If You’re 'Walk'en to New Orleans' You Need Walking Socks

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Feature Entry: If You’re 'Walk'en to New Orleans' You Need Walking Socks

Walking while on vacation serves two historical antecedents. First, many vacationers want to sight see and walking is often the most convenient way to see the sights. Second, individuals tend to eat more while on vacation and walking is an important way to burn the extra calories.

The MoneyWalker follows several blogs and on-line interest groups, one being TheTravelzine@yahoogroups.com. A recent thread allowed discussion of the importance of good walking shoes including walking socks. Wrote Stef from Chicago:

Hello Gail and Fellow Walking Ziners:

Gail is correct, socks are “extremely” important. I have worn Thorlo's for at least 20 years. They come in many versions for all activities: walking, running, hiking, Tennis, etc. Thorlos may be a bit expensive, but boy are they fabulous! Once you
examine them for each sport you will understand the science behind the design
and structure each sock has for each exact sport or exercise.They are made in
Statesville, NC, and dedicated to the science of socks. http://www.thorlo.com/

Walk on!

Stef, in sunny sweltering Chicago

ChicagoAs it turns out, the MoneyWalker owns a pair of Thorlos and they are expensive. I found them to provide very good comfort but no more so than my Wigwams or high end Nikes. Still the resistance was too much, I opened Thorlo’s website to have a peek. I found a treasure of an information piece called “Why Walking Thorlos? More Protection…More Walking!” http://www.thorlo.com/ws6/why_thorlos.php?activity_id=12 A few of the highlights follow, the MoneyWalker's comments are in parentheses:

• “More walking for us is more life.” (The more we walk, the longer we live.)

• “Walking is not only the best exercise you can do, it’s what our bodies were ‘designed’ to do.” (Walking is a safe natural exercise.)




• “Walking Thorlos (or any high end brand of walking socks) are designed to help protect your feet from the damaging forces of impact, shear and blistering when exercise walking.” (Quality walking socks helps protect joints.”




• “During heel strike, when the heel makes contact with the ground the outer edge touches first. The muscles, tendons and ligaments of the foot relax, allowing the foot to flatten, to adapt itself to non-uniform surfaces, and to absorb the body's impact which is as much as 1-1/2 times the body's weight at normal walking speed.” (A proper functioning foot that fully relaxes at heel contact is important to prevent falls.)




• “Given the significant range of motion through which the foot goes during walking and running, it is understandable that placing this dynamic appendage in the static environment of a shoe inherently limits the foot's functionality.” (Speaks to the importance of well engineered walking shoes and socks to mitigate the modern practice of wearing shoes rather than walking barefoot.)




• Shearing, “Shearing forces occur when the metatarsal bones glide over layers of the plantar fat pads and skin that are not moving in the same direction as the bones. This creates a situation in which the fat pads become inflamed, and over time, degenerate.” (Well designed padded socks help prevent shearing, blistering, and fat pad degeneration.)




• Moisture, “Moisture retained by socks inside the shoe softens the skin of the foot and makes it more vulnerable to blistering.” (A well engineered walking sock wicks moisture away from the foot.), and finally,
  



• Plantar fat pad protection, “After the age of about 40, many people experience a loss of as much as 50% of the plantar fat pads that protect the bottom of the feet. This fat pad degradation is primarily the result of shearing forces from walking on smooth, unyielding man-made surfaces, and is exacerbated by poorly designed and poorly fitted shoes.” (Walking socks should provide textured padding to support the foot because of the wearing away effect of the aging process.)
  
  As Stef said, “Walk on!” And if you are walking in the humidity of New Orleans, select a well padded socks that wick the moisture.
  
  Journal Entry: Current weight and money found.
  
  Current Weight = 174.2 lbs
  
  Money found since last posting = $7.19, $1.44 average for five walks.
  
  MoneyWalker

Discipline and Losing Weight

Photos from the blog of Henry James, March 31, 2010

Discipline and Losing Weight

The last blog featured the role of external motivation systems for weight loss. This blog demonstrates how intrinsic motivation can be used as a basis for losing weight.

Recently, Harry Chapman of Dallas, Texas was featured in the Times-Picayune, the MoneyWalker’s daily newspaper. Harry, always fitness conscious throughout his 30s, was shocked to realize by his late forties he had a 44 inch waist line. With the stress and responsibilities of his job, he lost time for exercise and was overeating. Moreover, all his life quality indicators were trending in the wrong direction.

First he determined to change his behavior by focusing on health rather than losing pounds. He opted for intrinsic motivation to develop a plan of action. He also sought encouragement from significant others. The plan was to exercise six days a week and follow a calorie restricted diet. Two years later he had lost 100 pounds.

Harry’s advice to is to take action with what you can do. For him it was swimming. He supports small realistic goals. Harry’s first goal was to move from lane 1 to lane 2. Lane 1 of his 50 meter pool was for the really slow swimmers. Harry could just make one length of the 50 meter pool when he started. With discipline and consistency he slowly moved up lanes until he reached lane five, the lane reserved for his club’s fastest swimmers. He now belongs to the Dallas Aquatic Masters Swim Club and competes with other masters. Says Harry, “Find a regiment and stick with it.”

Now the bad news, Harry warns that just because you are running, or walking, going to the gym, or swimming; and you are doing everything right in terms of exercise, there is no guarantee that you will lose weight. It is the “eating aspect” that is the most important, not the exercise he cautions. Harry’s final advice is biting but true: “The battle is at the table.” “You cannot work out enough to overcome overeating.“

MoneyWalker

Cancers Hate a Healthy Body

Feature Blog: Cancers Hate a Healthy Body

In a recent blog, the MoneyWalker boasted that “cancers hate a healthy body!” The observation was based on my own anecdotal data in that I am a long term survivor of bouts with two different cancers—Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Prostate.

Both were discovered at Stage II, thus relatively early. The Lymphoma resulted in throat surgery to clear the base of tongue tumor from occluding breathing. Treatment required near toxic doses of chemotherapy and radiation. Friends were amazed at how quickly I returned to work and how well I looked.

Four years later and totally unrelated, prostate cancer was diagnosed. Using da Vinci robotic prostatectomy method, out went the Prostate. Again, doctors and friends expressed pleasant surprise at the speed of recovery and my high state of general health. Those remarks continue today.

But what about objective data, do exercisers have higher survival rates than non exercisers? Other than correlational studies with their inherent problems with cause and effect, few controlled studies exist.

Michael Feuerstein reported in his edited Handbook of Cancer Survivorship a 2006 Australian study which utilized 526 cases of individuals with colorectal cancer. Those who reported regular exercise prior to diagnoses had improved cancer-specific survival (73% 5-year survival) as compared to non exercisers (61% 5-year survival). Moreover, cancer-specific mortality was higher in those with higher body weight, percent body fat, and waist circumference; all factors that can be positively influenced by physical activity.

In a second study, 816 patients with Stage III colon cancer observed increases in recurrence-free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival in association with increasing volumes of physical activity. After controlling for extraneous medical and demographic variables, those exercising 18 MET-hours per week (equivalent to one hour of brisk walking 6 days a week), had a 49% chance of reduction in risk of recurrence or death compared to those with less than 3 MET-hours per week over a three year period following surgery and chemotherapy.

Harvard School of Public Health researcher Stacey A. Kenfeld presented research indicating that getting regular exercise reduces hormones associated with causing prostate cancer. Moreover, the mortality rate for men with prostate cancer who exercise is 12 percent less than men who do not. Examples of recommended exercise include three or more hours of jogging, swimming or biking per week. Walking four hours or more also has been shown to reduce prostate cancer risk.

Using Meta analysis to analyze the literature on exercise and cancer survival rates, Margaret L. McNeely and colleagues identified 14 studies from more than 300 that met strict criteria for research and statistical design standards. Cutting through McNeely’s esoteric findings, those that exercised before, during, and after diagnoses and treatment faired better than non exercises in terms of quality of life especially in terms of fighting fatigue. Although the trends were positive, there were not statistically significant differences in survival rates between the exercisers and non exercises.

In summary, in terms of cancer, while anecdotal evidence abounds, and while a limited number of studies support claims that exercisers recover faster, survive longer, and have a higher quality of life than non-exercisers, more and tighter controlled studies are needed.

So for now, you will have to trust the MoneyWalker, “Cancers hate a healthy body!” When diagnosed, if you are in good physical shape and a regular exerciser, your body will positively respond to the required treatment faster and more completely than if you were “out-of-shape” before treatment. Moreover, you will experience fewer of the negative side effects of chemo treatment, surgery, and radiation than those that have been non-exercisers.

MoneyWalker

The Culture of Walking: A Few Snippets From the Blog of Garth Poorman

Journal Entry, May 24, 2010: Weight = 171.8 lbs; Coinage = $2.78, 178 pennies, 2 nickels, 4 dimes, 2 quarters; Ground Scores = 5.

Journal Entry, May 27, 2010: Weight – 172.2 lbs; Coinage = $2.05, 65 pennies, 5 nickels, 9 dimes, 1 quarter; Glass bottles = 5; Ground Scores = 4.

Journal Entry, May 28, 2010: Weight = 171.6 lbs; Coinage = $2.87, 62 pennies, 4 nickels, 7 dimes, 5 quarters; Glass bottles = 7; Best coinage find = 3 quarters in a newspaper vendor, a “super find.”

Feature Entry: The Culture of Walking: A Few Snippets From the Blog of Garth Poorman

Garth Poorman, (pictured above) at age 36 decided to walk 18 miles a day from West Hebron, NY to New Orleans, LA. He left August 29th, 2009 and arrived in New Orleans January 5th, 2010. His blog aptly named “poor man walking” was so named because he spent each night on the road as a guest of either strangers or slightly known friends of his family. What follows are a few of his comments. His blog address is http://www.poormanwalking.com/

** Follow your bliss!

** August 31 My first full day of walking had everything I was hoping for in this journey. It had amazing natural beauty, time for reflection…

** Because of you this trip was a rich tapestry of fun, learning, adventure and, most of all, the shared experience of human kindness.

** He (Forrest Church) challenged me to give myself the Present of Presence.

** Have Fun. Be Honest. Enjoy People.

** 3 pair of Therlos socks

** It is hard to not crack a smile in a sun shower.

** 18 miles a day. leave at 8am and walk for two hours straight. The first hour of that I walk in silence. I love the mornings - the crispness of the air, the sounds of the birds, my little corner of the world awakening - and I always find it invigorating to start the day just appreciating it all.

** At 9am I put on my headphones and fire up a podcast. Usually, its the Sports Guy Bill Simmons.

** After two hours, I always break. I find a bench or a stoop or a spot in the shade and I rest for 20-30 minutes. I take off my shoes and socks and wipe off the perspiration.

** I enjoy the morning. I endure the afternoon.

** It is a little scary to think of how heavily I rely on Google.

** [S]omething I feel is essential about the human spirit. (What he listens to on Ipod, reports about in his blog, or motivates his thinking while on the road)

Hope you enjoyed the excerpts. Happy Memorial Day.

The MoneyWalker

Meditation walking vs. money walking

Journal Entry: Weight = 175.2 (Second day of consecutive losses); Coinage = $3.08 (great day for quarters, found money in most of my money spots) 83 pennies, 4 nickels, 8 dimes, 5 quarters (amount also included 29 cents (1 quarter and four pennies) from a long residual walk to the post office and the grocery store; Ground scores = 10; Glass bottles = 3. Residual walking is a great way of “walking green.” Retrieved a Barq’s root beer bottle with this inscription: “Please recycle—NY-MA-OR-ME 5¢ MI 10¢ IA-VT-CT-DE 5¢.” Also the beverage contains calories = 160 for 12 oz serving.

Feature Entry: The MoneyWalker is beginning to receive e-mails from friends that deal with the culture of walking. This act of friendship is appreciated. One wrote:

“I thought of you the other day when I found a quarter and a penny during my daily walk. I almost never see any coins and these were in a lovely and very quiet Japanese garden, which seems the unlikeliest place to find them. I left them for a moneywalker to find.

My enjoyment of walking is very different from yours as you explained it in a post about the middle of last week. (I am, as usual, behind on my Trollope post reading.) I walk for the physical feeling of walking and the enjoyment of the minute changes I see every day. I have a lovely park to walk in with various gardens (rose, perennial, lilac, formal, Japanese . . . you get the idea.)

Another sent me a website on how to do “meditation walking.” From that site (http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Walking-Meditation) was this advice:

“Many Buddhists incorporate walking meditations into their routine. Some people find meditating easier to do while walking than while sitting still for extended periods of time. You can also take the opportunity to Ground and Center as you walk: Imagine that every time you put your foot down, it connects with the center of the earth”

Both comments stimulated this thought, is the MoneyWalker vulgarizing the act of walking by searching for money? “Ground and Center” is a meditation process that “ … is a visualization and meditation exercise you can use to focus yourself on the present and learn to feel more whole, more aware.” I’ll give the question more thought, but for now the MoneyWalker is a little to giddy about finding $3.08 to worry about it.

MoneyWalker

Interaction Statistics and Weight Loss

Journal Entry: 10/26/09: Coinage = $1.26, 96 pennies (one wheat), 4 nickels, 3 dimes; Glass bottles = 8; Ground scores = 3; Best coinage = 3 asphalt coins (coins hammered away from New Orleans’ asphalt streets). It has turned chilly in New Orleans, a perfect time for a light jacket. The MoneyWalker placed a washed light jacket on a special hook on a street pole with this sign attached, “Washed, please take!” The jacket, a ground score from an earlier walk, had been retrieved from a curb site. It lasted on the pole less than 30 minutes. Someone is walking warming today. Giving back is a good feeling.

Journal Entry: 10/27/09: Weight = 175.2; Coinage = $1.26, 41 pennies, 1 nickel, 3 dimes, 2 quarters; Glass bottles retrieved = 2; Ground Scores = 2; Best coinage find = a fence find consisting of one quarter and two pennies. Tip: I have found that people throw coins away, usually pennies, especially along the fences that separate the drive throughs of fast food franchises from establishments next door. So, when I check drive throughs, I look especially closely next to the fences as well as the areas near the pay windows. This morning the MoneyWalker found a quarter and two pennies along the fence of a Burger King drive through.

Feature Entry: Interactive statistics and weight loss

The MoneyWalkers just returned from a five-day mini vacation to the beaches of Destin, FL with three other couples—great friends. We have been taking this twice yearly trip for several years. We all met years ago at the University of New Orleans’ Faculty Women’s Club. Five of us are professors and all are teachers, three from public schools. Although representing different disciplines, our long friendship is due in part to a respective appreciation of statistics.

At Destin, the women enjoy shopping and the men hang out, take walks, philosophy, and read. Two of us enjoy checking out the thrift stores for used books and brick-a-brac treasures (the MoneyWalker collects small ducks, small boats, and cassette tape recordings). One book from an earlier post was _Perfect Weight_ by Rubin Jordan, 2008 (Siloam Publishing). Chapter 11, “Think for Your Perfect Weight” reminded me of interactive statistics and weight loss.

The chapter featured a testimonial by Carol Green, and executive chef from South Africa. Carol, after years of dieting and sporadic exercise still found herself to be consistently 20 lbs overweigh. She finally found a third step that has brought her back to her perfect weight—to eat while relaxed: “How you receive your food is important. Make every meal an occasion. Pray over your food. Eat calmly. Eat with joy every bite.” It was the interaction of diet, exercise, and stress management that produced the desired result.

She noted while studying to be a chef in Lyon, France that most French citizens eat hearty amounts of eggs, butter, and cream, but weren’t overweight. She noted that “French people ate their meals sitting down. They weren’t in a hurry to eat, preferring stimulating discussion and a leisurely pace with their knife and fork along with a glass of Bordeaux, even in the middle of the afternoon. No matter what they had pressing on their schedules, the French took their time whenever a meal was served.” We Americans can learn from the French. Too often, we eat on the run, wolf down our meals, and fail to appreciate the food or the time to prepare it.

In summary, it is the statistical interaction effect that might be missing from our attempt to lose weight. It is not just exercise and diet that needs our attention, but also stress free eating. Why not eat better food, sitting down, while enjoying stress-free and stimulating conversation.

MoneyWalker

Readers Digest not Bankrupt on Ideas for Losing Weight

Journal Entry: Weight = 172.8; Coinage = $1.05, 35 pennies, 3 nickels, 2 quarters; Glass bottles retrieved = 6; Ground scores = 4 (3 recyclable shirts, the last shirt as referenced earlier lasted less than an hour on the recycle pole); Best coinage find = a nickel and penny scatter on a stingy discount service station/convenience store parking lot.

Feature Entry: The On-line Readers Digest magazine features a healthy living section. This week the editors present 50+ easy ideas for losing weight. The MoneyWalker will summarize four of them with a brief critique.

Number 8 is to walk for 45 minutes a day. This is 15 minutes more than recommended from the often quoted Duke University study which found that 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat lost. Readers Digest suggest that by walking briskly for 45 minutes a day will help relatively sedentary people lose 30 a pounds in a year without changing how much you’re eating. The Moneywalker does not place much faith in this conclusion. He is all for brisk walking and the overweight sedentary person will lose several lbs rather quickly. But as the first several lbs drop off and as the walker begins to approach the ideal body weight, those last several lbs are dropped much more slowly. I recommend an hour walk and a reduced consumption of food, especially white food and sweet food.

Speaking of white foods, number 18 on their list was “avoid white foods.” They cite scientific studies that have found that large amounts of simple carbohydrates from white flour and added sugar negatively effects our blood sugar and leads to weight gain. However, while avoiding sugar, white rice, and white flour, walkers will want to eat ample amounts of whole grain breads and brown rice. RD reported findings from a “..Harvard study of 74,000 women found that those who ate more than two daily servings of whole grains were 49 percent less likely to be overweight than those who ate the white stuff.” But be careful with correlation findings, correlation is not the same as cause and effect. It could be that the nutritious prudent were also prudent in other facets of their life including not overeating. Still the data are clear, overeating white starchy and sweet foods leads to overweight.

Another healthy habit of people that lose weight is to eat cereal for breakfast five days a week (#21.). Again, be careful with correlation studies, but the RD authors quoted studies that concluded that people who eat cereal for breakfast every day are significantly less likely to be obese and have diabetes than those who don't. Also, these breakfast diets lead to the consumption of more fiber and calcium -- and less fat -- than those who eat other breakfast foods. Ms. MoneyWalker mixes Fiber One (Bran) with Shredded Wheat (Wheat’n Bran) while I prefer Cheerios mixed with Crispex. We both use .02 milk without sugar.

Number 22 is to “pare your portions.” We totally agree with their concept, but not their method. They state at home or in a restaurant, “immediately remove one-third of the food on your plate.” We go further, eat only one-half at a restaurant and take the remainder home for another meal. For home, we like their idea of the restaurant serving, that is fill the plate from the containers before the meal reaches the table. While filling the plate, serve small portions. Mrs. MoneyWalker fills my plate and do I get mad, but smaller portions mean smaller clothes sizes.

Again, the MoneyWalker’s big four behaviors to take off weight and keep it off:

Weight each day at the same time each day and record in a journal.
Walk a brisk walk each day for one hour utilizing an external reward device.
Eat a whole grain breakfast each morning using 2% or lower milk.
Practice portion control and radically reduce white flour, sugary foods, white carbohydrates from your meals.

MoneyWalker

Quarters in Bloom

Journal Entry, July 5, 2009: Weight = 175.0; Coinage = $1.34, 34 pennies, 1 nickel, 2 dimes, 3 quarters; Bottles = 11; Ground Scores = 7; Best coinage find(s) = three quarters, each unlikely finds. First quarter was retrieved from a grassy cut-through path, second from a curb along a street section without houses or commerce, 3rd from an equally isolated curb and nearly in the street, just outside my visual sweep. A chance glance spotted it.

Finding a quarter for the MoneyWalker is as beautiful as a flower in full bloom.

MoneyWalker

The Man From Down Under

Journal Entry: Weight = 175.0; Coinage = $.35, 25 pennies, one dime; Glass Bottles = 12; Ground Score = 1; Best coinage find = seven pennies from Century One friend.

Feature Entry: Recently the MoneyWalker has featured different ways to sustain the healthy habit of walking for daily exercise. Walking with friends, going to the fitness center, the joys and sights of the neighborhood, the discipline of walking predicable distances around athletic fields, and fitness trails are all sources of motivation to different people.

From my on-line Anthony Trollope reading group, a friend named Michael from Australian sent me an off-line yesterday. He read the MoneyWalker and explained what motivates him to sustain his "constitutional." It is reproduced as follows:

Was interested to visit the moneywalker site. Had never thought of money as
an incentive to walk. My motivation for a daily two hour constitutional, is
to be able to don the iPod and enjoy the works of Mozart et al and observe
the bird-life - I carve birds and I play the cello and clarinet as hobbies.

Whatever it takes!

The photo is of Anthony Trollope, a great believer in daily exercise and walking.

MoneyWalker

Friends and MoneyWalking

Journal Entry: Weight = 176.6; Coinage = $.96, 11 pennies, 1 nickel, 3 dimes, 2 quarters (two bagger); Glass Bottles = 5; Ground Scores = 1; Best coinage find = the collective hot spots produced--a quarter at the Shell Station, a dime at Dolly's Deli and station, 18 cents at Burger King drive through, a dime at Delgado Community College news stand, and a quarter at the Bean Gallery Coffee Shop.

Feature Entry: For motivation and walking, nothing can beat walking with friends to make the minutes fly by. For years, the MoneyWalker jogged with three close friends and professional colleagues each day at noon. Many of conversations started or ended with this expression, "This is jogging talk," which mean the same as "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

I received an e-mail today from a great friend that moved to South Carolina. He taught me the basics of moneywalking. What follows are the contents of the e-mail:

Hello former money walking student of mine,

Just wanted to let you know that despite your recent successes, you still have a ways to go to catch up with the master. Yesterday, Gail and I joined nine other couples and went up to Highlands, North Carolina, for lunch and a play. After lunch we walked a couple of blocks to the playhouse. I was near the back of the pack. On the way, I spotted in the street near the curb what appeared to be a couple of dollar bills all wadded up. Everyone else had walked right past it. It turned out to be a $20 bill and a $10 bill. Everyone was very impressed and jealous, as I am sure you are.

The Money Walker


Notice how the cad signed off, "The Money Walker." Me jealous, huh!

MoneyWalker

$300,000 Lost Each Day & A Testimonial

Journal Entry: Weight = 178.2 lbs; Money Found = $.57, 27 pennies, 1 nickel, 1 quarter; glass bottles retrieved = 11. A fun walk, three different penny scatters.

Feature Entry: Terry Armstrong, Co-Founder/Co-Director of the Found Money Fund of Idaho (FMFI) reported that over $300,000.00 is lost each day (news report, 1990). Tongue in check, he “.. urge(s) people to hurry, don’t look down, practice paranoia, and always carry coins.”

Hoping to verify Armstrong’s $300,000, the MoneyWalker searched Advanced Google without success but did find Dave and Alice Bertzfield’s testimonial on their community blog, the Silverseekers. This couple is a member of the Federation of Metal Detector and Archaeological Clubs Inc. People with metal detectors take our hobby of finding lost money to a whole different level (see photo in March 24, 2009 feature blog above). Maybe we money searchers should take note and form our own society.

In the case of the Bertzfields, they also money walk, they call their finds “eye finds." Here is their story:

Over the years we have picked up coins (called eye finds) just lying around in many places. When our 2nd. Grand child was born we decided to save our eye finds for the two of them. We started to save them from Apr. to Oct. & Oct to Apr. Every six months I would count the eye finds, roll them & take them to the bank for paper money. Our goal has been to find a quarter per week for each girl. Only a few times in the last eight & a half years we didn’t make it. We decided to save this money for them either until they really need something or until they graduate. As we are just finishing up one of the six month savings it has been one of the highest finds we have had. In this six month period they will each have over $35. That will be added to the $415 that is already saved for them. It is hard for us to imagine the money lost each day in this country. We often say if someone loses a quarter at a fast food restaurant each day & multiply it by all the fast foods around, the amount lost is staggering.

Their blog URL is

http://www.silverseekers.com/June07SSSpeaker.pdf

Good luck to the Bertzfields and their metal detector, but I am still breathless over that $300,000 lost money each day. Imagine, $300,000 of newly lost money on the street since yesterday, I’ve got to get out there.

MoneyWalker

Playing Favorites

Journal Post: 176.4 lbs; 77¢, 22 pennies, 4 nickels, 1 dime, 1 quarter. 11 glass bottles retired. Found a dime as I picked up one of the bottles, would not have seen dime otherwise. Residual Walk to the Grocery: 16¢, one dime, one nickel, one penny, in two different curb finds. Total find, 93 cents.

Feature Post: I play favorites, some of my money fines are more fun than others. Today’s feature will highlight several finds that gave the MoneyWalker more than usual pleasure.

47¢ penny scatter in a real estate parking lot. Hey buddy, don’t take your subprime frustration out on the poor pennies.

2 quarters in adjacent pay newspaper stands, USA Today and Times Picayune. What’s up with that, both the national and local news were so bad—keep the money!

1$ dollar bill in a Shell station drive through carwash, inside the carwash. I wonder if the guy washed behind his ears.

½ dollar in concrete chard near a drainage grate. This baby goes into my Found Money Hall of Fame.

25$ dollars wadded together as two tens and a five on the ground but under a post office mail deposit drive-up. Hey pal, next day delivery is cheaper.

Seven quarters in a scatter found outside a bar and grill that features slot machine poker. I hope this guy called a cab.

68 ¢ found on a Rallys (hamburger drive through) picnic table. Those cheap burgers can cause some really serious heartburn.

Ten dollar bill in the parking lot of a locally popular restaurant. There went the tip money.

55¢ under a pay station for pre-paying parking slips. I am surprised the meter maids didn’t cuff me.

Happy St Patrick’s day next Tuesday, may the luck of the Irish be with you and the lbs come flying off as the coins come flying in.

MoneyWalker

Out of the Easy Chair, a Testimonial

The MoneyWalker introduces a new feature, the MoneyWalker testimonial. This one is from Oriole Adams of Detroit and was found on Ask Meta Filter
http://ask.metafilter.com/103159/How-sell-a-healthy-lifestyle-to-my-sedentary-father

"My dad survived a heart attack and bypass surgery when he was in his 70s, but still was reluctant to get out of his easy chair. My mom got the wake-up call from his illnesses and started walking daily without him, many times accompanied by her sister. They'd venture out in different directions, covering more distance every day. What always enriched their walks, though, was finding money on the ground. Whether it be a penny or dime or sometimes a Canadian loonie (we're not far from the Detroit/Windsor border), they pick up every coin and make something of a game of it - "Who can find the most money?" Well, eventually Dad saw the coins accumulating in Mom's jar and asked, incredulously, "You're just finding this money on the street??" So he started walking with Mom every day and collecting coins. Sure, walking while hunched over looking at the ground isn't tops for his posture, but at least it gets him out of his chair for 30 minutes a day."
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:14 AM on October 2, 2008

If you have a testimonial to share, please contact me at bleason@uno.edu

The MoneyWalker