Spare Change.

Earl and I have a bucket that we throw all our spare change in. We’ve used the same bucket (an old dishwasher detergent bucket) since our first apartment and have only sat down to wrap change three or four times in the past decade. Since we don’t like fishing through change when we’re at a store or restaurant, the bucket was about three quarters full this morning. So we lugged it to one of those coin counting machines at the grocery store. When all was said and done, we had about $175 in change and after we turned in our credit slip and paid the coin counting machine fee, we left with about $166 in cash.

Since we had more money than we anticipated, we went to the mall and bought one of those Ab-Lounge machines that are constantly being advertised on television. Now the ads promise all these wonderous things will happen to those that use this mechanical marvel of exercise. Despite their claims, I don’t anticipate having six-packs abs in a week’s time, but I must admit that the machine does make it a little easier on my back to do the traditional crunches. I’ve just completed my first ride on the thing and I was able to clock in 100 sit-ups. My mid-section is killing me as I type this, but my back doesn’t feel as sore as it usually does after 20 traditional crunches.

Perhaps I’ll be able to bounce a quarter off my stomach at the end of the month.