$7,975.85

The Coin Arcade at the Commerce Bank branch down the block is a real blessing to all the homeless guys and me. It does not charge some exorbitant percentage as those coin* machines used to charge and they are very much made for kids, so the interface is fun and happy. A cartoon girl asked me if I would like to estimate how much money I have with me, and if I manage to guess it within $1.99, then there will be a little present for me (yeah, a Commerce Bank Logo savings bank, I guess...) The amount I estimated was $7,975.85. Okay, I had not estimated the amount, it was when the estimated amount appeared on the screen that I noticed that the machine had a 2.5 year old operator, well, she might have been 3.5. Her father was about my age and he just remained in the background to whack me over the head if I said anything not appropriate to his precious daughter. Well, not really, I thought it was somehow cute. The cartoon girl was really impressed that I had so many coins. That was before I even put a single one into the machine. The little girl, at her child interface at the hight of my knees was obviously pushing all possible buttons... (All huge and on this happy little touch screen.) I had brought my change in a fabric bag this time, I've learned my lesson from having layers of zip-locks explode on me and coins en masse fly all over the place... The girl (the real one) was really very impressed by the actual coins I was throwing into the machine. "Where do you get the many money?" she asked... I explained to her that it was really easy and that it involved a little plastic piggie-bank. I actually collect my coins in little banks that are shaped after mailboxes of Great Britain (the pillar) and Canada, but I think such details would have probably freaked all of us out. (There is also this ornate Japanese tin cookie jar, my previous wealthy neighbor had donated to 73rd street about 7 years ago... but this really does not matter, does it?) I had to tell the girl not to try to grab the falling coins. (I had to tell her, not her cheerful beta dad.) I was lucky enough to get my little cashworth printout before my little helper got her little hands on it... Not sure she understood completely what was actually happening there... with that little piece of paper popping out at a child appropriate height, me looking at it and just going away waving to her and her silly dad. The line at the bank was simply ridiculous... it was not worth the wait, really, oh and of course we did not win the prize.