Random

Let me kick this post off with some good news.  I had a great week, finding $8.74!  $7.50 in one day makes for fun running....plus the whole being and shape and healthy thing.  It makes the homemade girl scout peanut butter pattie cookies I made today go down that much easier.  Boy, they are yummy.

Anyways, the weather went up a few degrees this week.  It hit 30 degrees over the weekend, so that was a pleasant surprise.  I just read that Chicago is supposed to get its worst blizzard since 1999 this week, so my running may go on a little hiatus.  Running in a blizzard or 15 inches of snow is not my idea of a good time.  We shall see.

Seeing all of those gloves and such last week made me actually want to count them.  On Tuesday morning, I saw nine gloves.  I may be the only person who finds that fascinating, but that is just crazy to me.  Some of them look pretty nice too!

I also found a Canadian penny this week, which always makes me smile.  Of course, I would love all of the money I find to be useful right here in Chicago, but finding foreign cash is nice too.  I probably have close to $5.00 in Canadian coins, a good amount of euros and a few other random ones.  Hopefully some day I make it to Europe, and I will have to buy myself something pretty...small, but pretty.

I hope everyone has a great week.  Next Sunday I will have my January total, and I can't wait to count it up!

Brrr

So we got some frigid weather in Chicago this week.  I woke up this morning to 8 degrees and 4 inches of snow on the ground.  I was ready to brave the cold, but I must have missed the weather report that said that much snow.  Second running day I missed this week.  On Thursday morning I think it was 5 degrees.  When the sun isn’t out yet, that is pretty damn cold.

I did pick up a balaclava this week or “ninja head gear” as I like to call it.  It is the greatest thing ever for running in the cold.  On Saturday, I set a new personal degree record of 9 degrees when I headed out the door.  I wasn’t cold at all, so I that was pretty awesome.  My ninja head gear keeps my face warm which was always the biggest deterrent to running in the cold.  Plus, now no one should mess with me because I look badass.

I have the proper gear for running in this kind of weather, but people just out walking don’t have the same stuff, especially when they are down some garments.  I can’t tell you how many gloves, hats and scarves I see when  I’m running.  It’s crazy.  How does one lose a glove when it is 0 degrees outside?  Did you not notice?  I feel bad because it is fricking cold out and I know if my hands are cold, I am miserable.  I especially feel bad when I see a kid’s glove or hat.  That kid has to be freezing.

This week alone, and I only was able to run twice, I saw at least 10 gloves, 2 scarves and 3 hats.  There are some cold and ticked off people out there.  Money wise, I found $1.97 even though I wasn’t out there as much.  I had the joy of finding a dollar bill on Saturday morning, which always raises my spirits. 

In cold weather, it's a toss-up on whether there is money to be found or not.  On one hand, there are less people out and about, so there are less opportunities.  On the other hand, the people that do drop their money are so cold that they just want to get to their destination and don't bother to stop and pick it up.  Of course, the snow covers it all so it screws everything up.

The weather is supposed to get a little warmer this week, so hopefully I have some fun finds for you next week.  Maybe I can get out there tomorrow morning.... you know there was a lot of people out this afternoon for the football games... good days for finding money. Have a good one!

What would you do?

There have been a couple of recent articles in the Chicago Tribune about a family that found an envelope with $1,000 in it right before Christmas very close to a shopping mall.  It was a bank envelope, but there was no name on it and no way of knowing who the money belonged to.   They tried to find the owners by checking the stores in the area and local banks to see of anyone reported or remembered anything.  They then wrote to the newspaper in hope that the owners could be found.  They parents and kids are determined to find the owners and return the money.

I commend them.  If I found $1,000 and had no idea who it belonged to, I don't know what I'd do.  That is kinda the dream for someone like me who looks for money all of the time.  I did find a wallet once when I when I was running.  It was pretty early on a Sunday morning outside a restaurant close to my house.  Since I am not a scam artist and would be scared out of mind to ever use someone else's credit card, I found the guy on facebook, sent him a message, and my husband met up with him to return it.  So, there is a positive thing about the facebook and the help it can  provide in a situation like that.  I am still waiting for the good karma to pay me back on that one...

Well, this week I found $2.00 exactly.  It was pretty cold this week and it did snow.  The snow covers up precious money-finding space, so it was a little slow during the week.  In fact, the only change I found on Tuesday were 2 pennies encased in some sort of plastic thing.  I have yet to take them out because I can't quite figure it out.  I saw a full set of Disney Princess building blocks (sorry to the kid who lost that), a few pairs of shoes and a drunk young couple trying to find their car at about 6:15 on Friday morning - that was pretty hilarious.  The girl was walking and looked into an obviously open 24 hour diner (lights on and people eating) and said, "they're not even open anyway."  She then took about 5 more steps and said, "So where do you think we could have parked?"  Ahh, good times.

Until next week, have a good one!

Natural Enemies

As someone who runs on the sidewalks in the city, I have a few enemies, pet peeves, etc.  Below are a few, and I am sure that they apply to non-runners as well.  Enjoy and let me know if you have any to add.

The wind: Yeah, it blows.  I know this is the windy city, but give us a break.  My route is pretty much north and south and I swear that it is in my face when I run south and it is in my face when I run north.  Even when it isn’t that bad, I never feel the same gusts at my back that I do in my face.  Give us a break!  Give me a boost in the back every once in a while.  I believe we like to call them swirling winds; well I call them sucky.

Snow and ice: Since it is winter, this is fresh on my mind.  Ice is an obvious one because I would rather run and not slide down the street.  I have taken a spill or two and I am sure it was pretty funny for those who witnessed it.   Snow is trickier because if it on the ground, I can’t see what’s under it and it could be ice.  Boo.  It if is currently snowing, it is a hassle because depending on what kind of snow it is, it can hurt when it hits your face or get in your eyes.  Boo.

Other people:  Let me start by saying that no matter who you are, you can’t text/talk on your cell phone and walk in a straight line or maintain a normal speed.  No. You. Can’t.  You would be surprised how many people don’t walk in a straight line even when there is no reason for distraction.  Maybe it’s a fun game people play in their heads to wander to each side of the sidewalk as they get to their destination. I don’t know, but I do know that if I am coming up behind you, I need to pick a side to pass you on.  Please pick a side right now.  Numerous times have I committed to a side because people seem to be leaning a certain way only to have them pull a switch as I am right behind them.  Near catastrophe ensues.  I guess I’m aware enough that I’ve never crashed in to someone but I sense that one day it will happen, and it won’t be pretty.

Along those same lines…swinging doors and fences: I run on the street side of the sidewalk.  This can mean I am on the right or left side depending on what side of the street I am on.  I will always move to the right side when people are coming, but this is a safety issue.  The last thing I need is to have someone walk out of business or apartment and have the door nail me in the face.  I have come within inches of this and it was enough to have me move to the other side of the sidewalk.  I really don’t want to crash into a glass door or cast-iron fence, let alone crash in to the person who came out. 

Traffic:  Honestly this is the least of my worries.  I don’t listen to music so I can hear my surroundings.  I slow down at stop signs and stop at lights.  Plus, during the week I am out at 5:00 a.m. and on weekends it is about 7:00 a.m. – neither of these are peak driving times.  But cars are bigger than me and could present a problem.  One thing that bothers me is cabs that slow down because they assume that because I am on the corner waiting for traffic, I must need a cab.  Is my hand raised?  Does my running attire scream, “I need a cab?” Please don’t slow down when I am trying to cross the street and make me wait and wonder what you’re going to do.  If I need you to pick me up, you’ll know.

I am sure there are others I will think of throughout the year, but those are the key ones for now.  As for my week, it was a good one to kick off the year - finding $6.27.  That does include an extra weekend because my last post was the total for 2010, so it is a little high for one week.  I love finding paper money and I found two $1.00 bills this week.  I saw some interesting stuff that I will have to tell you about another time.  I have rambled enough.  Until next time, have a good week and check back next Sunday!

Welcome to Fun Street Finds

Well, how to kick off my first posting?  I am guessing it should be somewhere in between Dear Diary and Hello World!  Why don't we go with...

Hello half-dozen or so people I ask to read this,

Welcome to the Fun Street Finds blog! 

During my runs on the north side of Chicago I see and hear some interesting stuff.  From the everyday lighters and chapstick to the slightly rare shoes and hats to the unique sights of undergarments (thongs and boxers) and full sheet cakes.  Plus everything in between. 

Now, I don't pick up these things.  I sometimes stop, look, laugh and wonder how they end up there, but then I get back to my jog.  The one thing I always pick up, however, is money.  I grab everything from pennies to $50 bills (I found one in plain sight on the street) and I keep track of this treasure.  In 2010, I found $260.19 on the lovely streets of Chicago.  Let me tell you, it makes my runs much more entertaining and fun.

So this blog will chronicle my findings of cash and other fun sights.  I hope you enjoy it, and I welcome any comments or questions. 

My plan is to post on a weekly basis, usually on Sundays, so please check back often.  Oh, and if you see me running on the street, please don't try and mug me.  99% of the time I don't have more 25 cents on me.

Enjoy and thanks for checking it out!