Like the “Good Ol’ Days,” I did pick-up a penny off the sidewalk the other night. My wife and I were patiently waiting for our “Scooby Snacks” and sliders from the recently re-opened McMenamin’s Blue Moon. More and more neighborhood restaurants are unlocking their doors after apparently securing government loans, enabling limited carry-out menus. Admittedly, I’m frustrated with missing out on my little quirk of collecting “Pennies from Heaven,” concerned that they now may be infested with germs. It turned out to be too late to get them later when I had proper hand protection. All these recent changes in dining and cleanliness routines are sadly the by-product of the Coronavirus crisis. Touching anything or anyone can be hazardous to our health. 

Our frisky schnauzer, Tally, unconcerned about  social distancing, accompanied us on the 6-block walk to get our to-go order. “Scooby Snacks” are logically a favorite of hers, as well, named after the animated Great Dane Scooby-Doo. They’re actually mini corn-dogs. On the way, I had just used a doggy bag to pick-up her poop, so after spotting a penny on the ground near-by, the risk of grabbing it in a similar manner suddenly didn’t seem like a big deal. I’ll keep a spare bag in my pocket on future runs. After all, why pass-up a penny when a poop is worth much less!

I once won a giant five-foot stuffed Scooby-Doo at the Indiana State Fair and proudly presented in to my then wife-to-be. I felt like her knight in shining armor toting that silly dog around all evening, since everyone was jealous of our prize. It was eventually passed on to a friend’s daughter of perhaps a more appropriate age. Every time we share “Scooby Snacks,” it makes me think of that summer night when we were first dating twenty years ago. Nowadays, my armor is badly tarnished, and I’m all too often in her dog house. As what I fondly refer to as the “Scoobster” would say, “Ruh-Roh.”