On most days, I come home and empty the change out of my pockets before taking a walk, The change that I've accumulated throughout the day goes into a big Tupperware container where it sits until I need to "break the piggy bank" (or it overflows) and take it all to the bank and dump it into their coin sorter and counter. I rather enjoy hearing the coins rattle through the counter and watching the total dollar figure climb ever higher until the last coin goes "clink" into the hole.
Today, I was working the Lady's Room Job, attempting to establish a tunnel. This isn't a shovel a hole in the ground tunnel, its a "Virtual Private Network" (VPN) tunnel that sends encrypted information over the Internet to a very specific endpoint. The terminology has made a grown man cry.
I was told to envision information on the Internet going from computer (servers and web hosts) to computer (yours and my home and work desktop or laptop computers) in the form of a "packet train". And when the train goes into a tunnel, someone with an eye in the sky, can no longer see the train. Such a train would then be thus be "private" or hidden from prying eyes.
I've finally, after much sweat, some blood, and a complete recitation of every swear word I know (and many of them repeated twice), I finally got the VPN tunnel set up and working. While struggling with it, someone approached me and asked me if I had change for a dollar so they could use it in one of the antique vending machines in the break room. I dug the change that I had out of my pocket and was surprised to note that even though I had $1.19 in coins, I could not make change for a dollar!
I had 3 quarters, 4 dimes, and 4 pennies. When I took a break, I decided to investigate this curiosity. I learned that very first coins minted in the USA were called half-dismes made from Martha Washington's silverware in 1794. That is no misspelling, dimes and dismes were used interchangeably until the early 1800's. I learned that the first silver dollar was also minted in in May of 1794 and it recently was sold to a collector for $7,850,000!
I also found out that you can make change for a dollar 293 ways.
During the Civil War, coins were scarce so a soldier heading into battle didn't need to worry about coins rattling around in his pocket and alerting the enemy of his approach, they usually carried stamps for change and they even had paper money in several denominations less than a dollar.
Lastly, in only one portrait on US currency now in circulation does the subjects head face left instead of right...
Any guesses as to who it is?
Yes, it's Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill. Maybe I'll look around some more to find out "just why that is" some day.
17 comments:
Hamilton probably had a huge mole on his cheek named Larry.
Sorry, I'm feeling 'cheeky' today. LOL
I'm a coin collector so I found this post very interesting (but then I usually find your posts interesting). It's amazing how much that loose change can add up.
I'm glad you figured out the train thru the tunnel thingy, because I would hate to think what would happen if the train "got stuck" in the ladies room. :)
Sending a hug your way.
A large tupperware bin? You mean like in a 5 gallon bin? That is one hecka lotta change, Iggy!! How long does it take you to fill it up?
I don't know why, but I understood your tunnel explanation perfectly. I didn't know I knew that much about computers!!
It used to be that picking up a penny from the sidewalk was good luck - unless it was tails (I think). Nowadays most won't bother.
Your post reminded me of an old joke about the Jew who was going to the bathroom (appropriate for your ladies room job) and dropped a dime into the toilet. He was very torn about whether to reach in and get it. Finally he threw another dime and a nickel in with the dime. "a dime.. no, but I'll go in for a quarter"... or something like that.
I never could tell a joke lol.
*huge hugs!* and have a wonderful rest of the week.
I'm just wondering how often you have to let the ladies use the ladies room during "your" work day.
My kids laugh when I pick up a penny on the street. When I lost my beloved uncle Louie in 1990 I often felt that he would throw a penny to me from heaven. I believe it today! I once had so many pennies I rolled them and sent them to the bank. Twenty eight dollars later...I still save my pennies and other loose change. This was a great post and I have not been around much lately. I have to get caught up! Thanks Anne
You always comes up with something I didn't know before. I throw my loose change in a tray and let it accumulate until the tray is full. I take it to the bank counter machine and trade it in for cold hard cash. Every few months I get a big wad of money in my pocket.
Now that is alot of change, Im so bad about just tossing mine in the bottom of my purse and then the thing gets so heavy that it drives hubby nuts especially when I complain about a back ache LOL
So, I have this three dollar bill...can you break it for me???
Interesting post.
It's amazing what can spark interesting trains of thought like this.
I love hearing the coins rattle through the counter as well! :)
I love to take change to the change machine too.. sort of reminds me of a slot machine!
293 ways? Interesting!
We hit up the change cup a few weeks ago....I have no pockets in my work pants now, so I tend to put the change in my wallet when I buy something at the store. Cutting down on my change saving!
Before moving, I almost NEVER had currency on me - change or paper. But now that I'm in Italy, I have paper euros and change as well as my American change. At least the europeans make different etchings on the outer edge of their coins, so that you can tell what's what when it's on it's side in your change purse. And you have to keep track of it because 1 or 2 euro coins is $1.76 or $3.52 (give or take!)!!!
Sorry your train was such a headache. I somehow cannot picture you cussing. I just can't, lol!
We've got a container (an old Pup-corn tub) in the kitchen that collects all of our change. Well, mostly his change because I don't clean out my purse as often as he does his pockets. Most the time, he'll grab a couple dollars worth out of the container if we're going out so he can get a paper, but usually we wait until it's 3/4 full and take it to the store. They have a Coinstar there and you can put the money towards gift certificates. When you do that, they don't charge you the counting fee. ^_~
I can't imagine you swearing a blue streak, either--but we all have our dark sides--ROFL! I can kind of grasp the concept of the train in the tunnel, but Not how you perform such miracles of computery.
You always come up with such interesting tidbits of information. If you can manage to retain all of it, you must be unbeatable in Trivia. Myself--my mind is like a steel sieve! ;)
We have a glass demi-john wine making gallon jar thingie that we all put loose change in through the year, then, the week before crimbo we all guess how much is in there.... we then take it to the shop with the coin sorter.. and, whoever guesses nearest the amount gets to keep it all :)
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ps.... I dont like our Decimal coins.... I much prefer the coins from my childhood before we went decimal :).. we have stacks of them in the cupboard still..
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