This is just one example of ACTUAL concern expressed to me about the future of blogging.  However, I believe that I can respond adequately to both parts of this fear and confusion that has been caused by my absence from the the blogosphere:

First, I absolutely can continue to talk unnecessarily about $2 bills.  For example, yesterday, I was walking through a shopping center near Namdaemun and passed two stamp and collectible paper money shops.  Each had a 2003 $2 note displayed in the shop window.  One had a hand written note attached.  Since I am unable to speak Korean and the handwriting was fairly poor, all I could make out with the help of my cellphone dictionary was “행운” (haengun.) “행운” means “good luck.”  Imagine my surprise when a google search for 행운 turned up photos of four-leaf clovers and two-dollar bills!  Maybe fate brought me to this country.

Second, I have started another blog.  It is more (overtly) about myself than the TDP, but will not have as limited a scope.  The theme is:  how can I reconcile my concept of and aspirations toward the life of a gentleman with the current state of society and my own physical remoteness from the cultural source of my ideals?  In short, how can I be a Modern Western Gentleman (Abroad)?

The TDP may never really end.  As long as somebody out there read this and continues to use deuces and dollar coins, the Project lives on.  For me, however, there is no choice but to abandon the Project entirely to you, loyal readers.  I will keep the Do Your Part link operational in case any of you out there want to keep the blog alive.

I am off, to live the life of a Modern Western Gentleman Abroad.  Thank you, and keep up the good work.

“1st day of senior year is over “

“everything is ready for the first day of school tomorrow…I just hope I am too :-/”

“Masters Orientation tonight! So excited to begin this new journey! “

I’m not going back to school, but I still eat as if I were. :-9 (That is me licking my lips.)

Purchased a pack of ramen noodles and a box of instant oatmeal:

Price: $2

Paid:  One $2 note

Response:  “Back to school?”  “Nope.”

“Being good tourists and being in the neighborhood, we paid an obligatory visit to Atlantic City, NJ.  We strolled through some never-ending casinos with the intention to spend some 25 dollars, but we just didn’t feel like playing the odds with a programmable machine, and to play at the tables, $25 was just not enough to start out with.  Eventually we just paid for the parking, $5, and for a bottle of water at some simple stand in the middle of the sparkling jungle.  Amazingly, that bottle cost exactly $2. The perfect occasion to spend my last two-dollar bill.  The vendor gave me the sweetest, happiest smile I ever got from a vendor. I was still enjoying his smile, smiling back at him, when he concluded this great two-dollar experience for me with the perfect phrase: “I just LOVE two-dollar bills!”

So, that’s it, the end of my two-dollar experiences. Thanks Jake for this fun project! Lots of fun with it as far as it reaches, and with your next projects, here or abroad!”

The article also informs us that the government has a stockpile of 1.1 billion dollar coins.  Let us give a thought to how huge a number 1.1 billion is.  Put it this way, .1 billion is one hundred millions.  One hundred millions is less than one tenth of the number of dollar coins that are held in reserve by the United States.  Observe the nifty infobox I “borrowed” from them:

Notice anything strange about that box?  Does it raise any questions for you?  That’s right, we are all thinking the same thing: why New Mexico to Chicago?  Seriously?  There isn’t a more interesting distance that happens to be 1,367 miles?  That it is the same distance from Olympia, Washington to El Paso, Texas.  At least that is the distance between two cities.  1,367 miles is also the distance from Budapest to Cairo, Milan to St. Petersburg, Helsinki to Rome, Manila to Bangkok.  Not to mention that the Orange River is that long.  And that is just two pages of google results.  During the Han Dynasty, 1,367 miles of Great Wall were built.  Yet, the BBC (or the US Mint) thinks that the best illustration of the distance is New Mexico to Chicago.

“Purchased two candies:

Price: $1.98 + tax

Paid:  One $2 note

Response:  My 7-year old was proud to arrange the payment herself with the American shop-lady, a wonderful set-up for another two-dollar moment, I thought.  She paid with a two-dollar note and a quarter.  The lady just gave her the usual smile and her due change.  Nothing else happened, what a pity.”

“Toll road:

Price:  $3

Paid:  One $2 note, One $1 note

Response:  I was looking for unique circumstances to spend my last bills.  My husband, the driver, handed the lady a 1 and a 2-dollar note.  The lady accepted the notes without a wink.  The light turned green.  We didn’t drive away, still looking at her eagerly for any reaction whatsoever.  Her only reaction was irritation: the light was green, we had to move away!”

Purchased a Popeye’s “value meal”:

Price: $6 +

Paid:  One $5 note, one $2 note

Response:  Gracie took the bills and marked them with her special pen.  To her surprise, a bright yellow mark appeared on the two.  “Miss Nancy, look at this!”  The manager came and inspected the bill.  “You’ve never seen a $2 bill before?”  “No, Miss Nancy.  I’ve never seen anything like it.”  Gracie then took the note back and kept turning it over and inspecting it.  “What about the mark?”  “Grace, is this the pen you used to check it?  This is a highlighter.”  Apparently not very embarrassed by her mistake, Gracie continued to look-over the note.  “Gracie!  Give the man his change!”

We did a buggy ride with an Amish man, somewhere in Intercourse Pensylvania, in the heart of Amish country. I guess Amish also like to earn their bread – as far as they don’t make it themselves, for during the ride, the buggy stopped at an Amish farm where another Amish man walked up to the buggy trying to sell cookies to us tourists.

Purchased chocolate chip cookies:

Price: $2

Paid: One $2 note

Response:  He looked at the note with his salesman-smile, and when he saw what he had gotten, the smile froze on his face. He looked back at me, still smiling, saying “Oh. That’s correct. Thanks. Are you sure you don’t want anything else?” I still don’t know if he insisted on selling more of his goodies to me because of the two-dollar note, or because he’s just a good salesperson…
Anyway, I didn’t buy anything more, enough sweets is enough.