POTPOURRI : 03 31 2023

 

     Funny, at the end of yesterday's blog I mentioned needing to find 'folding money' and today there's two folded dollar bills.  How's that for a go figure moment?   OK then, something I took to look up later was that round Phoenix USA thing on the left, which 'Da Googles' tells me is a logo for a wheel/lug-nut cover.  It'll set you back $2.84 cents on their web site.  Never saw the wheel cover it was part of though.  Below 'The Phoenix' is some Nerf ammo and it's odd it would be along 7 lanes of Precinct Line Rd.  Must have been a big wind.  Continuing right is a trailer coupler safety pin and I usually see the pin and the locking thing separately, it's unusual for them to be still attached.  Next is a quick link and they're really handy for linking chains, or keeping keys together, or whatever.  Next, 'Da Googles says these are rocker arm push pins for a John Deere 3hp gas engine.  So why's a lawnmower part in the street?   Moving to the right, there's an 18mm and a 7/16" socket and that's a 7/8" wood drill bit above.  All will soon be available as part of The 'Rundover' Store's fine line of gently 'rundover' tools.   Now that $2 at the top was in a small mini wallet which I found in a flower bed of a commercial building.  No ID or credit cards, just the moola which I'll try not to spend all in one place.  Next, thank you Ft Worth Community Credit Union for another writing utensil.  Once again I 'hit for the extended cycle' (penny,nickel,dime,quarter,socket,lug-nut) and somewhere in the last almost 400 blog posts is what I called it when you also have paper money too.  Hopefully you were paying more attention than I was and you can let me know.  Kind of a potpourri group of stuff out there today, which definitely keeps things interesting.  So last thing, thanks Creator for the potpourri, for the folding money and for the 9 other little treasures that I fou.... I mean that found me. 

BAKEWARE : 03 30 2023

 

     When I found a penny in the road at the first business driveway I passed, I kinda figured it was going to be penny day today.  And 19 pennies later, seems I was right.  Changing the subject, I'll be the first to admit, my baking skill-set is limited.  But, I can read, I can pour the contents of a box of cupcake batter into a bowl, add the requisite water, & egg, & oil, beat the batter into submission, and add it to a baking pan, and have already given the cupcake pan I was given for Christmas a test run.  There are days though when I ask myself the question, do I want to make a dozen or is just nine cupcakes going to be enough?   Well, lucky me, today I now get to have a choice.  Along the side of the road this morning I found cupcake pan and it only holds 9.  So problem solved.  And in case anyone wants to know, I did a great job today.  I ran great, I dodged cars great, I was great at having shiny pennies find me, and I even found a small round tag that affirms that I did a great job.  Just sayin.  There was some kind of corporate clip on badge with their 2023 sales and cost reduction goals along with their motto and secret handshake.  Yowza!  There was a Sharpie in the road which is good because and I go through a lot of those in a year.  There was a 3/8" socket extender, which added to the other lebenty eight of them I've found will let me snug bolts on something in the garage from the sanctity of the throne in 'that little room.'  There was a quarter, three dimes, two nickels and 20 pennies which means I 'hit for the cycle' (penny,nickel,dime,quarter) again, three days in a row now.  Although I suspect I'm due to find some folding money any time now, the shiny pennies are still my favorite.  And thank you 'Big Guy' for all twenty of them today.

HUG-AND-RUN : 03 29 2023

      You've heard the expression about not "wearing out your welcome" I'm sure.  That well driven over hotel key card at the top left with the Welcome greeting illustrates how some people ignore the common thinking and just wear out their "Welcome."   Just a sec please...........oh come on honey........it wasn't that bad.  (it just wasn't good).  Moving on, below the card is a steel circle with an off-set hole which is still a mystery, 'Da Googles' didn't know either.  Found a tire valve extender and fittingly a metal tire valve cap both of which are now available in the 'Rundover' Store's automotive section for $1 each or both for $3.  For the tool section I found an 8mm long socket and another nut-driver drill bit.  Over on the right side you'll see I found a toddler girl's slip on shoe.  Since there's just the one, some poor little tyke now is either having to hop on one foot or has a very dirty left sock.  There was the usual collection of pig-iron and hopefully everyone knows by now I'm referring to the washers, screws, NutsInTheRoad, etc. that I find and not necessarily to crude iron ore from a blast furnace, although this is Texas and it does get hot around here.  Today's route took me past where son Adam works and I was just going to leave a note on the car as I ran by.  Turns out that he had just arrived so I got to hug-and-run!  Pretty cool!!  Today's coins are kinda beat up and one penny even has a bite out of it.  No matter though, I appreciate all these little symbols of the Creator's infinite abundance.  Oh yeah, and also for being able to beat the rain, and for it not being 20 below out.  And for hugs!

SpongeBob : 03 28 2023

 

     "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea"---- there's an earworm for you.  And yes, that is in fact Mr. SquarePants himself, SpongeBob.  He was face down in the street, with a pumpkin on his head and yes, he knows no shame.  Next to Mr. Pants was a wallet which had been along the curb for some time now and had gotten soaked from the recent rain.  I don't think it will be too hard to return this one, there was a drivers license along with all kinds of credit cards inside, so we know who it belongs to.  I took it to the Watauga police department and let the nice folks there be the ones to return.  Hopefully there wasn't any moola inside because if so, somebody else found it before I did.  Well now, that's two-for-two.  I found a drivers license Sunday that got back to its owner and another license today (with the wallet around it) that will soon be home.   At the left at the top is a small canvas zip pouch which came from a mail vehicle.  One side talks about vehicle safety, things like 'Never leave vehicle with the engine running', and 'DO NOT LEAVE MAIL, VEHICLE, OR KEYS UNSECURED!'  I guess the caps meant they were really serious about that.  (honestly, isn't that just common sense?) The other side had daily checks like, 'check front and back for both license plates and if missing contact the VMF immediately.'  What kind of lowlife spit-for-brains steals the mailman's license plates?  Sheesh!  Below that is what I'm guessing is a scrubber sponge that's good for taking bugs off the front of the car?  I guess so because 'Da Googles' didn't have any better guesses.  There wasn't a lot of other stuff in the street today but there was a juvenile washer, s-hook, and NutInTheRoad.  I've found plenty of their bigger cousins which can hopefully show those little guys the ropes.  There was another do-it-yourself furniture assembly wrench that was in a fetal position when I found it.   My hammer was able to coax it back into shape.  I only found 4 coins, or rather only four found me, but it was one of each, meaning I 'hit for the cycle' again.   I had gone 14 days in a row I think until I missed yesterday, so the streak has started again.  Anyway, thank you Creator of all things for these four little symbols of your infinite abundance,  Yeayuh!

Genius Time : 03 27 2023

 

    I'm not a huge fan of Taco the Bell, but now that I've got a Taco the Hat, who knows?  I might develop a hankerin for some Chipo de Salso. Next, just to the left in the picture, I knew I've seen that big hunk of metal before and back on March 7th 'Da Googles' told me it was a $19 'Air-Brake Brake-Shoe Knurled-Roller.'  Never expected them to be such a common commodity.  There were two more USB cords in the road, one an obvious Apple cord, the other some kind of specialty android cord, but neither are expected to hit the shelves of The 'Rundover' Store.  There was another socket today and I'm wondering now how many of them I've found now.  Hundreds and hundreds I'm sure.  There were lots of dimes and shiny pennies today, not enough to retire on, but enough to be thankful for.  

     Back on March 23rd I promised to talk about 'genius time' so here goes.  I see a lot of people walking, biking, or running with their earbuds in, listening to whatever, and it's generally loud enough that they can't hear anything I'm saying from just 6' away.  Which is foolish because with traffic and stuff going on around you, you need to be able to hear what's out there.  For me though, it's that quiet time where I'm alone, running for an hour or so, with no cell phone, no Utube, no iTunes, or 103-the-ticket, or twitter chat, or KLUV-my-oldies.  That's where inspiration comes from, that's the 'genius time'.   That's where I get some really great ideas about how to deal with an issue or a problem, or how to fix something, or who knows--something just pops into my head--the next great invention!  So ditch the electronics for an hour a day and tap into your inner genius--we all have it!

This Grand Fortune : 03 26 2023

 

     Happy ending today for that drivers license at the top left.  I found it while running past a Wells Fargo drive up teller's window and since the address was on it (which I've covered up) I was certain when I looked Mr Karber up in Spokeo that I had the right person. I've met some very nice people because of these crazy finds.  Keep in mind now, there's an enormous amount of stuff in the road, along the curb, on and around the sidewalk and that what you see here is not everything I see when I run every day.  Just a sec, yes honey.......that's right......there's other stuff that I don't actually pick up.  Yes, I leave it there.  Look out!.........I think she fainted again.  I guess the internationally famous eye-roll comes later.   That might be Lug-Zilla on the left below the driver's license and I can only imagine what size wheel was that that thing came off.  Next to Mr Zilla are three sockets and only the 1/2" is an extended one, the wide angle lens stretched the other two.  There's lots of locks that die in the road but if they're combo instead of keyed they can be usable and if the that bent arm can straighten out and go back in its hole it might might escape the recycle bin.  Next to the lock is the biggest washer I've ever seen! There's 8 or 10 normal size washers next to it for comparison, but what in the world would that go on?  I wonder what a 12-pack of those goes for?  Another question for the ages.  Sunday is the longest run of the week at around 10-12 miles so there's more places to find things.  Since I haven't run this route in over 2 months you can see what's had a chance to accumulate.  That little sock in the center I found in a restaurant parking lot and it's way too pretty to be a 'Dobby sock' so no freeing any house elves today.  Yes, I found another wheel cover and yes, that makes more than a dozen now that are waiting for the next garage sale.  Unless it ends up in the 'Rundover' Store's collection of gently discarded automobile accessories.  There's lots of pig-iron including another hitch-pin minus the clip as well as stuff like a couple of Chick-A-Fil gift cards.  And my favorite, next to finding my 34th rubber duckie in the road, is hitting for the extended cycle!!  Ya Hoo!!!  5 quarters, 10 dimes, 3 nickels, 31 pennies, 3 sockets, and 2 lug-nuts.  I'm thinking that the next time gas prices dip, this $2.71 might get me a whole gallon of gas.  Go figure.  Lastly, thank you Creator of all things for being able to enjoy a bright sunshiny day, for the wherewithal to get my tookus out there and beat the streets, and for this grand fortune.  Ha!

Larry B Alighter : 03 25 2023

 

     That little square thing with eyeballs in the center was about to be dropped into the trash when it got a last minute stay of execution.  I saw the eyes and was curious so I eventually asked 'Da Googles', who said it's 'Kris B Sprinkles', a Shopkins Sweet Snack collectable toy.  Well sure it is.  And at the top left it's 'Larry B Alighter' a collectable cigarette 'toy'.  Sheesh!  Once again today our friends at Frost donated a couple of pens to go with the Ultra Round Stic Grip Pen I also found. Seems the BIC people needed to get all 'wordy' to sell a pen when the Frost folks were giving them away.  That 'Welcome' room key card seems friendly enough but after reading all the dire warnings on the back I understand why the hotel name isn't on the front.  Besides how do you even advertise for a stay at The Scareyland Inn & Suites.  Now at least the tire balancing weight to the right of 'Da Sprinkles' just gets to the point.  It says 1/4 oz of iron. Done. End of story.  There was another tow hitch pin along Precinct Line today, which we'll add to the fine line of TowSmart Standard 5/8 in. dia Steel Bent Hitch Pin without Clip - Fits 2 in. x 2 in. Hitch Receivers available in the 'Rundover' Store. First come first serve. Lastly, we 'hit for the cycle' once again today (penny,nickel dime,quarter) and I don't want to seem like I'm taking it for granted. I do expect the coins will find me and I appreciate the small blessings. But it still makes me laugh!

Titleist : 03 24 2023

     For all you rabid golfers who are just biding your time until The Masters weekend, I found a Titleist ball cap that could make you the envy of your foursome.  Why, I can just see myself now wearing that Titleist cap while sending my favorite Top-flight golf ball screaming down the fairway. Alright, alright, flying through the trees, into the woods, and then onto the fairway. Whatever.   I found another live round today, a 9mm Luger bullet which was a few feet away from that drill bit on the left. Look close, it's no ordinary bit. Diamond tip, shaft of Titanium,  Zirconium, Vanadium, Scandinavian, High Carbon Steel. I figure the security detail guarding that mega dollar bit must have dropped the 9mm round. Go figure.  I picked up the U-Bolt to check on and 'Da Googles' says it goes to a hitch chain package. Now we know.  And that triangular shaped thing below it I also was going to look up and it's for snugging down your hose clamps.  Never would have guessed it, I always just used a screwdriver.  I got to assist another train through the crossing at Davis Blvd today.  The timing was perfect and there was lots of traffic (meaning big 'audience').  See previous posts for the how why.   Now those metal objects to the right of the ammo I know about already. A quarter, 2 pennies, 2 nickels and 2 dimes mean I 'hit for the cycle' again (again) and I've only missed it once in the last two weeks.  Truly amazing how all those coins keep finding me. My thanks for all these little symbols of the Creator's infinite abundance. Yeayuh!

SMILES! : 03 23 2023

 

     More plastic today, I had never heard of The Grand Galvez Hotel in Galveston but 'Da Googles' says it rates well up on the schmantz scale.  Since the room key-card was left on the on the ground near a car wash it seems that whoever stayed there was expecting room service to pick up their trash.  Erk jay.  Next to the 'GG' one is a 'S Club card that might have been good at Sam's once upon a time. Next,  let me say I see a lot of smoking stuff littering up the road, curb line, medians, sidewalks, all over the place.  And I took great joy in going out of my way to STOMP a Camel cigarette pack I saw.  My grandfather was a Camel smoker for years and years back when nobody knew how loaded they were with all kinds of crap to make them as addictive as possible.  He had tried for a long time to quit but couldn't and died from lung cancer when I was 7.  Thank you very much R.J. Reynolds.  Mega erk jays!!  There were a lot of very nice people driving around today that waved me past them at driveways and at street corners, and I very much appreciate the smile and a wave they gave. And I got a very nice smile and greeting from my favorite teller at the drive-up window at Chase Bank on Watauga Road.  You start out with one smile, then there's two and they always seem to multiply.  I think this world needs a little more of that.  Anyway, I find a lot of sockets in the road and today there was another 10mm with a small extension beside it.  I'm sure there's some kind of cosmic payback going on here, I've worked on every car I've ever owned and I've lost sockets that fall down in the engine compartment when you're working on them.  And since they cram everything in such a small space, stuff will fall inside where only a contortionist can reach it.  So when all these other shade-tree mechanics and I lose stuff and start driving around, they'll shake loose along with various washers, bolts and NutsInTheRoad.  Which is where I come into the picture.... a lot!  Moving on, at the lower right is a zipper-pull and I've lost any number of these myself.  This will get reused.  At the top middle is a shiny washer with a plastic fitting next to it and I understand now why I see so many large washers in the road.  They're washers with push-on connectors for holding fenders and car panels in place.  With winter mostly having passed, you can see the beating the streets have taken from the weather and now all those vehicles are hitting all those holes in the road.  Hence all the pig-iron in the street.  Lastly, I 'hit for the cycle' today (penny,nickel,dime,quarter) when that last elusive nickel found me amongst the traffic on Rufe Snow Dr.  There was no good reason for it to be there really.  Well, other than me needing one that was somewhere I couldn't miss it.  Always makes me laugh.  Well, for it and for the other 6 little treasures I found today I say thank you Creator of all things for them, for a nice morning where I didn't get rained on, for fun stuff in the road, and for all the nice people I encountered.  And the smiles!    (oh yeah... I meant to talk about 'genius time', remind me to mention that tomorrow!)

Antlers R Us : 03 22 2023

     I go through spells where I don't see any gift or credit cards in the road for a while.  And then I do.  Of the three cards on the bottom left,  the right most one I'm guessing is one of those new, gee-whiz, zippity-do-da, this-is-how-you-rock mastercards.  They're smaller, have fewer numbers, fit in the palm of your hand, and don't show a name so that you can shop anonymously in all those taboo places like "Antlers R Us", "Rolling In Minestrone", and "Trailer Hitches, Bacon, and Beer."  Gives one pause, don't it?  The other two cards are kind of boring, there's a Chuck-E Cheese "All You Can Play" card (how would they know how much I can play?) and a Taco Bueno gift card showing their slogan "you're on the Bueno list" which is kinda cool.  I wasn't sure what that colorful cloth on the right was, and 'Da Googles' wasn't either but it's 12" x 18" so I'm thinking place mat.  Next to the alleged place mat is a very stout 6" Hillman common nail which I took only because it was ginormous.  At the top center is a deep 5/8" socket, which will be another handy addition to the 'Rundover' Store's collection of fine used slightly driven over tools.  Just to the right is a drill bit I found in the same intersection where I've found over a hundred drill driver-bits before, not to mention a goodly number of drill bits as well.  They just spontaneously appear.  Lots of nickels, dimes, and shiny pennies today and when the quarter showed up......drum roll.....'I hit for the extended cycle'!  Ya-hoo!!  (penny,nickel,dime, quarter,socket,lug-nut)  I do love letting all those poor, beat up, little runned over treasures find me.  And thank you Creator of all things for those 23 little blessings, and for being able to find all that other silly stuff in the road. 

MAGIC TAPE : 03 21 2023

 

       Normally when you hear the term 1-ply it's probably from somebody on TV talking about toilet paper.  Well, today I found half a pair of pliers along the road and I would think that would be considered 1 pli as well?  I also found the universal repair medium, that most magic of tapes, that something that no self-respecting handyman could do without.  Yes, you've guessed it, it's 'duct-tape', an already started, well broken in, black roll of duct tape.  Alright, alright, everyone settle down, there's enough here for everyone, not to mention what's on the other 87 rolls of duct tape that are in a place of honor out in my garage.  I saw another Allen wrench today, and since it's been a while since I had, I was wondering if maybe Allen was on vacation or something. Thank you Allen.  That hook and orange nylon strap are nothing new, I figure I can color coordinate with pretty much any tie-down by now.  To the left of the 'Magic Tape'  is a long fastener with slots at both ends labeled Ekstrom.  It's got a torque rating as well which tells me it's a specialty bolt but 'Da Googles' didn't even have a good guess about.  S'ok.  Lastly, I needed to have an eagle-eye today as there was change in the street but it wasn't very obvious.  There were a couple of dusty pennies and a dime and I appreciate all the effort it took to for them to get to where they were hiding.  Thank you Creator as  well for the brisk day and for the times when the sun was peaking out.  And for that fine spritzing of rain that waited until I was finished. 

Squirrel Trails : 03 20 2023

 

 

       How many bungee-cords is enough and how many is too many?  I figured this little guy on the left wouldn't take up much space so I took him.  Just a sec.......yes honey, another one.  Well actually, he followed me home and I didn't have the to heart to send the poor little lost lonely guy packing.  (thousand one, thousand two, thousand.....) And there's the internationally famous eye-roll.  Thanks babe!  Next I saw that red plastic thing on the right, with a red cross on it and only two things came to mind.  First, the International Red Cross was here and lost something. Second, if that's not a red cross, it's a plus as in battery post cover for the battery's positive side, and since I hadn't heard about us being in the midst of a national disaster, I'm going with battery post cover.  (aren't you glad you asked)  I found a gift card today and I'm pretty sure it's one for fast food, maybe a chicken or fish place, possibly pizza.  Next to the card is kind of a schmancy key which 'Da Googles' tells me goes to a lockout tagout padlock.  Which means what you ask?   "Lockout/Tagout is required when the unexpected energization or start up (or release of stored energy ) of machines, equipment or prime movers could injure workers during cleaning, repairing, servicing, setting-up, adjusting and un-jamming."  Geeze Louise......I bet that'll be on the mid-term.  OK then, that orange thing keeping the bungee-cord company I took as I curious about that as well.  And 'DG' agreed it's something specially designed to be deposited in a recycling bin and sent on its way.  Done and done.  I was thinking this morning about what the distance I end up running is because it's never in any kind of straight line.  If you've ever read the comic strip "Family Circus" one of the kids in it will be going from point A to point B and even if it's short, it will take him forever because he bobs and weaves and twists and turns and ends up down all kinds of squirrel trails.  I'm sure that's what I look like.   I'll pass a gas station and circle all the pumps, or a bank building and I'll circle the bank, or and intersection with a median that I'll run up and down all the sides.  I'm just exploring I guess, keeps things interesting.  (also more places to find stuff!)  Last but not least, 'I hit for cycle' today (penny,nickel,dime,quarter) and as it usually works out, I'm heading back in and I don't have all that far to go, and that last coin finally shows in a very obvious place.  Makes me laugh!  Anyway, thank you Creator of all things for a slightly less cold day, some sunshine, and a few little treasures. 

All This Gravy : 03 19 2023

 

    Normally, "if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family Anatidae on our hands" (thank you Douglas Adams).  In this case, substitute the word rubber duckie.  And it looked like a rubber duckie.  Sadly it was freezing out for this morning's run and when little plastic rubber duckies get run over they end in pieces.  I picked up all I could find but we're going to need a team of specialists.  Calling Dr Howard, Dr Fine, Dr Howard!!! (let's see how many people 'get' that).  FYI, that's duckie #33.  Interesting stuff out there today, like for example there was a top post battery terminal along the curb line.  I know that a car will run without the battery terminals, it just won't start without them, so I hope whoever lost this one got to where they were going before they shut things down.  And it would hurt to tighten everything down next time too.  Next, I found a functional folding utility knife which on the Milwaukee tool site goes for $12.  Next to the battery terminal is one of those mystery items that I don't recognize but I'm curious about.  And it's another go figure moment, 'Da Googles' says it's a 'Rear View Camera for probably a BMW and list them at $100-$200.  Holy Bratwurst Hansel!  I've found a lot of 25' tape measures on my runs but today's was the first twelve footer.  My thanks to Stanley!  Next, I had seen a number of shotgun shells today and I assumed they were all spent but at some point I found one that looked like it was in one piece.  And it was, it's a live shell for a 12 gauge shotgun.  Hopefully this guy wasn't the one that winged that rubber duckie I found!  Lots of shiny little blessings out there today, 7 quarters, 6 dimes, 2 nickels, and 24 pennies, which means I 'hit for the cycle'!  It's always the expectation especially on the longer Sunday runs but to be honest, anything past that first shiny penny is gravy.  And BTW thank you Creator of all things for all this 'gravy'!

MY REWARD : 03 18 2023

 

     We've all heard the phrase, "don't go flying off the handle."  Well, whoever was using that hammer at the top left may not be familiar with that saying as it flew off the handle and out into the road.  Where it found me.  Next, I was bungee cord flush already but I still took a new addition to the 'herd'.  It's a short one and I'm kinda short on the short ones. Actually, they don't like to be called 'short' they prefer horizontally challenged.  To the left of the 'short guy' is a large bolt that looked familiar and checking with 'Da Googles' it's the bolt for a $40 Crosby Shackle used in towing or heavy lifting.  Thank you 'D G.'  Next to Mr Crosby is a socket extension that wasn't from this run.  Around mile 11 during the Cowtown Half Marathon a few weeks ago I spotted a large socket in the road at a normally busy intersection.  Now I just happened to be in Ft Worth yesterday and decided to go see if it was still there.  And boy it was definitely busy, but I slowly walked all the crosswalks looking for something shiny.  There was no way to check the very center of the street where I was in the race so I decided to pack it in.   I was about to cross at the last crosswalk and at my feet, in a puddle, was a socket extension.  I guess that was my reward for being safe and not by 'playing' in the street today.  That very long threaded machine screw was something else I took to look up but I looked and I still don't know.  Next, that blue package on the bottom isn't the 1st of these I've run across.  This one oddly was on the ground next to one of the pumps at a gas station, and honestly, I don't care to know any more about it.  Moving on...... there was the usual collection of pig-iron, another drill driver-bit, a fairly stout L-bracket, and two more lug-nuts, just the regular stuff.  Lastly there was change everywhere I looked today and quite a bit more that the average for this route.  5 dimes, 4 quarters, 3 nickels, 13 pennies, 2 lug-nuts, and a socket adapter is 'hitting for the extended cycle'--woo hoo!! (penny, nickel,dime,quarter,socket,lug-nut)  It always amazes me how I keep running across this core group of stuff  all the time.  Another symbol, of course, of the Creator's infinite abundance, not to mention sense of humor. 

COLLEGE HUNKS : 03 17 2023

 

      I spent 6 years at Syracuse University and I never considered myself a college hunk, and to be honest I'm not even sure what the criteria for college 'Hunkdom' is.  Today though, the answer appeared from out of the blue and I never guessed it would be so easy.  You need a green polo short like the one I found today with "College Hunks" on the front and the same logo even bigger across the back.  Another mystery of the ages solved.  Well, ain't that just Hunky Dorey.  I found a cell phone cover piece along the curb on Hwy 377 and didn't see any other parts until I was heading back.  Seven lanes away along the other side of the street is where I found the back part, the rubber case.  No phone to be seen anywhere though so maybe it somehow survived, although we've been over this.  We've been over why we don't put our cell phones on the roof of the car.  It never ends well, period!  Now that little kid's raptor juice bottle 'topper' I really have to question.  You're going to put something on a small person's juice bottle that ought to scare the you-know-what out of them, seriously?  What happened to Bugs Bunny,  Dora the Explorer, or even heaven forbid, Barney?  I can see having a raptor cap on a tequila bottle, maybe scare a little sense into someone.  Moving on, at the upper right is an orange bag with a green thread coming out of the top which 'Da Googles' explained is a Woxinda Party Color Powder Ball.  No, really, Woxinda as in Woxinda Technology.  Yeah, Technology.  (they're on Cucamonga Ave which just screams technology, right?).   So, it's some kind of party favor thingy, you fill the bag with powder and throw it at people.  People you like?  Sounds like a lot of, well, like a lot of......like....well I suppose you have to be in the mood. Next,  I found what looks to be an almost new CABELA'S ball cap today for all you hunting, fishing and camping fans.  That must make cap number a hundred lebenty six by now at least, and for some lucky person, you'll be able to find it along with all the other exquisite finds in the 'Rundover' Store's Gimmie-Cap section.  There was the usual amount of pig-iron spread over the whole run, and while this isn't all of it here, it just lets you see the kind of stuff that's out there on pretty much every route.  I have to wonder how all those cars and trucks manage to hold together while missing all these hold'em together parts.  Now, in the useful tools category, the nominees are: a 10mm short body socket, a 1/2" tall-boy socket, a long-body Allen wrench, and the winner is that high-torque Phillips head drill driver-bit.  Our thanks to the Academy.  And I almost forgot, that black thing that most this 'stuff' is sitting on is a back-seat floor mat that missed the road and was actually in the grass 3' away.  Lastly, I 'hit for the extended cycle again today (penny,nickel,dime,quarter,socket,lug-nut) thanks to that last nickel that showed up 5 minutes from the run being finished.  It's kind of a given that they're eventually going to find you if you do the work until the very end, and keep your eyes open.  Two quarters, two dimes, said nickel, and nine pennies which I saved from further abuse by cars and the road. No need to thank me though, it's what I do.  Although I will say thank you Creator of all things for what You do! 

Ninja Letter Opener : 03 16 2023

 

     I've mentioned that I'm the not only one that finds fun stuff in the road and here's a great example.  My friend and UPS driver Mark spends WAY more time on these local streets than I do and also finds pennies and change, sockets, assorted tools, and the like. Yesterday he found a really good 19mm wrench/ratchet in the middle of the road and he stopped and nabbed it.  When he came by later to deliver my weekly box of Access workout bars, protein, aminos, etc. he gifted me with it!  Yea Mark!!!  Online that's a $20 wrench which I will definitely add to my toolbox.  Another example of how many good people there are out there, and how blessed I am.  Well then, today I was pretty sure I had found a super secret Ninja spy knife along the curb and I was very careful to put it in the running belt instead of my pocket so I wouldn't end up sticking myself with it.  After conferring with 'Da Googles' when I got back there wasn't anything that looked like it, although I did find a similarly shaped letter opener.  And now that I've given it the once-over, there absolutely isn't any kind of sharp edge or even a point on it.  So go figure, I found a super secret Ninja spy letter opener (hey--they get mail too you know).  I found a couple of more lug-nuts today which reminds me that I've got to stop procrastinating and get working on 'The Lug-Nut Award" to honor the clueless of the world.  Something new today, I find a lot of gas caps and even a few oil caps but finally I get to give equal time to the washer fluid cap group. There was another USB cord and a couple of sockets out there in the street but of course one of my favorites is finding all those loose coins in the road. I just needed a nickel to 'hit for the extended cycle' (penny,nickel,dime, quarter,socket,lug-nut) and unlike yesterday when I had all 4 coins in 6 minutes, that last straggler showed up along the curb with less than a quarter mile left. You know, if I've learned anything from running it's that if you put the work in and do the right activities, and are consistent, you can reach your goals.  My goals can be a little vague sometimes, but in general it's that I'm going to find interesting things pretty much everywhere I go, I'm going to let all those little shiny pennies, those symbols of the Creator's infinite abundance find me, and I'm going to be thankful for all these blessings.  Yup.

Beware The Squeaker! : 03 15 2023

      Today in the road I found the 'Gift That Keeps On Giving', it's a Kong doggie tennis ball to chase, but with a squeaker inside.  That your dog will squeak, and squeak, and squeak, and squeak, and.... well, you get the idea.  Tell me that won't drive you nuts at some point.  I just recently found out what a Kong was, it's a dog chewy toy but hollow so you can put food and treats inside. Pretty cool idea, it keeps them busy for a long time.  Hey, maybe my honey will get me one, we can put Access workout bars inside for me to gnaw on.  Anyway, moving forward, at the lower left is a small brass elbow fitting, worth about 6 bucks.  There was a little bit of pig-iron spread around today and I was good, I only picked up the shinier stuff.  Wait a sec... yes honey.....for a change I JUST picked up the shiny stuff.  OK, I get it.   Honey it's not my fault, it's that racoon gene.  And there folks is the internationally famous eye-roll.  Whuhuoy!  Next, there was a Charity something pen I found near a pharmacy, and 'Da Googles' tells me it's a CharityRX pen, they give you pharmacy discounts and then part of the transaction goes to help a charity in need.  Good for you guys.  Last but not least, I 'hit for the cycle' today (penny,nickel,dime,quarter) and I found it in the first 6 minutes.  Some days it's the last coin I find before wrapping it up and then, like today, I find it right off the bat.  Either way I'm blessed, and thank you Creator of all things for all the little symbols of your infinite abundance.  Yeayuh!

CR-V : 03 14 2023

          I always like finding tools and that's a very large 1/2" universal joint adapter with a 5" long extension that was on the bridge across Loop 820 at Rufe Snow Dr.  I figure that it's stout enough that getting run over wouldn't have phased it. Interestingly the U-joint was stamped CR-V and since I drive a Honda CR-V, I assumed it had to do working on my car, but 'Da Googles' knew better.  It means that part is made of chrome vanadium alloy steel.  Go figure.  I liked the Honda spin better.  Anyway, my 1/2" socket set is slowly coming together.  It seems that another fruit/produce truck hit a bump in the road today and lost a lime.  Just like the lime and cutie oranges I found on this same route 3 weeks ago, this lime dodged traffic and is unhurt.  You know, it seemed like everywhere I looked today there was a penny waiting, 22 in all.  Something to keep the 2 nickels, 8 dimes and a quarter company. (yea--I 'hit for the cycle'!)  And I had to laugh, as I was finishing up today, I was needing to get across Rufe Snow Dr so I just kept on running until I had a break in traffic both ways.  At that point I got across and started running into the parking lot, and there waiting for me was my last shiny penny.  Of all the places to have crossed along that piece of road, I just happened to pick the one spot that had a penny waiting.  That is just so typical of how these runs go, and of how blessed I seem to be.   

Da 'Choo Choo' :03 13 2023

      What a difference a day makes. I'm going to blame the time change this weekend for it taking so long to get my butt out the door to run this morning (rather than me taking any blame).  There wasn't as much 'stuff' out there as there was yesterday, this route always has something interesting to find, just not the volume of stuff as some of the other places I run.  Bolts & machine screws were an easy find today and for some reason there's a spot on Davis Blvd where I've been running across lots of drill bits along the curb.  I haven't figured out how drill bits end up in the street, but then, how does any of this stuff get there?  The timing was perfect today as I got to the Davis Blvd RR crossing.  The bells were going off, the crossing arms were just coming down, which allowed me to step into the street. I stop the already stopped cars, I then keep them already stopped while I direct the commuter train through the crossing. Then while the crossing arms are going back up, I let everyone know it's safe to now proceed (while getting my butt out of the road!).  And we all had a good time, even though we all got stuck waiting at the crossing.  Thank you to the people who applauded, waved, and gave me thumbs up.  I love it when people 'get it'.  Last thing, once again I 'hit for the cycle' (penny,nickel,dime,quarter) with that elusive nickel showing up at an intersection out between two lanes of traffic. Good timing on the traffic light let me nap that guy.  So thanks Creator of all things for those little blessings and for sunshine and for da choo choo!

Two Working Feet : 03 12 2023

 

    41 coins found me today which is pretty good even for the longer Sunday run. It's been 3 weeks since I've run this route which is plenty of time for coins and assorted 'fun stuff' to have accumulated.  And did.  There were familiar pens, a $2 Pilot G-2 07, and a 9¢ Bic Round Stick and I can see why the banks I pass have (and lose) more Round Sticks. They probably keep the PilotG-2s for something more profitable than bank withdrawals.  There were workgloves today as well, but I only picked up the Maxi-flex.  I wasn't looking to do any Ninja-flexing, Black- icing, or Big-Worm-Fishing so I kept it simple. That Keychain thing next to the glove was a mystery to me but not to 'Da Googles'.    It's part of a Legend of Zelda (Hylian Shield) official keychain.  Ya learn something new every day.  Lastly, I found a very small socket, a very shiny lug-nut, and with various pennies, nickel, dimes, and quarters, I 'hit for the extended cycle' today, hoo, and woo!!  Lots of blessings to be thankful for, all those coins, a pretty morning to run, and of course, two working feet to pound the street. Yeayuh!!

Happy to Oblige : 03 11 2023

 

     More chances to win a Houston Texans Private Plane Away Game Trip & a Luxury Suite.  Thank you to whoever threw the Lotto Texas scratch ticket 2nd chance ticket away.  I looked on the web site and so far I've got 79 chances in the hopper for the 2nd chance drawings going on now.   I suppose 79 chances out of 3.84 bajillion is better than 0 chances.  Somebody's got to win, right?  Three lug-nuts awaited me today and all three were under tightened as they didn't shear with lugs still attached.  That was a gigantic cotter pin on the right and the bolt on its right is even longer, which was why I nabbed them both, they were different.  And huge is different.  There was a rusty drill bit nut-driver which I did take because that's why God made WD40, for rusty tools in the road.  Next, that sparkly circle below the 'lotto scratcher' was something I wrote about three days ago.  That would be the piece of "bling" that sells for 65¢ a word.  There was another $3 'safety lock pin' today and the usual tennis ball that I find on this route.  And lastly, I 'hit for the cycle' (penny,nickel,dime,quarter) today by finally finding a very much run over nickel that needed  rescuing out of the road on Hwy 26.  And I was happy to oblige.   

15 Little Treasures : 03 10 2023

 

     Although I like finding cash in the road, useful tools are a favorite too and this $15 7/16" ratcheting  wrench will be going in my car toolbox.  Something I don't see very often, there were three air compressor heads today, two had snap on connections, one was a tire filler upper.  Not sure how you lose those in the road.  This last Wed. it was a pacifier, today it's a little kid shoe, we might have a trend starting here.  The little shoe's kinda cool though, it has lights on the side that blink when little Skippy takes a step.  That's one way to get them to take a nap, they run around and around and around making the lights blink until they're wiped out.  Next, there were plenty of bolts and machine screws out there, none of which would be in the 'Boltzilla' class (see 10-11 2022) but they are representative of what's out there every day (and they'll soon have a date with the recycle people).   I don't normally see any labeling on the lug-nuts I've found but one had 12 x 1.5 stamped on it.  I just thought a lug-nut was a lug-nut was a lug-nut.  Who knew they came in flavors?  Lastly, it took a little looking today but I did 'hit for the cycle' (penny,nickel,dime,quarter).  That last quarter was sitting right out in a lane of traffic at Davis & N Tarr. and I appreciate the traffic lights holding long enough for me to snag it.  That's another little blessing in addition to the 3 nickels, 4 dimes and 7 pennies that found me today.    

LEFT Behind : 03 09 2023

 

     Today was one of those days when you find lots of stuff that really isn't made to fit in your pocket.  Like for instance, the Jeep floor mat which was in the road across the street from a car wash. (I figured it probably grew legs and walked over)  And that Homer Depot bucket that was on a side street I usually don't run.  The hammer was only a few hundred yards from where I finished up so it was no big deal to carry.  It appears something got LEFT behind recently, I found it between the street and the sidewalk face down so I guess they didn't realize that they LEFT it.  It's even on the right side of the picture......I mean the LEFT is right, right?  There was another of those funky named work gloves I seem to find a lot.  MAX RADIAL is new to me and according to 'Da Googles' it "protects against oil hazards and has some kind of zippy 3D pressure point tech."  Yuh huh.  Next, there's part of a Mastercard which fortunately for somebody is without any name or numbers.  I found another Apple iCord today which would be great I suppose if I had an Apple anything to use it with.  There were all kinds of machine screws and assorted pig-iron everywhere I ran today and these are just the better ones (such as they are).  There were any number of things out there today that I could have picked up but there's so much 'stuff' in the garage already that I'm trying to be a little more selective.  Excuse me a sec......... yes honey, the word was selective.  As in I really don't pick up every shiny thing I see.  Wait for it, wait for it....... and thank you for the Internationally Famous Eye-roll!  Moving right along, a few coins found me today, that bent quarter was a tough one to spot.  It was another one of those moments when the light bulb slowly comes on and you do a 180 and there it is.  There were two pennies and a dime as well but no nickel so I missed 'the cycle'.  But it was a pretty nice day for early March, it wasn't raining, hailing, 19 degrees with the wind chill, or 97 degrees at 9am.  Thanks Creator for a nice day and a few shiny treasures.

65¢ Per Word : 03 08 2023

 

     I don't see many faucet covers along the road when I'm running, especially now that the weather 's getting warmer.  Nevertheless, I found a perfectly good one today which is going to save me having to go to Wally World next winter season and shell out a whole $2.67.  Lots of oddball stuff today, like that hydraulic coupling adapter on the left and that piece of whatzits from 'Raising Cain's' to the right.  Now that round sparkly thing at the bottom, according to 'Da Googles' is a Shiny Adhesive Car Start Button Decorative Rhinestone Embedded Circle Ornament.  Sure it is.   Something else that's priced by the word, which in this case is 65 cents per.  Somebody's without their iPhone charger cord, but it's if the person whose chewed up iPhone I found yesterday, they won't be needing this or any cord.   There was a pacifier/bippy along the sidewalk today and Ebay list's them for $7 a whack. I figure that if little Skippy's 'spitting the bit' every time you take him for a stroll that'll be $2,548/yr just for 'bippage'.  Not to mention the bibs and shoes and spoons I've seen.  Which I won't mention.  Believe it or not at the same overpass on 820 where I've already found probably 80 drill driver-bits was another one, one of the high-torque variety.  Another go figure moment. Lastly, I finally 'hit for the cycle' today (penny,nickel,dime,quarter) finding a whole $0.85 to add to the shoe fund. I always expect there will at least be that shiny penny, but and today there were 12 other little symbols of the Creator's infinite abundance.  Yeayuh!

Top of Car--BAD! : 03 07 2023

 

     It's been a while since I found the last cell phone but this one's life didn't end well.  It looks like once again somebody put their phone on top of their car, maybe put groceries or a little one into the car, and drove off.  It's an iPhone and it either belongs to a Union Pacific person or maybe somebody that really likes trains.  It's been well driven over and the screen's in lots of little pieces.  There was a sim-card still inside but I have no way of reading it so there's no way of knowing who lost it unfortunately.  Seems most of the cell phone finds of late have been phones that have gotten crunched before I could rescue them.  So let's go over this one more time.  Don't put cell phones, wallets, project plans, or anything else on top of the car. Watch my lips!  You put nothin!  Zip! Nada! Zilch!  You can't even put your car keys there because a lot of the newer cars will start if the key is close by when you push the start button.  And then it won't start again because you put the keys on the roof and they fell off the top of the car.  In review--stuff on top of car--BAD!  Stuff inside car--GOOD!  OK then, study up, I'm sure it'll be on the midterm.  

     I had no clue about that metal piece you see on the far right but according to 'Da Googles' it's an Air Brake Brake Shoe Knurled Roller and they run $19 for 2 on Ebay.   Well OK then.  There was a tiny little Allen wrench out in the road on Rufe Snow which was not easy to spot.  I think the subconscious has been getting better at recognizing stuff like that and slowly turning the light bulb on, you know, the imaginary one above your head that lights up when you get an idea.  That hook with a piece of strap still attached I took early on in the run.  It's a holdover, if you will, from running in the country when you're not sure how much stuff you'll find to write about.  I've also got a shout out to my former next door neighbor Rick H who was at a car wash I passed buffing up a gorgeous, HUGE, red pickem-up.  Looking good Rick!!  Last but not least, is all that change floating around out there.  I just love it when all that shiny stuff finds me!  Three quarters, two dimes and six pennies on a route I recently ran on March 1st and thought I had picked up all the change that was out there.  Go figure. 

Old Familiar Finds : 03 06 2023

      Back to some old familiar streets today, and I came up with some old familiar finds.  I found a quarter right off the bat which always a good sign!  That clear case at the upper left might have been for some cold/flu stuff but I took it because it's also the right size for holding a cassette tape.  Yes, some of us still have some of those.  Nothing new mind you, just lots of old classics.  Next, like yesterday in Valley View, there's another Scaffold Pin/Hitch Lock Pin/Trailer Coupler Pin/Whatever-they-feel-like-calling-it Pin, minus the arm that keep the pin from popping out.  I find a lot of the 'arms' for those in the road as well so that'll fix that.  I was running around/through a gas station on Davis and at the back, next to the dumpster was a large display chock full of gift cards!  I mean all kinds like Visa, Amazon, Apple Play, etc.  Obviously they're worthless until they're activated but if it was me, I wouldn't be just pitching them into the dumpster, I'd make sure they got shredded.  There were lots of steel 7gm tire weights everywhere you looked today but I just took the shiny one. (yes brother Dave, it's the racoon factor)   Funny, I didn't see ANY steel tire weights while running in Valley View, just a few of the old lead ones.  Out in the street in front of a Shell station was where I found that gas cap.  I think, going forward, I'm going to start taking them back to the nearest gas station and leaving them on the pump.  After I get the daily picture taken of course. Lastly, there were seven pennies, a nickel, and the aforementioned quarter today which, although it doesn't 'hit for the cycle', I still appreciate all the little blessings.  And I am blessed!

The Cherry On Top : 03 05 2023

      Still in Valley View.  And yes, that is a fork in the upper left, more on that in a bit.  Since I was running a different two lane county road today, still out in the middle of east nowhere, and I hadn't found much of anything for the first few miles, my expectations weren't very high.  Which will cause the standards for what I take and what I leave to drop prompting questions like, "is that just a dead possum or would that be considered country art?"  Hang on.......Honey!  I've told you that if you roll your eyes like that long enough they'll get stuck! And I was only kidding about the possum!  OK then, back to the fork.  I see silverware pretty much everywhere but I have one rule.  Normally, the only time I'll pick up a 'fork in the road' is if I found it at a fork in the road, which has actually happened twice.  So to 'hedge my bets' on a slow day, and since there was a fork in the road about a mile back, I figured that was close enough to take this one.   The countryside was very pretty, with the houses, when you saw one, set a long way back from the road. Lots of ranches too with barns and barking dogs in the yard.  Another morning to be thankful for such a nice day, and for the wherewithal to get out and hit the streets.  So, as it always happens, stuff started to appear.  That hanger was from early on and I set it on the opposite side of the road to get on the way back, along with that Clevis Safety Slip Hook you see inside the hanger.  There was another bungee cord today, guess you can't say they don't know how to bungee in Valley View, can you?  And of course there was a roll of that universal repair tool, duct tape  along the road.  Makes sense that if you're miles from a repair place, you're going to at least 'temp it' until you can get it fixed.  At the bottom right there's another Scaffold Pin/Hitch Lock Pin/Trailer Coupler Pin/Whatever-they-feel-like-calling-it Pin, and I have at least half a zillion of those back at the house.  I had less than half a mile to go and still, no shiny penny when, out where CR2071 hits FM922, stuck in the asphalt is my penny!!!  It took a little persuading to get it out but that's the penny you see on the left in the picture.  And then at the driveway just across 922, there's another penny, quarter, nickel, and a 9/16" socket to boot!  Ha!  So thank you Creator of all things for all these little symbols of Your infinite abundance.  I was thankful for just the one penny stuck in the asphalt and then you add the cherry on top.

Valley View : 03 04 2023

     We're traveling this weekend and are staying at a campground in Valley View TX  meaning, there's new places to explore, new things to find!  Well....... actually, this stuff today kinda looks familiar.  To begin, I started off running the entire campground just to get a feel for the place.  We had been watching the weather and saw that the day before we arrived, this area had gotten three inches of rain, 70+ mph wind, and golf ball size hail with lots of damage to campers and vehicles.  Kudos to the Lake Point staff of Ray, Karen, and Angel for taking good care of us in addition to having to deal with all that.  Anyway, moving on I decided to run the two lane country road outside the campgrounds.   Wouldn't you know it, I had just gotten to the first driveway where today's shiny penny found me.  I knew my penny was out there, even here in 'the wilderness', which does makes me realize Somebody has a sense of humor!  Something else I've run across before was a 'Grease-Monkey' work glove but today's was the first pink one.  So, what do you call a female Grease Monkey?  I expect it would be 'Rosie' as in 'The Riveter' (circa WWII).  Next, there wasn't much of a shoulder to the road today so I ran in the grass a lot which is where I found a Visa card and a Hooters gift card.  I also found a Winstar Casino card which I assume people 'load' so they can play the slots without having to slow down to manually feed all those coins in.  Gee, wah!  Also, out in the grass, there was a long nylon cord that ought to have some kind of good use.  The red thing that all this stuff is sitting on looks to be an 'oversize load' flag that you fly on the back of your car/truck when something extends out the back.  Which is way sturdier than the flimsy ones they give away at the big-box stores.  The last thing I found, in the tall grass next to the road was a retractable dog leash.   Hmmmm, I see my honey showing some interest here, maybe she sees a use that involves me at Home Depot or Harbor Freight? (and here's my own lesser known eye-roll!)

Nit-Picky or Nit-Picking? : 03 03 2023

 

    They say that being nit-picky is to be finicky, fussy, or exacting.  Unless of course you're using the red tool in the center here.  Then you'd be nit picking or removing lice nits with the pick.  That's very different, not to mention eeuuuuh!  Whuhuoy!  Once I knew what that was, I got out the Sol-U Guard disinfectant spray out in a hurry.  Oh, and once my honey's done with that shudder and scrunchy face I'm sure there's an internationally famous eye-roll in the works. Well, I guess I've found worse stuff out there, I'm just not going to open my mouth and risk another eye-roll.  To the right of the 'eeuuuuh' is a 1 3/4" swivel caster which I just may be able to use on a plant stand for a heavy pot. We'll see.  There was a hose end connector today which may also be useful depending upon how much effort it takes.  Some things it's just easier to buy a new end than to have to spend half the afternoon trying to engineer something.  I know....wah!  Above that is a handy $2 Aluminum fence post end cap which you have to have if you're going to get the city to sign off on the work you did replacing your fence.  And also it keeps the steel posts from rusting out when they fill up with water after a few hard rain storms.  $2 worth of insurance.   I think that's some kind of put-it-together-yourself furniture wrench at the bottom left, a 5/8" size to add to the collection.  Now for all you artists out there, I found a Mickey Mouse colored pencil today, and not just a one color mind you.  It's 2.   Yes that's right, two, yellow and blue.  Hopefully that's not going to be be too many choices for some folks.  Lastly, I was just a nickel away from 'hitting for the cycle' when it finally showed up along the curb-line on Rufe Snow.  Woo and hoo!  Yes, there were all kinds of little blessing out there today, namely 4 quarters, 9 dimes, a nickel and 23 pennies including a wheat penny.  It just makes me laugh when I think of how many times I've run that exact same route and yet there's still more change awaiting.  Heck, I never know the how and where, I just know it will happen and of course when I least expect it.  Thank you Creator of all things for your sense of humor!

The "Lug-inatuh" : 03 02 2023

    We have more chances for big bucks today.  I found another TX Lotto scratch ticket with a Second Chance drawing for $100.  And..... if somebody was really really really really lucky, they might be the winner of a check for $10,000.  Who-wee!  I have to wonder though, has anyone heard of anybody winning a $10,000 2^nd chance prize?  Or even $100?  I know I haven’t.   Next, I’m pretty sure someone out there will have a check engine light coming on any time now because they forgot and left their gas cap on top of the car after filling up.  And of course I found it.  There must be 10 or 15 gas caps in the automotive section of The ‘Rundover’ Store by now, so if anybody needs one, just holler.  I found another lug-nut with lug attached and I remember reading a Ray Magliozzi article in the Sunday Star Telegram about that.  If you put the wheel nuts back on after changing a tire and you do your best ‘Lug-inatuh’ impression (said with an Austrian accent) and tighten the crap out of the lug-nuts, you could stretch the metal and torque the lug.  Meaning that the next pothole you hit will probably be enough additional stress to cause the lug with nut to shear off.  And then I’ll find it.  As for that bar with a hook, I knew I’d seen one before and after checking with ‘Da Googles’, it’s part of a tire changing kit. You put a set of extensions on the other side of the hook, and then the hook goes through a hole in the end of the jack, which when twisted, raises the vehicle.  So it would appear that somebody changed a tire and put the jack and almost everything back in the car.  Excepting the hook.  Too bad they won’t find out about it until the next flat tire.  Below the ‘Big Bucks’ Lotto ticket is a hitch pin and this one even has the R-Clip that goes with it.  Those clips don’t just pop off so I’m not sure how both ended up in the street.  At the bottom right is a fully mature Allen wrench, the first I’ve seen in quite a while.  There’s been a lot of little guys of late, and this is what they all aspire to when they grow up.  There was another Philips head drill driver-bit along the curb and it was one of those “what did I just see?” moments where I did a 180 and found it.  I found another mechanical pencil to go with all the Chase Bank pens I’ve found this week.  Lastly, I ‘hit for the cycle’ today! (penny,nickel,dime,quarter)  And looking at the coins, the phrase, “rode hard and put up wet” comes to mind.  Of the 2 quarters, 2 dimes, 2 nickels, and 5 pennies, just the shiny quarter looks decent and even it’s been gouged up on the other side.  But considering that they’re just little symbols of the Creator’s infinite abundance, big deal.  Bring on the dirty, beat up, ‘rundover’ paper money….I’m ready!