The Pretty Penny

We've Moved!!

2011-02-02T03:05:00.001-05:00

Miss the witty penny stories? Want to know how much we've collected? You still can!!

We've relocated to a NEW site and you can find us on Facebook!!

Stop by & see what's new!

Join us at our new blog location at http://thepennyproject.wordpress.com/

or

"Like" The Penny Project Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/PennyProject

We hope to see you there!

Who Put That Penny There?!

2010-02-02T00:04:00.003-05:00

I absolutely LOVE when people send me penny stories! It happened again today when Joy, a friend from high school (whom facebook has been kind enough to reconnect me with!), sent me the following story.

Her note said:

"I don't know if you are religious or not... but I know how much you love collecting pennies and I thought of you when I read this."

The funny thing is that I've been saying for the past few years how I really feel pennies are The Universe (& God) telling me I'm on the right path.

When I go tot he gym and find a penny...God is telling me he's proud of me for swimming a few laps. When I walk to Target to return a shirt and find a penny...I believe it's The Universe telling me I really didn't need it anyway!

Today I went to the bank to close an account (in an effort to go from three banks to two & simplify my life). Outside the bank I found FIVE pennies. Certainly God was telling me simplifying my life was good thing!

So this story is right in line with my penny beliefs. Whatever your beliefs are, I hope it makes you smile and remember that when you find a penny somewhere...it might be more than just a cent. It might be a message from God!

Cheers!

Lucky Pennies
You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live... The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.

Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

"Look at it," he said. "Read what it says."

She read the words, “United States of America."

"No, not that. Read further."

"One cent?" she tried again.

"Nope, keep reading."

"In God we Trust?"

"Yes!" he shouted with delight.

She still wasn’t sure where this was going, "And?" she continued.

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by?”

“When I see a coin, I pray. I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!”

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient.

My Favorite 2009 Story--Brides, Bulls & Buck$

2010-01-05T19:24:00.000-05:00

Hands down, Misty was the coolest bride ever.

Not only did she plan the perfect wedding, she also lasted 8 seconds on the bull AND...

found a dollar for The Penny Project!

I have the best friends in the world. Really! In July, not only did I get to be a bridesmaid in my friend Misty's wedding...but she ended up finding all sorts of money for The Penny Project! A dime at the rehearsal dinner. A dollar in the bar we hit post-reception (see the bull-riding pics of Misty in her wedding dress...best bull ride ever!). AND...she texted me from her cruise ship letting me know she'd already found 26 cents so far on the honeymoon.

But what does it all mean?

Clearly, these were all pennies from heaven! Not only did the universe smile on me giving me one of the most fun bridal party experiences on record...but it smiled on Misty & David with signs every day that they belong together. If $1.36 doesn't tell you that...I don't know what does!

I wish you both a life of happiness. And pennies of course! :-)

A Creative Penny Picture

2009-12-02T17:12:00.003-05:00

Check out this picture of a giraffe created from pennies. Just goes to show...a few pennies can be interesting, fun, and even help inspire people to save the planet! :-)

More Messages & Penny Finds!

2009-11-07T16:54:00.011-05:00

Ah, the never ending search for pennies. I love it!!! You never know where it will take you or what you will find. I continue to have folks e-mail & text me with their finds (ok, sure...my mom & dad are the main supporters...but that counts!!). Below are the latest batch of text messages & e-mails. They still make me smile! Hard to believe a little penny could bring such excitement. It's true that we should pay more attention to the small things in life (and the big ones if you're my paper-money finding friends!).

Hope you enjoy this next batch of found money updates as much as I did!

"The First Team--Mom found a penny in Amarillo, TX and I found three (count them, three!!!) while I was pumping gas in Altus, OK. Man, we're good." --Dad 8/24/09

"you rock just found a penny. i love you." --April C. 8/29/09

"I just found a penny at a truckstop in Limon." --Paul G. 9/7/09

"Yeah I don't think I've ever got this excited about finding a penny!" --Paul G. 9/7/09

"Another one. I found a dime walking in to the Walmart yesterday." --Dad 9/7/09

"FYI--Nancy found a penny yesterday! Add it to the spreadsheet. I'll send it to you." --Jenn C. 9/18/09

"metro penny yesterday. 2 along my walk to work this a.m. Woo-hoo!!" --Julia B. 10/7/09

"$20!!!!!! Wholefoods parking lot :)" --Illeny M. 10/7/09

"Just found a dime!" --Misty C. 10/8/09

"another metro penny just now. Lincoln face up, just when I needed a smile!! :-)" --Julia B. 10/15/09

"Big Day!! While working at Lake Las Vegas today, One of the other guys found a nickel on the seat of the boat we were in. I talked him into donating it to the penny project. While waking McGruff tonight, I found a dime!!! Life is good." --Dad 10/18/09

"Big Find! While I was walking McGruff this morning, I found a quarter!" --Dad 10/22/09

"I FOUND A QUARTER enroute to work this morning. I lost my phone so don't have easy access to track down phone numbers so didn't leave a vm like usual, but this one was great - in the intersection resting on one of those manhole covers...sufficiently dingy and battered but def recognizable. I looked both ways and snatched it :). I was ecstatic." --Julia B. 10/30/09

"Found a dollar today!" --Misty C. 11/3/09

"Found 2 pennies so far today!" --Misty C. 11/7/09

$100?! Oh Well...It Was the Thought That Counted!

2009-10-30T21:13:00.000-04:00

The Penny Project is ever expanding. New pennies, new people, new unbelievable stories!

The author of this story was a student in one of my facilitation classes and had already landed on the spreadsheet with his 4-cent find from the sushi restaurant where we dined during our week in class. But he's larger than life and I knew I hadn't heard the last of him with those 4 cents!

A few weeks ago he sent this story, which he wasn't sure was appropriate for the penny blog (so he shall remain nameless to protect him, me & the...uh-hum...intereting woman in his story!). But I'm a firm believe we all need a little crazy every now & then. Don't you think?!

So enjoy his tale and know that I almost refused to believe it was true (just like the rest of the students in his class didn't believe the WHOLE Penny Project was real...imagine!). But he assures me it is 100% true. 100% truth that cost us $100. Eeeek!

Leslie,

Actually do have a story… but not sure it’s good for your “penny” blog.

A group of us went to P.F. Chang’s for lunch. While standing outside I found a $100 bill on the ground… wrapped perfectly…like a squashed cigarette – square and precise.

Remembering that I had only seen people go into the restaurant since I had been standing there I figured it had to have been dropped by someone walking in.

..so…

I went inside and announced to the waiting crowd that I had found some money… did anybody lose any…

Well.. this EXTREMELY well endowed woman came bouncing up to me… hand deep in her Victoria’s Secret creation…designed more to keep her silicone safe rather than financial instruments…

Indicating that she placed a $100 bill there for safe keeping and it was now nowhere to be found….and trying to persuade me to inspect her area of safekeeping to validate her story.

She further went on to give me the information that her “friend” had given it to her to go for lunch….. not 30 minutes ago.

Now, not being one to want to speculate on the nature of the transaction... or how this tightly wadded bill had been put into its place of safekeeping…I gladly handed her back the money. Which she gratefully accepted and went bouncing back into line….telling all who would listen how “it has just fallen out.”

So I am afraid your penny collection almost had an extra $100 … but was beaten out by my fascination that there are still woman who use that location for safe keeping…

:-)

Good Thing I Have Unlimited Texting...

2009-08-10T20:54:00.000-04:00

God bless picture texts!!

Here's April's big find...she put it in a baggie to preserve the nastiness for me!

The beat goes on...and so do the penny texts. Honestly...they just keep rolling in. And each one makes me chuckle. It's almost as good as being the one that finds the penny! I never knew how important unlimited texting was until I started The Penny Project. People love telling me about their finds as much as I love hearing about them. Wahoo!

Enjoy this installment of texts from the penny path...

Penny Texts (& an E-mail or Two) Part Deux:

"Dime. Penny. Penny. Wahoo!" by Sarah S. on July 11, 2009

"Penny!" by Sarah S. on July 11, 2009

"Nick gave me the found quarter. Add it you!" by Sarah S. on July 11, 2009

"Nickel!" by Sarah S. on July 11, 2009

"Don't harass me. I found a penny yesterday!" by Jerry S. on July 15, 2009

"$1 paper, Whole F" by Illeny M. on July 15, 2009

"2 pennies and just found 2 dimes. You must really be thinking about me. What a week. When you get some time lets catch up." by April C. on July 16, 2009

"One dime and five pennies at LAS! Geez i love airports." by Darlene S. on July 16, 2009

"Rack me up 5 more pennies from LAX!" by Darlene S. on July 16, 2009

"Fyi...found 26 cents...one penny as we were boarding the ship...the quarter in the airport" by Misty L. on July 19, 2009 (the first day of her honeymoon!)

"I swear I just heard a nickel drop on the ground! Ugh." by Sarah S. on July 22, 2009

"Dime. This is getting silly." by Sarah S. on July 24, 2009

"Hi. I'm Sarah Stein and I'm a dimeaholic." by Sarah S. on July 24, 2009

"Might have gotten diseased from the penny i just picked up. Gotta love airports." by Sarah S. on July 24, 2009

"A man dropped a penny and didn't even care. 6 more pennies found." by Sarah S. on July 24, 2009

"i found a dollar. i will put it in a bag so u get the full effect of the nastiness. u must love me." by April C. on July 29, 2009

"My goal is to average 1 penny a day over the year :)" by Illeny M. on July 31, 2009

"Found a quarter on the golf course, a dime on the metro and a penny on my run, you must really love me." by April C. on Aug 8, 2009

"Allie - nickel. dime! Taco Bell drive thru. I train them well." by Sarah S. on Aug 8, 2009

"Wally World Strikes Again. I found another penny at Walmart yesterday. I'll bring the cash stash on the trip." by Jerry S. (in an e-mail) on Aug 10, 2009

"Want my two cents?"

"Found two pennies today!"

"Have a handful of change for you when you come!" Series of 3 by Misty L. on Aug 10, 2009

Please Leave Your Pennies After the Beep...BEEP!

2009-07-28T15:29:00.007-04:00

One of the best parts about being me is the calls I get about penny finding. These calls are absolutely priceless and come more often than you'd think! Not a week after jumping out of my car at an on ramp, I got a call from one of my best friends telling me she'd done the same thing!

A few weeks ago I got a call from my dad saying he was stopped at a light and spied a few pennies out his window. He opened the door to get out and my mom yelled, "Do you see pennies?!" Not only did he think it was totally natural to just jump out of the car at this intersection...but my mom knew exactly what he was doing. And dare I say, she was jealous SHE didn't see them so she could be the one to jump out in traffic!

Since many of these calls are conversations that I know the gist of but don't have recorded, I can't share the specifics of them with you. BUT...I do occasionally get a voice mail message. Those I CAN share with you!

Below are two recent voice mails I received Re: The Penny Project. I tried to punctuate to convey the emotion of the messages. Not sure I was 100% accurate...but I think you get the idea.

Enjoy what comes after my "beep"...and know that your penny messages are always welcome!

Call #1:
Hey Leslie, it's Julia. I hope you're havin' a good week. I understand you're being exhausted but I have this great penny story that I just had to share with you.

I was trying to go to Target near your house, um, for my little midnight run and unfortunately it closes at 10 and I got there at like 10 after 10, hoping that it was open until 11. No luck.

Anyhow...As I was crossing the street to get to the other side...um...I saw a penny. But it was buried in the tar so like the tail side was up and, um...but I had like 25 seconds...to cross. So I dug it out Leslie. I dug it out. I did. And I have the penny now with the dirty Lincoln face to show for it. That I hope to pass on to you. Soon.

Alright chica, God bless you. Will talk to you soon. Bye.

Call #2:
Penny, penny, penny, dime. YES! 13 cents at the McDonald's drive thru. Oh yeahhhh.

So I looked like an idiot. I was like, "Oh...I dropped my change." (Laughing) And she like rolled her eyes at me but I don't care 'cause I got 13 more cents. I do have a lot of dimes come up for this year.

Ok, bye.

The Penny Project Is Unbelievable!

2009-06-16T18:27:00.006-04:00

My Dallas EF Class...believers (and even a few contributors) in the Penny Project! Thanks Grant, Carol, Lester, Kim & Jackie for adding with your finds & donations!

Literally, I told a group of my students about The Penny Project last week and one of them didn't believe me! I was using the story in the context of how things build over time (in this case, their facilitation skills). I said I started facilitating about a month before I started The Penny Project. Then one day I looked up and realized...a) I'd become a pretty good facilitator and b) There was over $500 in the penny account. When did these two things happen?! It was a perfect way of explaining how with practice, their skills would conitue to grow over time...so I can see how it might sound made up!

The way I convinced the students this wasn't a made up story was two fold. First, I showed them the spread sheet (seriously...hard not to believe me when I pull up 2+ years of financial data in 7-cent increments!). Second, I showed them a few of my text messages. I thought it was funny that I had saved a few. Little did I know I had stored 26 penny-related text messages in my phone!

I have shared a few on the blog...but the collection in it's entirety is quite amusing. So, I'm sharing them with all of you and hope they make you smile like they did me!

Penny Texts:
1) "Odeto TrackCHange:I'mstanringatchangeonthe tracks. Dimes.Pennies.Ithinka quarter.IfonlyIcouldreachthem. Justalittlefarther. Stretcharmstretch! Oh shit.The train...:-)" by Chele B. on March 10, 2008
2) "I just said, out loud...oh, I need to count pennies...I thought you would be proud!" by Amy D. on March 15, 2008
3) "2 pennies on the way to work--heads side up!" by Steph G. on April 29, 2008
4) "My parents are visitng and my dad found two pennies and a dime for you" by Heather R. on May 2, 2008
5) "Now mom found a penny for you. It's a family affair. We're on a roll!" by Heather R. on May 3, 2009
6) "3 pennies today. 2 with my boss. He asked why I was picking up pennies. ;-)" by April C. on July 14, 2008
7) "He thought I was crazy until I explained what you were doing." by April C. on July 14, 2008
8) "He asked if the charity was how to not get hit by a car when picking up pennies in the middle of the street." by April C. on July 14, 2008
9) "We were crossing the street at the time, but we had the crossing sign." by April C. on July 14, 2008
10) "You got a convert..." by April C. on July 14, 2008
11) "Dime at the metro. I need a tetnus shot, but I picked it up." by April C. on July 23, 2008
12) "Got ur penny pic ;>)...found 30 cents today...asst scoutmaster found two pennies too...now u've got the boy scouts on ur side...:-)" by Chele B. on September 27, 2008
13) "Eoin found a penny" by Dan J. on November 6, 2008
14) "Deghlan found a penny at Starbucks...ironic since their stock is worth about that!!" by Dan J. on November 22, 2008
15) "11 cents" by April C. on November 25, 2008
16) "2 pennies this morning and one the other day. I am on a roll, that is why there is butter on my pants. Ha-ha!" by April C. on December 18, 2008
17) Fox news profiling family that picks up change and blogs about it!!! Last name was Humphrey. Talkn bout xtreme penny retrieval including leapn out of a car on bridge" by Chele B. on January 25, 2009
18) "Penny for ya" by April C. on May 13, 2009
19) "Penny. Dime. Nickel. Don't mess!" by Sarah S. on May 26, 2009
20) "Just found $6 in NYC :)" by Illeny M. on June 6, 2009
21) "Add another .13 to that. All within 30 mins :)" by Illeny M. on June 7, 2009
22) "Quarter, nickel. Bring it silver!" by Sarah S. on June 8, 2009
23) "So nasty you can barely tell it is a penny. Must remember to wash my hand. Thinking of you sweets." by April C. on June 8, 2009
24) "Today's find: 3 quarters, 2 dimes, 3 pennies :)" by Illeny M. on June 10, 2009
25) "Penny, penny...dime!" by Sarah S. on June 11, 2009
26) "John-dime!" by Sarah S. on June 15, 2009

There's been dozens more...but my phone memory is only so big! Thanks to my main contributors...you guys really make me laugh! And if you didn't make this listing...keep the texts coming! They're hilarious and will probably make an appearance on an upcoming blog!

The Toll Booth...Round 2

2009-06-01T16:38:00.002-04:00

You probably thought it couldn't get any sillier than me hopping out of my car on the way though toll booths on the way home from my sister's house. But you'd be wrong.

The weekend after my infamous toll booth score (tolls paid = $1.25, money found = $1.26, net gain = $.01), I had to go out to Ashburn again for a surprise slumber/birthday party (yes, this is my life). There were 4 of us in the car on the way out there and of course, I asked if anyone would mind a small delay in the toll booth area as I perused the road for dropped change.

Being my friends, the girls agreed (although they clearly thought I was nuts). Turns out it was an even better score than before as I found almost $1.50 at one of the toll booths. Yahoo! I was pretty excited and couldn't wait to share my find with the other slumber party attendees (although a good half of us were in this car!).

My friends are used to my particular brand of crazy by this point, so no one thought it was unusual that I'd had the driver follow behind me as I walked through the toll area in search of change. Well...at least it wasn't unusual for me (which is kind of sad now that I think about it!).

We had a smashing time that evening which included several bottles of champagne, a game of 31-questions on how well we knew the birthday girl (who was turning 31...hence the 31 questions), and a midnight viewing of "Step It Up," which may have been the highlight of the evening.

But the REAL highlight of the weekend came the next day when 3 of us headed back to the city...through two more toll booths!

As we approached the first one, I hopped out of the car and commenced searching as my friend eased up to the booth behind me. The attendant looked at me and shook his head but was clearly enjoying my little display of change-gathering. I told him not to worry...my friend had an EZ-pass and we were definitely paying the toll. I let him know the change would be going to charity. He didn't seem to mind and was friendly about the whole exchange. Sweet...over 70 cents collect and one toll booth operator amused for the afternoon.

Off to toll booth stop #2.

At stop #2, the traffic was a little crazy in the lane we chose. The guy two cars ahead of us was having some issues. This didn't bother me in the least as it just gave me more time for my search. I hopped out a few car lengths back from the toll collecting basket and started looking. When the big, red SUV between my friend & the guy slowing down traffic pulled forward...I was in change-finding heaven. There were quarters EVERYWHERE! It was a change bonanza!

I threw up the official sign for stop, just like I was one of the Supremes or something, and halted my friend as I proceeded to snatch up the quarters.

Suddenly, I heard a voice from behind me..."Ma'am! MA'AM!"

"Oh, don't mind me," I said. "I'm just picking up change for charity."

The woman did not seem amused. "There's cameras watching you!"

"Sweet!" I replied.

Apparently, this was not what she wanted to hear. "Ma'am...you can't do that! There's cameras."

At this point I realized she was not at all like the amused toll booth operator from the first stop. She was more like an evil rule enforcer and was about to take down my friend's plate #s to make sure we'd get a ticket. I jumped back in my friend's car screaming, "Go! Go! Go!" as we headed out of the toll booth area.

I'm not sure she actually got the plate number (and there has been no ticket sent to my friend). But I am sure we had a major score at that stop...13 quarters plus other assorted change equalling $4.55. Talk about an exciting day for penny finders everywhere!

So that is my latest change finding excursion. It may or may not have resulted in a $50 ticket for breaking some kind of un-posted "don't get out of your car in a toll-booth" rule...but at the end of the day, I think it was worth it. We laughed all the way home!

I realize my brand of crazy isn't something everyone aspires to (although my sister apparently tried to stop in a toll area the next day when traffic was much heavier and called me in amazement over my ability to collect so much change via the toll roads!) but I encourage you to find your own brand of crazy. Something that only you might be willing to do...but you know you'll have a great time doing it.

And if you find a penny along the way...be sure to let us know!

Penny Picker-Upper Synergy...1+1=3

2009-05-11T15:47:00.004-04:00

The "Kulh Girls Travel Guide" makes mention of The Penny Project!

And check out that coaster-sized penny!

I love spending time with good friends...especially when I get to be a tour guide in my own city. And DOUBLE especially when my friends play along with my love of penny finding!

Such was the case when my best friend from high school came to visit DC for a few days with her mom & sister. We had a brilliant time, painting the town red! We also had amazing success in penny finding while they were here, finding pennies & other assorted change everywhere we went...even in the lawn at the National Cathedral (seriously...good eye, Jane!). Honestly...in just 5 days we collectively found $2.11! Talk about synergy! The excitement and penny spotting skills just kept building and building the entire visit! And now that they're home, they're still on the look out! They've enlisted the help of family and found an additional $0.55. Score!

Anyhow, on their last day in town, I had a work event that forced me to leave my friends to their own devices. I came home to 3 sticky notes, each one with their individual finds for the day along with some clever commentary.

They also wrote a rather clever "travel guide review," which they left on the table with a coaster-sized penny to hold it in place! Maybe there's a Penny Project Bed & Breakfast in my future! See the original review and penny in the picture (above) and the text of the write up below. And see if you can find a friend to spot pennies with...it really does make it fun!

Kuhl Girls Travel Guide

Leslie's Bed & Breakfast--(*****)Five Stars

If you're looking for fun in the DC area--Leslie's B&B is the place to be! Not only will she risk traffic tickets to be curbside to pick you up at the airport, she'll brave the harrowing streets and parking while shuttling you around in luxury (can't beat the Geo)! The perfect tour guide for the standard fare as well as the off-the-beaten path quirkiness the city has to offer. Try not to miss all of the sites while you're being trained by the master @ coin collecting for The Penny Project. The only drawback to this beautiful and cozy condo (with the largest patio in the entire city!) is your ego being smashed at the nightly Scrabble tournament. And last but not least, the food is awesome and the stories are legendary.

Call for Reservations!

My Glass is Half-Full...of Pennies!

2009-05-11T00:10:00.004-04:00

Ok, so finding pennies has become the center of my universe. This might be upsetting or completely bizarre if I didn't continually learn new things about myself, the world, or how simple shifts in perspective can create big change (no pun intended) in your life.

My sister and I used to live on the same street in Washington, DC and got to hang out all the time. But one day, she met a great guy and bought a house out in the 'burbs. We still like to hang out but more times than not, she's the one coming this way because well...it is the city and there's so much more going on here. That and the $6+ in tolls to get to her house (one-way) are a butt kicker.

Now, there is a way to get out there without taking the toll roads, but it takes an extra 30 minutes and can be seriously impeded by stop & go traffic between the myriad of lights on the route. Not so much fun.

There's a route that seems to be the middle ground between fast and cheap (shall we call that feap? chast?) that costs $1.25 each way. Not so bad. But even with this route as an option, I'm still not so thrilled about dragging myself all the way out to the 'burbs on a regular basis.

Well...I WASN'T thrilled about it. Until tonight.

Since it was late when I was driving home I decided that it would be ok to open my car door in the tool booth area to see if there might be any dropped change. After all...not all drivers are going to have good aim as they speed down the highway, sometimes barely slowing down for the toll booths.

So there I am, 50 cent toll in hand when I pop my head out the door. No cars behind me...so I step out to see what I can find. Turns out, this stop was a gold mine! 2 quarters, 5 dimes and a penny. Woo-hoo!

When I got to the second toll booth I could barely wait to pull into the lane. Again there was no one behind me, so I opened my door and stepped out. This time, I found 2 dimes, 5 pennies & a Canadian quarter....that I could pick up. There was also a bevy of change sunken into the asphalt from being driven over repeatedly. Probably close to $2 in dimes and quarters. It was crazy! I dropped my 75 cents in the basket and pulled away as soon as I saw a car approaching the lane. As I pulled away, I thought about the trip to and from my sister's house.

Here I had been hemming and hawing about the toll to come visit my sister and it turns out...tonight I actually MADE money on the venture! I paid $1.25 in tolls and came away with $1.26 for the Penny Project (plus one wayward Canadian quarter). Once I realized how much fun it is going through toll booths, I could hardly wait for my next visit to the 'burbs!

So I present to you this: Where you find "half-empty glasses" in your life, look for ways to fill them up (or at least ways to see them as half-full!). Maybe you can make that mental shift with pennies...maybe with something else. But in the long run, you're definitely better off (and sometimes a penny richer) if you can find a way to make toll booths an adventure and visiting your sister something to look forward to instead of dreading.

**Note to my sister who will hopefully read this at some point: the dread is all about the drive out there...not you! You're fabulous! :-)

Penny Converts...Gotta Love It!

2009-05-10T23:35:00.001-04:00

I love to hear from penny-picker-uppers, friends, and others who have heard about The Penny Project. Especially when they're telling me there's penny converts out there! My friend Laura featured our pennies on her blog (which she's done again with a follow-up photo story, check it out at: http://theadventurousphotographer.com/). A few weeks after the first story, she forwarded me the following message. Ah, the sweet victory of winning over a new penny seeker! And I love that she's turned it into a game with her son!

Pennies, bringing the world together!

Laura's Message:

Leslie,

Thought you'd get a kick out of this note from on of my blog readers!

Laura

Laura, you are welcome. You inspired me to save pennies. After reading your blog, I was at the grocery store. The women in front of me dropped a coin. A silver coin. A dime. Too lazy to pick it up, I seized the opportunity, thought of you and now, am 10 cents richer. LOL. My son and I are having a little contest because he loves picking up pennies. Now, so do I.

Pennies...Bait for Humans (or at Least the Ones that Pick Up Pennies!)

2009-04-27T13:35:00.006-04:00

John's $12.74 Finds So Far in 2009

One of our best penny-picker-uppers sent this message after the last penny update. I love that his friends consider him to be so fearless for picking up a gunk-encrusted coin! If that's fearless, what would they think of my reaching into puddles or snagging pennies from the floor of the Metrobus?! Yikes!

Hey Leslie,

I've got another pile o' change for you. I've collected a bunch in my travels the last couple weeks. I even dug a penny, with a plastic knife mind you, out of the crack between boards on Fisherman's Wharf in San Fran last week! It was all covered in gook. I wrapped it in a napkin, so you can bask in the glory of the gook..now dried. :0) I was considered very "brave" going for that one.

_john

A Penny Preview...

2009-04-02T15:53:00.003-04:00

Pennies are fun...and if you follow this link (http://theadventurousphotographer.com/) some of them are even getting famous!

Laura posted a teaser of the penny story on her blog along with some fantastic photos. The top photo includes some of 2008's worst pennies. I framed 2007's hundred worst pennies (like a business framing its first dollar!)...but 2008's worst pennies are still waiting patiently in my window sill to see where they might end up!

Street Cleaning...Makes No Cents!

2009-04-02T12:31:00.002-04:00

Spring is in the air. The blossoms are blooming, the air is full of palpable excitement for the nice weather just around the corner, and...street cleaning is starting up again. Eh? Yes...the winter break for street sweepers is over and on my walk downtown yesterday I saw an entire army of men with brooms and dustpans.

During that same walk I realized I found a mere fraction of the pennies I normally find when I walk downtown. So what gives?

Well...I'm betting those cute clean little gutters had been filled with pennies before the army of street sweepers showed up. In fact, I had an incredible urge to grab those dustpans and dump them out in search of pennies!

The lesson here is that as happy as I am to see signs of spring and as ready as I am to put away my sweaters for the season...I do realize the season might impact my penny finding. Guess that means I'll have to get more crafty in my search. New ideas are always welcome!

My 2¢ For Today

2009-03-14T23:42:00.004-04:00

Some days are full of sunshine & shiny pennies. Other days...crusty, barely identifiable coins and rain. Today was the latter.

But here's the thing about days like today...despite the rain and the two pennies I found absolutely covered in muck (seriously...I can barely ID heads from tails on one of them!), it was still a wonderful day. The dirty pennies are almost more fun to find. No, scratch that. They ARE the most fun to find!

I'm not exactly sure why I love the chewed-up, beat-up, dirty, gross pennies the most. Maybe it's my own amazement at seeing them in the first place. Or perhaps it's my sheer audacity at being unafraid of the germs I'm exposing myself to when I pick them up. Or still yet it might be the realization that many, many people walk right by these little hidden gems and never bother to notice or pick them up. Whatever the reason(s)...each one of those suckers puts a smile on my face and reminds me that happiness is happiness...even when it doesn't come in the form you'd quite expect. Maybe especially then.

So despite the rain, being late to class this morning, and being generally confused about life in general these days...I had two chances to say to get excited for a minute (yes, I ACTUALLY get excited about pennies) and say to myself, "YES! I found one!" And with those two pennies in my pocket being late wasn't such a big deal, struggling with my assignments was a joy, and I even ended up at an impromptu dinner with my sister and two friends.

I say a penny's lucky...even when it's too crusty to tell if it's heads up!

Driver, Can You Wait A Moment...I See a Penny!

2008-10-13T10:47:00.004-04:00

Well, it's official. I'm a nut...for pennies!

For the second time since I began this little project, I have made the driver a vehicle stop in traffic so I could pick up a penny I saw on the street. Well, actually...only once was a penny. The second incident this weekend was for dime. SCORE!

Yes, it's true, I once made someone stop for a penny (it was a cab driver who probably charged me $4 for the extra stop, so I don't think he actually minded all that much). It was later at night in downtown DC, so the traffic wasn't THAT bad. I only heard one honking horn behind me. But how could I pass up a penny that was so clearly calling out to come home with me. Plus, it was a huge testament to my eagle-eye, penny finding skills. I saw this bad-boy at night, from a moving vehicle, on a brick sidewalk. Do you know how hard it is to spot pennies on brick...let alone at night? It was too sweet a find to pass up!

Which brings me to incident #2...the dime in Georgetown. I was on the way back from seeing a pre-release of the movie "Sex Drive" with my friend & her husband (you HAVE to see this movie if you need a good laugh. Seth Green as an Amish guy...totally worth the price of admission. Which was actually free for us because we both traded in coke reward points for free movie tickets. SCORE...again!). Anyhow, coming out of the theater I found a penny on the stairs. Then I found a dime on the sidewalk. I was pretty excited...having used the coupon and then finding 11 cents it felt like I MADE money going to the movies! Anyhow, we got in the car and began heading home to Columbia Heights when I sort of half screamed, half snorted, "Stop, stop, stop!" and banged on the door signaling that someone needed to hit the unlock button.

Now I don't know what's worse here...the fact that I demanded to stop the car (in my defense we were at a 4-way intersection already pretty much stopped anyway) or that my friends didn't seem all that phased by my odd request. Wow...I always wondered why I didn't have that one eccentric friend that makes life a little more fun & unpredictable. As I'm writing this I have just realized it is probably because that person is me...jumping out of moving cars to pick up loose change. Nice.

Anyhow...for all of you that use the excuse "but I drive to work" to explain why you don't find that much change, think about keeping your eyes peeled at intersections to up your total. It seems to be working for me!

Careful Where You Get Your Pennies!

2008-07-25T23:35:00.002-04:00

Uh, just be careful out there. I love all my fellow penny picker-uppers. I'd A) hate to see you in jail and B) don't want to use our collected funds to bail you out. So don't do what this guy did (as reported on Foxnews.com--http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,389286,00.html). Just stick to the stuff you find in streets or metro stations!

Florida Man Arrested After Stealing 42 Cents From Fountain
NAPLES — Forty-two cents won't get you very far these days, but for a Southwest Florida man, it was enough to send him to jail.

Naples police say 43-year-old Laslo Mujzer swiped 42 cents from the Coastland Center Mall in Naples on Monday. Officers arrested Mujzer after a mall customer saw him fishing around in the fountain.

A sign attached to the fountain said that all coins thrown into the water are donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Mujzer was charged with petty theft under $100, a misdemeanor, then booked into the Collier County Jail. Sheriff's officials on Wednesday said a judge had released Mujzer on his own recognizance but said he was in jail on an immigration hold.

A Penny & A Poem

2008-07-21T13:36:00.002-04:00

After lunch (whilst in a bit of a calorie coma) I logged onto my Yahoo account to see if there were any messages to distract me from work just a few minutes longer. Lucky for me...I found the following about Dad's big find:

This morning, on my walk I went,
In my extra calories I put a dent,
and on the walk I found a cent!

Dad

Ah, penny inspired poetry. Gotta love it! :-)

No Explanation Necessary...

2008-05-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

It was a lovely Saturday afternoon and I was out to lunch with my sister and a few friends. We were sitting at our table, eating some very tasty sandwiches, when I spied not one...but TWO pennies under the table next to us. I thought I would just sit and wait out the two teenage couple eating their lunch then dive under the table to recover the pennies when they left.

Unfortunately, after they ate, the young man whipped out the City Paper and settled in for an afternoon of reading about local goings-on. I knew my time at the eatery was drawing to a close since my friends & I planned to hit some local shops to check out the latest summer shoes & accessories. I hoped the kids would take their paper and head out soon...but no such luck.

So, when my friends got up, I decided to explain myself (somewhat) to the couple as I abandoned my pride and ducked under the table to pick up the pennies. I started to say something along the lines of, "I'm just gonna grab these pennies...my friends & I collect them for charity..."

But the guy just looked at me and said, "We're in a recession, man. There's no need to explain yourself!"

Yeah, that's right! No need to explain. It's a recession, so I will pick up my pennies with pride!

Social Change

2008-05-04T22:11:00.006-04:00

Wow, wow, wow! Who knew I could have fun AND collect a ton of pennies (along with a bunch of other change) at a work event?!

Last week I attended ASAE & The Center's Global Summit on Social Responsibility. It was a really neat event that used the Appreciative Inquiry model to generate ideas & action plans to leverage the power of associations to improve the planet through social responsibility initiatives. I won a "young professionals" scholarship to attend the ground-breaking event alongside association leaders and partners.

On day one when we kicked off the event, we paired up to interview someone at our table. We each talked about things in our lives we were proud of. So, of course...I told the story of The Penny Project! My interviewer loved it and shared it with the rest of our table. The next day, at another table, it came up again as part of a presentation we had to do. Suddenly, one of my team members pulled all of the change from her purse and gave it to me for the cause. Now that was exciting! But it was even more exciting when everyone else at the table did the same thing! Before I knew it, I was up on the stage sharing the story with the whole room! At the same time, my team members were passing around "penny bags" and I could hear jingling all around the ballroom.

I went back to the table to sit down and from out of nowhere 3 or 4 people came up to me with their change, throwing it in the bags and saying things like, "great idea" and "good luck with this!" I couldn't believe it...the whole thing put a huge smile on my face! And then...one very generous fellow gave me a $20 bill with a sticky note that said "Very Imaginative!" Talk about a pretty penny!

All in all, over the next two days the generosity and support of the people attending the summit continued to amaze me. By the end of the final day, I'd collected 98 quarters, 119 dimes, 98 nickels, 526 pennies, and a $1 coin (along with actual paper money, which made my heart skip a beat!) for a total of $76.56.

So, now I have renewed spirit and excitement about the project and am ready for the next phase. This month is all about connecting with Common Cents (an organization that teaches social responsibility & charitable giving to children) and hopefully combining what they do with my desire to teach kids about financial literacy.

So keep saving those pennies and stay tuned for future news...

"Will Break for Pennies!"

2008-04-28T14:15:00.003-04:00

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!

Coast to Coast Collectors

2008-04-14T11:34:00.007-04:00

Nothing warms my heart like getting penny stories from my friends across the country! It just goes to show that pennies can pull people together from just about anywhere. And I do mean anywhere...I found two US pennies in Paris and I've had friends find them in the Dominican Republic & Aruba. You can run...but you can't hide! And really...why would you want to?! Join the fun!

Since we started this project people tell me they really have come to love the little jolt of happiness & excitement they feel when they find a penny. They can serve as happy little reminders of friendship, warm memories, or just give you a reason to smile. Of course...not all pennies come wrapped up in a warm fuzzy. My friend Glenda almost had a storm of pennies hit her front windshield, which was cause for a bit of momentary road-rage aimed at the not-so-considerate penny tossers before she remembered her penny happy place. I guess not all penny finds are created equal!

From Glenda:
Loved reading the blog, did vote (I'm personally a quarter girl) and agree with you about the little things in life, adding a smile to your day, and how a small cubicle can be cozy and quaint.

I actually HAVE found you several pennies. People out here in Portland Oregon literally toss their money, it seems. Especially the teenagers!! Although I didn't get in on one stash of cold hard cash I saw...I do have a funny story about it. Here goes...

I was leaving Borders Bookstore, and the car right in front of me had a passenger without a brain, who opened the window on this sunny Sunday afternoon, and TOSSED out on the roadway, a handful of pennies, and I mean a HANDFUL!! Useless money taking up useless space in his pocket, I guess? Or just a smart-*** thinking it was funny?

Either way, I didn't see the logic, and after glaring at them at the intersection & thinking "yeah, I agree your LUCKY you didn't hit my car with flying metal..." THEN it hit me -- LESLIE! Her penny thing! Why didn't I swerve off & grab it (I don't have too much class to do that!)? But I figure I would have caused a pile-up near the interstate, which surely would have caused one ON it. So I had to drive past the pennies.

But even without that stash, I've got plenty to give you...I have collected 47 cents! 1 dime, 2 nickels and the rest are all pennies, baby!

Ah, another 47 cents for the cause...and from the west coast, no less! So just remember where ever you are to keep an eye out for good old Abe. I swear it will make you smile! :-)

Why Pennies Are Better Than Men

2008-04-07T10:15:00.004-04:00

Ok, so that's a bit of generalization, I suppose. I happen to be a big fan many men I know...in fact, several of you are reading this blog (hi, Dad!). But there are a few fellows out there who could use a sit down with Ms. Manners. But I have to say...Abe & his cute little copper self have never done me wrong. I really appreciate the fact that no penny has every whistled at me from a moving car or stood me up for a date. Honestly...I thank you for your manners, Abe!

And although I could do without obnoxious whistles and no-show dates...I'm not sure I would like to do without the story that follows (mostly because my girlfriends & I have had several laughs about it).

I know that my love of pennies makes me a bit quirky and entertaining to some, for which I am grateful (especially if these people bring me their pennies!)...but I am not quite sure how one 45-minute conversation with a guy I met by chance qualifies him to be able to tell me off in a 6-part text message. Yeah, 6 parts. Seriously...you have to read this to believe it.

Text 1--
I just wanted to write you and and tell you goodbye and it was nice meeting you. I called you several times and I feel as though you are blowing me off w

Text 2--
hich is fine but the real. I came out and told you how I felt about you and you had an excuse about you seeing someone and getting over that person, that's

Text 3--
fine and I respect that, but that does not mean you can treat someone who cares about you that way. what goes around comes around, in any event never treat

Text 4--
someone who cares about you jacked up. my self confidence is way to high to trip off of this but maybe you need to work on yours, because I am real and h

Text 5--
onest with my feelings and my life. Take care of yourself and goodluck. I will lose your number so I don't have to feel I am bothering you. I was calling

Text 6--
because I really liked you. I am totally disappointed because I never thought you would be like this.....Whatever man!!!!

After receiving this message, I felt a bit like Wayne Campbell in "Wayne's World" when Stacy is ranting on & on and finishes with "You know, Wayne...if you're not careful, you're gonna lose me."

To which Wayne replies, "I lost you two months ago. We broke up...get the net!"

Wayne, I know how you feel. Only my "Stacy" and I never dated. We were strangers in the night (or the middle of the afternoon to be more specific). Get the net!

The Streets of New York City...

2008-03-31T10:10:00.001-04:00

. . . are full of spare change, which is a good thing for The Penny Project!

Below is an e-mail from a friend/penny convert. I came home from a 2-week international vacation to find this fantastic message waiting in my inbox. I absolutely love it when people who used to think, "Pennies...from the street? No way!" end up sending me stories like this. Ah, the power of the penny!

I’m happy to report that on a recent trip to the city I found 20 cents. Not bad for a few days! The breakdown is as follows – 5 pennies, one nickel, and one dime. I’m pretty sure that adds up to 20 cents but I may be wrong (I’m a little tired today).

I do have to tell you a funny little story about one of the pennies. First let me start off by saying that I never used to pick up change on the street, regardless of the size of the coin. I might not even pick up a dollar bill! But I’ve changed my ways for your project even though sometimes I’m a little embarrassed that I’ll stop in my tracks or go out of my way for spare change. I’m sure that must be some sort of psychological disorder, but talking to a shrink about it would cost me more pennies than I have so I’m comfortable with my embarrassment when it comes to picking up change on the sidewalk. So now onto my story (don’t worry, the information I just divulged is somewhat related) . . .

I’d already found a few pennies while I was in New York and then I got on the elevator and saw one right at the edge of the elevator door. This penny was in danger and I was afraid the door would cover it up and lose it when it closed. Now, if I’d been alone in the elevator I would have moved quickly to rescue it. But there were two other people who got in after me and I was too embarrassed to jump after a penny in front of other people, especially in a nice apartment building in NY (see, I told you the earlier information was relevant). So I watched the people to see what floors they selected and was glad to see that they were stopping on the 8th and 9th floors and I was going up to 12. That would give me some alone time in the elevator to grab the penny as long as the door didn’t sweep it away or someone else didn’t grab it on their way out. I had my strategy so now all I could do was wait. I held my breath a little each time one of them got off and was pleased when the door closed after stopping on the 9th floor – the penny was still there and I was alone to rescue it! Clearly I’m not the only one with this penny picking-up disorder, which has thankfully added an extra penny to your count for 2008!

Just had to share that. I hope you had a great vacation and maybe even found some spare change. Not sure what the conversion rates are like these days but whatever you find has to be worth something!

It's Not Just a Penny...It's a Little Bit of Joy!

2008-03-24T12:30:00.001-04:00

Remember the last time you had a really crappy day and thought maybe God hated you for something you did (or didn't do...be nice to that cranky neighbor, will ya?!). Life didn't seem fair because the new guy at work got a better cubicle than you did in the office move. Or maybe you got on the metro train only to realize as you pulled into the next station, you were going the wrong way. Hmph. Life really sucks sometimes.

But the next time you are having one of those days, refer back to the note below. I actually teared up the first 3 or 4 times I read it because it made me happy to think that something as simple as a penny could bring joy to someone. Someone with REAL problems (not that a small cubicle isn't a real problem...but start thinking of it as cozy and quaint...maybe you'll like it a little more).

Leslie~
Thanks for the penny update. Things here have been a little rough. We finally got a diagnosis for our little girl. She has Glucose Transporter Type 1 Deficiency Syndrome (GLUT1 DS). It's super rare (only about 200 cases diagnosed world-wide) but thankfully she has the type that is less severe and there is a treatment. It involves a low carb/protein HIGH fat diet (ketogenic diet). Anyway to my point (finally) we had her in the hospital trying to start the diet but failed (which was a huge bummer but we'll try again soon... she's a stubborn 2 y/o with a bit of an eating disorder). BUT...I found 11¢! It made my otherwise horrible week a little bit happy. I love your penny project because it really does help me focus on the little joys in life.

So my total is now 22¢. 2 dimes and 2 pennies. I'm on the lookout all the time but obviously people in Milwaukee keep better track of their money than people in the DC area (especially Bethesda!) so I haven't been finding much. Let me know how I send it in or what to do with it. It's in a little cup by my monitor so I don't have it with the rest of my change (it's special :).

My point is this...there is lots of joy in the world. And whether you have the world's worst cubicle or the metro delivers you to a foreign/wrong stop...try to find the joy in it anyway. Maybe, just maybe...you'll find 11 cents and a smile too. And you'll realize that little moment and those 11 cents are more special than a corner office or getting on the right metro train on time.

Ode to Track Change

2008-03-12T12:28:00.004-04:00

I love it when I'm sitting at home and here the "beep-beep-beep" of my phone alerting me a new text message has arrived. Especially when the text message is as brilliant as this lovely little gem:

I'm stanring at change on the tracks. Dimes. Pennies. I think a quarter.

If only I could reach them. Just a little farther. Stretch arms, stretch!

Oh s**t. The train. :-)

And while this ode may have ended in some missed penny collecting opportunities...just a few days later, it's author found 79 cents on her morning run, which inspired a shout out to financial fitness!

Ah, the inspiration of a penny!

Crazy Squared

2008-03-06T23:52:00.001-05:00

Most of you who are reading this have at one point or another found a penny on the sidewalk (and probably subsequently given it to me for entry on the spreadsheet). Therefore you know the little twinge of excitement such a find brings. And forget finding anything silver...that will probably be cause for a celebration dance in the street and a text message to at least four people. This is what makes us fans of the Penny Project...and it is also what makes people who don't know why we pick up dirt-encrusted coins from the gutter think we are crazy.

I sometimes wonder what outsiders think when they see me shuffling along, perched on the edge of the sidewalk, scanning with all my might for a cent or two that may have fallen from the pocket of the last person to feed the meter. And I really wonder what the people standing in the checkout lines at Whole Foods think when I ask if they mind me picking up the pennies they're standing on. Not that I care, mind you...but I do wonder. I should start giving them the Penny Project business cards so they don't think I'm a total loon. But then again, being a weird eccentric with a penny-obsession is sort of fun!

But the times I am the most concerned about not only being perceived as crazy but actually having the men in the white coats called to come take me away (actually take US away) is when I'm walking home from work with Illeny and we find a penny. And God help everyone on the sidewalk if we find something bigger! Sometimes the only reason I think I make it through my walks home during the long, cold winter months is that I have Illeny with me (and of course our regular stop at Whole Foods to sample the olive bar and troll for pennies in the checkout lines). The chat and friendly competition to find pennies makes the long walk pass quickly.

The other night we were walking home in the bitter cold, later than usual and not enjoying the brisk night wind at all. Then out of the corner of her eye, Illeny spied a shiny copper penny. The finger pointed and the shout followed. "Penny!" she cried! I jumped to the side a little to get it out of her way. When she finds a penny, she means business! There were two gentlemen on the sidewalk with us and the commotion caused a bit of a stir. But nothing like the stir caused a second later when I shouted, "Dime!" and jumped into the street to recover the sucker. Illeny had seen it too and was heading for it, but knew I called it (and picked it up first)...so she was a bit bummed.

The laughter and discussion that ensued must have been quite curious to anyone who didn't know what was going on...lots of talk about pennies rarely being alone, we knew there had to be others when she saw that first one, etc. It was certainly not something for an amateur to get involved in, for sure. But one of the guys couldn't help himself. He looked at me and asked, "Did you find a dime?"

Uh, yeah. What was your first clue...that I screamed the word "dime" at the top of my lungs before lunging into the street? Thanks for playing, Mr. Obvious.

But what came out of his mouth next was what really got me. He was clearly certifiable for trying to get between two screaming girls and their found money...but he had to let us know how important he was to this particular situation. So he piped up and said, "Well, that's my dime. I dropped it there this morning."

Excuse me...what? Are you trying to reclaim a dime you dropped 10 hours ago? No...I don't think so. I really wanted to say, "Well, it's not yours now, is it?" But instead I just looked at him like he was the crazy one. And clearly he was crazy if thought I was handing that dime over to him!

I'll Take the 7-Leg Flight from LAS to DCA

2008-02-03T17:58:00.000-05:00

For the first time in recorded history, my mother is actually complaining that she doesn't have a layover on her next flight from Las Vegas to Washington, DC. My father thinks she's certifiable. I'm not sure I altogether disagree.

Now to be fair, Mom wasn't doing so well on the penny finding at her home in Las Vegas. She drives most everywhere she goes, so penny sightings are much tougher and infrequent. But then she came to DC for Christmas and found 7 cents in a matter of minutes as we walked to my department's holiday happy hour...and then she was hooked. She started looking for reasons to take walks in the cold December weather. And sure enough, she'd come back with 3, 4, even 5 cents at a time. DC was becoming her penny Mecca.

So when it was time to leave she was a little bummed about not being able to break $1 on the 2007 spreadsheet, even with all her DC penny finds. But then I reminded her not to be sad...she had an hour to kill at DCA and another hour when her flight connected throug Atlanta. And airports are certainly among the most profitable penny places. I'm not sure she believed me...but she was somewhat intrigued.

I guess she hit her stride while wandering Terminal A because I recieved 2 phone calls and 4 text messages about big finds (quarters, dimes, multi-penny sightings). She ended the day with 53 cents, almost doubling her total for the year. The funny thing was that not all of the calls were from my mom. My dad texted me once to say I had created a monster. I told him to be glad I got her hooked on pennies instead of crack cocaine or that show about Scott Baio. After all...it's for the kids!

In the end, I'm sure my mom will realize that finding pennies is a way to pass time if you are stuck with a layover. No sane human being would pick a flight with layovers just to find more pennies. Then again...who ever accused anyone scrounging pennies from gutters and airport security of being sane?!

Happy New Year...Now Give Me Your Dimes!

2008-01-03T17:03:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope you had as much fun saying 'good-bye' to 2007 and 'hello' to 2008 as I did. I don't want to brag...but my celebration involved the handing out of dimes. No...really.

It's a family tradition of one of my dear friends. She & her family make paper hats on NYE and then Dad hands out dimes to everyone as a token of prosperity for the new year. Nice, isn't it? Awaken your creative side with a craft project to kick off the evening before wrapping it all up with a dime as a wish for wealth, monetary and otherwise, in the new year. Well...I'm sure it could have been nicer if I didn't accost all of her guests demanding they hand over their dimes as a donation to the 2008 Penny Project. Although, most of them did so willingly...and then my friend ended up giving me the rest of the stack so I'd leave alone those who wanted to hold on to their dimes (sorry Amanda, I got excited at the prospect of getting a 10-penny donation from you all at once. I played your domino game...the least you could have done was give me your stinkin' dime). But I digress...it was a lovely tradition. And better yet, it worked! Prosperity abounded as I set off on my first walk to work on January 2nd.

In addition to starting off the 2008 penny spreadsheet with $1.10 in the donation column (thank you party goers), I found TWO dimes on my first walking commute of the year. And on top of that...I found 21 pennies. 21! I couldn't walk a block without seeing old Abe smiling up at me. It was an embarrassment of riches. Ok, that might be overstating...it came to a grand total of 41 cents...but that's a lot for a single walk to work! A great way to kick off the new year!

And of course, the thought of prosperity in the new year made me thankful for all that I already had over the past 365 days. 2007...what a lovely year. And even lovelier was the discovery that my friends could be so supportive of my quirks and obsessions. ("No, seriously guys...I want you to start picking up the pennies you see in the gutter." "Ok, so there's these codes on the bottom of the Coke lids...can you send them to me when you drink them. Or even when you see one on the street...can you pick it up?") Yes, the Penny Project has taught me many things...but the best lesson was that something as small as a penny can make people smile, bring together friends, and help us all remember that sometimes the best gifts do come in small packages! Every time I see a penny now, I think of all the people who have contributed and played along with my silly little social experiment. I think we've done the penny proud...now let's see what we can do in 2008!

The Family That Finds Pennies Together...

2007-12-22T14:11:00.000-05:00

...is a little weird, sure. But have you ever met a family that was over the moon from finding 57 cents? It's a bit refreshing. Welcome to life with the Steins!

Actually, to be more exact, we found 56 and 3/4 cents. Literally...one of the pennies my mom spied in the gutter was only partially there. Poor Abe got a nose job I'm not sure he wanted...but his misfortune gave us a thrill. (Twisted aren't we?!).

Besides the mangled penny, we scored six other pennies, a nickle, two dimes and a quarter. That's right...a quarter! And as you may know by now...that's a red letter day in the world of penny finding!

So, this is how the Stein Family kicked off our holiday season. A walk to my work's pre-Christmas happy hour full of pennies, nickles, and quarters...oh, my! All in a day's work for a penny collector! And for an entire FAMILY of penny collectors...well...time together is the real prize, but the pennies are so exciting!

A Word on Holiday Shopping...

2007-12-18T10:20:00.001-05:00

My friend Elizabeth has a few words on just where you should do your holiday shopping if you're hopping to pick up more than a gift card and some new socks

From Elizabeth:

Ok, this weekend we found 1 quarter and 1 penny in Target and 3 pennies in Wal-Mart. Moral of the story...shop in Target.

I couldn't agree more. Of course if you really want to be in the spirit of finding change...may I suggest J.C. Penney (for obvious reasons!)

I'll Take a Mojito...And All the Change in That Man's Pocket!

2007-12-17T21:10:00.000-05:00

This penny project has sharpened my "Spidey Senses" to ridiculous heights. I've always had 20/20 vision and pretty good hearing...but suddenly I can see a penny from 2 blocks away and although I couldn't determine exactly what a pin dropping sounds like, I can hear a penny hit the floor from across a crowded room. Not that this is a good gift, since my desire to add pennies to the spreadsheet combined w/ my new found talent for hearing coins hit the ground causes me to occasionally do something a little crazy. Take the other night for instance.

I was on a business trip to Florida, enjoying a tasty mojito in the lobby bar of Disney's Yacht Club. Two of my friends had taken some time off of work to join me on the trip and we had linked up with some fun conference attendees, including a friend of mine from DC I was pleasantly surprised to see at the opening night reception! So there we were, enjoying a few drinks (number ? of many that evening) when the sound I love to hear hit my ear...change a jinglin' as it hits the floor! I quickly looked around to see where the change had landed and if it was clear for a pick-up.

Now this is where the mojito(s) must've kicked in and overtaken my good sense because I didn't stay in my seat when I saw that the change had fallen out of a man's pocket (a well-dressed, distinguished man, if I recall...although I was so focused on the dime and 3 pennies I can't say for sure) and landed practically under his chair. No, no. I popped up out of my seat and bee-lined for the table where the man and his friends were sitting. I promptly told him my friends and I were collecting change we find on the ground for charity. He scoffed and said, I'll bet...the charity's probably you. I assured him it was not and that there was a spreadsheet involved (I don't know why I think that will assure people instead of scare them). He shrugged his shoulders, told me to help himself...and then scooped another 7 cents out of his pocket onto the floor (which, for those of you questioning whether or not that should count, went in the "donations column" because clearly, at that point the man just wanted to give a little more to the cause!

So there it is...my Disney find such as it was. Oh, and I picked up a nickel in the MGM Studios park too, so I was good for about a quarter in Florida! And I only scared a few bar patrons instead of my usual bus full of people. I consider that a pretty good trip!

The Return of "Tim the Poet"

2007-12-03T10:49:00.000-05:00

Ah, more poetry. In a message titled "Tennyson (Sort of)" I got another jewel of poetry from "Tim."

From the daily walks, I do not relent,
On that errand I am daily sent,
When the wind blows, I'm often bent,
A good thing because I found another cent.

Tim

Father. Poet. Inventor of Pizza Rolls. He is "Tim."

Pennies from Heaven...or the 2nd Row!

2007-11-30T13:38:00.000-05:00

The Penny Blog's not just for me & my friends (who support me so I don't come across as a TOTALLY crazy person) anymore...we went public at a comedy show a few weeks ago!

Yes, it's true. We became an integral part of the Upright Citizens Brigade show at the Arlington Draft House on November 9th. I shamelessly jumped around like a complete idiot (in my pink striped rain boots, no less) to ensure I made it on stage so the 2nd half of the show would be based on whatever foolishness I could think to tell these people about myself during the on stage interview.

I didn't start off with the penny story right away. That might have made me look a little nuts. Instead I led with, "My dad invented pizza rolls."

Uh, what? These people didn't quite know where I was coming from with this. Had they just invited Ms. Totino on the stage? Could my dad possibly be the true inventor of pizza rolls? I had to explain!

It turns out that one of my dates from match.com actually came up with the theory that we should change my dad's official title from "Tim the Penny Collector" to "Tim--Inventor of Pizza Rolls." It all started when I told him that in the 70's my dad had entered the Pillsbury bake off by mistake. Actually, it wasn't so much by mistake as it was on a fluke. With a recipe he'd never actually made.

"Tim" was at my grandma's house, who was getting ready to enter one of her own recipes into the bake off. She asked if he'd like her to send in one on his behalf. Without giving it much thought he said, "Yeah. What if you put some marinara sauce, cheese & pepperoni on one of those crescent rolls, wrapped it up and baked it?" So she jotted down the spontaneous concoction and off it went in the mail.

Well...sure enough the folks at Pillsbury saw the genius in it all and picked his recipe as one of the 100 to be made at the official bake-off. My mother was slightly less thrilled than he was because she had to be his guinea pig as he perfected his yet-to-actually-be-baked crescent pizzas. Morning, noon, and night she was eating variations of his new concoction until she felt she might actually bleed marinara sauce if someone sliced into her.

So, a few weeks later my dad and 99 women prepared to "start their ovens" and make their recipes for the bake-off. While my dad was not the overall winner, he did bring home a sweet 1970s microwave (I'm pretty sure we had that sucker well into the 90's) and the memories of the rally cry, "Ladies...and "Tim"...start your ovens!"

Alright...that brings me back to my date. After he heard that story he just looked at me and said, "Oh my God...your dad invented pizza rolls!" And what could I do but agree?!

Ok, so after I wowed the improv comics with my dad's pizza roll adventures (and they asked me to thank him for satisfying years of munchies), I moved on to the penny story. Of course, I don't need to restate that story here because if you're reading this...chances are you've heard it more times than you care to count! But I will add that I must've entertained & amused the audience with the penny tale (or at least inspired them to give a small amount to charity) since at one point it rained pennies from somewhere in the 2nd row! Sure...it was only 3 cents...but it's going on the spreadsheet!

Go Play in Traffic...You might find pennies!

2007-11-08T23:37:00.000-05:00

It was not just a good penny day...but a ridiculously good penny day today. I found 15 pennies and...A QUARTER on my way to & from work.

It was exciting to have that many individual sightings. But for a moment, I thought perhaps someone was playing a joke on me. My friends have been known to throw pennies on the trail while we are hiking to test my penny prowess (I failed miserably...but who is on the lookout for change while rock scrambling on the Billy Goat Trail?! I'm good, but even pros need a day off now & then!). And all of these pennies, or at least a good portion of them (and the quarter too) were in the middle of the street! And I'm not talking about a crosswalk here...I mean smack dab in the center of traffic!

The first one wasn't too far from the curb. I thought conceivably a guy had dropped some change while shuffling in his pockets to get quarters for the meter. But the next one, a few blocks later, was considerably further from the curb...out beyond the driver's side door. What happened there. Perhaps a lover's quarrel that led to pennies being tossed in anger, "You cheat...I never want to see you again. Take that! (Insert a meanly tossed penny here)."

The best part was that I'd seen the second penny and was about to step in the street to pick it up when I realized a guy was trying to park his car in that space. So did I abandon the penny and move on like a normal person? I'm writing a blog about pennies...what do you think?! Of course not! I went around the front of the car as the driver got the vehicle settled in its cozy new spot and bent over to pick up the coin. I was right where the guy would have to open his door to get out and it occurred to me...this might look a little odd. So what do I do? I grab the penny and then show it to the driver as if to say, "I'm not trying to carjack you...I just wanted this penny." The look on his face said he would have thought I was more sane if I was indeed carjacking him. A little embarrassing? Yes. Would I do it again? Absolutely. I love my pennies!

Finally, as I continued down 17th Street, still amazed by the brick gutters I'd discovered a few days earlier (why so fancy...they're gutters?!) I saw the quarter in the middle of the road! Has jaywalking gotten that bad? People can't be bothered to go one measly block to cross legally? Although I suppose I'm no better...darting into traffic for a quarter.

So, my day concluded with a total of 40 cents, most of which was found as I risked life and limb in the pursuit of stray coins. But hey...40 cents is a damn good showing for a single day! And although my mother did teach me not to play in traffic, I somehow think she would have approved of my forays into the street today (especially since she's got 43 cents of her own on the spreadsheet!).

Get your own!

2007-11-06T22:39:00.000-05:00

There I was, strolling down the street after an average Tuesday on my way to visit my friend Eric where he tends bar. As always...I was on the lookout for pennies en route to my final destination. Now that we're out of daylight savings time and it starts getting dark at 2:30 in the afternoon, I was strolling down the sidewalk in the pitch black. Much tougher to see pennies under these conditions...but then a glint caught my eye. Actually...two glints.

There they were in the gutter...two shiny pennies (and at this moment I suddenly realized our gutters are made of brick here in DC. Who knew!?). So of course, I jumped into the gutter immediately to pick them up. And once in the gutter (which was actually more enjoyable once I realized they were brick...so fancy!), I realized there were two more pennies! And then...I saw two more...and two more...until I found a total of NINE pennies. Fantastic! I was in heaven.

But then, as I climbed out of the gutter (looking quite impressive, I'm sure with my knit gloves covered in dried leaves and trash), a funny thing happened. The bum on the corner, who I see on that corner at least three days a week, asked me if I had any spare change.

WHAT?!

I had an entire monologue in my head that went a little something like this, "You lazy...are you kidding me?! You probably stood on this corner staring right at those pennies for the last two hours and just waited for someone to walk by and pick them up so you could ask if they had any spare change. Seriously!"

But I decided going off on a poor beggar wouldn't be right. And since Christmas is just around the corner, I do want to stay on Santa's 'Nice' list. So, with a pleasant smile, I looked the man directly in the eye and said, "Nope" as I strolled off into the darkness. Afterall...like my sister always says, "it's for the kids!"

Pennies and the Art of Dating

2007-10-25T22:24:00.000-04:00

I'm totally kidding here. I'm pretty sure after last night...there is no real art to dating. But finding pennies can really make a bad date seem not so bad at all. Even when you're sharing a margarita with a Joey Buttafuco look-alike...and I speak from experience.

My evening last night started out pretty great. I was off to meet friends for a drink after work . Enroute to the location...I found three pennies. SCORE! I met with my friends (after threatening to put my galoshes to good use by climbing in the fountain to scrouge up all the wish pennies) where we had a buffet of cheese & oysters to accompany a very tasty glass of wine. What could be better?!

We planned to head back to my place for a little Grey's Anatomy & maybe some more wine. But ever the optimist, I mentioned a guy I'd been e-mailing & texting who I'd turned down for a drink because of our girl date. My dear friends refused to let me skip an opportunity to meet what could be the man of my dreams for a silly TV show. Besides...we knew our friend was Tivo-ing it and would surely let us crash his place to watch it. You will let us watch it at your place, won't you Eric? :-)

So we geared up for the rain and headed over to Eastern Market. I found 2 more pennies and a nickel on our way to the bar. DOUBLE SCORE! And then...we met the guy. The words cro-magnon entered my mind as soon as I set eyes on him. Put the toothpick down when you say hello, for God's sake!

What ensued may have been one of the most akward and ridiculous dates of my life (and I've been on quite a few). The saving grace? Well...there were actually two saving graces. First, my dear friends had come along and seriously cushioned the blow when I had to make a quick escape. The second...I found two more pennies on my escape bringing the total findings to 12 cents for the night. Not bad.

If I can't find the man of my dreams on a random Thursday night, Lincoln x 7 and Jefferson x 1 is a pretty damn good substitute. In fact...I'm sadly starting to prefer them to match.com. Do you think there's a market for matching up single penny finders? Let me check my list...hmmm.

Ok, that's probably a bit much. But honestly...some girls would spend the evening lamenting time lost and the lack of chemistry with Mr. Cromagnon Buttafuco. But I'm sitting here, giddy as school girl, while I update my spreadsheet and see the total climb to $46.66. 12 cents closer to...well...something! And maybe whatever it is will be my true love after all!

Poetry in Motion

2007-10-25T17:10:00.000-04:00

Such a muse, the penny. Lincoln's sassy beard. That lovely memorial on the back (aka--"tails"). Pretty copper color (provided the found penny hasn't been trampled by busy feet in the metro or savagely run over by rush-hour traffic). You just never know when finding one will send you into a blitz of creativity.

And if you find something MORE than a penny...well, then you're just driven to poetically taunt your fellow change finders. Which has a way of producing its own breed of creativity. See the lovely string of poems from dedicated friends of the penny...and those who just want to mock my dear old dad!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I fond a dime today,
Did you?

I didn't say it was good poetry.
"Tim"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Tim”,

Thanks for your bit of inspiration today – this has actually prompted me to try my hand at a bit of poetry myself.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Some poems rhyme
But this one doesn’t

Hmmmm . . .I suck at poetry.
E

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

hhhmmmmm.

Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue
If Lincoln were alive
He'd give you a high five.

oh well....I suck too.
Rick

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

And finally...my friend Julia found her first penny for the spreadsheet which inspired an actual poem that makes sense (or cents). Take note, you silly boys (not that I didn't love your poems in their own, special, "short bus" kind of way!).

I found a penny yesterday a-walking home from work.
Sir Lincoln's head was staring up, his tail smushed in the dirt.
His face was scratched up quite a bit but in all he seemed just fine,
for 'spite the cars and boots and grime, that penny kept its shine.

crosswalk of 7th and Maryland Ave, NE.
23 Oct 07

Julia

Do You, Heads, Take Tails, To Be Your Mate Forever?!

2007-10-23T13:05:00.000-04:00

My friend Stephanie was, at one time, a bit of a sceptic about this whole "picking up pennies off the ground" thing. It wasn't her cup of tea, which I understood (especially given some of the crazy situations I've found myself in on the hunt for a few cents). And even if she did find one, she certainly wasn't going to pick it up if it was "tails up." That's just asking for a dose of bad luck!

But the tide turned one day when she went to dinner with her mom (a very beautiful and elegant woman for those of you who have not had the chance to meet her) who put a penny on the table and said, "Give this to Leslie."

A few days later we were in Levante's (our favorite after work Happy Hour spot) when Steph sauntered back from the restroom, placed a penny on the bar and said, "Here...I don't know what you do with these...but I found it on the sink in the restroom." And so began Steph's participation in the Penny Project!

Who knew just a few months later she'd have a dime's worth of pennies on the spreadsheet and a story from her new job about love, balance, and how a penny laying "tails up" might be just perfect!

"You Compete Me" --by Steph G.

Leslie,

I found not ONE but TWO pennies yesterday.

Where you ask?

One was outside (heads up) next to the wedding I was shadowing for work. The ACTUAL wedding (you know, bride, groom, priest, et al).

The other was inside (tails up) at their reception/dinner.

I think it is an omen to find two pennies at a WEDDING, both on different sides up...they complete one another!!! Just like the bride and groom :-) Awww....

Elizabeth's Epcot Adventure

2007-10-15T18:02:00.000-04:00

My friend Elizabeth has been a dedicated penny picker-upper ever since I told her about my little penny project when she visited DC for work this summer! She's gotten friends picking up pennies, her husband stopping by drive-thru windows to see what they can find, and her nieces & nephews working with her when they make family trips to Wal-mart (kids are great for penny finding!).

But I think she hit the mother load when she went on vacation in Orlando. Come to think of it...my friend Illeny found 35 cents when she went to an amusement park earlier this summer. Hmmm. Perhaps we need to stop stressing & just have more fun! Vacation brings pennies! Anyhow, here's Elizabeth's message about her fabulous finds in Orlando:

I have good penny news from Orlando! I found 6 pennies in the Birmingham and Orlando airport on the way to Orlando, 2 dimes in Magic Kingdom, 1 penny in the hotel room, 1 dime and 5 pennies in the Orlando airport on the way home, and drum roll please.... $1 in Epcot!!! It only cost me $2000 to find $1.42!

Only in a world where we truly appreciate the joy of finding a penny...does a $1 bill garner a drum roll! Who knew these things could bring such excitement! Thanks for the great message and serious penny finding skills Elizabeth!!

Even if it's "Heads Up," Better Keep YOUR Head Up!

2007-09-24T16:46:00.000-04:00

My poor mom! After a long dry spell in the heat of another Las Vegas summer, she finally found a penny...but oh those stinkin' desert winds!

Les,

I thought I better make an official report or I won't get credit for the ONE penny I found last week. It has been a sad time in Las Vegas, everywhere I look NO CHANGE. Finally I eye a copper treasure on the street at a senior housing complex. I have a hand full of mail and I suddenly think about your friend Stephanie who only picks up "heads up." It's been a long dry spell for change finding so I don't want to tempt fate. As I look down, it's up!! Yeah!! I bless Stephanie for bringing this head's up thing to our collective consciousness. I pick up the penny and while still bent over savoring the moment, a gust of wind comes along and blows all my mail away. Stephanie....YOU LIED TO US! I retrieved the mail and still have the penny....put one down in my column for the September financials!

MOM

Illeny's Notes From the Field...

2007-09-21T14:23:00.001-04:00

Occasionally a story about a penny comes a long that is just too ridiculous not to post...this is one such story. So, read on...but only if your "gross out" tollerence is pretty high!

A Story From Illeny:
Hi All,

Until today I couldn't bring myself to tell this story... but here's a delayed report from the field:
It was an overcast day, I was running a few errands at lunch, just a few steps from the cleaners...

I don't know what I saw first, the shinny penny pleading for rescue or the drooling, spilling, oozing inebriate seated (and swaying) above it... I do know what I saw next... all the wet, unknown drippings surrounding that penny of my desire.

The test... could I reach down between the feet of a drunken man, drooling and dripping, near the corner of 18th and I Streets, mid-week at mid-day? (Who gets that wasted so early in the day in downtown DC? a sad testament to his despair, I guess.) NOOOOOOOOO!!!! I just couldn't, eeeeewwwwwwww gross... besides, perhaps is was his penny and he certainly would need it more than I. So I just paused for a split second and kept walking... it just wasn't meant to be.

We all have limits, right?

On the way back to work I passed it again... anyone watching may have thought I was frowning just at the sad sight of the drunken man who'd passed out on the steps behind a penny... the penny I so desperately wanted to rescue, a penny calling out... but sometimes it isn't your place to intervene, life must take its course... Plus, it was still sitting in all that yuckiness! I just couldn't do it.

It's the next day, it's lunch time and I'm running errands again. The sun is bright and the day beautiful, a slight touch of autumn in the air... I'm approaching the spot where, the day before, I'd witnessed the despair of a man... and a penny... I could see the stain on the pavement left from all the unknown fluids, a few leaves and paper were all that remained... hey... is that... could it be... a penny!!!! Yes! I can't believe it's still there, a full 24 hours later on this busy corner!!!! It WAS meant to be after all. I still couldn't bring myself to pick it up with my bare hand and over a week later, it's still wrapped in the paper I picked it up with.

Leslie, come and get this special penny. I believe that might tie things up between Michele and I. I've a feeling I may regain my lead this weekend :) ...

~Illeny

Metro Bus Belly Crawl

2007-09-19T23:43:00.000-04:00

I can't decide if I've hit an all time low or just expanded my penny-picking-up horizons. Today I actually got down on all fours for the sake of one lonely penny under a bus seat.

Now, it's not as if I haven't gotten on all fours to scrounge up a penny before (see the previous post about digging one out of the asphalt in a cross-walk) but this time I actully had to say, "pardon me, excuse me..." as I proceeded to force two poor bus passengers to move aside a bit so I could gain access to the penny.

Again...it's not like I haven't made an ass of myself for a penny before (it really is a shame this blog didn't exist when I had the altercation w/ the street vendor or when I nearly upended myself over a metro station railing to reach a penny about ready to fall through a grate). But usually I don't inconvenience paying bus riders for a sole penny (a dime, yes...but not one lonely penny).

But today...I was a bit desperate. It was almost 6pm and I hadn't found a single cent. I needed to find one so I wouldn't have a goose egg on the scoreboard! And so, much to the chagrin of the passengers on the 52 line, I dove under the seat just before reaching my stop to grab that penny.

And that's my two cents...er...ONE CENT...for the day!

Tar & Tenacity

2007-09-18T15:06:00.000-04:00

For some reason...one nickel and seven pennies weren't enough. I HAD to dig out that penny in the crosswalk at 14th & U Street NW...I had to.

I didn't initially think I was going to do it (there were only a few seconds left on cross-walk-o-meter before the light changed). I walked past the penny thinking, "Someday I'll be back for you!" But for some reason...today was the day!

I waited for the light to turn green again...and then I had free run of the cross-walk for 44 seconds (thank God for the little blinking green man w/ the timer!). So I fished my keys out the side pocket of my purse and commenced trying to loosen Lincoln from the asphalt. This sucker was in deep! A few people walked by and looked at me funny (I saw these looks because I'm a multi-takser...I can dig for penny AND watch to see if I am about to get hauled away in a straight jacket for attempting to free a single penny as if it were a bloody fortune). One guy asked me what the hell I was doing to which I just replied, "It's a long story."

This thing wasn't budging. I looked up at the timer...26 seconds left. Plenty of time...no need to panic. But I was going to have to use a little more muscle (or a bigger key...I'd chosen the mail key, which although tiny in size, has a pretty impressive point on the end). So I took another stab at it (literally). I dug in as hard as I could an then all of a sudden...BLOOP...out it came. 21 seconds left to spare.

I looked both ways (I'm not sure why since I'd essentially been playing in traffic for the last 23 seconds without any concern for my safety) and made a dash to the sidewalk. It was my 13th cent for the day...hmmm.

A few minutes later I was home placing this tar covered penny in the "special stack" with his chewed up, oxidized, dirt covered penny-brothers. Some day I think I'll frame the worst of the worst (some of which are barely identifiable as pennies). If that won't be a conversation-starter...I don't know what will be!

Letter from a Lonely Penny

2007-08-22T10:08:00.000-04:00

Some pennies aren't just found...they aparently have a story to tell! The following is a letter I received from Adam when he gave me his first found penny. Poor, poor little penny!

Leslie:

I wanted to tell you my story and thank you for rescuing me from a life of destruction and despair.
I am a penny. My life has been filled with ups and mostly downs. I was born in the Philadelphia mint, having never met my parents. I was quickly bundled with 49 fellow orphan pennies and shipped to a Bank of America in Miami, Florida. The first six month of my life were glorious; I spent approximately 150 days travelling the hot spots of South Beach. Some of the highlights included changing hands during the purchase of: 16 ice cream cones, 2 thong bikinis, 27 tequila shots, and 14 beers.

Then came October 17, 2002, a day that changed my life forever, and not in a good way. I fell out of the pocket of a pair of board shorts, spending the next three years and twelve days buried in the sand. When I was finally “rescued,” it was by a homeless drug addict. I spent the next year of my life helping to stir heroin as it was being boiled on small squares of tin foil. I can assure you that scars go much deeper than the physical imperfections you see.

November 2006, my “owner” was recruited as a drug mule and given $300 to ride a bus to New York City while carrying a duffle bag full of marijuana. During a 2:00 AM rest stop at the Greyhound bus station in Washington, DC, I thought things would improve when I was accidentally dropped in the parking lot. No such luck, I was picked up by Tonya, a twenty-four year old street walker who was trolling the bus station for johns. Tonya had just earned $25 doing bad things for 30 minutes behind a dumpster. Apparently stumbling across me solidified her good day and made me her “Lucky Penny.”

I fully admit that all pennies are born with the dream of being a Lucky Penny. But they never tell you at the Mint that you might be a Lucky Penny for a two tooth missing, seventh grade finishing, street walking whore named Tonya. But, I digress.

As Tonya’s Lucky Penny, I have witnessed depravity and hardships no penny should have to see. It is far easier to count the mornings I did not cry myself to sleep, Tonya worked at night, than the morning where sleep came easy. I will not lie, I thought about ending it all and drowning myself in a sewer many times. And yes, much of my physical wear and tear is from lying down in a parking lot, hoping a car would put me out of my misery. Alas, it was only days ago that relief finally came. Tonya had just finished a $40 depravity that I will not sicken you with here. When she exited the back of the beat up 1998 Pontiac Grand AM, I fell free, and my journey to redemption began. It was only three days in the alley before I was found by my savior Adam.

Adam has cleaned me up and given me a stable home. The four days in his care have been amazing. I will never forget the hardships, but I have been reminded of the good that also exists in the world. I am so excited and ready to do something positive with my life, helping your cause in any way I can.

Thank you,
One Lonely Penny

History of the Penny Project

2007-08-03T13:22:00.000-04:00

On December 29, 2006 while walking home from work, I found a $20 bill in the crosswalk. Obviously excited about this little discovery, I also wondered if we as Americans had come to value money so little that we were just dropping $20’s in the street without noticing. My walk home is quite lengthy, so I thought about America’s relationship with money and decided to do a little social experiment.

I decided to see how much money I could find on the ground in one calendar year by picking up all the pennies, nickels, and other stray change one occasionally sees on the street. Sort of a quirky New Year’s resolution! And maybe I’d even end up with enough money to do something fun at the end of the year!

I thought it would be much more interesting to keep track of the money I found on a spreadsheet rather than just throwing it in a jar (yes, it’s true…I’m a nerd at heart!). This would allow me to see what days were good for finding money, if one season was better than another, and any number of other random facts I could ascertain by studying the spreadsheet!

I never intended to collect money from anyone else…but one day I was going to lunch with my friend Illeny and got very excited about finding a penny en route to the restaurant. I told her about my spreadsheet and that I’d already found several dollars in change just walking back & forth to work. She thought this was funny and decided to play along! So a new column was born on the spreadsheet.

Since I have no shame about picking up pennies wherever I am, a few other friends soon found out about my experiment and although they mocked the idea of a spreadsheet, once they saw it…they wanted in too! One friend even forwarded the spreadsheet to her finance department and asked why they weren’t this organized?! They were intrigued and decided to weigh in by predicting the influx of tourists would cause a spike in found money over the summer months!

Pretty soon I had friends and family all over the country searching for pennies and sharing their stories (and their pennies) with me! Some people were inspired to write poetry about their pennies, others sent pictures when they found pennies in odd places. Eventually all of these stories found a home on a blog called “The Pretty Penny” for everyone to enjoy! It was obvious…people really liked finding pennies and putting them together for a bigger cause!

And so, “The Penny Project” was born with the goal of taking found money abandoned on the street and turning it into something great! To date we’ve raised over $112 (which isn’t too shabby considering most of our “donations” come from gutters and Metro bus floors). We’re working to grow our reserve fund so we can begin using the money to teach kids about financial literacy and charitable giving.

If you’re interested in more information or want to know how you can donate, e-mail us at the_pretty_penny@yahoo.com.