We used to keep a wooden bowl at the shop that we'd throw our loose change in. The thing was pretty big - about the equivalent of one of those wooden salad bowls that you pair with the oddly large wooden fork and spoon. On a slow day near the end of August 2008, Michael decided he'd take the time to roll the coins in their appropriate coin sleeves and take 'em over to the bank to exchange for "real money".
Whoa is change filthy. His hands were brown after rolling all those things, but the accomplishment was obvious - there was a great, organized pile of the different sized rolls of coins, all ready to go. There must have been over $100 bucks in there. Well, as it turned out, we somehow got sidetracked time after time from bringing those rolls to the bank. Then came IKE.
As you might imagine, the change was pretty much forgotten as we surveyed the damage and tried to separate our worldly possessions from the salty, slimy, poo-filled sludge that covered them and blanketed the Island. BUT, we did think enough to dump the bowl of nicely rolled coins into a bucket of fresh water with some bleach ('cause there was plenty of THAT on hand - bleach went on everything in those days - "is it green? bleach it!"... "does it stink? bleach it!"... "has this been bleached yet? i don't know - better bleach it!"...) and there it sat.
So.... That was in September. What month are we in now - August right? Okay, so after their 11 month soak, here's what they looked like:
Let me just say Michael and I were thoroughly impressed with the ability of the 6th Street Arlan's Market coinstar machine. Not only did it not bat an eye to the crusty-coated change, it also managed to work efficiently despite the screw, lone button and rubber band that some thoughtful patron had left in the centrifuge before us. AND, it was kind enough to spit back one of our unidentifiable Sacagawea dollars!
Look at how much fun my man was having - and check out that bargain on bagged ice:
