The Art, Luck and Politics of Finding Money During Money Walks

Journal Entry: Coinage (get ready) = $20.51 a record find for a one walk find, and yes there is a story, see below, 196 pennies, 42 nickels, 42 dimes, and 49 quarters; glass bottles = 9; ground scores = 5 (one slightly damaged card table that will go into the charity yard sale this spring. The yard sale will contain many of the MoneyWalker’s ground scores.)

Feature Entry: The Art, Luck and Politics of Finding Money During Money Walks

A few blocks back, the Moneywalker spoke of the art, luck, and politics of finding large amounts of coinage while walking to maintain fitness and weight control. The case was made that most significant accomplishments occur as a result of the interaction of skill, good luck, and politics. This post will feature the role of politics.

Several months ago I noticed that a local self car wash with seven vacuum bays did not bother to lock the vacuum receptacles, most do. It seemed intrusive and somewhat gross to inspect these potential money hot spots even though it was obvious from the debris in and around the canisters that others were doing so. Finally I succumbed to a money search urge and began inspecting these potential treasure spots. As expected, they were and continue to be a rich source for coins, and on one occasion a dollar bill.

Then it happened, a polite gentleman named Eddie approached me and asked if he could help me. He was the manager of the MidCity Car Wash. I introduced myself as the MoneyWalker and explained that I searched the canisters for loose change, but that I gave all finds to a charity, the Friendship House, a ministry for battered women and their children. He explained that he applauded the purpose and only asked that I carefully reclose the doors and tidy the debris that was pulled from the canisters. Later I met the owner, Jason, who was aware of my habit. He donated several quarters from a sack that was used to empty the vending machines.

Now the politics. Last year the MoneyWalker donated more than $500 dollars to the Friendship House, distributed in amounts of $100 each over one year. Each donation was accompanying by a cover letter offering encouragement as well as acknowledging the check. In each letter, I complemented the MidCity ownership and management for their cooperation and mentioned Eddie and Jason by name. I made copies of the letters and sent them to both Eddie and Jason.

During this morning’s walk, I found just under $10 dollars in one of the canisters. By chance, Jason was watching from his office. He walked over and donated another $10 dollars in quarters from his sack. Then he said something remarkable. His company was being forced to put locks on the canister doors because others, less vigilant than the MoneyWalker was leaving the areas thrashed and were failing to close the doors. But please don’t worry he said, I will give you the key. As I said, finding money is a combination of art, luck, and politics. Thank you Jason. Thank you Eddie.

MoneyWalker

Walking and the Aging Process

Journal Entry from Feb. 8 through Feb. 17.: Coinage = $22.98 for the period. All the regular features return on the next post. The MoneyWalker has experienced sensory overload during the last ten days with the Saints winning the Super Bowl and the traditional festivities of the Mardi Gras. The walks were made, but not the blog.

Feature Entry: Walking and the Aging Process

Yesterday, my brother, eight years my senior called and requested help with a car he has for sell. It wouldn’t start. I asked about the battery and was told it was less than a year old. Upon examination, I noticed corrosion around one of the terminals, not too surprising since he hadn’t started the car in over the month. All solutions failed—cleaning the terminals, adding water, and jumper cables. The battery had failed, it was dead. Fortunately the dead battery was so new, he received a free new battery without prorate.

The lesson is obvious, if we don’t use our body and the various parts, it will cease to function and die prematurely. The solution to living successfully into old age is exercises that involve strength building, cardiorespiratory, and stretching; a healthy diet; and maintaining a positive attitude.

What are the effects of aging on muscles and what can be done? First, as muscles age they lose mass and a sedentary lifestyle accelerate it. Our grip strength diminishes as does our reaction time. The heart muscle becomes less able to pump sufficient quantities of blood to the body’s periphery causing shortness of breath, premature fatigue, and slow recovery. Reduced muscular size and efficiency also results in decreased metabolism which causes weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease.

Joint flexibility is also at risk. Motion becomes more restricted and range of motion decreases with age. It is all due to changes in tendons and ligaments. Also, as the cushioning cartilage breaks down, the joints become inflamed and arthritic.

Now we know, it is not aging as much as it is disuse. Less than 10 percent of Americans participate in regular exercise. As a result obesity is a recognized “epidemic” by the Centers for Disease Control. The solution follows: Stretch to help maintain joint flexibility; Weight train to increase muscle mass and strength; and participate in regular moderate amounts of cardiovascular activity to reduce risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity. An exercise program doesn't have to be strenuous to be effective. Walking, square dancing, swimming, and bicycling are all recommended activities for maintaining fitness as we age.

Sorry about the sermon, but after Super Bowl and Mardi Gras parties, to say nothing of the Valentine candy, I needed the self-talk.

MoneyWalker

One Glorious Day

Feature Entry: One Glorious Day!

One Glorious Day WWII ended.

One Glorious Day Ms. MoneyWalker told the Minister “I Do!"

One Glorios Day the Chancellor of the University of New Orleans said “The job is yours.”

One Glorious Day Drew Brees told Coach Sean Peyton, “I’m coming to New Orleans!”

One Glorious Day the New Orleans Saints won the “Super bowl!!!!”

It was a glorious day.

And a side note, just now the MoneyWalker on a utility walk to buy a commemorative paper, in four different spots, 2 quarters, a dime, and 3 pennies were added to the celebration.

“Who ‘dat!”

Moneywalker

Finish Strong!

Journal entry 2/5/10: Weight = 171 lbs; Coinage = $1.32
Journal entry 2/6/10: Weight = 171.8 lbs; Coinage $2.60
Journal Entry 2/7/10: Weight = 171.8; Coinage = $2.78, one super find of two quarters in the coin return of a pay telephone. Finding money in pay telephones, once a frequent occurring effort, is now very rare.

Feature Entry: Finish Strong
The headline on this morning’s Times Picayune reminded the New Orleans Saints football team to “finish strong.” At the beginning of the season star quarterback Drew Brees purchased a book called Finish-Strong for every member of the team. The slogan, coined by author Dan Green has been the Saints mantra all season long. Last year’s team lost several games in the fourth quarter.

As a weight watcher, the expression also resonates with portion control and exercise. It is not enough to lose weight, I must keep it off. When the scales give me a friendly reading, if not careful, I will use the lost poundage as “money in the bank,” or as justification to serve up a big bowl of ice cream with a fudge brownie. That is not finishing strong.

Green indicates that a Finish Strong attitude is about choice. As individuals, we are the only ones that have the power to successfully meet the challenges before us. Keeping weight off is a major challenge even for thin people. What they have that keeps them thin is not a friendly metabolism but a highly developed sense of personal accountability when it comes to food and exercise. Each day when faced with negative choices, they adopt a finish-strong mentality. Yes to exercise, no to unhealthy fatty and sugary foods. So how will we choose, lie down, settle and quit, or move forward toward our goal of healthy weight control.

How can we moneywalkers finish strong? By remembering the big four for weight control: weigh every day, exercise, eat breakfast, and practice portion control.

Go Saints!

MoneyWalker

Buy/Hold/Sell and Money Walking Hot Spots

Journal entry 2/3/10: Weight = 172.0 lbs; Coinage = $1.48, 43 pennies (one wheat), 3 nickels, 4 dimes, 2 quarters; Glass bottles retrieved and deposited = 13; Ground scores = 1.

Journal entry 2/4/10: Weight = 171.8 lbs; Coinage = $1.22, 37 pennies, 2 nickels, 5 dimes, 1 quarter; Significant find = a 9 penny dump near a telephone booth.

Feature Entry: Buy/Hold/Sell
Metaphors lace our language and the financial markets have given us buy/hold/sell. Beyond buying and selling securities, we use the expression in defining many aspects of society including money walking. A few examples follow, opinions that seem to reflect current thought:

Politicians

Buy: Scott Brown
Hold: President Obama
Sell: Harry Reid

NFL

Buy: New Orleans Saints
Hold: Brett Farve
Sell: Indianapolis Colts

Comedians

Buy: Conan O’Brien
Hold: David Letterman
Sell: Jay Leno

News Outlets

Buy: Fox News
Hold: CBS
Sell: NBC

Female Movie Leads

Buy: Kim Kardashian
Hold: Miley Cyrus
Sell: Lindsay Lohan

On today’s walk, the MoneyWalker ‘s thinking , in a Proustian way, turned to buy/hold/sell in terms of searching or not searching the grounds and facilities of a local bank branch. Several months ago, the location was “hot” and was consistent as a source of coinage, and then less so until recently several visits in a row have yielded nothing. Given the time investment of searching five drive through windows, two ATM machines, a night depository, and three parking lots, is it worth the time and mental energy of aggressive scanning. Maybe it was time to sell. “Oh well, maybe one more visit.” And there they were a quarter, two dimes, and seven pennies in one of the back lot parking lots. “Buy!” “Buy!” “Buy!” “Buy!”

And Kim, if Reggie Bush becomes a sell, don’t forget the MoneyWalker. (Opps, hope Ms. MoneyWalker isn’t reading this post.”

MoneyWalker

Muffin Friday & The Importance of Hand Sanitizers

Journal Entry: Weight = 173.0; Coinage = $3.19 ( a big quarter day at the canisters); 74 pennies, 6 nickels, 7 dimes, 6 quarters; Glass bottles = 7; Ground score = 1; Recycled clothing = 1 man’s shirt, first recycled item for 2010.

Feature Entry: Muffin Friday & The Importance of Hand Sanitizers

Each Friday morning the MoneyWalkers set aside their traditional high fiber cereal breakfast for a bran muffin and 12 oz. decaffeinated coffee at the local coffee shop. Ours is called the Bean Gallery. Right outside their door are three newspaper vending machines, a New York Times, a USA Today, and the local daily, the Times Picayune.

Ignoring Ms MoneyWalkers cringe, I stealthy approach each one and carefully examine the coin return slots. Through experience, I have learned that the inspection requires full attention. Sometimes left-behind coins are on their edge along the side or hidden behind mysterious bends and crooks inside the mechanism. The careful searches requires aggressive searching by the fingers. "What is that feel, oh it is a dime tucked way back in the corner."

Fast forward to the bran muffins and coffee; after washing my hands, Ms. MoneyWalker pulls out her purse-sized container of waterless hand sanitizer. Only after a scrub, scrub, scrub can the muffin/coffee/paper read begin. “What good are a few nasty coins if you catch the H1N1 virus,” she reminds me.

But are hand sanitizers really necessary? Yes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They state that adherence to hand hygiene can reduce the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant organisms and other sources of infections. They continue to recommend careful hand washing as a supplement to the alcohol-based waterless hand cleansers.

It doesn’t seem to matter which type is used—gels, wipes, or sprays. Most alcohol sanitizers contain isopropropanol, ethanol, n-propanol or a combination of these ingredients. Some contain aloe and vitamin E. Nearly all brands report to kill 99.99% of germs. To be effective, the hands should be rubbed for 15 seconds.

There is one contra indication. Constant use of the product has been reported to disrupt the natural germ fighting capabilities of the hands.

Back to muffin Friday. "Dear, do our muffins taste funny, mine seems to have an aloe flavor."

MoneyWalker

Special Event Walks: The ‘Who Dat’ Saints Man-Up in a Dress Walk

Journal Entry 1/28/10: Weight = 171.4 lbs; Coinage = $1.88, 43 pennies, 7 dimes, 3 quarters; Glass bottles retrieved and deposited = 7; Ground scores = 2.

Journal Entry 1/29/10: Coinage = $1.11, 26 pennies, 2 nickels, 5 dimes, 1 quarter; Glass Bottles = 6; Ground Scores = 7.

Journal Entry 1/31/10: Weight = 172.2 lbs; Coinage = $2.53, 113 pennies (big penny dump in the alley of a car detailing shop), 3 nickels, 5 dimes, 3 quarters; Glass bottles = 6; Ground Scores = 2 (One ground scores was a new pull over shirt with the ubiquitous stick-on shirt size marker still attached).

Journal Entry 2/1/10: Weight = 173.4 (With Mardi Gras, Saints parties, and week-ends with family members, keeping that weight heading south is a challenge); Coinage = $1.31, pennies = 71 (the 17th street canal friend is back after a long absence), 1 nickel, 3 dimes, 1 quarter (all street/curb finds); Glass bottles = 5; Ground Scores = 2.

Feature Entry: Special Event Walks: The ‘Who Dat’ Saints Man-Up in a Dress Walk

Occasionally, we walkers are invited to join special event walks—Cancer pledge walks and Million Man March comes to mind. Last Friday, the MoneyWalker’s Son-in-Law gave the MoneyWalker a call and asked if I would join him in joining an all man’s walk in drag starting at the Louisiana Super Dome and ending in New Orleans’ French Quarter and Bourbon Street. The walk was to honor the late N.O. sports-cast legend Buddy Diliberto who said he would wear a dress if the New Orleans Saints ever made it to the Super Bowl. Buddy is dead now, but his replacement Saints great former quarterback Bobby Hebert led a movement to complete the pledge.


Although heavily promoted, I expected about 300 men crazy enough to join Bobby. Wrong, approximately 3,000 men accepted the challenge and another 2,000 women and children joined the throng. And then about 80,000 parade watchers came out to cheer us on. Seeing that many men in drag at one time was scary. What a walk!








I glanced downward a few times looking for coinage to no avail. It didn’t matter; the men’s dresses and ensembles arrested most of the attention. Win or lose, this town is going crazy celebrating the Saint’s first Super Bowl

MoneyWalker

Note: First photo Son-in-law Patrick on the right, Grandson Jackson, and the MoneyWalker on the left.

Second photo, Patrick holding a Saints football with the MoneyWalker with his red hat.

Remaining photos, random shots of some of the walkers.