Yes, I'm a Nerd

This has been a trying month for me, but it has now transmogrified into the best month ever. I now have the elusive Alabama state quarter from 2003. I've had dreams about this quarter. It came out the first part of 2003, ('03 had the lowest circulation of quarters since the program began) but until now I've been unable to get my hands on it in a natural manner. Yes, I could have bought it off eBay, or had one of the restaurant managers be on the look out for it, but that's not fair. So far the 5 state quarters that have come out every year since 1999 I have collected simply by having them fall into my hand as change.
Yes, these quarters I collect aren't the cool uncirculated ones. I must really enjoy the 1.3 seconds of anticipation while turning over George to find out what piece of the collection might be filled next. Other than that, I have no idea why I've been collecting these for the last 7.5 years. At face value the whole 50-state set will be worth a whopping $12.50. Nonetheless, I track my progress in a spreadsheet. I even sync'd the
spreadsheet to my nerd-machine for quick fact-checking on the go. I keep my collected quarters in a special velvet-lined jewelry box made from silver. I even keep them in a secure off-site location (uh, my office) so one of the kids doesn't accidentally use them for lunch money. I've got 2.5 years until the Hawaii quarter falls into my hands completing the 50-state collection while simultaneously marking a decade of my life gone by. What will I have to show for that decade of coin dedication? Again, $12.50.