for your VINformation

I’m always looking for a way to make money with what’s laying around my apartment  – eBay paid the rent for almost a year a few years back – when inspiration struck – sell my lucky pennies!

Admittedly, I thought about doing that back in ‘07 when I first started documenting my penny odyssey; but I could never figure out how I could possibly make enough money to make it worth my time.

Well, since I discovered www.etsy.com, a great website dedicated to selling hand-made items, I think I can make it worth my time.

I designed a business card which I can fashion into a matchbook of sorts with a genuine, NYC lucky penny tucked neatly inside, protected in a tiny zip-lock bag.

To make it even more original, I’m going to hand-write the cross streets where the penny was found – and to answer the question on every-one’s mind, no, I didn’t keep track of where I found each and every penny; but, I’m a creature of habit and there are only so many places I frequent…

So, my question to you:

The first month of twenty-zen is over. While I wasn’t planning on documenting every lucky penny this year, I couldn’t possibly NOT share this month, I found 73!

Seventy-three!

It was a record, a banner month of urban copper mining.

Was I lucky?

Well:

• I did catch a great break at the Dentist, and didn’t have a brain tumor.
• I got a fun little job that lets me stretch my acting muscle.
• I was asked to be a member of Tom & Brian’s wedding.

Gook luck to you!

-

-

-

This was not, I repeat, not, a lucky month; the worst part, it started out on such a high note…

During the month of July, I found – Drum Roll Please…73!

Seventy-THREE!! I think that might be a personal best…

Was I Lucky?

• I got my hands on a Starbucks travel cup – for free – and now, when I get my coffee, I only pay the refill price…I’ve saved tons! – Lucky.
• I finally broke the weight loss plateau I’ve bee stuck on for the past two months, putting me mere ounces away from my goal – Lucky!
• I found a digital camera. – Somewhat lucky; I had to buy the cables, so while it’s nice to have a back-up camera, I ended up spending money to make it worth my while, I should’ve just left it on the ground…
• I was asked to submit some essays for a friend who is editing a Web-Magazine – lucky – now I just need to get writing.
• I was asked to be in a one night only one act festival with minimal rehearsal which would’ve had a cool pay-off had we gotten past the first round… – luck-ish.
• A long ago project reemerged – too soon to call…

Running 2009 Total: 297

Of course, there are the little lucks, a free cup of coffee here, a day at Yankee Stadium there, finding a two point candy bar…this month’s been pretty good, there were some dark moments, but honestly, who really remembers those?

During the month of June, I found – Drum Roll Please…48!

Was I Lucky?

• YES!

Running 2009 Total: 224

By the time the end of the month rolled around, I found twenty (20!) pennies on the one day I needed the most luck; the universe did not disappoint.

Ok, here we go! During the Month of May, I found; Drum Roll Please…44!

Was I Lucky?

• I was cast on the upcoming Fine Living Network Competition show tentatively titled "Bar Wars" with the possibility of a big pay day – Very Lucky!
• I was allowed to  only $15.00 to completely cover my $1,400.00 Bellevue medical bill – Very, Very Lucky!
• I won a Saxophone really cheap on eBay and found an affordable teacher on Craigslist AND I’m pretty good at it – Lucky!
• I retrieved my iPod touch after leaving it at work – while I trust my co-workers implicitly, it’s the patrons I’m a little leery about… – Lucky!
• I found a Metrocard with $23.00 on it! – just as good as finding cash – lucky!

I also found:

• I stopped picking up lost buttons, but spotted nearly a dozen.
• Four nickels.
• Three dimes.
• One Sacajawea Dollar – I found it and eight lucky pennies the day I got the call I’d booked the FLN show, I should count it as 100 pennies !
• This tiny Batman:

Shown actual size

I also came up with a very creative way to possible turn this little project into a money making endeavor – more on that later…

Running 2009 Total: 177 – that averages to over one a day, that’s a lotta luck!

Ok, here we go!

During the Month of April, I found; Drum Roll Please…33!

Was I Lucky?

• While I only had one audition this month, it went very well – here’s to hoping… – Too soon to tell…
• I recorded my Voice Over Demo – completely paid for by eBay profits. I was directed to the talented Eamonn Farrell, through my connections with the Emerging Artist Theatre – Lucky!
• My ankle while healing, still not 100%, received the hospital bill – $1,435.00 – Not lucky.
• Got felt-up at work, liked it! – Lucky!

I also found this great website – Lucky Penny Website – who knew?

I also found:

• Four buttons
• Two nickels
• Two dimes
• One Quarter
• One "Diamond" Engagement ring – which ended-up being completely worthless…

Running 2009 Total: 133

This past month was a borderline lucky penny bonanza!

I found…drum roll please…49!

Was I lucky?

• March didn’t start out so lucky for me…my mysterious ankle ailment was not only painful but scary as hell! But, as I made my way to the hospital, I found 10 lucky pennies along the way and while I was in an incredible amount of pain, I stopped and picked up every single one! All life threatening possible causes of the odd swelling were very quickly ruled out – I’d say, very, very lucky!
• The ankle kept me from working at the Duplex so the only cash I made the month of March were the coins I found – ¢0.99 – not so lucky.
• I was asked to be a guest blogger on one of my favorite blogs and write a story about my experience with a monkey – it re-sparked the inspiration in me to continue create, something I truly needed – lucky!
• Family Comes First closed – a part of the most successful EATfest ever in the history of the Emerging Artists Theatre Company and I got some pretty outstanding reviews – lucky!
•  I saw four Broadway Shows and two Off-Broadway shows for free – lucky!
• I got my taxes done for free and am getting almost $1000.00 back in refunds – lucky!
• I only had one audition and I didn’t book it, I also haven’t gotten one response from my massive agent mailing, not one! In fact, I haven’t booked a paying acting job is over a year – not lucky at all!

So, even though March had the most lucky pennies found so far, it was certainly a mixed bag, some of it wonderful, some, not so good.

I do believe in luck, and I do believe in lucky talismans; now three months into 2009, I’ve got 100 extra pieces of luck in my pockets…I don’t want to temp fate,* so it’s bound to get better.

I also found:

• eleven buttons
• four nickels
• three dime
• One gold earring
• One pearl earring

Running 2009 Total: 100

*Yes, I do believe in fate as well as luck; I know they’re considered contradictory beliefs, but I truly believe there’s a master plan for all of us and we will end up where we’re supposed end up, but with free will and a bit of luck we get to choose our own path, and let’s face it, it’s all about the journey.

People are still holding on to their loose change, it seems.

This past month I found, drum roll please…34!

Was I lucky?

• Family Comes First opened well – we’re enjoying a nice run with very satisfied viewers…that’s more skill than luck, but I’m taking it…only four chances left…
• I found three pennies on the way to meeting three agents, don’t know yet if anything will come of that yet, I’ll keep you in the know – but that is a strange coincidence, no?
• I paid my rent – LUCKY!

All in  all; I didn’t lose my job, I saw some free Broadway, I paid my bills, I’m acting, it was a pretty good month.

Did the lucky pennies help?

Well, they didn’t hurt.

I also found:

• three buttons
• two nickels
• one dime
• one quarter painted blue

Running 2009 Total: 51

I don’t know if it’s the economy or what, but people don’t seem to be dropping loose change.

I found only 17.

Was I lucky?

• I was cast in a great show with a very talented cast.
• I sold over $1000.00 worth of clutter.
• I won a coin counting contest.

All in all, I’d say luck was had.

I also found:

• two dimes
• one gold hoop earring
• since losing 24 lbs, bending down is easier

Over the course of 2009, I was casually picking up lucky pennies – definitely not as obsessively as I did in 2007 – mmm, could there be a connection? – I ended the year with 153.

A buck fitty, not bad, I can almost take a ride the subway with that…

This year, I’m going back to bending over every time I see an abandoned piece of copper, no matter where it lay; as a true believer in luck, when I did it religiously in 2007, I hade a great year, in fact, 2007 couldn’t have been better, both career-wise and personally – the following year, 2008, wasn’t so good, I can barely call myself an actor on my taxes this year…and while I know in my ample gut, picking up a discarded coin can’t make ones’s life easier, in my open heart I feel, "every little bit helps."