"Will Break for Pennies!"

Ok, I've either hit a new low or am so dedicated to the penny project that all pride has gone out the window. Actually...pride went out the window as soon as I started rooting in gutters for loose change. But now I've found new and improved ways to astound relative strangers with the dedication I have to giving stray pennies a home!

Part I--Plebes & Pennies
Ok, so they weren't plebes, they were firsties...but that lacks alliteration, so I took artistic license! I guess I could have called it cadets and coins. Whatever. Bygones.

Anyhow...I hosted some cadets a few weeks ago who were in town for the National Marathon. They were so much fun and made wonderful house guests! We did lots of chatting about life at West Point in the year 2008 and what they could look forward to after graduation! And of course, I told them about the Penny Project and made them swear their support by agreeing to pick up any change they saw on the race route. The may have thought I was crazy...but they were polite and hid it well.

The next day I took them to pick up their registration packets and peruse the expo (which was honestly a bit sad for a marathon!). All was well and good (and even normal) until we went to leave the expo. As I pulled out of my parking space and did a U-turn around the median dividing the road, a little copper sparkle caught my eye. Yes...it was a penny.

I know what you're thinking. "Too bad you were in a car and couldn't grab it." If you actually thought that I'm wondering...do you know me at all?! I promptly finished the U-turn, slammed the car to a screeching halt, put on the hazard lights (because what's more hazardous than running across a somewhat busy street to recover a penny?), and leapt out of the car to grab the little sucker!

The cadets looked up at me with puzzled expressions on their faces as I triumphantly held up a shiny cent. They sort of shook their heads in amazement (while still trying to be respectful of a former Captain and full grown woman playing in traffic for $.01). But then it got good. As I headed back to the car I stopped dead in my tracks and screamed, "Holy crap!"

There in the gutter (previously obscured from view as I haphazardly stopped by the median) was something that warmed the cockles of my heart (which was quite frankly necessary that day as it was FREEZING outside). Not one, not two, not even three...but TWELVE more pennies. I was ecstatic...although I think those who witnessed the event were a bit confused! But hey...12 more wayward pennies got to join the good fight and become part of something greater. That's worth confusing a few pedestrians, don't you think?!

I gathered up the dozen Lincolns as quickly as I could and got back in the car before there was too much of a scene (a little bit of a scene never hurt anyone...and it does keep life entertaining!). Off went the hazard lights and on we drove to the pre-race pasta dinner...laughing all the way at the thought of a former cadet playing in traffic to become 12 cents richer!

Stay tuned for "Will Break for Pennies" part II...the taxi cab edition!