$68 Million in Coins

 Tommy's eye is barely discolored. I thought for sure he would have a real shiner. He is not hurting anywhere after the fall. I had trouble sleeping after all the excitement. I slept two hours, awoke and could not sleep. I went out at 7 am and put the car back into the carport, so that the predicted rain would not get it spotty. Then, I watched TV for a bit and went back to bed for another two hours' sleep. Then, I stayed awake for two hours, lay back down and slept three hours. So, my sleep was in three sessions. 

Thankfully, we had plenty of cooked food for dinner--chicken breasts, potatoes, carrots, squash, onions. Yep, we had that last night, too. 

The mower did not come as he said today. He got something in his eye and had to go to eye doctor after work. He usually comes on Thursday, anyway. That way, he can pull the trash to the road for Tommy. So, he will be here on the right day. 

At the very back of the yard are many limbs of the tree behind us, hanging down to the ground on our side. I wonder if the mower cuts them, will it be okay to toss them over the fence or are we supposed to carry them to the road in front of my house? I cannot get back to the fence to talk with them and do not want to annoy them by cutting their branches. 

When I was eight, somehow I became the owner of an buffalo nickel. When my grandson was eight, I gave it to him along with a coin book. I really, really, REALLY wish I had another buffalo nickel. But, I don't regret giving mine to grandson. 

I have been wanting Tommy to go to an endocrinologist when I go to one so he can better manage his diabetes. He always yells. Today, I was on the phone telling a friend the plan. He did not say a word during my conversation or afterwards. So, finally, maybe we will find answers and get a Dexcom monitor to stick on him. 

Today, I read an interesting article about coins, lost and found.

Americans Throw Away Up to $68 Million in Coins a Year. Here Is Where It All Ends Up. (msn.com)

Do you have a coin collection, large or small? 

Do you pick up pennies?

Plumber, This and That

                 

 The water delivery part is much higher than it appears in this photo.                                                                                                                                                      

Twice today, I have spilled food on my new necklace! Once was milk that ran out of my mouth, down my face, dripped off my chin, and then onto the necklace. Actually, it did not run out of my mouth. I just tipped the glass up too far. The other time was something gooey to wipe off. At least I can give my new necklace/chain a bath and not worry about food making it turn permanently. My last good necklace was full of mends so it looked knotty. Gone.

Today was only 50F with a breeze, sometimes mild and sometimes stiff. Tommy came to the car complaining that he did not know it would be so cold. He had on a short-sleeve shirt. I told him to go get a coat. He did, but I am sure it was because he was so cold. The wind blew right through my clothing. 

The plumber was scheduled for 10 am. He called about 10:45 and said the job he started yesterday was taking longer than he thought. Finally, I went to sleep in my chair. Tommy told me he called and was five minutes from here. I had no idea where I was or what Tommy was talking about. I had only slept two hours last night and had Tommy wake me for when the plumber was supposed to come. So, I was discombobulated. ugh! 

I told the guy how it went down with the mess of water. No, I did not spill water. I checked for that when it happened. No, I could not see where it was running from. So, the four of us stood there and watched the hot water run full force for about five minutes, just like it happened when it flooded the counter. I had bought a faucet yesterday, so told them to put it in. We had the kind of long handle that controls hot to cold and turns from right to left. There is a joint there that sort of has a ball configuration. Usually, that is where this kind of faucet leaks. The plumber and helper kept wiping their fingers back there. They could only get a smear of water on their black gloves. We could not replicate the leak!

I meant to get a shiny chrome stainless steel faucet like the sink. The faucet is nice. I hate the pull-down sprayers. But, I ended up with the right faucet, just in a brushed steel. I was not going to sit around and wait for them to buy another faucet at Lowe's. I should have because this will be here a long time. Besides, it was installed before I figured it out. 

I asked plumber to show me where the filter in the dishwasher is located. He had no idea, even after looking. I thought he showed it to me when he installed the dishwasher. So, I can look on the internet since I have no idea where I put the manual. I miss my file cabinet. 

The caulk or whatever it is called was put around the commode, too. He thought it should not be there. He said if the seal failed, I would never know it and it would leak under the house. I know it would rot the support for the commode. ask me how I know. But, I know that roaches and fleas were coming in there. Plus, someone told me snakes could come in the house there. Tommy is deathly afraid of snakes, so he said nothing about that. They had to go to Lowe's for a tube of caulking. 

He put this commode in. One of the bolts holding the seat on is loose and the seat swivels. So, he tightened that. Neither of us can bend to reach it. We really know how!

Tommy got out a card to pay. The plumber only takes cash and check. We all looked at each other for a second after Tommy said he did not have enough cash and no checks. Then, I pulled out my checkbook. It is a good thing I did not make a payment today that I was going to make. 

Tommy ordered checks before they ran out. When he ran out of checks, he called again. Somehow, he will get the money back to my checking account. This has never happened before. He rarely writes a check. Nor do I. However, last week, forgot where, the vendor would not take a card. I wonder why. 

So, $389.00 later, we have a new faucet. The Moen faucet was on sale, probably clearance, for $89. That is $478.00 today. 

Then, we headed off to Belk's for something I wanted on sale. Somehow, I cannot order online at Belk's even though I have no problems ordering other places online. The woman helped Tommy order online by doing it for him. My card would not work! I panicked. It was only expired, so the lady did an override to update the card. Neither of my Belk cards worked. So, I had to take care of that when I came home.

We figured up how many boxes of freezer and storage bags in quart and gallon sizes--22 boxes. However, only one box has quart storage. hmmm...how did I do that?

I opened the coin bank jar where I put change all year. This is the rare coin I find and change that I get in transactions. I had a grand total of $6.98. Tommy has a penny jar and another for other coins. He has put this away for several years. He said he never has a chance to spend it. 

Dinner: last tiny bit of green bean casserole, baked zucchini, turkey. Tommy had the same and sweet potato. That is the very end of Thanksgiving.  We had four meals, and there is more turkey breast in refrigerator and some in freezer. Besides the meals, we have both been having turkey sandwiches and turkey on salads. 

How much of Christmas dinner do you have left? 

How much do you have in your coin jar? Do you have a method of saving coins?

Have you found places that no longer take cards, just checks or cash?

Found Money and Aldi's Quarters

Last week, I found a quarter and a penny right beside each other in front of Walmart. Somewhere else, forgot where, I opened the car door and found a penny.

When I went to Aldi's, I was stymied as usual as to how to get a cart. A woman was approaching the cart thing and I yelled to exbf to give me a quarter and to the woman to let me give her a quarter. So, I did not have to figure out how to work that thing. I have been in the store 3 other times, and have never gotten this right. Two times, I just gave a quarter to someone bringing back their cart. The other time, someone did it for me.

When I came out of Aldi's I watched closely to see how another woman was getting her quarter back. She shoved the cart into the cart rack and walked away.  That was puzzling until I realized she did not get a quarter.

I pushed the cart into the rack and tried to use that little piece of metal on the chain to dig out the quarter. It was not even long enough. So, I looked to the next cart which still had a quarter in it. Finally, I figured out the cart with the quarter had a piece of metal on its own chain. I rammed it into the slot behind my quarter and my quarter was loose.

Since I had his quarter back, I used the chain and metal on the third cart to extract the quarter on the cart the woman shoved in before me. HA!

At the car, he got his quarter. Now, I had a quarter. And, I finally figured out how to work Aldi's cart system.

On Wednesday, I was to receive something like $1.64 in change. The young guy said, "Oh, let me go get ones." I told him to just give me four quarters instead. He did. Later, I dipped into those six quarters to use two quarters to get a Coke from a machine. One quarter would not work no matter how many times I shoved it in the slot. Finally, I looked closely at the quarter that had many sides. I had been given a Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. So, I can add $0.75 to my found money.

That makes $1.27 cents in less than a week. I need to save this, or at least keep a record of found money and then use that much on gifts.

What do you do with money you find? Did you have trouble figuring out the Aldi's quarter system?