Abraham Lincoln Was Almost A Classmate Of Mine

Now that I've seen a new Lincoln penny, I suddenly recall that earlier in the year I heard they were going to make some new ones. But I forgot.

It is, after all, the 200th birthday year of Abraham Lincoln. Only 200 years old. I mean that. You think of Lincoln as being ages ago, but he's still of very recent vintage. I'm over 50 and he wasn't president till he was 50 something (or whatever), so add that to 1809 and take away my 50-some years, and we could've almost been classmates.

It would've been cool. In fact that'd be a good TV show. Lincoln is reincarnated in a neighborhood. He reveals himself to one particular kid. They're classmates. The kid knows he's Abraham Lincoln, with a different name. He happens to know a lot about the 1800s and anything that has to do with Lincoln. And so forth. You have him getting extremely mad about Lincoln impersonators, Lincoln birthday sales, etc.

Let's say Lincoln really was my age. And he and I are hanging out. And I'm offering him a "penny for your thoughts." Like that.

This new penny has the normal design on the heads side. It's the flip side that's different. This one has Lincoln sitting on a Lincoln log. He's reading a book. He's got an ax at his side.

Free Quarters

I haven't been to Quiznos very much, two times in my whole life. So I don't know the way it is there exactly all the time yet. But I was there last night and I was surprised by something by the cash register.

You know how there's a little cup up there, various places, pretty often, and it has pennies in it? Well, this is the first time I've seen quarters in the cup. A few pennies, a nickel, and three quarters. I'm thinking various things about that. Who are these generous people who just toss their change in the cup? How much money seriously can you withdraw from the cup? If there's enough in the cup can I pay for an entire Flat Sammie out of it? What is the cup/change code of honor in all round terms? Should I check my pockets for change before concluding I need to go to the cup?

If we have another couple years' inflation, can we expect to see dollar bills in the cup? Fives? Tens?

If someone takes too much might they not have to put the cup over on the shelf? And eventually have a robber come in and say, "Just gimme the penny cup, and be quick about it!"