Get Your Crazy Temple Twirly Fingers Warmed Up, Val CENTSed a Presence From Beyond

FRIDAY, May 31, would have been my mom's birthday. She's been gone three years now, but to me it seems like only yesterday that she was calling me every morning at 6:00 a.m. As a tribute to Mom's special day, we'll take the penny-finding facts in reverse order this week. Because we can.

Friday morning, I was running late to mail the boys' letters before the mail went out at the main post office. I sped (LEGAL speed limit, people) past the cemetery, feeling a bit guilty that I didn't make my weekly stop on this, of all days. I hollered out a happy birthday, though, on the move. I mailed those letters, withdrew The Pony's monthly allowance from the credit union, and headed to the Sis Town Casey's for T-Hoe's gas. I try not to let him go below half a tank, because he has a really big tank! This way, it seems like I don't spend so much.

My plan was to put in $30. The pump thingy that latches so you don't have to hold the handle is very touchy at these pumps. If you're lucky, you can get $10 worth, but then it clicks off. So I always end up squeezing that handle myself. It still clicked off near the end. So I knew it wasn't going to $30. I figured I'd try for $29, but ran it to $29.01. You know that Val has no shortage of cents. I reached into my change cup for a penny. Wouldn't you know it... as the clerk was ringing up my purchase, I looked down and saw

A PENNY! Of course I snatched it up and put it in my pocket. No way was I spending a FOUND penny on gas!

It was a face-down 1993 penny, looking as if it had spent some quality time with HOS the careless $5000 house painter. Of course I was thrilled to have found a Penny From Heaven on Mom's birthday!

I proceeded back to Backroads, taking the lake road, being tailgated by a black pickup truck, and narrowly avoiding an old man riding a mobility scooter, with a green metal oxygen tank strapped to his back like a backpack. Because of the tailgater, I made sure to drive the exact speed limit. I'm all about obeying the law when somebody behind me doesn't want to. Good thing, too, because as we came into the 20 mph speed limit by the lake, a cop was parked to make sure no scofflaws reached their destination before their lawful time.

I was really wanting to switch my radio station off Sirius XM 58, which is Prime Country. It would have been easy enough to squeeze the button on T-Hoe's steering wheel, but I was distracted, looking in the rearview mirror for the cop to appear behind the tailgater. Apparently, tailgating is not frowned upon in Backroads.

Just then, the next song came on, which was "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye," by Patty Loveless. As I'm sure you're all tired of hearing, it reminds me of my mom, seeming to come on when we're talking about her, or sitting at the cemetery. Well! That made me happy, hearing Mom's song on her birthday. I pulled into The Gas Station Chicken Store for my daily 44 oz Diet Coke, and sat to listen to the end of it.

Oh, happy day! I couldn't believe it went I stepped through the door and saw (no, not Natty Light) a penny waiting just for me!

It was a heads-up 2017. No close-up, because The Gas Station Chicken Store is tight quarters, and I got there right at noon, when the local factory lets out, and employees dash in to get chicken. In fact, I didn't even bend to pick it up until I was standing at the counter to pay. It's more dangerous to bend over just inside the door of The Gas Station Chicken Store than it is to drop the soap in a prison shower!

My special birthday message wasn't over yet, though! I spied ANOTHER penny to my left:

I actually got that picture first. Again, no close-up, because chicken people were coming toward that second register. I wanted to snatch it before they got any ideas! It was a face-down 2009.

NOW... since I hope you've all been stretching your crazy temple twirly fingers to prevent injury, IT'S TWIRLING TIME! Go ahead. I won't hold it against you. But nobody is going to convince me that I found three pennies and heard Mom's song COMPLETELY BY COINCIDENCE on her birthday. I always get my gas at that place on a Friday, but I don't always find a penny there. I'd been meaning to switch that radio station, but didn't. And two pennies right after the song, well, the probability of all these happenings in the span of 40 minutes, on a single day, let alone Mom's birthday, seems pretty astronomical to me. You are free to form your own opinion. And twirl your crazy temple fingers.
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THURSDAY, May 30, I surveyed the blacktop parking lot of The Gas Station Chicken Store when I stopped for my daily 44 oz Diet Coke. Nothing. I didn't look so closely on the way back, clutching my magical elixir, because I'd already scanned that area.

Surprise, surprise! There WAS a penny waiting for me, just under T-Hoe's running board, where I was about to put my foot.

It was a face-down 2016, waiting for my discovery. I normally park on the other side of the lot, but there was a truck pulling a bobcat on a trailer, taking up about 6 spaces (5 of which are unmarked).
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WEDNESDAY, May 29, the white truck ahead of me took the parking spot I'd planned on at the side of Old Waterside Mart Casey's. I pulled T-Hoe through a space in the row out front, and backed up into place. The minute I opened the door I knew it was meant to be:

Please pardon T-Hoe's dirty, dirty running board. We do live on a gravel road, with plenty of rain lately to fling mud.

This was a face-down 1981 showing me its tail. As I did to the driver of that white truck when I climbed down and bent over for this closeup.
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SUNDAY, May 26, I started the week right when I had to procure my 44 oz Diet Coke at Orb K, due to a dry spell at The Gas Station Chicken Store.

I set my magical elixir down on rack of candy to use both hands on my phone.

Then I harvested this 1983 heads-up cent.
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In case you haven't been counting, that's a HALF DOZEN pennies for Val this week! Heh, heh! That sounds like so much more than six.
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2019 Running Total
Penny   # 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68.
Dime   still at 8.
Nickel  still at 7.
Quarter  still at 1.

2018 TOTALS
Penny  131
Dime  17
Nickel  6
Quarter  1

2017 TOTALS (Started in March, 2017)
Penny  78
Dime   6
Nickel  0
Quarter  0
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