The Parking Lot Penny

My daughter has a part time job at a mall. She is popcorn princess. She had to leave for her job before dinner so I told her I would bring dinner to her which made her very happy.

I packed her meal, drove to the mall and parked my car. Heading for the door, a very warm 1996 penny was waiting for me. It's been added to my collection.

The shopping cart coin

Well, I think this heat is even too hot for street coins. None to be seen anywhere. Don't blame them really. I wouldn't want to be lying on a hot sidewalk either.  But, on Saturday, at my weekly adventure at the local grocery store, some kind hearted soul left a quarter in the grocery cart. It was the 1952-2002 quarter.

I know this doesn't count as a street coin, but it was a found coin and deserved to be written about.

Made in America

I found this coin yesterday (lucky July 13) but was too tired to write about my find, so here's what happened:

I had an interview yesterday morning. It was a long process - one hour written test followed by a 45 minute interview (three on the interview panel). It went ok but the interview experience was great. The interview process with my current employer is intimidating (expressionless faces who ask question making the experience feel more like an oral exam); this one was interactive.

I didn't have to be back at my office till after lunch so after the interview, I had a bit of time to kill. I contemplated walking back to the office. The walk would have taken me about an hour but the sun was hot that about half way there, I hopped on the subway. At my exit subway station was a fabulous violinist playing a lively song that sounded very familiar (I gave him a Toonie).

It was lunch time and I was hungry so I decided to stay in the underground in search of something to eat.
In my quest for just the right delicacy, I found a 1942 US penny. It was lying in wait near one of the food vendors.

Perhaps this lucky penny bodes well for the interview outcome? Maybe but I do know for sure that I'm one cent richer.

A two penny day

I was at a project management course today. I took the GO train to get to the course which was at King and Jarvis. That's about a 15 minute walk from Union Station. I like to get a seat and the 4:30 train home fills quickly which means I need to get to the station asap. I enter the platform off of York Street - quicker route to the platform.

In my brisk walk on this beautiful sunny day, as I'm passing Union Station I notice not one but two pennies on the sidewalk, about 5 feet from one of the hot dog vendors. Neither of these pennies are shiny and new. I fact they're both rather dull. One is a 1976 penny and the other is a 1985 penny. Interesting to see how different these pennies look. The leaves on the 1976 penny are raised more than the 1985 version.

A lucky night

A friend and I went to see the Donny and Marie show at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. We had great seats and enjoyed a fabulous show.

I love Donny. I've been a long time fan and really wanted his autograph so we waited back stage for Donny to emerge. First we waited in the bar of the hotel across the street. We could see the back stage door from where we were sitting and since it appeared it would be a long wait, we had a drink and snack and then returned to the back stage door. The wait was worth - eventually a very tired looking Donny emerge and graciously shook hands, posed for pictures and signed autographs for his adoring fans. With a smile on his face he signed my program. I was a very happy camper.

On the way back to the car, my friend wanted some street meat so we stopped by the hot dog cart. While waiting for her hot dog to cook, we chatted with a couple American tourists who were waiting for their veggie dog. They were enjoying their vacation in TO, talking about the sites they saw and their upcoming adventures. On the Queen Street, near the vendor was a 1989 dime just waiting for me.

What a great night - Donny and Marie, seeing Donny up close and getting his autograph, street meat and a dime. Pretty good night if you ask me.

Pennies from Heaven

There are movies called Pennies from Heaven and many artists have recorded the song Pennies from Heaven. Some believe that the pennies, nickels, dimes, etc. you find on the street are from "pennies from heaven" - angel or departed loved ones letting you know they're still around. Personally, I think the change on sidewalks comes from holes in pockets, or slip out of wallets or purses when rummaged through - lost change looking for a new home.

Unlike most pedestrians, I collect these coins. "Spot a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck." And of course it's luck; I'm a penny (or nickel or dime or quarter or whatever) richer than I was before I found that coin. For a year (2009 to 2010) I kept a diary of any coins that I found and found a total of $4.10. Some days I found multiple coins and some days no coins.

One March day in 2009, I found a shiny 2007 penny and nearly smacked into someone who looked an awful lot like Morgan Freeman. There was a limo parked on the street, close to where I nearly ran him over,  so maybe...

I'm still finding coins and so this blog is dedicated to all the coins I find, lying in wait.  So I may not blog every day, unless I find a coin every day.