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04 November 2016

October In Numbers


Clockwise from upper left: 1) My latest impulse purchase - fake candles; (2) Searching through microfilm for genealogical records; (3) Bottling of some homemade liqueurs; (4) Notes from my first Spanish class; (5) Watch out for tortoises on the road; and (6) Early voting in Florida.

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.

  • 2285056 - The number of the microfilm that the Family History Center at the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints kindly had sent to me from Salt Lake City. I've been searching for Tahitian birth certificates for my great grandmother and her sister. So far, no luck, but there's still a lot of microfilm to go through.
  • 4 - The number of AAA batteries I need to operate my new fake candles. They're kind of tacky, but tacky in a fun way and they won't burn down my boat if they get accidentally knocked over. I'll take tacky over fire any day.
  • 24 - The day of the month that early voting opened in Florida. I got there bright and early. Florida is one of those states where you vote really counts. I have to say, I'm not a big fan of the electoral college. It makes votes in some states less meaningful than others.
  • 4 - The number of extra lines I used to secure my boat prior to Hurricane Matthew. Fortunately, he passed us by in Indiantown and it was a non-event. Unfortunately, he caused massive death and destruction elsewhere.
  • 2 - The number of Spanish classes I've attended. The local library is offering free classes which are led by a lovely Venezuelan lady. So far, I can't say too many useful phrases (other than "Where's the bathroom?"), but it's a start.
  • 3 - The number of bottles of homemade liqueurs I decanted after letting them sit for several months. I've got two bottles of limoncello and one of a spiced plum concoction. The limoncello was a tad disappointing. It doesn't taste quite like the real stuff we drank in Italy.
  • 1 - The number of tortoises I almost ran over the other day. He was crossing the road and decided to stop halfway in the middle for no apparent reason. Eventually, he worked up enough energy to get moving again.
  • Nil - The number of boat projects I did in October. I really need to get my motivation back up to tackle things on the project list. Although prepping your boat for a hurricane should count as a boat project, shouldn't it?
  • 5,959 - How long my submission to the IWSG anthology contest was in words. I just squeaked in under the maximum word count of 6,000 by removing unnecessary words like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. {Apologies if you can't get that Mary Poppins song out of your head today now.}

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

Hurricane Matthew Prep & An Annoying Tree Frog
Knowing When Your Story Is Ready
Things That Go Bump In The Night


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

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22 comments:

  1. Looks like you had a busy October. Good for you.

    We're looking forward to our annual Thanksgiving dinner aboard a train. It was so fun last year we decided to do it again.

    In December we're taking a three night weekend trip to Fort Bragg with a suite with an ocean view. It will be cold, but who cares. Seafood here we come.

    Have a fabulous day and weekend. ☺

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  2. I've seen those candles - purple ones - and they look nice to me. I'd rather have fake ones, too, than worry about fire and/or the smoke alarms going off.

    Yep, voted early. And done.

    Glad the tortoise made it across safely! I've lost count of how many times my husband has stopped - when safe to do so! - to help a turtle or tortoise across the road.

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    Replies
    1. Purple candles sound fun :-) Is it okay to carry turtles/tortoises across the road? I didn't realize. If it is, what a great idea so they don't get hurt.

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    2. My husband keeps gardening/work gloves in the car for just that purpose. :)

      You have to be careful where you grab them because they can snap/bite or scratch, although they usually just pull in their shells and stay there until safely on the ground again. :)

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    3. What a good husband doing turtle/tortoise transport!

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  3. I feel the same way about the electoral college. Being registered to vote in Kansas means my vote counts for absolute squat and that's pretty disheartening.

    Stephanie @ SV CAMBRIA

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    Replies
    1. I can't figure out why we still have the electoral college. It makes no sense in this day and age.

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  4. Wow, that's a lot of numbers. Good luck on the Spanish lessons. You've reminded me I need to buy batteries. lol Have a great weekend!

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    Replies
    1. I just bought a whole bunch of batteries so that I'm stocked up for the future.

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  5. Why did the turtle cross the road? (No joke, I'm just asking.)
    Glad you squeaked in your entry!

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    Replies
    1. I'm not sure - maybe there are yummy things to eat across the road?

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  6. Love the numbers theme and especially the tortoise!

    October had its ups and downs for me, definitely some challenges. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving with my in-laws the most this November, one of my favorite events of the year!

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    Replies
    1. Thanksgiving is such a fun holiday - have fun with your in-laws!

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  7. Every for years I think I've cracked the American presidential election system. Then the next one comes around and I realise I still haven't a clue! I don't think there"s a right answer this time, unfortunately.Either least worse or most worse.

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    1. I'm not sure we have a clue either about the election system :-)

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  8. I'm all for eliminating the electoral college, like Stephanie, in Alaska, not only does your vote mean nothing, but the election is pretty much all over with by the time our polls close.

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    Replies
    1. It's especially unfair to Alaska and Hawaii. Why bother to vote when they call it before your polls even close? Crazy system.

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  9. Fake candles sure are a good idea on a boat. We have a dollar store within walking distance here and it is hard to refrain myself from going shopping for unnecessary goods! The houses we stay at usually have everything. Even fake candles! :-) Taking Spanish classes for free? Where do I sign up? That is a great use of your time. Better than boat projects. I do agree that prepping the boat for Matthew counts as more than one boat project! October was a bit busy and crazy for me, but November should be better. I hope for more focus on my writing and a nice birthday.

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    Replies
    1. I usually try to resist buying unnecessary goods, but couldn't help myself when it came to the candles :-)

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  10. Love the fake candles! How did it get to be November already?

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    Replies
    1. I know - how did November come around so fast? Before you know it, it will be 2017. Yikes.

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