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03 October 2016

September In Numbers

Clockwise from upper left: (1) I love my crockpot; (2) Pretending to be an auto mechanic again; (3) IPAs imported from Georgia; (4) I've got paper dragonflies decorating my boat; (5) Spotting a Moody sailboat at Sunset Bay Marina and (6) Playing dominoes is a blast;


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.

  • 3 – Remember how I had that streak of 31 days without any sugary treats in August? Well, I broke down in spectacular fashion at a Labor Day barbecue at Sunset Bay Marina, where some friends keep their boat. Not only did I have dessert, I had three desserts! A brownie, a slice of apple pie and a very large piece of chocolate cake. Now I know what was missing from my life. 
  • 2  – Number of new recipes I tried last month. I made Hawaiian inspired Hula Chicken in my crockpot. The recipe calls for 1-2 tablespoons or Sriracha sauce. I went with the maximum and then added more. More is always better when it comes to Sriracha sauce, isn’t it? I also tried out a ham coleslaw salad from the Boat Galley Cookbook to bring with me to a potluck. We all decided it was good, but could use a bit of vinegar in the dressing.
  • 5 – Number of critiques I got on a short story from some very helpful folks at the Critique Circle. It was a scary process, but very constructive and useful.
  • 3 - The number of belts I have in my Nissan Pathfinder. I know because I inspected them the other day for wear and tear.
  • 3,000 – Karen Eriksen emailed me to tell me about a sailing novella she recently wrote, Rally Crossroads, which describes the annual Atlantic Rally Crossing (ARC) where hundreds of boats sail nearly 3,000 miles from the Canary Islands off of the coat of Africa to the Caribbean. It's a trip that she and her family have completed. It sounds like a great read.
  • 2 – Number of books I bought last month. I don't normally buy a lot of books, preferring to check things out of the library or get them from the book exchange at our marina. But I did pick up a couple written by people involved with the Insecure Writer's Support Group - Diane Burton’s novella, Mission to Earth (sci-fi mixed with some good old fashioned romance – you can’t beat it), and Elizabeth Spann Craig’s latest cozy mystery, Cruising for Murder, featuring a highly entertaining octogenarian sleuth.
  • $15.97 - How much I spent on a box of beer. Not just any beer. No, these were some of the finest IPAs that Georgia has to offer. I've never been to Georgia. Now I realize what I've been missing. It came out to only $1.33 a bottle which seemed reasonable for all of that hoppy delightfulness. 
  • 30 - Number of days in my free Scrivener trial. Scrivener is software designed with writers in mind. I downloaded it at the end of September and have been playing around with it. Now I just have to decide if it's worth $40 before the trial period ends.

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

Tired of Politics? Talk Controversial Boat Stuff Instead
Eek, I Pressed a Very Scary Button!
Morning Coffee | Random Thoughts & Oddities


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

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24 comments:

  1. Glad you picked up some good books.
    Hey, if you're going to break down with deserts, might as well go for it.

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  2. 36 - the number of days until this disheartening presidential campaign is over and, honestly, that's what I'm looking forward to this month. But more importantly, how were the deserts?

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  3. Dominoes are fun until each domino is worth $$ and has someone's hopes and dreams wrapped up inside and what I'm hoping doesn't happen at the boatyard in hurricane force winds! Can you imagine the noise?

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    1. That is so true! We used to play dominoes with Scott's family and when we would bet on the game, things got serious real fast.

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  4. I was wondering how long it would take you to get back to your sugar. Now I know. I know you enjoyed every bite.

    Your dinner sounds mighty good. I'll be right over.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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    1. I'd like to say it was a one-off thing, but it wasn't. I had a few cupcakes as well over the past few weeks.

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  5. Wonderful post, and your meal sounds delicious! I also love using my crockpot. I love October for many reasons. It is my birthday month (27th), the cool, crisp air, the changing leaves and beautiful colours, the abundance of root vegetables and at great prices. Having a nice cup of hot chocolate after a brisk walk, snuggling with my cat in the evenings. Yes, I love October. :)

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    1. I do love fall, especially the crisp air and the leaves turning.

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  6. 22. Number of days I've been back on my eating plan to deny my brain its sugar fix. I wish I could say I did't miss it. 2. number of pieces of delectable chocolate almond cake I bought my mother for her birthday yesterday, from my most favorite bakery. 10000. The number of tears I cried because I couldn't have even one bite. Sad.

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    1. Well done you! I really need to get back on the straight and narrow.

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  7. 2 - Days until I no longer have a land based house, no more long hot showers, no more automatic dishwasher, no TV, (I love The Voice), and no more bills associated with it. 8 bazillion, (or so it seems), things left to pack, errands to run, and stuff to fix. We still have some things left to do, so we will be living in our camper, probably in the Walmart parking lot, till we leave for the ferry trip home. Joy.
    I don't know how anyone can go so long without chocolate.

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    1. Those are some big changes. I'm guessing you'll be glad not to have the bills that come with home ownership.

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  8. Beer and chocolate cake are what I mainly took from that. Yum!

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  9. Yum on desserts! I printed that Hula Chicken recipe - sounds yummy and pretty easy. Even for me. :) Any additional suggestions besides the extra siracha?

    Excellent on the critiques and buying books! I tend to get most of my books from the library as well, but I do try to buy some, spread my book money around to various bookstores/online. :)

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    1. Other than extra siracha, I made it just like the recipe. Hope you enjoy it :-)

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  10. Glad to hear that you picked up some new books.


    www.ficklemillennial.wordpress.com

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  11. Don't you hate it? You try so hard to eat more healthy and then, the craving for sugar (or fried food) gets so big that you give in and go for it, all the way. And, while it tastes delicious in the moment, you regret it, once your belly feels yukky and heavy and you promise yourself you won't have anymore fatty/sugary goods for a long time. Then, the cycle repeats itself. :-) My September was great, busy and very diverse, but I am looking forward to some peace and settled routines with a bit of writing again at the next house sit mid-October... But, first, the Annapolis Sailboat Show! I did the free trial with Scrivener as well and bought the lifetime program when it was on sale. Haven't used it in a while and never learned all the specifics yet, but I do like writing in it so far. Enjoy it!

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    1. I really wish I hadn't given in because now the sugar cravings are really bothersome and forced me to have some chocolate cupcakes the other day.

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  12. I read so many books I had to stop buying them and I ended up getting kindle unlimited for my ipad. There are some really good books on there and I'm reading them all!

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    1. I hear good things about Kindle Unlimited. I'm the same way, I have way more books than I can ever possibly read in my lifetime.

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