The pennies were one of the central themes of this holiday season. We had lots of them and were sorting them first by decade and then by year. Images such as these IMG_0082 IMG_0083 represent our progress and are meant to show the different distributions of pennies from different sources. In capsule summary, Sovereign Bank on Nassau Street (image to follow) gave the worst pennies. They had lots of Canadian pennies and their rolls often had only 49 pennies. Fleet Bank on Nassau Street did an honorable job -- many fewer Canadian pennies, no rolls were short and the pennies had a respectable, if boring, distribution. The ../12.16.02ADayWithDrLen/IMG_0717 PNC Bank I went to with DrLen was the most interesting of all. Some of the rolls were just shiny new pennies. But, others came with character. You could read the person's account number on the side of the roll and feel like they were sharing a part of their life with you.

In the days before Xmas, I made the mistake of journeying out to Sam's Club and getting caught in an horrendous traffic jam. Fortunately, Jane was with me at the time and reminded me that I had the camera and so could record what it was that I was seeing inside the car and out and around the lot. If you had been here with us, these were the scenes you would have seen from my vantage point IMG_0084 IMG_0085 IMG_0086 IMG_0087 IMG_0088 IMG_0089 IMG_0090 IMG_0091 IMG_0092 IMG_0093 IMG_0094 IMG_0095 IMG_0096 IMG_0097 IMG_0098 IMG_0099 IMG_0100 IMG_0101 IMG_0102 IMG_0103 IMG_0104 IMG_0105 IMG_0106 IMG_0107 IMG_0108 IMG_0109 IMG_0110 IMG_0111 IMG_0112 IMG_0113 IMG_0114 IMG_0115 IMG_0116 IMG_0117 IMG_0118 IMG_0119 IMG_0120 IMG_0121 IMG_0122 IMG_0123 IMG_0124 IMG_0125 IMG_0126 IMG_0127 IMG_0128 IMG_0129 IMG_0130 IMG_0131 IMG_0132 IMG_0133 IMG_0134 IMG_0135 IMG_0136 IMG_0137 IMG_0138 IMG_0139 IMG_0140 IMG_0141 IMG_0142 IMG_0143 IMG_0144 IMG_0145 IMG_0146 IMG_0147 IMG_0148 IMG_0149 IMG_0150 IMG_0151 IMG_0152 IMG_0153 IMG_0154 IMG_0155 IMG_0156 IMG_0157 IMG_0158 IMG_0159 IMG_0160 IMG_0161 IMG_0162 IMG_0163 IMG_0164 IMG_0165 IMG_0166 IMG_0167 IMG_0168 IMG_0169 IMG_0170 IMG_0171 IMG_0172 IMG_0173 IMG_0174 IMG_0175 IMG_0176 IMG_0177 until this sign IMG_0178 told us to follow this truck IMG_0179 home so that we could see the pennies IMG_0180 once more and feel like our life was OK.

Xmas eve, The Gespass'es from Pittsburgh IMG_0181 IMG_0182 IMG_0183 came to visit and we lit a fire IMG_0184 though we could not interest them in the penny project IMG_0185 IMG_0186 IMG_0187

Then it was back to Princeton life and Andy came by to help Sarah IMG_0188 find something in the refrigirator as Rosie, Kaylen and Jane IMG_0189 IMG_0190 admired Kaylen's new cell phone IMG_0191 that lights up IMG_0192 but is not immune to other problems as we would later learn IMG_0193 in many excursions. The next day, Suzanne came home IMG_0194 so we recorded the snowfall IMG_0195 before Ben and I headed out to PJ's IMG_0196 where the menu was as always IMG_0197 and Ben's burger IMG_0198 looked as good as my buttermilks IMG_0199 for a fine meal that made him quite happy IMG_0200 so that we could march on and see Sarah and her gang IMG_0201 at the toy store.

On Friday, as the girls sat on the couch IMG_0202 Melissa IMG_0203 came to visit and chat though Ben IMG_0204 thought there was too much chatting IMG_0205 and too many people sitting around IMG_0206 IMG_0207 to even admire my feet IMG_0208 as the conversation continued IMG_0209 and Kaylen arrived IMG_0210 so that I made this sandwich IMG_0211 for Ben and once fueled up, he went back to his playing IMG_0212 IMG_0213 IMG_0214 IMG_0215 and didn't seem to mind the conversation IMG_0216 as we made our way to Melissa's cookies IMG_0217 and Jane and Kaylen IMG_0218 finished their games. Melissa posed for the obligatory photos IMG_0219 IMG_0220 then with Josephine IMG_0221 and Suzanne IMG_0222 as Kaylen and Jane IMG_0223 got ready to go on our excursion which began (as do all good excursions) IMG_0224 at the gas pump. Driving further on, we ran into Matt and Ned IMG_0225 playing hoops in a photo that brought forth Ned's Dad as a fan of this sight. After making our way to the video store IMG_0226 we followed this truck IMG_0227 on our fresh tank of gas IMG_0228 and admired the bumper sticker IMG_0229 as we went into the phone store IMG_0230 and brought the broken phone IMG_0231 to this gentleman IMG_0232 IMG_0233 who could fix one but not the other.

We followed this car home IMG_0234 where Willa IMG_0235 one twin IMG_0236 Martha IMG_0237 and Jane IMG_0238 were waiting for us as Martha drank her tea IMG_0239 and the other twin emerged IMG_0240 to her mother's delight IMG_0241 as the orange peals IMG_0242 accumulated. Before their departure IMG_0243 we caught another picture and one of Jane IMG_0244 before noticing Willa's Bling Bling shirt IMG_0245 and going back to the penny sorting project IMG_0246 where the towers were getting too big IMG_0247 for stability even as we moved new distributions IMG_0248 into the ever extending chain IMG_0249 of pennies IMG_0250 we had sorted. We should have known that Suzanne's arrival home IMG_0251 gathering of the garbage can IMG_0252 and to the amazement of Ben IMG_0253 cleaning of her car IMG_0254 would not bode well for the towers some of which collapsed leaving this mess IMG_0255 to be cleaned up and resorted with these displaced pennies IMG_0256 into the big histogram.

The next thing we knew, it was New Year's Eve. The Kramer brought the champagne IMG_0257 and we added the hors de ouveres IMG_0258 to Sarah's amusement IMG_0259 as Suzanne tried on her scarf IMG_0260 and let the fabric IMG_0261 IMG_0262 IMG_0263 be admired. Next course IMG_0264 came as the chili IMG_0265 and peanut sauce IMG_0266 got ready fro the chili (vegetarian, of course) IMG_0267 to find some light IMG_0268 and get warm enough to take it's place with the other foods IMG_0269 IMG_0270 as the presents waited IMG_0271 for the appropriate moment and more food IMG_0272 IMG_0273 IMG_0274 IMG_0275 IMG_0276 IMG_0277 seemed to appear so that we could admire the poster IMG_0278 that Claire gave Sarah for Hannukah.

Suzanne continued to model scarves IMG_0279 IMG_0280 as did Sarah IMG_0281 IMG_0282 IMG_0283 and then the Justs arrived IMG_0284 IMG_0285 and felt the scarves IMG_0286 IMG_0287 until Lizzie warmed the new year IMG_0288 by trying one on.