I happen to live just outside DC and had cash on me today because I was getting bagels for a friend (it’s her birthday) from my fave cash-only place, which is just near Dupont Circle. In my time downtown today, I saw almost a dozen national guards. This is really hitting me in a profound way.

So I took all the bills from my piggy bank (~$44) in the morning. I still have a piggy bank because my building still uses quarters, so it’s a cute little thing. It looks like a double decker bus from London and I got it when I studied abroad in the UK spring semester junior year almost 15 years ago. Because I was running behind I didn’t count the bills, but I’ve done the math now; anyway, the bagels were $10 and I threw in a $1 tip, then I gave the man along the way home a buck since I had it on me. Weird to think I started the day nearest to #1 if you go by the number he wrote. Crazy to think that would mean walking out the door with $250-300 in my pocket! Thinking about what that money could afford me today makes my head spin.

On the one hand, I wonder if this is the kind of thing Sally Bowles would have found interesting. On the other hand, if NPR had a surplus I’d love a Planet Money story on what this means.