Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Back In My Urban Serengeti



Journal Entry: Body Weight = 179.2 lbs; Money Found = $.87. 57 pennies, 2 nickels, 2 dimes; glass bottles retrieved = 11. Found two crusted long lost dimes—very rewarding. Finding 57 pennies is rare considering that only one minor scatter added to the total, just pennies from heaven. In checking a drive through car wash, found an interesting car magnet logo for my collection. It stated, “Napa Emergency Women’s Services, Ending Domestic Violence.” Also found two pieces for my hardware collection and a nearly full can of wasp/ant spray.

From yesterday’s late afternoon walk found $.57; 22 pennies, 1 nickel, 3 dimes.

Feature Entry: Someday I hope to experience an African Serengeti, to see sun burnt savannahs shimmering to the horizon. To be there after the rains and watch the endless grass pastures transform into patches of wild flowers and see a pride of lions “mastermind” a siege, focused “unswervingly on their next meal.”

As for now, I am happy to be back in my urban Serengeti and once again unswervingly focused on my quest for optimum fitness and finding gold nuggets that have been left behind by others in a larger hurry.

But what wonderful five marvelous days we had on the emerald coast of Florida with wife and seven life-long friends. We were four very happy couples. We laughed, talked, and enjoyed glorious sun-sets on a balcony just feet from the crystal clear emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico. And we ate, and ate, and ate (see weight gain from journal entry above.)

The term “urban Serengeti” came from an interesting T.V. commercial featuring a gecko and an automobile insurance company. My urban Serengeti is the four mile area around my mid-city New Orleans home, two miles in any direction from my home. And like an African serengeti, it is filled with dozens of “water holes,” sometimes dry and sometimes brimming with lost coinage. And after being away, even the beer bottles, broken curbs, and unrepentant Katrina damage were visual treasures.

After unloading and packing away the suitcases, on went the Brooks walking shoes for a one hour walk for an urban serengeti renewal.The Emerald Coast was a treasure for the MoneyWalkers, but it felt great to be back home and on the streets. I have missed the money.

MoneyWalker

5 comments:

  1. Welcome home! It sounds like you had a wonderful vacation.

    When we travel I never seem to have good luck on the streets. The worst place I've seen for found money is Hawaii. The best, anywhere in Mexico. Figure that one out!

    New Orleans is on our list of places to go one day.

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  2. Welcome back Moneywalker. I like to look in new places when on travel, you never know what treasures each new environment holds. Was lucky enough to be able to walk along the ocean this past weekend. Although no treasure presented itself there, it was great to get away and breathe the fresh air.

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  3. Numismatist,when you come to New Orleans, give me a heads up and I will send you my list of favorite and low cost things to do in New Orleans. Who knows, maybe we can get together for a money walk. What cities have you visited in Mexico?

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  4. Twincapes, I agree, doing money walks in new places has its own rewards. In my neighborhood, I know the hot spots, but even finding a few coins in another city or place is a good reward for the discipline of exercise while on a trip. I saw one person with a metal detector in Destin, though of you and your article about how to find treasures at the beach.

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  5. We used to have a winter place in AZ 30 miles from the border. The only thing between my back door and the "fence" was Organ Pipe National Monument. Lunch was often done in Mexico. We've done most of the resorts on the west coast but none on the east coast.

    No immediate plans for New Orleans but we have talked about it a lot.

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