Back in the Money

September 23rd, 2019 – Safeway Route.

This week started out with a bang.  We got a rare wave from the Salinas Construction driver.  We normally see him on our Tuesday-Thursday Park-and-Ride route, primarily due to timing.  Today he must have had an early assignment.  We also removed three roadkills: a salamander, a rabbit and a bird.

And we also found money.  One-hundred cents!  It already puts our two-cents last week to shame.  We like this kind of litter.

The flag at the unpermitted construction site was down again.  We picked it up and will retire it properly.

We found a Puma sock.  Only one, though, so off to GoodWill since they recycle textiles.  But then we found this.

What the… cat-hair socks for your baby?  Nope, it’s still going to GoodWill.

We picked up a bunch of balloons.  Probably a clown, thinking about how his last gig went over like a lead balloon, then became deflated and tossed them.  The small ones on top look like little dinosaurs, or maybe slugs.  The guy shouldn’t give up so easily.  Even we could make slug-shaped balloons.

Another tool.  12mm socket to add to our collection.  It wasn’t run over at all.

Someone tossed out a cigarette package with two unused cigarettes.  We find a lot of unsmoked cigarettes.  This is about eighty cents worth.  Well, they were soaking wet, so we’ll let them go for fifty cents.  Let us know.

Hey!  Someone took the pruning shears we left on the fence a few weeks back.  Maybe they read our last blog, looked out their back window and saw them.  Glad to be of service.

Near the bottom of Norway Hill, we found an almost-full can of whipped cream.  Okay, Reddi Wip, but it’s real cream.  It says so on the can.

The battle of Norway Hill continues.  Taco Time definitely has the advantage over McDonalds.  The McLitterers have been no-shows for several weeks.  Maybe they are turncoats and are now Taco Time customers?They’re going to be hard to identify with paper bags during the wet season which comprises about 85% of Seattle weather.

Heading up the hill, we found an empty Vodka bottle.  

Then we found an empty condom box. Three-count.

Then, this.  A not-empty condom.  Great, we have two more condoms to find.  The condom was knotted, so may not have been empty, but we didn’t go down that path.  Hey, do you think the Reddi Wip was foreplay?

 

September 24th, 2019 – Park-and-Ride Route.

This morning was a little warmer than yesterday and there was a very slight mist.  Both the Yahoo Weather and the Dark Sky apps reported overcast but showed no rain.  As we walked, the mist got heavier and, at times, became a light rain.  We checked the apps again and they still showed no rain.  So, perhaps we dreamt about the rain.  If so, it was a wet dream.

We didn’t find any money and removed a squirrel from the road.  We got a wave from the Salinas Construction driver, on the right day this time, and got a light honk from a passing SUV.  It sounded very much like Mr. Handyman’s honk, but it was not the Mr. Handyman truck.

We picked up an empty snack wrapper.  Wasabi Roasted Seaweed Snack. Who knows, it might taste good.  Wait, maybe it wasn’t empty.  Some of the leaves behind it looks like the image on the package.  They may have spilled out, but they didn’t taste good at all.

We saw a roadkill rat in the gutter and pulled it out by what looked like a foot.    It turned out to be a very dirty and tattered sock without a tail and without a foot.  Well, we’re pretty sure it had a foot at one time, but not anymore.

We found some flower tape.  So, if we ever need to tape some flowers, we’re set.

We picked up a fingernail.  We know it’s a fake but it’s still weird.  And white fingernail polish?

At the park-and-ride, someone lost their luggage tag.  It helps if  you add your name to the tag.  Do they make luggage tag tags?

At the park-and-ride party corner, we found a bunch of trash.  Six Coors cans and an empty Dorito bag.  Also, a twelve-pack Coors carton with three more cans in it.  So, three cans are missing.  Also in the carton was a used baby diaper.  So, with a baby, you hang out at the park-and-ride and drink beer.  We’re proud of you new parents.  The Doritos were for the kid?

We found an unopened package of a Rough Rider Studded condom.  We’ve found a lot of unopened condoms, but we’ve never one of this brand.  You can purchase these on Amazon.   Each one is individually tested, don’t think about how.

On the other side was the expiration date of 2023.  When researching these, we found some on eBay from 1987.   Good luck with that.  This was found at the bus stop where 10 or 15 people are normally lined up for the bus.  We can imagine the scenario.

• “Hey, buddy, you dropped something.”
• “Uh, No I didn’t.”
• “But I saw it fall.”
• “No, it’s not mine!“
• “What is a studded condom?”
• “IT’S NOT MINE!“

 

September 25th, 2019 – Safeway Route.

Today we awoke about 20 minute early and started our walk at about 4:55 am.  We didn’t find any money and removed a roadkill squirrel from the road.  Again, we waved to Salinas Construction on the wrong day, probably because of our early schedule.

We regularly see a medical supply truck in the mornings.  A few weeks ago we started waving to the driver and eventually he started waving back through the windshield.  Today he approached from behind us on the opposite side of the street, honked his horn and waved out the window.  We may have a new serial honker.  We also got a honk from an SUV on Norway hill.  We appreciate it.

We found a headband.  Not just any headband, this is a ForceField FF Ultra headband.  It’s meant to protect one’s head during sporting activities.  Twenty-Five dollars on Amazon.  Our head is worth more than that.  Well, probably.

An earplug package with one earplug.  Okay, why only one?  It’s possibly a construction worker who lost one ear.  Or perhaps a Praying Mantis construction worker who didn’t need the other earplug because it only has one ear.

?????????????????

We found a thong.  No, the foot kind.  It was really light-weight.  It wouldn’t last the distance of one of our walks, and it doesn’t look like it would provide much support.  They are cheap, though.  Thirty cents a pair on Amazon.  So this is worth like, fifteen cents.  It got recycled.

We did find a railroad hat on our walk.  Xanterra Railroad.  This is a tourist train between Williams Arizona and the Grand Canyon.  We visited Williams on a roadtrip last year and walked past the train station.  Williams is an interesting town on the old Route 66.

 

September 26th, 2019 – Park-and-Ride Route.

Today was relatively warm at 61F but there was a slight mist.  Our weather apps both showed rain, but, because of the temperature, we walked without our rain jackets.  The mist got a bit heavier, but nowhere near rain.  Good decision.  We would have overheated.

We waved to the Salinas Construction Driver again.  This is a record, four days in a row.  We’re sure he’s keeping track.  NOT.

We removed a roadkill opossum, rabbit and crow from the road.  The rabbit and crow were very close to each other, so we figure the rabbit got hit then the crow followed while feeding on the rabbit.  This is what we call the food chain:  Car-rabbit-crow.

We did find some money.  Not bad, but our expectations are hugh.

At the park-and-ride, we found these.  Did someone hit a four-eyed alien?  These are antimotion-sickness glasses.  $18 on Amazon.  We figure they work by taking your mind off the motion by thinking about how silly you look.

When we cross intersections, we try to not interfere with traffic by waiting until it’s clear instead of using the crossing signal.  This morning we were crossing Juanita Woodinville Way when no traffic was coming with the green traffic light but against the walk sign.  About a quarter way across, a pair of headlights appeared in the right-turn lane.  We picked up our pace to get out of the way.  As the car passed, it was a Kirkland police car.  We waved to him and he gave us a thumbs up.

 

September 27th, 2019 – Safeway Route

It was cooler this morning.  We checked our weather apps and they both showed it was raining.  But there was no precipitation.  A light mist developed toward the end as we started up Norway Hill, but nothing like what we received earlier in the week.

As expected, we did not see Salinas Construction on a Friday, but we got another honk and a wave out the window from the healthcare truck driver.  We also removed a bird and a rabbit from the roadway.

We frequently find debris from fender-benders and slowly “groom” the area.  Grooming is our term for picking up the big stuff first and as the walks go by, policing the smaller debris.  This morning, we found this by the side of the road.  It looks like an air duct from under the dash of a car.  There was no other debris around.  So, Fred is driving down the street, hits a bump and the plastic thing falls to the floor.  Fred picks it up, looks and looks at it.  “The cars still running fine, this must not be needed.”  Out the window.

Much of the walk down Juanita Woodinville Way, we found slices  of bread.  At the first location,  six slices of bread were found and it appeared someone tossed their lunch because it was boring.  Sandwiches with nothing inside are boring.

Then we found four more slices followed by another four and another four.  Now we think the person was dropping bread slices to to mark his trail.   And we picked them up.  If you see a lost soul out there wandering around carrying an empty breadloaf bag, you might want to notify the Bothell Police.  But don’t mention us.

Another eCig butt. Given the bad press lately, we may be picking many more of these.  Well, probably not.  Cigarette links to cancer have been around for many years and it hasn’t stopped cigarette butt litter.

We found a topless hat.   No, wait, it’s visor.   There was no branding, so we don’t know its origins.  

We got shot at again.  The Nerf gangs are becoming a big problem in Bothell.  We’ve been shot at many times and sometimes we feel it.

At the top of the hill, we found a beer can and a tequila bottle.  They were probably making Lagaritas.  And they had one too many because they dropped sixty-two cents.  Thank you.

 

September 28th, 2019 – Riverside Drive.

This morning was the coldest day of the season at 45F, marginally comfortable without a jacket.  It was dry, though.  We removed a rabbit from the road and found more money!

Twenty-five cents.  It’s been a good week for money.  $1.87.  We can buy a Tall Freshly-Brewed Coffee at Starbucks.  But only one.   And that doesn’t count tax.

Time to wrap up the week in irresponsible pet owners. The last one was found today in the retaining wall at the apartments on Woodinville Drive.  Someone thinks they are very clever.

And gloves.  The last one was found today.  It had a bonus cigarette butt with it.  Two “prizes” for one stoop.

We found a couple of broken toys.  A small doll.  The decapitated head, at least.  It may go on the top of a kid’s pencil.

We’re not sure what this is part of. It’s probably a snake, but could be an elephant.  Maybe it’s meant to be an elephant trunk snake.  The doll’s head made it into our toy jar.  The elephant snake did not.

On our Saturday walk, we make a sweep through the Sammamish River Park parking lot where we normally find a small wine bottle.  The wine bottle was a no-show and we found relatively little trash.  Then one of us, we won’t mention her name, spotted a black garbage bag in the bushes.  We started to pull it out and it ripped apart.  We spent some time pulling all of the trash out of the bushes.  It was a random selection of trash.  Often there is an RV parked in the parking lot during the day.  We assume this bag came from the RV.

The Washington State University DayMinder was for the school year 2017-2018.  It had entries for class times and assignments, mostly psychology classes.  Wait, do college students still use DayMinders?  Maybe WSU students do.  No, we didn’t attend the University of Washington.

The book, “Sneaky Uses for Everything” looked interesting but was waterlogged.  It was Volume 3 and has great reviews on Amazon.

Also included in the rubbish was a pair of orange underwear.  The school colors of WSU are grey and crimson.  Okay they may be crimson underwear.  We didn’t attend WSU either.

We picked up a piece of plumbing.  This we understand.  The person working on the plumbing was on his way to the hardware store for the fifth time, tossed it out the window and headed for the bar.  Problem solved.

We found an O-Ring.  It must have been this company’s jumbo-sized pen.

Then, on the smaller size, we found another tool for our tool collection.  A jeweler’s screwdriver.  We found a Phillips screwdriver before, so this completes our collection, w00t!

We picked up a unique marijuana container.  It’s from From the Soil Farms.  It’s glass and looks like a Mason Jar, it could be a collector’s item.  It’s in the recycle bin.

Stay back, K9-Unit ahead.  A magnetic sign,  $24 bucks on Amazon.  We’re thinking about placing this on our car to see if people will quit tailgating us.  So what is this for?  You are vacation with you dog and it needs a potty break.  Do you pull over and whip this out of your glove compartment?

More Nerf-Gang warfare in Bothell last night.  Must have been a major shootout.  Maybe a rival gang is attempting to take over their Astroturf.

Under the freeway on Riverside Drive, we found a person’s Certified Flagger cards.   Who knew?  These are the guys who control the flow of traffic through a construction zone.  Guess that’s important.

What do you need to know to be certified?  Here’s the class description.

• Class is eight hours long
  • We can handle this.
• Students receive Traffic Control Flagger Certification Handbook (yours to keep and reference on the job)
  • Yep, no problem.  We will keep it.
• Students take an open book test at the end of the class
  • Whew!  Open book is good.
• Successful completers receive a Flagger Certification Card
  • No problem.  We already have two!
• Students must be at least 18 years of age
  • Whoa.  This is easy.  We’re in!

Wait, where do we learn to toss our cigarette butts?  What happens if we’re caught flagging without a license?

BTW, we will figure out how to return the cards on Monday when the person’s union office opens.