Change Is Good

2012-01-01T08:20:00.002-05:00

I found thirty-two dollars and eighty-eight cents last year--the bulk of which came in the form of a twenty-dollar bill I found at Citizens Bank Park at my buddy's 50th birthday party.

I sort of doubt anyone is checking in here regularly anymore, but hello to anyone who stops by. I started my change quest on Jan. 19, 1998, and while I don't blog regularly anymore, and often forget to tweet in real time, I'm still keeping track. My 13-year total is over eight hundred dollars. And I think my ultimate goal of showing my son the value of money is working. Yesterday he said "a penny earned is a penny found"; not quite the exact phrase but I understood.

Happy new year!

2010-12-31T22:57:00.000-05:00

I found fifty-five cents in November, $1.53 in December, and $27.86 for the full year.

I've gotten pretty bad about posting and even Tweeting. My change quest isn't ending, but I'm definitely not as meticulous as I'd been in the past.

2010-10-31T23:37:00.001-04:00

I found one dollar and fifteen cents in October, closing out the month with a find of three cents. The quest grinds on, slowly but surely.

2010-09-30T22:56:00.002-04:00

I found, with help from Noah, $2.41 in August and $1.76 in September.

Highlights: Noah found a nickel and five pennies. I found a dollar bill. I found at least one parking token, and maybe two.

Lowlights: All the days on which I found nothing.

2010-07-31T23:39:00.000-04:00

Noah and I found a dollar sixty-six in July. I just tried to do a tally, but Twitter is all screwy and I don't feel like doing a proper accounting. So I'll just presume I'm right.

2010-06-30T00:51:00.002-04:00

I found eight dollars and ninety-five cents during the past month. (It would have been just a buck thirty-five if I'd not found seven beans in cash in the Bahamas.)

----

June stats
- Total: $8.95
- Five-dollar bills: 1
- One-dollar bills: 2
- Quarters: 4
- Dimes: 6
- Nickels: 2
- Pennies: 25
- Noah's tally: 11 cents

2010-05-31T23:40:00.001-04:00

I've done terribly in coin-finding and posting the past two months, bringing in eighty-five cents in April and seventy-four cents in May.

2010-03-31T23:31:00.002-04:00

I found $2.31 during the month, but my Twittering somehow missed forty-two cents of that. Fortunately, I still keep a meticulous paper log of my finds and thus know that I was off.

March stats
- Total: $2.31
- Pennies: 16
- Nickels: 4
- Dimes: 7
- Quarters: 5
- Misc.: A parking token
- Noah's Finds: Two nickels

2010-02-28T22:13:00.002-05:00

I found $2.98 during February, including my first paper currency of the young year. Every year since beginning the quest I've found at least one dollar in paper. The streak goes on...

February stats
- Total: $2.98
- Pennies: 23
- Nickels: 2
- Dimes: 4
- Quarters: 1
- Dollar coins: 1
- Dollar bills: 1
- Foreign coins: 1, a Brazilian 50 centavo piece

2010-01-31T23:45:00.002-05:00

I found two dollars and eighty-seven cents this month, my best in a fair while. As typical, the majority of the finds came at the train station. But I found way more silver than usual as well as a number of other coins and tokens.

January stats
- Total: $2.87
- Pennies: 18
- Nickels: 2
- Dimes: 6
- Quarters: 4
- Dollar coins: 1
- Misc: five European cents, no-cash-value token, Canadian dime

2009-12-31T01:03:00.002-05:00

I found one dollar and eighty-one cents in December, bringing the year's total to twenty-six dollars and eighteen cents. If I had to guess why the year was so slow, I'd say it was the commute.

December stats
- Total: $1.81
- Pennies: 19
- Nickels: 2
- Dimes: 3
- Quarters: 1
- Dollar coins: 1

Year in review
- Total: $26.18, second lowest total, behind $24.69 in 1999
- January: $2.44, with one dollar day and coins found in Florida, Alabama and Louisiana
- February: $2.85, with no finds on my birthday
- March: $2.16, with a high of 44 cents
- April: $2.91, with a lone dollar day
- May: 91 cents, with finds on but eleven of the month's days
- June: $4.56, with two dollar days
- July: $5.11, with one dollar day driven by a cache of dimes (which I don't recall)
- August: 90 cents, with a daily high of 16 cents
- September: 68 cents, with nine days of a lone penny as the find
- October: $1.17, with 51 cents as the daily high
- November: 68 cents, with nine days of a lone penny as the find (same as September)
- December: $1.81, with a dollar day and a monthly cycle

2009-11-30T00:08:00.002-05:00

Found sixty-eight cents over the past month. Noah found two pennies, and one of the dimes was extremely faded and almost got mistook for a penny.

November stats
- Total: sixty-eight
- Pennies: eighteen
- Dimes: five

2009-10-01T23:48:00.002-04:00

I found one dollar and seventeen cents in October. I'd guess a good deal of the coins, in number if not actual value, were found at the train station. Noah is learning about change in school, so I'm hoping for a breakthrough soon in his coin-finding game.

2009-09-30T22:34:00.000-04:00

I found sixty-eight cents during the month, in a fairly slow month during which I had thirteen days without finds. My highest total was twelve cents, twice, hit on consecutive days as the month drew to a close. I found a dime at Noah's school the day before he started, on 09/09/09.

2009-08-31T23:17:00.002-04:00

I found ninety cents during the month, including some during a trip to Rhode Island. I'm now above seven hundred and fifty dollars for the quest. And Noah is really starting to kick in.

2009-07-31T00:11:00.002-04:00

I found five dollars and eleven cents in July, including a massive cache of dimes in a local coin-sorting machine. I also found four dollars and fifty-six cents last month, but never got around to posting.

So, while I don't think I'm like Brett Favre insofar as changing my mind on retirement from daily blogging, I've attached my Twitter feed to this site, at right, and so will be posting again as change gets found.

Drop me a line if you're still around. And if you'd like to get to know me, I'm on Facebook so shoot me an email and maybe we can be "friends."

2009-05-31T12:16:00.000-04:00

I found ninety-one cents in May. Pretty fallow month...

2009-04-30T00:25:00.001-04:00

I found two dollars and ninety-one cents in April, including a presidential dollar coin and a dime that Noah found.

2009-03-31T13:02:00.001-04:00

I found two dollars and sixteen cents in March. Found a couple of foreign coins but nothing much stands out...

... which is why, to bring some context back to the quest, I've decided to Twitter.

2009-02-28T00:06:00.002-05:00

I found two dollars and eighty-five cents over the past month. I don't think anything particularly stands out, except a lot of finds during the daily commute. Eh...

2009-01-31T00:22:00.002-05:00

I found two dollars and forty-four cents this past month. Among the highlights: a presidential dollar, finds in Alabama and Louisiana, and Noah scoring a penny on the year's first day. I also found half of a five-dollar bill and several train-station tokens, but I didn't count them toward the monthly total.

2008-12-31T00:31:00.002-05:00

I found one dollar and one cent for the month, not including three parking tokens for the lot at the local train depot, bringing the year's total to $55.29. Out of eleven years of my change quest, 2008 ranks eighth.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year, if anyone is still stopping by. :)

2008-11-30T01:31:00.002-05:00

I found eleven dollars and thirty-seven cents over the past month.

My best day was Nov. 29, when I found eight dollars and eighty-eight cents. Batted for the super-cycle, with two Sacagawea golden dollars. I found something nearly every day. All in all, a pretty good month.

2008-10-29T01:26:00.002-04:00

I found eleven cents today, a dime and a penny. Both were on the ground at Citizens Bank Park, where I watched the Phillies win the World Series!!!!!!!!!

---

On March 27, 2008, I made my year's prediction. Note that though my 103-win prediction was technically for the regular season, the Phillies ended the year with 103 wins, postseason included. Here it is:

Prediction: 103-59, 1st Place
Having drunk from the cup of victory, I don't think the hometown nine are ready to pass on seconds. Like just about every other team in their division, they have plenty of weaknesses. Some light bats. A couple of questions marks on the pitching staff. But they have a bit more power on paper. A formidable 1-2 starters. A top reliever, if healthy. And, of course, they still have that heart; I know I'll never forget last year's stretch run and the fond memories it brings, and I can't imagine they will either. As Noah would say: Go Phillies!

2008-09-11T23:26:00.003-04:00

I found one penny today, during a brisk late-evening walk around town. I skipped the gym but still wanted to get the old blood pumping. The penny, a 1964 model, was on the ground by CVS.

Noah offered me a slice of pie this morning, unprompted, and said I'd love it. I bumped into Liza in the cafeteria and she bought me lunch. I worked. Laughed with friends. Watched a program with Liza. Kissed Noah. Seven years on, it's still nice to appreciate the small things.

----

When I started Change Is Good five years ago, I thought it was merely a clever way to refer to my "quest." Now it's come to embody a bit more as I have grown. Liza and I now have a great son and a nice home. I've learned to adapt more easily. I've gained a tiny bit of patience. I've come to realize that change is good.

I have a lot of change coming up in life, and so today I am ending regular posting on my blog. It still means a great deal to me, but I'm ready to give it up.

Thank you for your kind words through the years. And thanks for stopping by...

2008-09-10T23:40:00.002-04:00

Found two cents today, and a guitar pick and a frequent-buyer coffee card.

Liza found the first penny and gave it to me at the coffee shop where we met up this morning. Before that, I found the coffee card, with three holes punched, to an entirely separate coffee shop.

I found the second penny and the guitar pick on the groundi n the cafeteria at work.

2008-09-09T22:45:00.003-04:00

I found two cents today.

The first penny was, hmmm, on the ground somewhere. Work? Take Five? Cafeteria? I can't remember.

The second penny was on the ground outside of CVS.

2008-09-08T23:03:00.000-04:00

I didn't find anything today. That's OK.

2008-09-07T09:51:00.000-04:00

I didn't find anything.

But the Phillies improved to 2-0 in their games where Noah has attended. Unfortunately, they lost the nightcap.

2008-09-06T21:24:00.003-04:00

I found one penny today. It was on the ground at a local eatery.

Tropical Storm Hanna canceled our first and last trip to Shea Stadium. We'll try again tom'w.

2008-09-05T23:05:00.002-04:00

I found forty cents today--a quarter, a dime and five pennies. I also found a British pence, but of course it doesn't count toward the day's totals.

The first three pennies, and the British pence, were found during a morning walk I took with Noah to pick up some milk. I got him a box of cereal, too, but he later said I never get him anything. It's tough being a parent.

The remainder of the day's coins were in and around Princeton, where we went for dinner and to celebrate with a back-to-school street fair. Noah was in a mood still and we ended up leaving early. I was impatient with him and I now wish I wasn't.

---

I'm lucky I'm alive to even write this post, after getting a massive electric shock.

I bought Noah a lamp today and it was missing the switch. I was fiddling with it--as it was plugged in--and I must have touched the part where the light bulb meets the electricity and I got a terrible jolt. I felt the current enter my left thumb and exit my right arm. My thumb felt a little burned for most of the rest of the evening and my right arm was numb. I'm getting goosebumps right now as I type this. I was woozy for a while. I think I'm lucky I was wearing my sneakers.

I have to get started on my will. All my coins go to Noah.

2008-09-04T22:47:00.000-04:00

I found nothing today.

2008-09-03T23:01:00.002-04:00

I found five cents today, in the form of a goopy nickel on the ground outside of my gym.

2008-09-02T04:50:00.000-04:00

I didn't find anything.

2008-09-01T07:29:00.002-04:00

Found fifty-one cents--two quarters and a penny.

The first quarter was amid some grass at Marquand Park in Princeton, where we went with Noah in the early afternoon. He didn't feel well, so we left in about ten minutes.

Noah found the second quarter underneath a pastry display case at a local java shop; he really got down and dirty to dig it out. I found a penny in the same coffee shop.

2008-08-31T23:20:00.002-04:00

I found twenty-one cents today, in the form of two dimes and a penny. I found it all during a late-evening walk as I battle a cold/allergies.

----

August stats and streaks
- Total found: $3.14
- Year-to-date total: $36.73
- On pace for this year: $55.10, trending downward
- Largest one-day total: $1.32
- Lowest one-day total: one cent, twice
- Daily average: 10.1 cents
- Days with no finds: sixteen
- Days with no finds while on U.S. soil: six
- Double-digit days: ten
- Dollar days: one
- State quarters: Maryland, South Carolina, North Dakota
- Foreign coins: Canada and the fifteen nations that share the euro
- Favorite post: Aug. 17
- Liza's birthday: three cents
- Record of the hometown nine: 75-62
- Record of the hometown nine, last Aug. 31: 72-62
- Record of the hometown nine, Aug. 2006: 67-66
- Pennies: twenty-nine
- Nickels: three
- Dimes: seven
- Quarters: eight

2008-08-30T23:08:00.003-04:00

I didn't find anything today. My mother had an end-of-summer BBQ and we otherwise got out little.

2008-08-29T02:01:00.002-04:00

Found one dollar and thirty-two cents: five quarters, two pennies and one nickel.

The first penny was on the ground outside a Wawa convenience store, where I grabbed a coffee this morning.

The nickel and the five quarters were all found in Princeton, with the quarter cache atop a New York Times newspaper box. Of the quarters, there were Maryland and South Carolina models.

The second and final penny was found in Oxford Valley Mall by Noah.

2008-08-28T23:45:00.003-04:00

I found seven cents today, a nickel and two pennies. I also found a Canadian penny, but of course it doesn't count toward the tally.

Everything was on the ground around the downtown area as I ran some errands this morning.

---

I don't intend this comment to betray my politics, but I'd love one of those Barack Obama campaign signs.

2008-08-27T23:07:00.001-04:00

I didn't find anything today.

2008-08-26T00:08:00.000-04:00

I didn't find anything.

2008-08-25T22:37:00.002-04:00

I found one penny today. It was on the ground outside of a Wawa, where I picked up an iced coffee before work.

2008-08-24T22:27:00.001-04:00

I didn't find anything today.

2008-08-23T23:59:00.002-04:00

I found twenty-nine cents today--a quarter and four pennies.

The first two pennies were on the ground at Sesame Place, where we went for the first time all season for the best deal the park has to offer. The rest of this year and all of next for a single pass. Crazy busy today, but still fun.

The next two pennies as well as the the quarter, a North Dakota model, where in various spots as I made a late-evening run to pick up a few household items. Among the pennies was a 1948 wheat-back model. Nice.

2008-08-22T09:15:00.002-04:00

Found eleven cents: a dime and a penny.

Noah and Liza found the dime and gave it to me in the car in the morning.

I found the penny on the ground in a local ice-cream shop, where we had a sweet treat before seeing an outdoor showing of Bee Movie.

2008-08-21T23:47:00.002-04:00

I found twenty-six cents today, a quarter and a penny.

Both were in the CVS parking lot as I walked home from the post office and supermarket this morning. The penny, a 1972 model, was badly scratched on one side.

2008-08-20T00:08:00.002-04:00

I found thirteen cents--a dime and three pennies.

The dime was on the ground outside of my dry cleaner. The first two pennies were in the parking lot at the gym and the third was on the ground by the reception desk.

2008-08-19T00:26:00.000-04:00

I found two cents, both during a late-evening walk.

2008-08-18T23:23:00.001-04:00

I didn't find anything today. I'm beat. (Don't tell Liza.)

2008-08-17T03:13:00.002-04:00

I found three cents on Saturday and another dime on the day I left for vacation on Aug. 5. While away, I found six European cents and that's it.

The three cents were found at Surf Taco in Belmar and Brick Beach I in Brick. The dime was somewhere at the Newark Airport.

----

So, this was my longest blog hiatus and I have to say it felt good and relaxing. We visited Barcelona, El Bulli and several beaches in Menorca. Noah learned to swim. Liza and I learned sunscreen is a necessity. Now back to reality.

2008-08-05T13:03:00.003-04:00

I've found one penny so far today, in a streetside parking space outside of CVS. I may find more, but since I'll be away with unknown access to the Internet, I've decided to post now.

Go Phillies!

2008-08-04T23:56:00.003-04:00

I found twenty-seven cents today, a quarter and two pennies.

At first I spotted only a shiny penny when I was riding my bike home from the coffee shop this morning. And then I saw the quarter and the other penny.

2008-08-03T22:07:00.001-04:00

I found ten cents today, in the form of a dime.

It was on the ground in Hightstown, outside a coffee shop. I didn't find anything in NYC, where we went to celebrate Liza's birthday.

2008-08-02T22:56:00.002-04:00

I found twenty cents today--a dime, a nickel and five pennies.

The first three pennies and the dime were found out and about this morning. Some on the ground near CVS, some in the street by the coffee shop and some by a grocery market.

The next two pennies were at the Point Pleasant boardwalk, where we went to my niece's birthday party. One was in some sand and Noah picked up for me, nearly losing it once or twice; the other--a 1945 S wheat-backed model--was underneath a picnic table where we had pizza and cake.

The nickel was on the ground in the parking lot as I made a late-day run to pick up a quart of milk.

2008-08-01T00:28:00.002-04:00

I found a penny.

I think I found it on a walk back to my house after getting my hair cut, but I'm having problems recalling because I think my hair was cut too short and it's been messing with my head in more ways than one all evening long.

2008-07-31T23:58:00.002-04:00

I found one penny. It was on the ground in the parking garage at work.

---

July stats and streaks
- Total found: $5.45
- Year-to-date total: $33.59
- On pace for this year: $57.58, trending upward
- Largest one-day total: $1.71, twice
- Lowest one-day total: one cent, nine times
- Daily average: 17.6 cents
- Days with no finds: seven
- Double-digit days: nine
- Dollar days: two
- State quarters: Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire
- Foreign coins: Canada and the fifteen nations that share the euro
- Favorite post: July 14 because it's simple and captures my feelings
- Record of the hometown nine: 59-50
- Pennies: forty-five
- Nickels: eleven
- Dimes: fourteen
- Quarters: twelve

2008-07-30T23:27:00.003-04:00

I found eleven cents today, a dime and a penny.

The dime was on the ground at It's a Grind, a local coffee shop. The penny was on the ground in the parking garage at work.

---

The other morning Noah woke up and said he wanted to go Quizno. It was early, so it took a minute or two before I realized that he meant he wanted to go commando. He ended up wearning his underwear and not getting any toasted sandwiches.

2008-07-29T22:55:00.002-04:00

I didn't find anything today.

---

I think Noah had a rough day. This morning I bumped into him as we played basketball across the street and he scraped his arm. Then when I saw him this afternoon he said he got pushed on the playground. It's sad to see a four-year-old who's feeling blue.

2008-07-28T00:06:00.002-04:00

I found eleven cents, in the form of a dime and a penny.

The dime was on the ground by the coffee bar at Whole Foods, and the penny was in a planter at Exxon.

2008-07-27T23:34:00.002-04:00

I found one dollar and seventy-one cents today-- three quarters, seven dimes, four nickels and six pennies. I also got one Canadian penny and one euro cent, the latter of which'll come in handy when we head to Spain next week.

The bulk of the coins, save for a dime and a nickel, were in a coin-counting machine at the local supermarket, where I went to pick up some Borax because I've been told it kills ants. We'll see.

The remaining dime and nickel were on the ground underneath a bench outside of CVS as I walked home with my Borax and iPod.

2008-07-26T22:46:00.003-04:00

I found seven cents today, a nickel and two pennies, and Noah picked it up.

All were on the ground at the market, where I picked up some last-minute supplies for a small barbecue we had today.

---

Just when I'm ready to write off the hometown nine, they somehow manage to come back and snatch victory from the jaws of disaster.

2008-07-25T00:49:00.001-04:00

I found a penny. It was in the cafeteria at work. I didn't really find it today, but I only recalled finding it this morning when I went to put away yesterday's quarter, so I'm counting it today.

----

As the quest enters its second decade of excellence, or whatever, I've become far less obsessive about keeping meticulous records. I still strive for accuracy, but if I'm a bit off, eh.

2008-07-24T00:47:00.000-04:00

I found twenty-five cents, in the form of a quarter, on the ground in the parking lot outside of Target.

----

It's looking increasingly like another summer of pain.

2008-07-23T23:15:00.002-04:00

I didn't find anything today.

---

My post yesterday had a glitch. Now I can't remember what I was going to say.

2008-07-22T23:16:00.001-04:00

I didn't find anything today.

----

2008-07-21T23:42:00.001-04:00

I found seven cents today--a nickel and two pennies. All were atop a gumball machine in a local grocery store, where we picked up some meat to grill tom'w.

2008-07-20T00:32:00.000-04:00

I didn't find anything.

2008-07-19T23:43:00.003-04:00

I found twenty-three cents today--two dimes and three pennies.

The first dime was on the ground in the parking lot at the movie theater, where Noah and I saw Space Chimps. (Some children's movies are decent, if not downright good. This was bad. I did catch a nap during it, though, so that was pretty nice.) The penny was on the ground by the snack area.

The other dime and the other two pennies were on the ground during a walk I took to the downtown area this evening.

2008-07-18T23:59:00.002-04:00

I found a penny today, on the ground at the local coffee shop, and Noah picked it up for me.

2008-07-17T00:23:00.000-04:00

I don't think I found anything.

2008-07-16T00:35:00.001-04:00

I found one penny. It was on the ground as I returned to my car after picking up an iced coffee at Dunkin' Donuts before work. It was a tough day at the office.

2008-07-15T00:32:00.000-04:00

I didn't find anything, for the second straight day. Noah also batted an oh-fer.

2008-07-14T23:13:00.002-04:00

I didn't find anything today, but Noah called to tell me that he "found a piece of money." It was a penny. I'm counting it and adding it to his ever-growing collection.

2008-07-13T00:30:00.001-04:00

I found five cents, pennies all.

The first one was on the ground in the parking lot at work. The other four were out and about during an evening walk.

2008-07-12T00:25:00.002-04:00

Found sixty-nine cents--two quarters, one dime, one nickel and four pennies--batting for the cycle and bringing the quest to an even $705.

Noah found the first penny, on the ground outside of Whole Foods, where we had a bite for brunch.

I found the nickel at the Lawrence Library.

The dime was next, on the ground at a pizza shop in Point Pleasant, where we hit the boardwalk during the late afternoon and early evening. I also found the two quarters--Connecticut and Massachusetts models--and the second penny while at the old boards. (Noah won a box of blow pops, enjoyed some rides, had some treats and generally had a good time. I also got a squished penny and a token from an arcade, though there were a number of pennies I couldn't get because it was so packed. And Hurricane Bertha made for an odd sandbar-ish beach configuration.)

The final two pennies were on the ground during a quick walk to pick up some lemons.

2008-07-11T23:06:00.001-04:00

I found one cent today, on the ground in the parking lot of a Quick Chek, where Noah and I stopped as we hit the beach this morning.

2008-07-10T23:36:00.001-04:00

I found eleven cents today, a dime and a penny, both during a walk to the downtown this morning. The penny was in the CVS parking lot and the dime was in the street near the coffee shop.

2008-07-09T23:39:00.001-04:00

I found sixteen cents today--a dime, a nickel and a penny. All were at the College of New Jersey.

2008-07-08T23:29:00.001-04:00

I didn't find anything today, ending the month's perfect streak.

2008-07-07T09:14:00.002-04:00

I found one dollar and seventy-one cents--six quarters, three nickels and six pennies.

The bulk of the change was in the reject bin of a coin-sorting machine at the grocery market by my house: all six quarters, including a Louisiana model and a New Hampshire model; all three nickels; and four of the pennies.

The next penny, which has a sharp bend on the tip, was in the parking lot by a local bank where I've been depositing money for Noah since before he was born.

The final penny was on the ground by a concession stand at Citizens Bank Park, where the hometown nine lost. Though they made it interesting, they're still showing no inclination that they want this thing.

2008-07-06T23:46:00.001-04:00

I found three cents today.

The first two pennies were on the ground during an early-morning coffee run. The third was during an early-evening coffee run. Moral of the story: drink more coffee?

2008-07-05T05:07:00.000-04:00

I found one penny, on the ground by CVS.

2008-07-04T00:53:00.001-04:00

Liza found a penny at Jersey Freeze and graciously donated it to the quest.

Happy fourth....

2008-07-03T23:55:00.002-04:00

I found four cents today, plus a button and a fake penny. I was hoping to find three cents.

The first penny was in the street as I walked in to Super Fresh to pick up the Sporting News. Or whatever that paper is called. It's in the car, so I'm not sure. Baseball Today (with a touch of football)? The second penny was inside, I think. I'm really groggy.

The third penny was on the ground outside of the Home Depot, where I went to check out the landscaping goods and ended up buying some stakes to set in place the lid of a small well in our front yard. I'm not sure what it's about, the well.

The fourth pennyw as on the ground by the cash registers at Wegmans. Here, I also found the fake penny and the button.

-------

Anyway, I was hoping to find only three cents today to keep up with the tally=day run. I had one cent on the first and two on the second. I'm not sure the furthest I've ever gone, and I'm not sure it would add up to if I kept up the pace the entire month, but I thought it would be an interesting feat.

2008-07-02T23:36:00.001-04:00

I found two cents today.

The first was on the ground outside the bank. The second was on the ground inside the gym.

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Update: I remembered where I found the penny from the other day. It was at Noah's school.

2008-07-01T23:52:00.001-04:00

I found one penny today. It was on the ground outside of my dry-cleaner.

2008-06-30T23:45:00.000-04:00

I found one penny. I forget where.

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June stats and streaks
- Total found: $12.84
- Year-to-date total: $28.14
- On pace for this year: $56.28, trending greatly upward
- Largest one-day total: $10.90 on June 20
- Largest one-day total, discounting the abnormal find: thirty-eight cents
- Lowest one-day total: one cent, five times
- Daily average: 43 cents
- Days with no finds: eleven
- Double-digit days: eight
- Dollar days: one
- State quarters: Virginia, Vermont, Kentucky and Mississippi
- Foreign coins: United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Portugal, Japan and the fifteen nations that share the euro
- Favorite post: June 21
- Record of the hometown nine: not sure, given that they've started playing terribly I've decided to take a vacation from them
- Pennies: one hundred and nine
- Nickels: nineteen
- Dimes: seventy-three
- Quarters: fourteen

2008-06-29T06:12:00.001-04:00

I didn't find anything.

2008-06-28T21:08:00.002-04:00

Found twenty-nine cents today--a quarter and four pennies, plus a British pence.

The first three pennies, one of which Liza spotted, were on the ground where we ate after seeing Wall-E. (Good movie. Not exactly for young children, but harmless. And quick.)

The quarter, a Virginia model, and the other penny were on the ground inside Target, where I just ran to pick up a few household items.

2008-06-27T23:43:00.002-04:00

I found a quarter today, a Vermont model, underneath a bench near some fountains by a local Panera Bread Co.

--

So, there's a bird dying on my front lawn. I'm not sure what happened--old age?--but it's perched amid some grass standing very still. It was lightly chirping in the afternoon and just now I went to pick it up and it flapped its wings slowly. I'll check again in the morning.

2008-06-26T23:42:00.001-04:00

I didn't find anything today.

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The Phillies stink. I have less faith in them holding on this year than I did in them coming back last year.

2008-06-25T23:27:00.002-04:00

I found two cents today, as well as a two German pfennig coin.

The first penny was amid some candy at WaWa. The second was on the ground as I was walking out of Wegmans, where I picked up tonight's dinner.

2008-06-24T23:58:00.003-04:00

I found thirty-six cents today, in the form of a quarter, a dime and a penny. It was all in various spots during a walk I took this morning to pick up a small pint of milk.

2008-06-23T22:43:00.001-04:00

I didn't find anything today.

2008-06-22T22:09:00.001-04:00

I found one penny today. It was on the ground in the parking lot at the local market, where I stopped on the way home from work.

2008-06-21T11:24:00.002-04:00

Found thirty-eight cents--a quarter, a nickel and eight pennies.

I found the quarter, the nickel and the first four pennies during an early-morning bike ride. I woke up at 11 and couldn't fall back asleep.

Noah found the next penny, a 1999 model, on the ground in the cafe at Barnes & Nobel. He also got two Kung Fu Panda books. Ska-doosh.

And I found the final three pennies on the ground at the College of New Jersey.

2008-06-20T23:59:00.002-04:00

Found ten dollars and ninety cents today, vaulting the quest over $700: ten quarters, sixty-eight dimes, eight-teen nickels and seventy pennies. Plus, I found two Canadian quarters, a Canadian penny and Portuguese coin.

First, Noah found and delivered the quarter mentioned the other day. He tucked it away inside a turtle figure we have. Mommy actually found it, and Noah's been on quite a drought lately, but we're counting it toward the totals.

Next, I found two cents while I went to the gym and Liza found one while she went to the store.

Then I found a cache of coins in the reject bin of a coin-counting machine. Here, eight quarters (including Kentucky and Mississippi models), all the dimes and all the nickels, and sixty-two of the day's pennies were found. Plus, the aforementioned foreign coins.

Finally, I found with Liza and Noah the final quarter and last five pennies during a late-afternoon trip to the beach and the requisite stop for ice cream.

All in all, not a bad day at the office for the quest. The hometown nine, that's another matter...

2008-06-19T23:55:00.001-04:00

I found one penny today, during a late-evening walk to the market. It's badly scratched on both sides.

2008-06-18T23:59:00.003-04:00

I found two cents today.

The first penny was by a curb as I was walking into the office this morning. The second was on the ground by the locker I selected at the gym; weird thing about it was that I didn't notice it at first.

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So, me and Noah couldn't locate the quarter he "found" yesterday. Turns out Mommy is the one who outpointed it anyway.

2008-06-17T23:53:00.003-04:00

I didn't find anything today. Noah found a quarter at the playground with Mom this evening, but she said he's not donating it the quest, preferring instead to use it on a gumball machine at a local greasy spoon. I'll inquire about it in the morning.

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Anyway, awhile back I was "tagged" to write six-word memoir, and I told myself the other day I'd do it the next time I didn't find anything. So here goes: I love family, friends, the Phillies.