Change Pot Tuesday

Change Pot Tuesday is a weekly recap of finding money that other people have lost. However, it is more than just picking up pennies and collecting lost change. For those readers and followers who have begun following the Change Pot midway, Change Pot Tuesday is about charity. When the Change Pot reaches $100, it will be donated to charity and the process will be started all over again. Loyal readers and followers will have an opportunity to help me choose which charity will receive the money accumulated in the Change Pot. While, I don't expect to change the world with the Change Pot, I do hope to help a charity in some small way.

The Change Pot had its best week ever thanks to Lori finding $15 on Monday evening. That find alone was twice the amount we had found all year, tripling the current total in the Change Pot. Here is this week's breakdwon:

Thursday - $0.03. Because we were going to be traveling on Friday to Pittsburgh, we made Thursday evening our weekly "pizza" night and decided to try out Jerry's Pizza and Subs near our apartment. (For what it is worth, the pizza wasn't that great - limp crust and extremely greasy.) We found three pennies at Jerry's. The first two were in the parking lot as we got out of the car. The third was on the counter inside one of those paper tri-fold/triangular signs advertising some menu item.

Monday - $15.00. Yes, that's right! Lori found $15 on Monday in the most unlikely of places - and old birthday card from her mom and dad. Lori was unpacking from our move and came across the birthday card when she found the money inside. While this may not seem like a true find because it was Lori's money to begin with, the card was about 15 years old! This means the $15 Lori found was truly lost and therefore qualifies. No, I will not make Lori donate her birthday money to the cause, but I will add $15 to the change pot for the find.

Tuesday - $0.01. I don't exactly remember where we found this penny, but it was most likely one of three places we went Tuesday evening. We stopped at Verizon to get new cell phones and I think this is where I found the penny. However, since I am not sure, it could also have been at IKEA or the Burger King near the White Marsh (Baltimore suburb) Town Center (a shopping mall).

Weekly Total: $15.04
YTD Total: $22.54

Casualties of Moving

As most of you know, we recently moved to Towson, a Baltimore area suburb. We did our best to pack everything as carefully as we could to make sure that nothing broke in transit. As we begin unpacking our many boxes, we have come across our first casualty of the move -- our computer!

It is really a stretch to call it a casualty of the move. When I disassembled the computer to move it, it already had a blank black screen. We did not pack it because it was moved in our car as a precaution, something we had planned to do anyway. When the computer arrived in Baltimore, we set it up and quickly realized our worst fears - the computer had indeed crashed. When booting the computer, I continually get a blue screen error message stating that Windows has shut itself down to prevent further damage to the computer.

I can't really blame anything for the computer crash. The computer is five years old (ancient and antique in the computer world). We needed to replace it anyway. I have taken the computer to the Geek Squad at Best Buy (didn't know where else to take it having just moved) and they are going to try to retrieve the data from the computer. While it went against my better judgment because of cost, I asked them to repair it as well, assuming it is repairable. This really is more to buy us a little more time until the sell of our house closes and we can get a new computer. Luckily for us we have a laptop that I bought last year for school. Unfortunately, the data on the desktop that may not be recoverable is our checkbook (in Quicken) and several songs from iTunes that had not yet been synced with our iPod.

Hopefully both will be recoverable and we won't lose any money we paid for the any of the iTunes songs. I can reinstall the Quicken and recover the data from my backup (yes, I have a backup of our checkbook), if I could just figure out what box they are packed it. It is maddening trying to go from day-to-day without knowing exactly how much money you have to spend -- and because of the move having to spend money like crazy to get things done. We can always check on the balance online, except that we don't have internet service yet! We are having to use the free Wi-Fi at Dunkin Doughnuts, which isn't exactly free considering you feel obligated to buy something while you are there. Besides, their internet access is not secure and even if it was, the online balance may not be correct because it doesn't show checks that have been presented until after they post. Good news is that we are getting internet, phone and TV installed on Thursday. Hopefully as we get these little things accomplished, we will begin to feel settled.

Change Pot Tuesday

Change Pot Tuesday is a weekly recap of finding money that other people have lost. However, it is more than just picking up pennies and collecting lost change. For those readers and followers who have begun following the Change Pot midway, Change Pot Tuesday is about charity. When the Change Pot reaches $100, it will be donated to charity and the process will be started all over again. Loyal readers and followers will have an opportunity to help me choose which charity will receive the money accumulated in the Change Pot. While, I don't expect to change the world with the Change Pot, I do hope to help a charity in some small way.

The Change Pot had a much better week this week, but the finds were still limited to only one day - Sunday. On Sunday, we found $0.27 total in the form of a quarter and two pennies. The first penny was found at the Sheetz in Breezewood, PA on the way home from Pittsburgh. The quarter and second penny were found at separate times (coming and going) in the parking lot of our new apartment after returning from Pittsburgh.

Weekly Total: $0.27
YTD Total: $7.47

Change Pot Tuesday

Change Pot Tuesday is a weekly recap of finding money that other people have lost. However, it is more than just picking up pennies and collecting lost change. For those readers and followers who have begun following the Change Pot midway, Change Pot Tuesday is about charity. When the Change Pot reaches $100, it will be donated to charity and the process will be started all over again. Loyal readers and followers will have an opportunity to help me choose which charity will receive the money accumulated in the Change Pot. While, I don't expect to change the world with the Change Pot, I do hope to help a charity in some small way.

This week was a very poor week for the Change Pot with only a single penny found on Wednesday. The penny was left on a table in the quiet/study area of the UMBC administration building. I suspect the lack of finds this week has more to do with us concentrating on the move and not on looking for lost change.

Weekly Total: $0.01
YTD Total: $7.20

Change Pot Tuesday

Change Pot Tuesday is a weekly recap of finding money that other people have lost. However, it is more than just picking up pennies and collecting lost change. For those readers and followers who have begun following the Change Pot midway, Change Pot Tuesday is about charity. When the Change Pot reaches $100, it will be donated to charity and the process will be started all over again. Loyal readers and followers will have an opportunity to help me choose which charity will receive the money accumulated in the Change Pot. While, I don't expect to change the world with the Change Pot, I do hope to help a charity in some small way.

Wednesday - $0.06 total. My first find of the day was at the Sandy Spring Museum. I found a nickel as I got out of my car to visit the museum for a class project. Later after returning to UMBC, I found a penny on the main sidewalk running through campus while on my way to class.

Thursday - $0.01. A penny at the Sheetz on South Street in Frederick Maryland while on my way home from Baltimore.

Sunday - $0.02 total. The first penny was found in our home while packing. It was at the back of the "junk" drawer in our kitchen. Although this was most definitely our penny, I will still add it to the Change Pot since I "found" it. The second penny, which was not picked up, was found at the Sheetz near I-79 in Morgantown. We had stopped for something to drink after dropping James off at his friend Morgan's house when I found a penny on the floor at the cash register. The store was too busy, so I didn't get the opportunity to pick up the penny, but I will donate a penny to the cause.

Weekly Total: $0.09
YTD Total: $7.19

An Double Arch Observation

Ok, so I could have titled this post "A Golden Arches Observation", but that would have given away the topic and may have influenced my readers (all 3 of them) from this post.

My observation started a couple of weeks ago when we were forced to stopp at a McDonald's for lunch. We were in Baltimore looking for apartments and had James with us. It was past lunchtime and James was getting rather cranky. (Don't we all when we are hungry?) Not knowing exactly where we were or what was around, we tried to find someplace to eat that would have something James could eat. As we drove around looking and James continued to get crankier, we came across a dreaded McDonald's restaurant. Dreaded because we avoid McDonald's like the plague. Personal preference which will be discussed a little later. Seeing no other suitable restuarant in sight, we stopped. We got James a happy meal and we each got a value meal. Everything was fine. For the most part we enjoyed our meals. This was James' FIRST time to eat at McDonald's. (He's almost 2, so that tells you how long it has been since we ate at the Big M. Actually much longer.) We didn't think much of our visit. It was just another lunch on the run.

And then it happened...

..Somehow in that one visit, McDonald's had brainwashed our child. Now everytime we are out running errands and need to grab a bite to eat, James will start asking "McDonald's?". Everytime he sees the Golden Arches, James starts asking "McDonald's?". How, after ONLY ONE visit, can a two year old child know and want McDonald's? It is an absolutely absurd concept that McDonald's can have that kind of hold over someone. What could they possibly put in their food to makes us zombies to our craving for our next Golden Arch fix?

Well, I am not sure what it is that they put in their food, but that leads me to my next observation. The McDonald's taste. Have you ever noticed that no matter what menu item McDonald's comes up with, it still has the distinct taste of McDonald's? For instance, McDonald's could add something like lasagna to their menu (although not likely) and one would be able to tell that it came from McDonald's. If Burger King, Wendy's or any other fast food restaurant tried to add the same thing to their menu, it would probably taste like fast food, but it wouldn't necessarily taste like it came from Burger King, Wendy's or any other particular fast food restaurant. I do not like the distinct taste that is McDonald's. I never have. Unfortunately, I was reminded of that yesterday on my way back from Baltimore. I was running late getting back to Morgantown for an after lunch meeting. I had to stop for gas and decided I would get something to eat as well. And guess what...the only place to eat at the exit I chose to stop for gas was a McDonald's. Yuck. I decided I would avoid the hamburgers and get a chicken sandwich. I ordered the southern style chicken sandwich without the sauce, thinking it was the sauce that gave McDonald's it's distinct taste. I was wrong, although the sauce probably would have made it taste more like McDonald's than having it without the sauce. (The sauce on this sandwich btw is butter.) As I bit into the sandwich, that distinct McDonald's flavor hit me like a brick wall. In this case, it was the bun. Ruined my whole lunch experience. Next time, (let's hope it is another 2+ years before I make it there again) I will order the sandwich without the sauce and the bun and maybe I will get something I enjoy -- a piece of chicken that doesn't taste like it came from McDonald's.

I welcome hearing from anyone else on what they think makes the McDonald's taste so distinctive and why people become zombies for the Big M taste.

First Week of Classes

Well, I have made it through my first week as a graduate student. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. Not because of the assignments, but because of all the resources available. I don't know where to begin my research. I also think I am overwhelmed because I am not settled yet. We won't be physically moving for another week and a half and I feel there is so much for me to do, yet I can't really concentrate because I am still trying to figure out everything with the move. In the end, I think I will be alright once things get settled, but until then I will just have to take it one day at a time and make sure I schedule enough time to get me schoolwork done. It will have to take priority if I am to make sure I don't fall behind. One group research paper with a presentation to class, one group project and two short 5 - 7 page papers to present in class. I think that will turn out ok. I'll have to relinquish some responsibility in the group project and research paper. Not sure how well I will be able to do that. I have never been one to give up responsibility when it is my grade on the line, but I have to realize I am dealing with graduate students now. More like professionals than undergraduates. I am looking forward to the challenge.

Change Pot Tuesday

Change Pot Tuesday is a weekly recap of finding money that other people have lost. However, it is more than just picking up pennies and collecting lost change. For those readers and followers who have begun following the Change Pot midway, Change Pot Tuesday is about charity. When the Change Pot reaches $100, it will be donated to charity and the process will be started all over again. Loyal readers and followers will have an opportunity to help me choose which charity will receive the money accumulated in the Change Pot. While, I don't expect to change the world with the Change Pot, I do hope to help a charity in some small way.

Thursday was an interesting day for the Change Pot, because I can not tell you exactly how much money I found that day. It's not that I found I lot, it really is that I don't know exactly how much. Here is why: I stopped by the Sheetz on Route 7 near I-68 on Thursday morning to get some breakfast before running some errands. I saw a penny on the floor between the registers and the coffee bar. My hands were full, so I couldn't pick it up. Continuing to look around, I
thought I saw a second penny under one of the racks at the counter. Again, I was unable to pick it up, but decided I would donate two cents to the Change Pot. However, when I returned to Sheetz after my errands to pick up something to drink for lunch with Lori, I found another penny near where I had seen the first penny earlier. Was this the same penny as before? Likely, but the coloring was a bit duller and it was not in the same spot. Sure, someone could have kicked it, but I just don't know. So did I find two cents or three? I picked this penny up, but the story doesn't end there. After paying for my drinks, I look down and see a dime underneath the same rack I thought I saw a penny earlier. So was my earlier penny and this dime one in the same? I don't know. So now I am not sure if i have found 11 cents or 13 cents, or something altogether different. I picked up the dime, but again the story doesn't end there. Later that evening, I ran to the Kroger in Sabraton (Route 7 in Morgantown) to get some milk. While I was there, I picked up some other things, so once again my hands were full. As a left the self-checkout lane, I look over at the checkout next to me and see a penny lying on the floor. Being unable to pick up the penny, I noted it and will donate another penny to the Change Pot. As I continued looking, I thought I saw a second dime in the checkout lane two over from where I was. Was it a dime, was it a penny? Are my eyes going bad and playing tricks on me? Maybe it was just a stain on the floor. After that morning's incident with the penny / dime under the candy rack, I have to wonder. So now I don't don't know if I have found 13 cents, 24 cents, or somewhere in between. I will donate 24 cents to the Change Pot. After all it's only pennies and dimes. And that 11 cents? Well, if it breaks my bank, then I need to be looking a lot harder for lost change.

On Friday, I found $0.06 in the parking lot next to our realtor's office. We had to go downtown to sign some papers and when we arrived, I found a nickel lying on the ground next to the parking meter. On the way out, I found a penny in the middle of the parking lot.

On Monday, I found four pennies in four separate places. The first was near the coffee counter at the Sheetz in Sabraton (Morgantown), WV. Later that day, I found three pennies at the UMBC campus in Baltimore. All three pennies were found as I got out of my car when parking at various spots on campus.

Weekly Total: $0.34
YTD Total: $7.10