August In Numbers

I didn't really take too many pictures last month, so I skipped the usual monthly photo collage. Instead, here's a picture of one of my coloring efforts last month.

August was a fairly unproductive one when it comes to boat projects, but I did get a bit of writing done which I’m feeling pretty good about. And, I got to kitty sit one of my favorite cats for a week while her humans were gone, so, all in all, it was a pretty good month. Here’s the usual recap of the month in numbers – an assortment of odd tidbits and random thoughts that popped into my head when I was reflecting back on the month.

• 5,079 – The number of words in a short story I churned out at the end of the month. I decided to take a break from the mystery novel I’ve been working on and write something completely different. And, it is completely different from the things I normally write. It’s not a mystery, it isn’t funny and it’s set on another planet. After some serious revisions, I’ll be looking for some beta readers to have a read and cast a critical eye. Let me know if you’d be interested. 

• 31 – The number of days I went without sugary treats of any kind. Yep, you read that right – the entire month of August! I’ve realized that I talk about eating sugary treats far more often than I eat them these days. I wonder if I can keep this streak up during September.

•  24 – The number of art markers my mom sent me for my adult coloring books. She gets me.

•  $14.97 – How much I spent on books last month. A coloring book, a crossword puzzle book and one of my Kiwi friend’s books – Keep Your Enemies Closer – which I’m looking forward to reading. His other book, First Edition, was a cracking read and I’m sure this one will be as well.

•  218 – The number of pages in a book a friend at the marina gave me to read. It wasn’t until after I looked at it that I realized she had written it (she wrote it under a pen name). Hearing about her experiences writing her book is one of the things that inspired me to focus on my writing this month. 

•  8 – The number of mosquito bites I got the other day on my legs. They’re easy to count because they swell up into hives. Benadryl is my best friend when it comes to mosquito bites. While the mosquitoes are just a nuisance to me, it’s a frightening thing for people in Florida who are thinking of starting a family. The CDC is warning pregnant women and their partners to stay away from certain areas in Miami due to Zika and I imagine it’s only a matter of time before it makes its way to our part of Florida and beyond (if it isn’t already here).

•  1 – The number of women I met from the Women Who Sail (WWS) Facebook group at Indiantown Marina. I was chatting with her while we were doing laundry and she mentioned that she belonged to WWS and I told her I did too. Small world. If you’re into boating and you’re a woman (sorry guys), it’s a great group to get and offer advice, share your frustrations and celebrate your successes. 

• 9 – The number given to the tropical depression I kept my eyes on as it made its way towards Florida at the end of the month. It has since turned into Tropical Storm Hermine and, at the time of writing this (Thursday), was forecast to turn into a hurricane and hit Florida in the early hours of Friday morning. Although Indiantown is a hurricane hole, located inland on the Okeechobee Waterway, you still do have to keep an eye on storms during hurricane season. Checking the National Hurricane Center is just part of the daily routine over coffee in the morning. Keeping all of the folks in Hermine’s path in my thoughts.

In case you missed them, here are some of our favorite blog posts from last month:

Wordless Wednesday | Birthday Cat
Psst…Are You Awake?
Cost of Living Aboard Tickety Boo

How was your August? What are you looking forward to in September?

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