Some Fun Finds

Here are some of the fun things I found/saw this week:

• American Express prepaid card with...wait for it...$.64 on it. I see gift cards every once in a while, and I always pick them up. I love the anticipation of getting home and calling the number to see what the balance is. One of these days I'll hit the jackpot and find one with a good amount on it! On that note...
• Jason's Deli gift card with $1.46 on it! Yeah, not quite the jackpot, but it is the first one I've found with more than $1.00 on it. I was intrigued and a little more excited about this one because there isn't a Jason's Deli anywhere near where I run, so I was thinking someone couldn't have used it up and just threw it on the ground. But apparently, that's just about what happened. The funny thing is that finding a gift card with $1.46 on it doesn't sound like much, but if I found $1.46 in change, that would be super exciting.
• A cooler, and a nice looking one too. It was just laying open next to the sidewalk not that far from where I live. If I hadn't been running, I probably would have picked it up and brought it back home. I'm not really in the market for a cooler, but it could come in handy some time.
• A sausage, egg and cheese croissant from 7-11. It was still wrapped up nicely in its package and just sitting on the sidewalk. It almost looked like someone just set it down there. I mean I see slices of pizza and other random food all of the time, but I'd never seen food still in its original package seemingly untouched.
• Half of a Jock Jams CD. If it hadn't been broken, I would have had a tough decision on whether or not to pick it up. I got a little nostalgic thinking about that CD playing before my high school basketball games. Ah, good times.
• $4.55. It was a good week for money finding. I found $2.25 this morning on my run, all in change. I felt like I was finding change every 50 feet. That's what makes it fun! See the picture below of my treasure from today. There is only one more day in the month, and I look forward to counting up and reporting out my February total next week. Now, it's time for the Oscars! Have a great one!

Hidden Treasure (if you like it dirty)

Well just about all 80 inches of snow (hey, it felt like it) are gone and my runs were very fun this week.  First off, I found $7.65 so I am pretty excited about that. I do have to say that after change sits under snow, dirt and water for a couple weeks, it can be pretty dirty. Most of the money I found this week has some layers of grime on it. Believe me, I'm not complaining. Cash is cash.

As the snow was melting slowly over the week, I did find myself digging in it a little bit. I saw a dime and a few pennies seemlingly sitting on top of some snow as I was jogging along on Tuesday. But trying to pick it up was more difficult than I thought. It became a little bit of a vendetta with that change and I worked at if for about 20 seconds before getting the dime and one penny. I had to leave one of the pennies there, much to my heartbreak. As I stood back up to get going again, there was a guy right there apparently watching me the whole time while waiting for the bus. I just had to laugh and run on by. I'm 11 cents richer and you're not! (and I'll probably never see you again..)

The warmer weather seems to also have brought back out the walking singers. I love it when I run by someone who is singing with along with their ipod. They are having a blast and don't care what anyone else thinks. I talk to myself on occasion when I run (mainly in celeration of a good $ find), but I don't sing. Maybe I should start. If someone gives me an odd look, in two seconds I have passed them by. I'm pretty sure that if I started singing and running, one of the two would suffer greatly.

Other that that, I saw more gloves, tons of lighters, pens, chapstick, a notebook, a shovel broken into about 10 pieces and many other random stuff. Good times. Until next time folks, have a great week!

Who Needs Office Max?

Well this week was pretty uneventful except for the negative 50 degree temperatures that we had here.  Yes I do exaggerate but it was pretty damn cold here. It did interfere with my running routine, so I was only able to get out there this weekend.

So usually I don't make a habit of running and working at the same time, but during my run this morning I could have done both. I came across a desk chair on the side of the road, and then a little bit later I came across a stapler.  I am on my way to having a new home office. I see pens and markers all of the time, so all I need a computer and desk and I'm set. I'm on the lookout.

Along with the office supplies, I found some good money today. I found a dollar bill, which again, is always a big thrill.  My total for the week was $2.90, so I can't complain. I am super excited for the possibility of 50 degree temps this week and the snow melting to reveal what's underneath. With any luck, lots of cash! 

Hopefully I have a good update next week.  Have a great week!

Let it Snow

So I guess I have to mention that is snowed this week here in Chicago.  A lot.  Apparently it is the third snowiest blizzard the city has ever had.  I have to admit that it was kinda crazy, and it seems people are still having trouble getting around.  Seriously, the streets can be plowed all they want but if people can't get their cars out of their garages in the alley, clear streets don't do much good.  This week was another reason to embrace the public transportation...not that it didn't have its problems.

I also have to mention the snow because it affected my running.  Good thing I made it out on Monday morning because I was only able to go again yesterday.  It is humorous to see how some of the sidewalks and intersections are plowed.  There is a sort of maze one has to go through to cross the streets in some areas.  What made them pick that particular spot 20 feet away from the intersection as the best spot to get back on the sidewalk is unknown to me.  In addition, having two feet of snow on the ground kinda forces businesses to shovel their sidwalks. Otherwise people literally couldn't get in their front door.  When there is 3 inches on the ground, many don't bother shoveling, but that little bit of snow still affects people running.  Ugh.

Plus, after the big snow of the week, it snowed a couple more inches today!  I was quite frustrated to wake up to that today, especially knowing how much I'm going to eat tonight, with it being the Super Bowl and all.  (Go Steelers by the way. I despise the Packers.)  Maybe I can get out tomorrow morning...there could be some good finds because people will be out and about this evening.  Of course, I just jinxed that.

Anyways, I promised you my January money-finding total this week, and I am quite pleased with it.  $19.29 for the month is a good way to kick off the new year.  Hopefully that pace keeps up, but I doubt that.  I was still able to find $1.10 this week, but some of that was just walking around.  I can't wait for this snow to melt because I am looking forward to finding some buried treasure underneath it all.  At this rate, that will probably be some time in May because I don't see any above freezing temps coming anytime soon.

And now I look out the window and it's snowing again.  I love it...just not when I'm trying to run around in it.  Until we chat again, have a great week.