Hollywood Gigs - Shopping with Coins!

Times are lean these days in the 'wood. If you don't have a regular gig to see you through the tough times, it's getting harder and harder to live the Hollywood dream. I'm lucky that I have a regular gig right now but there's always pros and cons to the regular gig.

The problem with the regular gig is it's not quite enough. Don't get me wrong, it's great and I'm blessed and very lucky and thankful to have my regular gig, but the economy is such that my regular gig gets me about 80% there. Which brings me to one of my favorite topics: shopping with coins!

Sometimes it gets to the point right before pay-day that you need that one more gallon-o-milk to feed masses (usually on a Thursday). Remember, I have four boys (two man-child's, one big boy, one bottomless toddler), two nephews, nine neighbors, and some dude I've never seen before rolling through here consuming food and destroying property. That's when I break out the coins.

That's right, I've gone to the grocery store with a cup full of coins, head held high, to pick-up that loaf of bread, peanut butter and/or spaghetti sauce to make until Friday. The big decision arrives when its time to pay. You have three choices:

a) Go through the regular line and stand their uncomfortably while the cashier counts $40 worth of nickles.

b) Go through the self-serve line and feed $40 worth of nickles into the coin slot.

c) Drop your coins into the coin counter machine, lose a $3 fee and only buy $37 worth of groceries.

Pride usually prevents option A. The grocery store workers her in SoCal are a miserable lot. If its not too crowded, I go with B. Usually, I chicken-out and go with C.

Cheap Entertainment - The Tent

I love my tent. I've used it dozens and dozens of times even though I've only had it officially 'camping' once. We camped once in the church side lawn. Most of the time, we've set it up right in the back yard.

Labor Day weekend was another such occasion to erect "Ol' Trusty" and we've using it ever since. Two sleepovers, one birthday, a couple of Saturday nights, and the thing is still giving. The best $100 bucks I ever spent at WalMart. I'll pull the fire pit over close and we'll roast marshmallow's just like real campers.

Interestingly enough, I've developed a reputation around church as a camping expert. I tried to explain that I've only been a couple of times but they do not hear me. Apparently, my tent was the biggest and that made me an expert. As long as the great outdoors is no more than fifteen feet from my back patio door, I'm good.

I'll pull it down soon. We'll most likely re-erect the tent around the X-mas holiday when the kids are off for a couple of weeks at winter break. Another couple of weeks of glory!