty found one penny at the foot of the door at Toys R Us and mom found three cents resting on a shelf by the bike section.

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.04
Total Since Blog Inception: $275.90

Manic Monday

Yet another day of packing (pass me an aspirin, please!!)

We ate out because yours truly was too darn tired to cook (made pigs of ourselves at BigEd's BBQ in Joisey). We found a whopping total of $0.12 in all pennies. At least it's better than zero! (Thanks to Kitty and Sandy for the join effort of change hunting while mommy dutifully packs up for the big MOVE).


P.S. Happy Birthday to a very special person who knows more about orange juice and 100 grand bars than anyone else. You are loved!


Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.12
Total Since Blog Inception: $275.86

Packing .... Packing ... Packing.

datta..dayadvam...damyata... Love me them buddha babies! :)


Day two of the packing insanity. My head is spinning. I can't believe how much crap we've accumulated in ten years!!! I did manage to take a walk around the city today (and guess what we found....)



CHANGE!!!

Today we found $0.76 in the form of two quarters, one dime, and sixteen pennies. Quarter number one was found at an unused bus stop not too far from my house. Nine pennies were found scattered on the way to our car. The other quarter was found while we went furtniture hunting at Levitz. It was right by the foot of the escalator. The lone dime waited for us in front of the gym (eerily close to where we found the penny yesterday) and the rest of the pennies were scattered all around the strip mall right by Staten Island Mall.

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.76
Total Since Blog Inception: $275.74

Changes Made...

Spent the day packing up boxes, chucking unwanted junk, and tending to granny. We got a chance to go out to a few spots but the rain prohibited our daily walk. I'll keep this short and sweet since I have to continue packing before the kids get restless.

Changepot Update:

Today we found a total of $0.49 in the form of three dimes, two nickels, and nine pennies. I'm thankful I found something considering the rainstorms that beat down on us for the entire night. I found money in odd places- at the foot of the steps by the gym- where some young marine recruits were doing PT preparing for Parris Island. Here are the rest of the spots where I found change:

1. Laundromat (one dime, four pennies).
2. At Library parking lot (one dime, two pennies).
3. At dept. store (one nickel).
4. At grocery store (one dime, one nickel, two pennies).

I'll be packing all day tomorrow and the following few days but hopefully I'll get a chance to go out and find some change.. who knows? :)

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.49
Total Since Blog Inception: $274.98

Say it's gonna rain...

There's something innately peaceful about beaded raindrops. While it only rained a little, I was quite happy because my blooming sunflowers have received the natural nourishment they crave. I'll take a pic once they start opening up :)

We spent the majority of the day foraging boxes from the local area businesses for the impending move. Hubby buckled down and purchased a few boxes from the storage place up the street. While we visited the new place today, I happened to find a slightly bruised dime resting in the sidewalk. This is definitely a sign! Okay.. maybe it's a coinky-dink. Still, it was nice to find change in our prospective abode.

After we packed a lil, we decided to take the kids to see Over the Hedge. I was not impressed. Hubby apparently wasn't impressed with the film or the Chili Cheese Fries (spent 1/3 of the movie using the facilities). All that mattered was that the kids enjoyed themselves- and mommy got a chance to nap briefly in the air-conditioned darkness.


CHANGE HAPPENS:

Today we found a total of $1.95 in the form of six quarters, three dimes, one nickel, and ten pennies. I found a quarter in the coin return slot of a vending machine, Hubby found two quarters in the men's locker room at the gym. The rest of the quarters and four pennies were found during hubby's restroom intermissions. The rest of the change was found at various places inside Jersey Gardens, NJ.

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $1.95
Total Since Blog Inception: $274.49

Change Breakdown VII

Change Breakdown VII


Updated total: $271.33
(Sandy Cheeks will keep tabs on the change for the next few weeks)

Here are the totals of cash in the ChangePot as of June 22,2006:

Bills: 49 (+6 bills)
Total value: $178.00 (+$6.00)

Hundreds: 1
Tens: 2
Fives:3
Ones: 43

Coins: 977 ( + 339 new coins during the week)
Total coin value: $93.33

Dollar Coins: 2 (+1)
Quarters: 178 (+20)
Dimes: 352 (+35)
Nickels: 142 (+14)
Pennies: 303 (+283)

**************************************************

Where have you gone, Ivo Zadrima?

The Main Fountain in the middle of Six Flags Great Adventure- yesterday 06/21.

Not much going on today. We ran some errands, went to the gym, and spotted Cyndi Lauper in the city today. Celebrity sightings are fairly common these days because people do not want to stay indoors for whatever reason. I'm hoping the rains will stir the earth up a bit so we can host another treasure hunting event.

CHANGE:

Today we found a total of $1.21 in the form of two Quarters, two dimes, seven nickels, and sixteen pennies. Hubby found the first quarter and four pennies during his morning PT. The rest of the change hailed from Fort Hamilton- an area of much military history and splendor.

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $1.21
Total Since Blog Inception: $272.54

Summer Daze.

Happy 45th Anniversary, Six Flags.

OH BOYYYY!!

Today started out nice... a fun-filled day at Six Flags Great Adventure- just me and the immediate Krabs' with minimal aggravation. Until, of course, the ride home. We left Great adventure shortly after 8pm and got home at 1am on the dot. There was one INCREDIBLE accident on the NJ Turnpike- an eighteen wheeler owned exit 8 for about three hours. We sat in traffic for 4 hours. FOUR HOURS!! Luckily, the children went to sleep from sheer exhaustion and I got to listen to some obscure South Jersey radio stations.

On the upside...I am happy for these four things that occurred today:

1. Hubby and my oldest daughter are getting along much better
2. Kitty overcame her fear of heights on a balloon ride with Dad
3. I watched my oldest daughter do the right thing- something FOUR people at Great Adventures didn't do.
4. A good friend of mine has decided, after twelve years of indecision, to return to college and complete his bachelors degree (He left when he was short 16 credits.. FOUR CLASSES left).


Forget Kingda Ka, my family loves the Ka-CHING!!!

Today we found a whopping $4.26 in the form of 8 quarters, 12 dimes, 7 nickels, and 71 pennies. ALL of it was found in Great Adventure. The fact that we picked up SEVENTY ONE pennies is pretty funny. So many people leave pennies under the dining tables and benches because either they have no pockets, or if they do have it, they'd rather not stuff it with pennies. One particular bench had 7 dimes and 14 pennies under it. My youngest picked them up one by one and started counting them all as pennies (she's still learning y'all!) .

I believe this is the last Great Adventure trip for this season because we've got ALOT of things to do in the coming weeks. Ciao Party Bus! I'll hula with you next year dudes!


Chatback:
I've been told via comment that my recent findings are bordering upon Change is Good Territory (NJ). I have now decided to pick up every other coin found when I visit this plentiful garden state as to ensure proper distribution of found coinage for fellow change hunter Brian :) . Since we'll be moving over to a heavily populated area, I'll be on the lookout for new change spots and leave the older ones for newer hunters. Bah! Who am I kiddin'? I'll be checking them when I get the chance = o)

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $4.26
Total Since Blog Inception: $271.33

...We can make believe it's Parson Brown.

Here is a pic of the resident Big Bird at Sesame Place. Read some fun facts about this character here


Prior to opening up this page and updating the daily totals, I check three specific websites religiously. The first is yahoo's finance page, the second is cnn.com (I dont watch TV anymore), and the third is the Stolen Sidekick website. Tonight's last update is sad because the drama is over. The 16 year old girl (Sasha Gomez of Corona, Queens) is arrested, the sidekick is in police custody, and now blogophiles have nothing else to criticize. Quel Dommage, non? I'm not so sure a lesson has been learned here. As rude as it may seem, Evan was on the right track in pushing accountability BUT at what cost? Ms. Gomez' older brother is an MP in the US Army Reserve. Has he been reprimanded? According to the web chatter, complete strangers are wanting to have him reprimanded, busted, tossed, etc. All this for a cellphone.

If you found a sidekick, would you return it?

EVENTS:

Today we took my lil' chickadee out on her special day. We headed over to Sesame Place and spent a pretty penny on absolute junk. Yay!! We did manage to snag a couple of $18 stuffed animals (six games, two wins for a crappy stuffed animal who will wind up collecting dust in some far corner of the girls' rooms).

XING FRONT:

Finding money today was RUFF. We found a total of 32 pennies in Sesame Place (including one canadian but it doesn't count, really). Altogether we found a total of $ 1.12 in the form of one quarter, four dimes, two nickels, and thirty seven pennies. The remaining five pennies were found in Wrightstown. Two dimes waited for us at the Wendy's Drive thru. Two nickels greeted us at the PX as hubby shopped for some new gear. The other two dimes were found at the Acme parking lot on our way to the Base. The best find was the dirty old quarter I found while hubby asked an old volunteer fireman for directions on how to get back on South 206 after we made a right turn into whosville, NJ. The dirty old quarter looked like a bottlecap from a distance but I didn't give up hope! Big up to Grandpa who was brave enough to smile despite years of dental neglect. He liked my tattoos, I liked his sarcasm :)

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $1.12
Total Since Blog Inception: $267.07

I believe I can fly...

Today we fed the ducks at a nearby pond. Seeing the waterfowl bunched up around here reminded me a little of my time in school. We spotted American geese, Canadians, some mallard ducks, and a typical little turtle scooting about in the grass. Those buggers are quick, aren't they?



EVER CHANGING TIMES:

Today we found $0.66 in the form of three dimes, two nickels, and twenty six pennies. All three dimes and nickels were found in school. My rugrats found the vast majority of pennies while playing on the huge lawn and the basketball court. My oldest has developed her abilities well enough to spot partially buried coins. Kudos to Sandy! :)

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.66
Total Since Blog Inception: $265.95

Meaty Stares.

Pictured above are some of the local residents of Six Flags' Wild Safari Park. These lovable creatures enjoy wading in small puddles, pooping in the middle of the road, and sharpening their racks against SUV's.

Today we got together with a few friends for a six flags father's day celebration. Hubby got his hands on three-park access tickets for under $40 (the tickets usually cost $90+). I am quite exhausted but I feel optimistic enough to report today's findings.

THINGS CHANGE:

Today we found $1.18 in the form of two quarters, four dimes, two nickels, and eighteen pennies. I"ll post them according to amount and location:
1 quarter - garbage bin outside of the safari park.
1 quarter - under a water fountain over by the batman and robin ride.
2 dimes - by a hotdog stand near the Buccanneer
1 dime - Pizza stand outside of Bugs Bunny land
1 nickel - Hot Dog stand near entrance
6 pennies - Under tables by Pizza stand (friends found two pennies for their own changepot)
1 dime - by Teacup ride
1 nickel - in Wawa outside of theme park (gas stop)
Pennies - scattered throughout walkways, in grass, on pavements, by entrance, etc. (Pennies are truly forgotten currency...poor innocent copper creatures!)

I also found a canadian penny and a six flags game token which do not count as money but I do have a place for them.

This is our last vacation week with Mr. Krabs since he's going back to work with no leave left. Oh well... nothing lasts forever (even great money streaks).

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $1.18
Total Since Blog Inception: $265.29

The movement!

The weather was much more tolerable today. We set about our usual daily bouts of speedwalking, chores, and heat-induced cat naps.


CHANGEPOT UPDATES:

Today we found a collective total of $4.74 in the form of four dollar bills, two dimes, two nickels, and forty four pennies. FINDING A DOLLAR BILL IS SO RARE where hubby and I found them today.. I am still in shock. I found my dollar bill hiding in some grass right in front of Western Beef. The bill looked like it was there for some time. Happily, the bill has been reunited with his dollar brethren. Hubby found a dollar around the corner where he takes stitch to go potty. Rest assured this buck is getting turned in to the bank asap because this is notorious dog poopie territory. Aside from that, I am especially proud of the rest of the dollar finds today because our guest contributors (grandma and grandpa krabs) both added some found currency during their trip to a flea market in the UES/Manhattan. Grandpa found two crumpled dollar bills under an orange bench while lunching at Grey's Papaya (hotdog & drink place) and Grandma uncovered two dimes and two pennies all on the Staten Island Ferry. The $2.22 makes today's findings much larger than our usual amounts. Two of the found pennies were actual wheaties- 1948 and 1963D so I tucked them in my coin album instead of adding it to changepot totals. The numismatic in me prevails! Regardless of the two coin debit, I am proud of my family for participating in the changepot experiment. If we keep up these amazing finds, we'll hit $365.00 before the actual year is up*.

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $4.74
Total Since Blog Inception: $264.11

Hot in the city....

this is the medal we found yesterday at the mall. I think it's a lucky medal considering the coinage I found today... :)


The temperature outside is currently 85 degrees fahrenheit. I walked four miles to pick up my daughter in this heat to prove a point (and find some coinage). I found three quarters without having to "deep search" for them. What a shock. In case your wondering, deep search is a term my family uses to single out a spot and spend lots of time scanning the perimeter. Say, for example, if my family goes to a store where we find lots of change. My family would say "Deep Search Three"- meaning "I'm going to look closely because I think I see three blobs that look like coins". We walked quickly and still had luck finding two quarters and two pennies on the way to the location.

There are so many chores to complete today. I do have to get cooking before my family turns to junk food...

Here is the Changepot update for today:


Here is the coinage found today (06-16) along with the St. Jude metal as the guardian. Funny how some pennies are completely corroded. It's ok though, the machines still read them as pennies woohoo!



Today we found $1.62 in the form of four quarters, three dimes, three nickels, and seventeen pennies. I found three out of four quarters while pushing the stroller (where sleeping kitty lay refreshed and unfettered by pre-summer heat). All of the coins were found during the four mile walking stint. Woohoo! Perhaps we'll go to the Italian festival today for some sausage n peppers, cannoli, and beer... or maybe it's snoozing time until tomorrow morning?

QUIEN SABE?

Yet another update *1009pm*

Just got back from the local Chuck E. Cheese joint. I can't stand the place but my kiddies love it so I digress. Hubby found a total of four pennies, bringing today's total to $1.66 (I get scared when I see more than one six consecutively- I blame the OMEN for this arithmophobia of sorts). On the change hunt blog front, Brian from Change is Good posted his 1000th post today. What a milestone!

YAY! My mom just returned from a roadtrip with $0.09 in found change. Luckily, this bit of change brings today's total to $1.74. YAY!



Total Cash found and redeemed today: $1.74
Total Since Blog Inception: $259.37

Tired. Sleep. Please.

This post might not make any sense since I am so incredibly exhausted. Instead of going on about my day, I'll cut right to the chase:

Today we found $2.42 in the form of one dollar bill (found in movie theater lounge chair), two quarters, four dimes, three nickels, and thirty seven pennies.

We also found an odd medal of St. jude at the mall which doesn't count toward today's total but it will stay in my daily changepot collection purse until further notice.

*UPDATED* Last night I was quite tired and fairly incoherent. Here is what transpired in a nutshell:

Went to the mall to find an air filter for my range extractor. Found lots of change instead. Headed home to check on Stitch. Went back out to JG. Took the kiddies to see the Disney movie CARS (Great film if you're into heavy Disney indirects). Took the kids for two second supper at JG. Bought items for special occasion Sunday (FATHER'S DAY).

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $2.42
Total Since Blog Inception: $257.63

Wilderness Pings Revisited.

Here is a picture of what we like to call a "wilderness ping"- a coin that has mysteriously adopted a camouflage pattern to match its surroundings (kinda like a coin chameleon).


We spent the majority of the day inquiring about real estate around Brooklyn (mannn it's EXPENSIVE) with disheartening results. The average price for a three family bedroom home is $550K. I AM DISGUSTED. Instead of schlepping home dejected, we spent the rest of the day playing basketball (Sandy got two baskets), racing for cash prizes, handball, and, of course, change hunting.

CHANGE PROGRESSION! YEAHHHHH!!!!

Today we found a total of $3.71 in the form of a dollar bill, a SUSAN B. ANTHONY dollar coin, three quarters, five nickels, four dimes, and thirty pennies- making it quite an impressive double change cycle (all we needed was a half dollar to make it a miracle!). The changespotting began at 9am when we approached our first realtor office in Brooklyn. I found a nickel and two pennies next to a parking meter. The next find was a dime and three pennies by Fort Hamilton. Four pennies greeted us at the basketball court on the base as well. The rest of the change ($3.47) all came from on campus at the following spots:

Soccer Field/gravel:
$1.00 dollar bill*
$0.05 nickel
$1.00 Susan B. Anthony


Kitty zeroes in on the susan b anthony after hubby announces the find. Judging from the condition of the coin, this puppy was dropped quite recently. This is the second dollar coin found this year (2006).

Cafeteria:
$0.75 three quarters in soda machine


Music Hall:
$0.30 three dimes
$0.14 14 pennies

Parking Lot (grass & concrete):
$0.15 3 nickels
$0.08 8 pennies

*The dollar find was extremely rare and only happened because Kitty (the dollar coin retriever) had to go potty realll bad. We are in the last stages of potty training so it was quite a close call. As I sped off to the nearest building, I swooped down, pocketed the bill, and continued on my merry way. I am happy to report that both the potty trip and the dollar find missions were successful!!


Total Cash found and redeemed today: $3.71
Total Since Blog Inception: $255.21

Change Breakdown VI

Change Breakdown VI

Updated total: $251.50
(Counted by Mister Krabs after yesterday's penny exchange)

Here are the totals of cash in the ChangePot as of June 14,2006:

Bills: 43 (+9 bills)
Total value: $172.00 (+$17.00)

Hundreds: 1
Tens: 2
Fives:3
Ones: 37

Coins: 638 (- 653 penny exchange + 238 new coins during the week)
Total value: $79.50

Dollar Coins: 1 (no change)
Quarters: 158 (+13)
Dimes: 317 (+28)
Nickels: 142 (+14)
Pennies: 20 (new pennies as of June 13, 2006)

**************************************************

Here is an inbox inspiration tidbit from the folks over at TUT. I love their daily diddlies!!

Next time you overhear someone say they're only human, Mrs. Krabs, be compassionate. But remind them it's only temporary. That before long they'll be able to see their wings again, speak in tongues and blaze trails through eternity upon chariots of fire.

Much more dignified than just smacking them on the bum.

Tallyho,
The Universe
***************************

Seasons change.

Hubby and I have mulled over the prospects of moving several times throughout our marriage. First we thought about relocating to the West Coast. I said no. Then he spoke about Florida. I didn't entertain it long enough to say no. Well, we finally agreed on a place and as luck would have it, the paths toward moving seem much more defined. He is elated.

And I am terrified.

Sure, I moved here ten years ago but the premise was different then. I had no children, no ties to my community, no collegiate loyalties. Now... I have two kids, borderline parental community ties, and nine more classes to Masterhood.

But enough rambling.. that's what Centsitivity is for :-)

changepot UPDATES:

Today we found $0.52 in the form of one quarter, three dimes, one nickel, and seventeen pennies. Kitty amazed us all with her proud discovery today. As we walked toward hubby's appt, she stopped dead in her tracks and pointed to a grimy round object on the floor. "Is that a penny?"she asked sweetly. Dad bent over and dug it out of the ground. Not only was it a valid call, it was a dime! We high fived her and went on our merry way. Thirty two cents (two dimes, the nickel, and seven pennies) waited for pickup at the mall. The quarter greeted us at Dunkin Donuts along with five copper brothers as hubby bought his usual large coffee with extra gunk. Three pennies played hide and seek at our handball court. I'm going to miss our courts ::sigh::

BANK TRADES

While I am no fan of trading in cash from the changepot, I absolutely had to exchange pennies because there were some that barely looked like currency. I went over to the bank with 653 pennies and received $6.69- exactly sixteen cents for free. Thank you whoever exchanged coinage before us- your donation is much appreciated :)
I received the money in the form of a five dollar bill, a dollar bill, two quarters, one dime, one nickel, and four pennies. I am adding the sixteen cents to found change since it does qualify somewhat :)

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.68
Total Since Blog Inception: $251.50

Little kitty finds some Ping!

The above pic is Sandy Cheeks herself scouring the local park yesterday. Approximately six inches away from her right foot lies a waiting dime in the debris (check out yesterday's pic).

Our smallest changehunter made her debut today. Armed with huge plastic gloves and sunglasses, Kitty found a neat little cache of change and claimed it in the name of changepot! I am quite proud.

CHANGEPOT HUNTINGS:

Today we found a total of $1.30 in the form of two quarters, five dimes, one nickel, and twenty-five pennies. Kitty found the largest amount today- $0.78 in two quarters, two dimes, and eight pennies right by a water fountain at school. Hubby picked up Taco Bell for dinner and retrieved two dimes and nine pennies at the drive-thru window (Side note: Taco Bell drive thru's are notorious for having people pull up to grab dropped change. Folks choose not to pick up the change so usually you'll find some interesting coinage there. ) I found a dime and nickel in front of a parking meter by the bank today and the family amassed a total of eight pennies while walking the track on campus right before the mosquitoes emerged.

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $1.30
Total Since Blog Inception: $250.82

ChangePot Reflection Post

Today marks exactly 240 days since I've started documenting money that I've found all over the place. Colleagues and relatives shoot me some concerned looks as I recount tales of amazing finds which amount to less than a dollar. Eyes and ears perk up when hubby speaks of his hundred dollar find. My daughter Sandy's 'Dollar magnets' coax a collective chant of 'oohs' and 'aahs' amidst the crowds. No one likes to hear of anything less than that, yet less is what I find MORE of. I like change better. A dime or nickel to me is like a holy grail amidst a sea of coppery corrosion. It jingles. It sings a song of sorts. Yes, my friends, change IS money. One hundred pennies equals one dollar. Sadly, people have long forgotten the value of a dollar. Inflation, oil prices, wars, political tension, and market demand have chipped away at the American foundation. Weren't we the ones who fought to part from England due to taxes?
::sigh::

Who cares if the lincoln pennies are barely recognizable? Some may have years of crud and gunk (thank goodness for gloves!) yet the coin counter machines still recognize it as change- and so do I.

In the past 240 days, I have read many articles about found money and they all seem to echo the same feeling. People are becoming more negligent of their money. I've seen people drop change, look down, shrug their shoulders dismissively at the coins and walk away. Almost immediately, the savvier financiers scoop up the coinage and add it to their change purses/pockets. I feel little shame when it comes to pilfering these freshly dropped pennies on the ground because I know others won't pick it up. Pennies have little or no visual litter value because people are so accustomed to ignoring them. In an effort to survive:

They camouflage themselves in the wild by contracting heavy grime and dirt.
They lean against corners of brick buildings
They hide under the shade of parked cars
They bury themselves under layers of mud in rainstorms in a valiant effort to meet the second layer of Earth (the mantle).

My changepot is half full right now. Tomorrow, I will trade in all of the pennies (ugly and decent) because those take up the most space in my jar. I realize that my half full pot is full of luck and off season coinage (I like to frequent tourist-friendly spots in New York City) and this is why I continue on with my quest. Some bloggers have conducted experiments on finding change with disheartening results. Others have mastered the ability of finding change by recurring trips to specific places where coins thrive unhindered by man or his hand. Our changepot is a little different because:

1/ It has five active change hunters collaborating and accounting their change separately.

2/The family has grown alot closer together due to the increased family activity.

We are all losing weight by incorporating long mall walks, nature hikes, and athletic sports while on the change hunt. (handball, basketball, frisbee, running around in the grass, etc.). Even hubby's Physical therapist is quite proud of his improvements after his back surgery. All the quality time is definitely paying off!

I, for one, am quite proud of the changepot findings because each of us gets some time under the spotlight at dinner to discuss his/her finds on a daily basis. Even on days where one person finds nothing, his/her tale of finding possible change becomes an exaggerated event full of creativity and wonder. I love it!!

Day Trips..and Capitalism.

(dime in its habitat: A heavily crowded park on a Sunday afternoon. I watched this dime for two minutes before picking it up. Seven people passed it; two people looked directly at the coin and didn't flex an inch)

It's funny how a little time off makes people hot-footed! Today we took the chickies up north to spend some QT outside of the city. Our first stop was Lake Welch. Apparently NYS has uncovered a way to capitalize from this once serene spot- $7.00 parking and a slew of police officers. We asked the toll collector when and WHY the fee was implemented and he himself couldn't give a reasonable answer. He did say that June 1st marked many changes in tourism upstate. It appears that if you buy an empire passport (similar to season passes I guess), you are allowed unlimited vehicle parkings throughout the state parks? The krab family says boo to Governor Pataki and his attempts to muster up revenue. I guess South Jersey wins the tourism race for now! :)

For my fellow changehunters and bloggers alike, here is a pro-change poem about Pennies from the 100blogger website:

"A friend and I were out walking, and saw some pennies just lying on
the ground.

As she bent to pick up the pennies, I said pennies are kind of like
people they have no value until they are found.

She said sometimes when she drops a penny, it’s easier to leave then bend down.

Cause a penny by itself has no value, so she just leaves it there on the ground."

...read the rest here

CHANGE HAPPENS:

Today we found $1.07 in the form of two quarters, four dimes, one nickel, and twelve pennies. Our morning pit-stop at Dunkin D's yielded a quarter, a nickel, and a penny. Quarter number two, three dimes, and seven pennies popped up out of the earth at a park in the Bronx (my old stomping ground). The last dime and three pennies awaited pickup at the Palisades Mall. The last penny was found at the onramp George Washington Bridge heading towards Jersey. The last time we were on this area, we found a handful of pennies and one stale fry (the markings of a cupholder penny/change dump while waiting to get on the bridge).

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $1.07
Total Since Blog Inception: $249.52

Mini-Vacation Part Two (06/09-06/10)

Finally! A break in the clouds! Okay so the weather was a lil' nippy- at least there's no rain in the forecast (for now).


CAMBIO PASA!

Today we found $1.44 in the form of two quarters, five dimes, five nickels, and nineteen pennies. We also found two canadian cents which will not count toward the totals. I don't know what compelled me to pick them up. Boredom? Validation? Hey, a coin's a coin in my book, know what I mean?

Both quarters were found at a rest stop off the Garden State Parkway. All the nickels and dimes were found by a phone booth (apparently someone couldn't be bothered with small coins). The majority of the pennies were discovered by Sandy and Mr. Krabs. I was too busy staring at the sun and thinking of my youth.

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $1.44
Total Since Blog Inception: $248.45

Mini-Vacation Part One (06/09-06/10)

Hubby and I took our kids to the Jersey Shore this weekend. Frankly, I am not impressed with the family activities Atlantic City has to offer. We ate overpriced funnel cake, guarded against being pushed by overzealous tourists, slept poorly at a economy rate double bed hotel room in Absecon AND lost some bucks at hole-in-the-wall casinos that some bad toupee wearing billionaire owns (is it me or is his face thoroughly annoying?!) We left the casino strips and took our babes to a few cute spots. They absolutely LOVED Storybook Land! Since our trip was short, many activities have been postponed for our next southbound visit.

Changepot Update for Friday, June 9, 2006:

I am quite impressed by our finds today. We were EVERYWHERE on Friday before we headed out to the shore. Here is a list of spots where we happened to find change:

NYC:
Pep Boys
CVS
Sunoco Gas Station
Commerce Bank

NJ (Bordentown):
Car Wash
Taco Bell

Shore-Bound in NJ:
Rest Stop off NJ Turnpike
Bally's Wild Wild West Casino
WaWa
KFC

We found a total of $13.68 in the form of one five dollar bill, six one dollar bills, six quarters, six dimes, one nickel, and fifty three pennies (one quite impressive change cycle I might add!). The largest find of the day- a five dollar bill-was found right by the elevator door of Bally's Wild Wild West Casino. Sandy Cheeks kept finding dollars everywhere. I found the six quarters (three in AC, three in Staten Island). The pennies and dimes were hard to keep track of considering there were five changehunters conducting a real-time search. I must report an odd pattern which has come to my attention recently. Four of the dimes found had one penny as a companion find= 11 cents was found at Pep Boys, 11 cents was right on the door frame of CVS, 11 cents was found at the car wash at Fort Dix, and the final 11 cents was right by my passenger door outside of WaWa in Atlantic City. Odd? Yep.. considering the tally was an eerie $13.33 until we decided to buy KFC at 10pm and found one dime and one quarter by our feet at the counter. That, combined with Thursday's finds total $233.33 would have yielded $246.66- eeek!!!!

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $13.68
Total Since Blog Inception: $247.01

Breaking News: SIDEKICK DRAMA!

WOW!!!! If you've got time to read through this, please check out the whole story here:

http://www.evanwashere.com/StolenSidekick/

L-O-V-E

Do you remember your first crush? That innocent heart-flutter that distinguished the object of your desire from everyone else in the world? I spent the better part of the day remembering my very first crush (and the dozens of boys that followed soon after). Some insignificant boy named Jose Negron. Lord knows where he is right now. I believe the year was 1985 that I felt "it". Time flies. Wow... time definitely waits for no one.

Changepot Progress:

Today we found an impressive $0.08 in the form of one nickel and three pennies. Pickins are quite slim considering the frequent rainshowers over the past few days. The nickel and penny number one were discovered under a candy machine at Fort Hamilton. Pennies two and three were found in a checkout aisle at Costco. Hubby and I are planning a one-day getaway to AC with some small hopes to duplicate the find during our last trip there (by far the greatest find EVER for any changehunter!!!!).

Hubby and I are finding our way into the world of numismatics. There are a great deal of coins in the changepot that fit the rare coinage category but I refuse to make a swap. I like to think of found coins as attractors- messing with them stops the karmatic flow thereby stinting my changefind progress. Let's see what happens.

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.08
Total Since Blog Inception: $233.33

Guest Post: Rain Rain Go Away,

Blogging is a wonderful way to track life events.Unfortunately, rain puts a cramp in the available places to trek.

Today the rain continued to cover the ground and this limited our places to visit. Refusing to let Mother Nature deter our happiness, I jumped on the computer and searched the website Mall Walker (shameless plug...be nice if I got paid). Looking over the site, two separate locations- Lilo & Stoneybrook Mall were selected. When the family goes to a mall the objective is to walk the entire mall. Of course while walking the Mall if we happen to find loose, lonely change we pick it up and take it to the Change Pot Complex. During the walking around the first mall we located a pleasant $0.30. Spot two was less profitable, but the kids got a chance to run around for thirty minutes.

While the kids were playing, the spouse noticed a store called Pobo Loco. My first thought was "What is this and who would pay $6.00 for a PB sandwich?" Well, after looking at the menu I decided to give it a try. So before the family packed up to go home we stopped by Pobo Loco. The wife ordered a PEANUT COLADA SANDWICH & I ORDERED A TROPICAL TWIST. The Peanut Colada came with raspberry/ White Chocolate PB, Coconut & Pineapple and slightly toasted for flavor. The Tropical Twist came with Banana PB, Coconut, and Pineapple. The kids got a Marshian (Banana PB & Marshmallow Creme). Overall the experience was nice, but the price was still too steep in my opinion ($13.00).

So even with the continuation of rain for the Third day, we were still able to have fun. A family is only as strong as the members working within it. As long as everyone works together, happiness will surround your home.

Take Care & drop by the Penny Trail sometime

The Clipper

Treks and Malaise

Today we perused a few malls for some indoor exercise. Sandy Cheeks is officially not feeling well (sore throat, general aches) so it looks like i'll be up for a while.


CHANGEPOT FINDS:

(Quick note: Despite feeling under the weather, Sandy found 2 dollars hidden in a plant shrub at Menlo Mall.The full two bucks goes to her changepot. The girl is on it, doggone it!)

Today we found $0.67 in the form of four dimes, two nickels, and seventeen pennies. We also found a funky gold ear hoop and a broken ruby/diamond cut gold bracelet in a laundromat parking lot. This will be added to our 'odd finds' jar until I amass enough gold to melt down and claim a few hundred in the name of dropped treasure! The first find of the day was a kamikaze dime that leaned against a store wall- waiting for me, I bet! Dime number two and nickel one were found by our parking space at Menlo. The rest of the change hailed from Staten Island mall. (Side note: As I checked out the found change in the pot thus far, I noticed something quite odd. We found a 1943 P Jefferson War Nickel (they go for more than $0.05 on Ebay, check it out HERE !!) I have no immediate plans on selling this nickel right now.. but when I do, I just might add the profits from the sale to the ever growing (and ever exciting) ChangePot.


Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.67
Total Since Blog Inception: $233.25

Change Breakdown V

Change Breakdown V

Updated total: $232.58
(Counted by Sandy Cheeks and Mister Krabs)
It seems as though Wednesdays are the designated change counting days from now on. Here are the totals of cash in the ChangePot as of June 7,2006:

Bills: 34 (+3 bills)
Total value: $155.00 (+$3.00)

Hundreds: 1
Tens: 2
Fives:1
Ones: 30

Coins: 1083 (+163 new coins)
Total value: $77.58

Dollar Coins: 1 (no change)
Quarters: 145 (+7)
Dimes: 289 (+34)
Nickels: 128 (+10)
Pennies: 523 (+115)

Even horseshoes get the blues...

The Krab family had an exciting day at the beach. While we set about testing our equipment for the upcoming big treasure hunt weekend, we spotted the above horseshoe crab trying to make his way back into the ocean. A few feet away some sea gulls hungrily picked at an adult horseshoe crab shell. The biggest gull looked at us menacingly- I think he was trying to intimidate us into leaving lol! Hubby scooped up the crab and put him back into the water.
That was our good deed for the day.

I am so exhausted! Guess I better get to today's totals before I fall out on top of the keyboard!

CHANGEPOT FINDS:

Today we found $0.68 in the form of five dimes, two nickels, and eight pennies. Hubby found the change in four distinct places: Outdoor Parking lot, Dunkin' Donuts (not the usual one we go to), Supermarket, and campus. I didn't find anything since I was more focused on keeping the kids occupied.

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.68
Total Since Blog Inception: $232.58

Fifteen things I am thankful for today: 06-05-2006

1. Diversity. Without it, life would be completely monotonous.

2. Cable TV. I admit it. I may very well be the only one who enjoys Green Acres and Benson enough to watch their respective weekend-marathons

3. Bubba Keg 52oz cooler. Of all the containers I've ever owned, this one beats them all hands down.

4. Tote Bags. Where else could one pack wipes, drinks, snacks, cameras, pens, activity books, keys, phones, notebooks AND a potty training seat?

5. Stacker 2. I am a mom to two very athletic kids. Need I say more?

6. Drivers License. It sucks to stay home. Really. It took me 25 years to realize just how boring being carless can be

7. Stitch. Our pooch has the body of a chihuaha but his attitude matches that of a cocky pit-bull.

8. Sunscreen. While I rarely tan, the lotion keeps my skin from roasting and peeling- two ugly phases I tend to go through in pre-summer weather.

9. Dr. Gordon DiPaolo. His smile melts my frustrations away! I can't explain it. What can I say? He's my Adam West.

10. My Plants. They are quiet, reserved, and determined to live. We should follow their example, methinks.

11. Oscar Wilde, Walt Whitman, and Arnie Kantrowitz. This trio will always live on in my mind as the trifecta of ENL 399- Male Gay Literature- quite possibly the greatest undergrad course I've taken. Long live Gay Pride!

12. Rain. The smell of rain makes me quite nostalgic. Without rain, there would be no meditation for me.

13. Opera. It's a refined taste!

14. The Secret. It has changed my outlook on life, liberty, and the pursuit of dropped coinage.

15. My family. With them: I have less grays. I save more money. I can eat pumpkin pie whenever the mood strikes. I can bowl a perfect game. I can perfect the art of throwing snowballs by using the little ones as target practice. I can learn the lyrics to all the songs in Disney's "High School Musical". I can plant humongous sunflowers and name them after the Beatles. I can rule the world, balance a checkbook, avert a national crisis, clean the entire house .. and at the end of the day when I am ready to fall out from sheer exhaustion, I can still claim a "hug and five free kisses" from my big girl Kitty.

B
Y

THE

W
A
Y...

Have you hugged your loved ones today?
(you'll be sooo glad you did.)

X marks the spot!

Today we spent the majority of the day outside on a junior treasure hunt. The kids loved it! They got a chance to spend a few minutes with a huge gang of Canadian Geese. I wasn't too happy with the amount of goose poop but hey, s@*& happens :)

CHANGEPOT FINDS:

Today we found $1.24 in the form of One Quarter, six dimes, one nickel, and thirty four pennies. We found the majority of the pennies at an indoor mall outside of Elizabeth. The Quarter was uncovered during a treasure hunt. Two dimes and a nickel waited for us at Dunkin' Donuts while the rest of the loot was found either on campus or at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn.

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $1.24
Total Since Blog Inception: $231.90

Overcast Day.

Not much goin' on today. Took the kids out for some quick beach coming and a visit to our friends on the island. I've got some pics to upload later on. I am soo out of it right now.

FINDS:

Today we uncovered $0.05 in the form of five pennies. No more. No less. We decided to stay in the rest of the day and watch the lovely Disney film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. The kids loved it...and I enjoyed watching it on screen ( Big thanks to Mrs. Fusco, the teacher who read this book to us exactly twenty years ago (1986) )

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.05
Total Since Blog Inception: $230.66

Journey's End

Boy am I POOOPED. We found a cute lil' website called MallWalker earlier today. It's our new resource to map out places where we can shop and changehunt. Here are the details of our finds as of 9:59pm est:


Today we found a total of $3.47 the hard way. ALL CHANGE. My lil' bag was bursting at the PVC seams! We found it in the form of five quarters, fifteen dimes, five nickels, and forty seven pennies. SIXTY SEVEN COINS ALTOGETHER (that's an average of sixteen coins per changehunter!). This was a collaborative effort by all five of us (kitty even found a penny and let everyone in the entire mall know about it)with one common goal in mind- VACATION!! I have created a mini change race with my two girls. The reward is either a camping trip in July or a roadtrip to a destination of their choice (more details to come later). Anyhow... we clocked in some major sneaker mileage as we hit two malls, a quick game of B-ball, and Target for two small gifts. Here are the change findings per specific location:


One-on-one Basketball at 7am (on campus): $1.92
Rarity: All five quarters were found on campus. Four quarters were found by the handball court- two in perfect condition (both state quarters). On our way to the car, I decided to investigate the outside border of the tennis courts and found an amazingly DARK (CAMOUFLAGED TO THE TEETH) quarter. Apparently the tar powder covered the quarter for quite some time (that is, until I spotted it! hehe)

Galleria at White Plains Mall: $0.39

Advice: Do yourself a favor, never EVER eat at the Manchu Wok's in the Galleria- unless, of course, you want to feel like a hydra (unicellular digestion)

Rarity: I found thirty four pennies. It was almost like the stores put pennies by the entrance to attract customers. Bad idea. They only attracted expert change hunters Sandy and Mr. Krabs. I was too busy making sure Kitty didn't hurt anyone.

Palisades Mall: $0.89

EXTREME Rarity: As Mr. Krab would say, "folks were droppin' dime all over the place!" We found seven dimes here. I even managed to score a shiny nickel all by myself at Target.

Target by my house: $0.27

ODDITY: Two dimes, a nickel, and two pennies called out to us as we purchased some last minute gifts for family day at chez KRAB. Our family picks one day out of the year to exchange gifts without it being a holiday. We chose June 4th as our family day. To be honest, family day is every day at chez Krab. I just love watching the kids exchange gifts :)

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $3.47
Total Since Blog Inception: $230.61

To Dunk.. or not to dunk...

Day two of rainy weather. Enter muggy, icky, yucky humidity. My hair is brittle and full of gooey gel from this morning's last-second hairstyle. I had the morning poison (hot cocoa) and the day has slumped downhill ever since.

CHANGEPOT UPDATE:

Today we found a total of $3.83 in the form of three dollar bills, one quarter, four dimes, one nickel, and thirteen pennies. The two dimes were found at the Dunkin' Donuts drive thru. A nickel and four pennies were found at a recruiting station in Brooklyn, NY. Another penny was found right by our vehicle in the station parking lot and the last penny was discovered right by my professor's door (which is still devoid of final grades so I'm type pissed). Three one dollar bills, a dime, and a nickel were found inside a shopping bag complete with an odd receipt from some deli. Apparently the person ordered a sandwich and a drink which cost them $6.65. The person plonked down a ten and got back $3.35 in change. The bag contained what looked like crumbs and a non-recyclable can of nestea iced tea. My guess is the person was eating quick and forgot about the change since the bag was right across the basketball court. The kids left quick since the clouds began moving in- claiming territory for tonight' s battle methinks. Sandy Cheeks made the find- I am quite proud. The rest of the booty was uncorked at Stop & Shop, where a lovely lady named Margritte rang us up with smile and a nod. As I pulled out my wallet, a lonely dime cried out from under my sneaker- rage, rAGE against the dying of the light, my friend!


Total Cash found and redeemed today: $3.83
Total Since Blog Inception: $227.14

Pouring...

Whoa! What absolutely crappy weather!! Lots of excitement here at the Krab household though. The picture above was taken last Sunday in front of building 3S. The flowers smell AWFUL but they look so pretty!!

CHANGEPOT UPDATE:

Today we found a total of 33 cents in the form of two dimes, one nickel, and eight pennies. All of the change was found in one location. The first find, a nickel, was discovered under an ATM machine. The next find, a dime, waited for us by an ice cream kiosk. Five pennies were scattered around a payphone. The other dime was spotted at an indoor garage and three pennies conveniently hung out by a soda machine. I bought a drink and housed the pennies all in one fell swoop. HOOAH!

Total Cash found and redeemed today: $0.33
Total Since Blog Inception: $223.31