Events of the past three weeks:
On an early morning walk, I happened to glance down to see a five dollar bill lying on the sidewalk. One of my best morning warm-ups, right there.
A few days later, strolling around the corner to a convenience store, I noticed a small roll of bills on the walk. It turned out to be a twenty and two ones nestled together. Twenty-two bucks. Awesome, right?
Two or three mornings later,.... on the regular morning walk, and now always keeping my eyes trained steadfastly on the pavement, I spotted another folded-up bill in the rain gutter. But I nearly fainted when I unfolded it far enough to see that it was a fifty dollar bill. What the hell was going on, here?
But folks, this little run of luck had not yet reached the "Ripley's" proportions,... at least not until a couple of days ago when a neighborhood landlord asked me to take a look at a roof leak in an old 4-story Victorian home which had been converted to apartments. (I'm a former contractor) Well over a hundred years old, it was unoccupied and easily as dusty as one of those movie caves frequented by Indiana Jones. But I dragged myself into the attic to trace the origin of the leak,... found it,... and knelt down to follow the trail through the ancient floor boards,... below which a ceiling was leaking. The boards were loose and, when I shifted one to get a better look, I discovered a genuine 1897 US twenty dollar gold piece between the ceiling joists. A Liberty and, judging from its near-perfect condition, it had been lying there since the old building was new. Finders, keepers, in this case. Appraises at around $2,300, give or take (according to some website I checked).
Seriously,... nothing like this has EVER occurred for me,.... I found a dollar bill in the 4th grade,.... that's IT.
On an early morning walk, I happened to glance down to see a five dollar bill lying on the sidewalk. One of my best morning warm-ups, right there.
A few days later, strolling around the corner to a convenience store, I noticed a small roll of bills on the walk. It turned out to be a twenty and two ones nestled together. Twenty-two bucks. Awesome, right?
Two or three mornings later,.... on the regular morning walk, and now always keeping my eyes trained steadfastly on the pavement, I spotted another folded-up bill in the rain gutter. But I nearly fainted when I unfolded it far enough to see that it was a fifty dollar bill. What the hell was going on, here?
But folks, this little run of luck had not yet reached the "Ripley's" proportions,... at least not until a couple of days ago when a neighborhood landlord asked me to take a look at a roof leak in an old 4-story Victorian home which had been converted to apartments. (I'm a former contractor) Well over a hundred years old, it was unoccupied and easily as dusty as one of those movie caves frequented by Indiana Jones. But I dragged myself into the attic to trace the origin of the leak,... found it,... and knelt down to follow the trail through the ancient floor boards,... below which a ceiling was leaking. The boards were loose and, when I shifted one to get a better look, I discovered a genuine 1897 US twenty dollar gold piece between the ceiling joists. A Liberty and, judging from its near-perfect condition, it had been lying there since the old building was new. Finders, keepers, in this case. Appraises at around $2,300, give or take (according to some website I checked).
Seriously,... nothing like this has EVER occurred for me,.... I found a dollar bill in the 4th grade,.... that's IT.
