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July In Numbers

Clockwise from upper right - A day in the life in July: (1) checking on my Sims over coffee; (2) unclogging a drain aka fun science experiment with baking soda and vinegar; (3) editing; (4) checking for packages up by the marina office; (5) procrastinating with some toenail painting; and (6) making dinner chock-full of vegies.

July was a very focused month. Focused also means boring. Not much happened on s/v Tickety Boo other than working on writing-related projects. I even took a "blogcation" during the month, only posting the occasional cat picture here, not really visiting other blogs, and trying to limit my time on social media. My sole focus has been on trying to get a draft of next book in my cozy mystery series, Bodies in the Boatyard, ready to go out to beta readers. Of course, ugly plot holes and defiant characters made this challenging, but I'm hopefully getting closer to the finish line.

So here are the rather random and boring things that happened last month in numbers:
  • 12-18 months - How long it takes a mama manatee to wean her offspring. Four manatees paid us a visit in the marina and some friends swore they saw one give birth right near my boat. Very cool!
  • $2.64 - How much a medium iced coffee at McDonald's costs. When you live in Florida during the summer, hot coffee just isn't that appealing. Iced is the way to go. 
  • 4 - How many sea turtles there are at the Florida Oceanographic Institute. A friend and I had a fun outing there to do some research for my book. One of the characters is a marine biologist.
  • 2 - Number of days I had sugary treats. I was trying not to eat any during the month of July, but a friend sent some delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies down to me. How could I say no? But I did do fairly well the rest of the month.
    • 6 - Number of books I read. My fave was Terry Prachett's Going Postal - hilarious! I also beta read a fascinating sailing memoir. Can't wait to see this one published.
      • 2 - Number of new coloring books I bought with a gift card someone gave me. Plus some new markers! It's like I'm five years old again. All I need is a box of crayons and my life will be complete.
      • 17 - How many Sims I have. One of my latest time wasters if The Sims Free Play. It can be a total time suck if you're not careful. 
      • 2 millimeters - How big the ants are on my boat. They're so tiny that they really don't bother me, but I have been debating whether or not to put down ant traps as they're getting more numerous. Oh, how powerful I feel in control of whether my Sims and tiny ants live or die. {No, I didn't really measure them. It's a total guess.}
      • Nil - How many hurricanes we experienced in Florida. Yes, it's hurricane season again which means regularly checking the National Hurricane Center forecast. It's still really early in the season, but fingers crossed we don't get a doozy like we got last year.
      • 3 - Number of paperbacks of Murder at the Marina that the Portland, Oregon library system purchased. The Los Angeles library system also bought an ebook on Overdrive. I love the fact that you can find my book at a library! {BTW, if you want to suggest to your local library that they get a copy, you can find the details here.}

      In case you missed them, here are some of our favorite posts from last month both here and on my author blog:

      Cost of Cruising & Living Aboard a Sailboat
      Validation & Smiles
      Release of Murder at the Marina & Thank You

      How did last month go for you? What are you looking forward to this month?

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      Murder at the Marina - a lighthearted & humorous cozy sailing mystery - available in ebook and paperback format at:

      Amazon (US) | Amazon (CA) | Amazon (UK) | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple iBooks | Google Play | Book Depository | Books-A-Million

      Find out more at ellenjacobsonauthor.com 
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