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02 September 2016

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 Closerwhich 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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24 comments:

  1. 1. I can't imagine your short story not being funny! I'd be happy to give it my set of eyes if needed.
    2. I had to laugh that you met a WWS while doing laundry as WWS laundry posts often put me into a rage and I have to stay off Facebook for a while to recuperate. Hopefully you weren't either folding her knickers or depositing them in the trash when the meeting took place. :-)

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    1. Those laundry posts are hysterical! Who knew washing and drying your clothes could be so controversial.

      Thanks for the offer - I'll definitely take you up on it :-)

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  2. I love the green colored picture! You've had a busy month. Congrats on writing more and eating less sugar. I wonder how much of a problem the Zika virus will turn out to be. I can't imagine going through a hurricane on a boat. Stay safe.

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    1. That was a very fun one to color in. Half the fun is choosing the colors :-)

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  3. Well done on the writing! I like your picture - I have some coloring books, too, but I don't make the time to color and play. Maybe something to remedy in September? :)

    Glad to hear Hermine didn't affect you. It went more west and north of us so all this rain and wind is either the tail of it or just regular old stormy weather.

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    1. I definitely think you should prioritize coloring in September :-)

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  4. Love your effort and the colours on your colouring picture!

    Hope the storm/hurricane has left you intact and didn't do any damage.

    We are looking forward to September because we close up the campground and will start our winter of travel, starting with a motorhome home ride from Saskatchewan to Ontario.

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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    1. Looking forward to following along on your blog with your travels next month.

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  5. Glad you are safe from the storm. I would be scared to death living in hurricane country.

    We've had a great August, and now we'll looking forward to some cooler temperatures in September. We also look forward to many people leaving the marina for the season. After Labor Day things get pretty quiet. I can't see why since September and October are the very best months to boat.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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    1. Funny how Labor Day is such a marker for certain outdoor activities, like boating, even when the weather is still good in the following months.

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  6. Watching the weather reports on the evening news is alarming, even with taking some of their hype into consideration. I also don't like to see tornado news. It's all relative however, as I am not fazed at all with earthquakes, been there, done that. I'm glad to know you are in a safe area, take care.

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    1. I've experienced a few earthquakes as well. Nothing serious, but a bit strange to feel everything move around you.

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    1. It probably could have been a lot more productive :-)

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  8. I am very glad that you are safe from the storm. I am looking forward to cooler temperatures in September, and also the long nature walks I so enjoy! I haven't been able to take my long nature walks much this summer because it was dangerously hot and humid. Take care of yourself.

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  9. Sounds like a successful month in all. No sugary treats? Be still my heart. How did you do that? I'm going on my serious eating plan soon because I just need to push the 'reset' button after his summer's fiasco. I hate not being able to write about the experience. Sign me up to beta test your story if you want. And be careful about mosquito bites even if you are not planning to get pregnant. Latest shows that those Zika buggers cause problems regardless of pregnancy. They are just getting started knowing the effects of that virus. Deet is your friend.

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    1. If the fiasco you're referring to is what I'm thinking it is, it's no wonder that sugary treats were happening. I'd be eating large trays of brownies and drinking many boxes of wine if that happened to me. :-(

      Thanks for the beta reader offer - I'll definitely be taking you up on it!

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  10. My August was exhausting mostly because it was pretty hot and I just ran out of energy. Sad to say. I love your colored design though--nice choices.

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  11. Well done on writing the short story, and not eating sugary treats for a whole month. Does that include chocolate by the way? Just making sure, because extra dark chocolate is not exactly sweet! :-) Feel free to send your story my way when you have a draft you are happy with. I gladly give it a look over.

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    1. It'd be great to get you to have a look at the story given the fact that you're a writer! I will definitely take you up on that.

      And, the no sugary treats included chocolate of any kind. Hard to believe, I know.

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  12. I love your by the numbers posts. August was a busy month for me--made the necessary preparations to "change" careers (really pick one instead of the three I was juggling), entertained a visiting friend from Australia, and booked my trip to Egypt!

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    1. Have fun in Egypt!! I went there a gazillion years ago and loved it. I wonder how much it's changed since then?

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