Monday, July 24th, 2023 – Safeway
This morning started out mostly clear and clouded up as our walk proceeded. As we arrived home and were about to go inside, a slight mist started. Nice timing. We found no roadkill but did find money.
It started with Janet finding a dime near the 7Eleven. Then, at her favorite drive-thru, another dime and a penny. At the gas station another penny. Janet was out to a huge lead of twenty-two cents at the half of the walk. But Chuck came roaring back with a quarter in the third quarter on Juanita-Woodinville Way, ahead by three. But the lead was short lived when Janet made a short end run down a side street scoring another dime taking the lead by seven. Into the fourth quarter, Janet found another penny at the other end of the 7Eleven field to lead by eight. Chuck managed to find two more pennies before time ran out, but Janet won with a score of thirty-three to twenty-seven. Chuck filed a protest that the folded penny should be considered folding money and have a value of a dollar, but it was rejected by the referees.
If you followed all that, we found sixty cents today, which is forty-four cents more than we found all last week, so we’re both winners, in a way, but Janet did find more.
As we started our trek, we passed the newly-installed crosswalk sign on 112th Ave NE.
Last Friday when we passed it, we heard something like “Say Password,” but we weren’t sure. Today Chuck clearly heard “Say Password.” Quick-thinking as ever, he said “Fredrick” and no he did not know where that came from but quickly recovered by saying, “Password.” It ignored us. After some Internet searches, we found it is really saying, “Change Password” meaning that the default password had not been changed. Who knew that crossing signs have passwords?
That slowed us down a bit, but as we continued on 112th, Chuck was on his side of the street and Janet was a bit behind. He saw a bag up a short embankment so crossed the street to pick it up. Meanwhile, Janet caught up said that since he was already on her side, there was a can to be retrieved. Chuck dutifully reclimbed the bank and picked up the can but saw some trash in the bushes.
We ended up pulling thirty-two beer cans, three Lucky Strike cigarette packages and a half-gallon of curdled milk out of the bushes. Most of the beer cans were Hurricane 25-ounce cans of 8.1% alcohol by volume beer. That’s a lot of alcohol. Also, they smoked about two Lucky Strike cigarettes per can. We are imagining a life in a downhill spiral.
We did find a tool, though.
A pair of tin snips that are very rusty but we’re working on that. With a little WD-40 and some oil, it’ll be as good as new.
Someone threw out the kitchen sink.
But it looks like a bathroom sink. Maybe it was just dirty. A little WD-40, some Comet and it’ll be good as new.
We picked up a nice, clean shoelace in the street.
Perhaps we can sell it on eBay. We are working on a shoestring budget. Even though we find money now and then, according to our CPA, we are deeply in the red.
We found a big red one today, apologies to the Army First Infantry Division.
Yes, the first red condom we’ve come across and it was big. Woof! Apologies to “Young Frankenstein.”
Tuesday, July 25th, 2023 – Park-and-Ride
Today was cool and threatening rain, but like yesterday started a very light mist just as we arrived home. Our Tuesday walk is generally quick and uneventful and today was no exception. We came across no roadkill and unlike yesterday found only a penny.
It was by in the crosswalk at the intersection of NE 160th St and the Northbound on ramp to I405.
Pretty ho-hum. But the good news is that we found the newly-released Samsung cell phone model, the S23+, $900 on Amazon.
The bad news is that it was in the middle of the intersection of the NE 160th Street I-405 on ramp. As we awaited a break in traffic to retrieve it, a tractor trailer ran over it. It was totally dead. Using the SIM card, we were able to leave a voicemail to the telephone number to tell them what happened to it.
By the way, this was the eighteenth cell phone we have found since we have been TrashWalking.
Wednesday, July 26th, 2023 – Safeway and 100th Ave NE
This morning was clear and cool making for a nice walk. We removed two roadkill, a rabbit and a rat, but we did find another penny.
This one was near the Safeway driveway. Our monetary trend this week is not good. After finding sixty cents on Monday, we have only picked up two cents in the last two days. If this keeps up, we are going to tire of this penny-ante walking.
Okay, this could have made up for it. We found a tool.
But it was run over and in two pieces. Wait, we could count it as two short-handled tools. We might get it past the TrashWalking judges.
We found another urine bottle.
Amazon really needs to add a porta-potty in their vans. Wait, use the driver’s seat. No lost time.
We found a Day-of-the-Dead bag.
It was nicely decorated, and fortunately, there was nothing dead in it.
However, we did pick up this and were concerned it had something dead and rotting in it.
But it was only a coconut-flavored cookie, according to Janet. Chuck didn’t want anything to do with it.
Another trucker lost his CB antenna.
He probably didn’t handle the loss of his CB handle well. Okay, that’s obscure, but give it a chance. By the way, this is the sixth broken CB antenna we have found. We should recycle them, but they are very strong and flexible and might be of use some day like for tent poles. Which is what we say about half the stuff we have in our garage.
Then, there is this note we found.
And on the other side,
Sorry, Emily. We have read these several times and cannot parse it. We understand there is a smell of gas, and we know the 7Eleven on Juanita-Woodinville Way as well as the Jackson’s Station, about a mile away. But we don’t understand the Seattle Times newspaper reference or exactly where the gas was detected. More mysteries of TrashWalking.
Thursday, July 27th, 2023 – 160th to 124th Street
This morning was a repeat of Monday’s change game where we both found money.
This time, Chuck jumped out into the lead with a quarter along Juanita-Woodinville Way while Janet found a penny in the park-and-ride. Then Janet discovered a very ratty penny on 116th Ave NE that had probably been there for ages, making the score of twenty-five for Chuck to two for Janet. Chuck responded with a quick shiny penny and another quarter farther along 160th jumping out to a commanding lead. Janet did find a dime, but it was too little, too late. The final score was fifty-one to twelve, a resounding victory for Chuck. Chuck’s number one! Chuck’s number one! Sorry, got carried away there.
At the park-and-ride, another almost-full pack of discarded cigarettes.
We find a lot of this brand tossed almost full. Perhaps they are so bad that folks try a few and discard the rest of the pack. It might be a good marketing campaign. Try our American Spirit cigarettes and you will give up smoking forever. Just a thought.
On 116th Avenue, someone tossed four pairs of pants.
They looked like part of a uniform, but there was no identification. They’ll be washed and sent to Goodwill. When we got home, Janet went through the pockets looking for more change. None. Good try, though.
On the freeway onramp, a child’s shoe.
Come on, kids this young should not be hitchhiking.
So, at the new password-protected crosswalk, we got a clear recording of the password-protected crosswalk.
Janet hears “Change password” while Chuck hears “Say password.” They could solve the problem with “Amend Password” and “Orate Password.” Either way this is a bad design. Why do you need a password to cross the street anyway?
Friday, July 28th, 2023 – 100th Ave NE
Another day in weather paradise, compared to the rest of the country, and perhaps the world. Our morning walks are in the fifties and the afternoons are in the high seventies. Very comfortable.
Today we removed two roadkill raccoons. One young one on Juanita-Woodinville Way was hit by a car and the other on Norway Hill, hit by the mower. It was ugly.
Its guts were spread all over the embankment. Yes, it was a dog toy, and we will not count it as an official roadkill. Perhaps we should open a new category for mower kills, but we would mostly put cans in this category.
Speaking of which, the mowers finally mowed Norway Hill uncovering a bunch of Mike’s beverage cans. They were in various conditions from bits and pieces to unharmed. Here is a typical survivor.
By our rules of engagement, we can only find a Mike’s can if we get the black pop tab. We found a lot of partial cans. In the end, our final count of cans for today was forty-seven Mikes and eleven others, making this the record for the most Mike’s in a single day and the most cans in a single day. We can do this because we have not been officially keeping can records. Thank you but save the applause for later.
Now to our money finds. On Friday, Janet visits her favorite drive-thru and excavates.
She picked up a quarter, two dimes and three pennies. Then later, she found another dime for a total of fifty-eight cents. Chuck, on the other hand found a dime on 145th. Chuck doesn’t like this money game anymore.
Someone tossed a plastic bag of cooked macaroni.
They looked okay, but Chuck emptied the bag in the bushes for the animals to consume. No, the Italian ones. He could have taken the bag home to dispose of, but then Janet might see it and decide leftovers were in order. Yes, discretion can be the better part of valor.
At the bus-stop across from the 7Eleven we picked up an empty condom box for three condoms.
Yes, waiting for the bus can be boring, so what to do? Well, there is a bench, and well, you know.
Across from Safeway we found someone’s toilet paper reserve left over from the 2020 pandemic hoarding.
Probably outdated. Does toilet paper go bad?
We picked up tool.
Another 10 mm socket, very beat up. Yes, we could use the old “sock it to me.” Laugh in joke, but it’s too obvious.
A month or so ago we found a pair if Apple Air Pods. We had no charger and gave them away.
Now we found a charger, probably tossed by the guy who lost the Air Pods.
This scam again.
We’ve found these a few times before, but they are normally yellow. Guess they are making enough money to afford multiple colors. The one on the left was found on our walk. The one on the right was spotted later while we were running some errands. At least get your story straight, is it a government auction or a bankruptcy? We should get some stickers to paste over the telephone number. The sticker will have the number of the Washington State Fraud hotline. The statement on the bottom is new, though. Do you think that will happen? We’ll bet you the next three pennies we find and a roadkill of your choice if they do.
It’s Friday, time to check out what’s in Chuck’s vest pocket.
Starting at the top, a bad-parking card, and no, it wasn’t left for us. A business card for a hospital Patient Financial Advocate and three photos, a dog, a kid, and a young man. Of course, we blanked out their eyes to protect their identities. Yet another hair band, some Nerf bullets, and a small vial. We have found a few of these bottles before but we have yet to find what they are for.
An interesting-looking red module that turned out to be yet another discarded vaping component, a broken coin, and a shopping list.
“Stuff for Ernie & Ron.” We have no idea what “stuff” is, but they want two bags.
Five game cards from four different games, an opened but unused air freshener. Finally, a kid’s drawing of his mother with two hearts. Those are hearts, aren’t they?
Saturday, July 29th, 2023 – Riverside Drive
Today, we removed a roadkill bird from the street but, found more money.
The three dimes found together and two pennies. The penny on the right was embedded in the tar of the park-and-ride and took a bit to remove, but that makes thirty-two cents today. But that’s not all.
While Janet was picking up trash in front of the apartments on Woodinville Drive, a lady came out and gave her a gift card for Applebee’s.
We very much appreciate when folks take the time and effort to show their appreciation for our efforts.
We also found a tool.
Another tie-down strap in perfect condition.
As we crossed the bridge over the Sammamish River, we saw something swimming.
It was either a river otter or a beaver and soon after we snapped this photo, it disappeared under some branches, so this was the only view we had.
A flier for the movie Titanic.
What’s caused the sudden interest in the Titanic?
Tuesday is election day and we found this magnetic sign.
Renew King County Prop 1. There’s a proposition about veterinarians and high school students?
We found a key.
The tag says, “dumpster padlock.” We could use another place to dump garbage on our walks, but we don’t know where this dumpster is. Perhaps we will carry it with us and try all the locked dumpsters we happen on.
Week number 4 with no action by King County.
We came across this today.
It looked like a roll of hay, but after some research, it’s a biodegradable erosion control blanket, eight feet by 112 feet and costs $180 per roll. Minimum order, 25 rolls in case you’re interested.
At the freeway onramp, Chuck saw something farther down the ramp than he normally goes.
It was a grocery meat tray, and it was about half full of chicken. And it reeked. It was not something that was going into our garbage can and we couldn’t put it in the bus stop trash can.
We cut the wrapping and dumped the chicken over the cement barrier away from the freeway. Even then, the tray still emanated a foul, fowl odor. We left it behind the barrier and will pick it up when the odor dies down. People accelerating onto the freeway are probably saying “did you smell that?”
With that, we wrap up another walking week. Our take,
- $1.62. A better-than-average week.
- 75 Mike’s Hard Lemonade cans.
- 32 Steel Reserve cans
- 5 Tools.
- 4 Roadkill. We didn’t count the toy raccoon or the reeking chicken.
- 3 Balls.
- 1 Condom, red.
- 1 Urine bottle, opened.
- 1 Crosswalk signal needing a new password.
- 1 Gift card.
- 1 Smartphone, state-of-the-art but in a bad state.
- 1 Toilet paper roll, unused.
- 1 Chicken, reeking.
Have a great week and remember, don’t look a gift card in the mouth.
Trash Walking 