Cashing In

So back during my junior year in high school ('92-'93), my project won the school science fair. I made an airfoil similar to that used on a P-51D "Mustang" in WWII, stuck it in a small wind tunnel at Vanderbilt University, and measured the coefficients of lift and drag at various angles of attack (it was my dad's idea and he pulled the strings to get me in at Vandy).

Since it won at my school, I got to go on to the Middle Tennessee Science and Engineering Fair. I didn't win like first place there or anything, but I did win three prizes from random groups. The Society of Women Engineers gave me $50 (cash) and a t-shirt (that I still have and wear), NASA gave me a certificate of achievement (which I also still have), and Textron Aerostructures (now "The Aerospace Company," I think) gave me $250 in savings bonds. We checked their value the other day and discovered that they were within a few dollars of reaching their full value. Knowing that it would take another 15 years to reach that value, we decided to cash them in.

It took a couple of trips since they're written out using my maiden name and my parents address (we had to bring our marriage license), but I cashed them in today.

$239.60! $50 of that went to recharge our laundry card (communal facilities that take a card now rather than quarters), and I'll buy this week's groceries with cash tonight...but after that, I'm thinking I should spend frivolously. Or at least buy _something_ for me. I need new running shoes.

Mmmmm...cash burning a hole in my pocket. :)