By the Numbers
3.14
Yesterday was just another day.
But it was Pi Day – 3.14159265359
Dark and dreary, thanks Daylight Savings Time!
Waiting for the fog to clear.
Couldn’t see the trees on the other side of the driveway.
7:10 and time to go.
52 degrees
Fog was not predicted to burn off until 10 am
Un-joyful driving today!
1 car leaving the driveway
3 deer crossing the road
Not even 1 was curious enough to stop and look
All 3 sauntered across the road as if they own it.
Hmmm. . . I guess they do!
1 stop sign
1 driver anxiously peering both ways
Who would know if a vehicle was approaching?
Go for it! Just go!
1 wet county road
visibility about 0
less than 1 electic pole at a time
2 miles later
4 red eyes about 20 feet away
2 white tails flip up
Will they run towards the road? Or towards safety and the trees?
8 legs poised for flight
1 driver pounding on the car horn: beep, beep, beep!
Warning heeded
8 legs run away from the road
2 lights heading towards me
First car I’ve met
Brief glimpse of driver and zoom it’s gone
Traveling on
A car with 0 headlights
Seriously? in this soup?
A total of 27 cars with 0 headlights in fog so thick it seems to creep inside my car.
Able to finally relax upon arrival at work
After 5 green lights and only
1 red light on this
1 grey and gloomy Pi Morning!
How important are numbers in your writing?
Where and when do you use numbers rather than the words for numbers?
Process:
I have seen several posts during the March Challenge where numbers have been emphasized and yesterday seemed like just that morning – something positive out of the frustration from the weather! I jotted down # of items yesterday before my car was even turned off . . collecting ideas for my next slice on a post it while sitting in my car! This morning I pulled out the post it and started typing. I noticed that when the ideas began to wane, I immediately went to categories and tags, not wanting to waste even 1 minute. Draft completed, process begun, and not an image/picture in mind. No slices read yet this morning. Quickly trying to capture ideas and numbers. Noticing that I had to retype most numbers as I originally recorded them as words. I had to go look up “pi” as that number even beyond the standard 3.14 had to be recorded somewhere today in this post. Rereading, revising, editing. Still no picture/image so I decided to make my numbers blue and bold. Reviewing with 1 cup of coffee in hand! ARRGGGHH – can’t stand verb tenses! Preview one more time. Must publish – time’s up! And it’s dark and dreary Day 2!
Thank you, Anna, Betsy, Beth, Dana, Deb, Kathleen, Stacey, and Tara. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here. It’s the March Slice of Life Challenge so be ready to read DAILY posts!
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Fran, I love how you intertwined literacy and math. Great post. Your poems inspire me to try that genre more!
Thanks, Christine. I have many very literate math friends so this one was for them! I love the words but absolutely couldn’t do literacy without SOME numbers!
Try some poetry – it’s a great month to take risks! 🙂
I drove through super thick fog yesterday morning, too. I have no idea if I passed deer or not. I couldn’t see squat. It never ceases to amaze me when people drive without their lights on in fog, or in the dark for that matter. Glad you made it to work safely
Yesterday’s fog was no “fog on cat feet” – it was super thick!
I know. Just when I think I’ve seen it all and that drivers can’t / won’t do anything sillier, there is a day like yesterday. No lights and foggy – What are you thinking?
No image, because you couldn’t see through the dense fog. 🙂 We seem to be having more foggy days this year. So glad the deer took flight and not into your car. I’ve been wondering where I will find the numbers to write about. Still thinking.
Oh, I love your idea “because I couldn’t see through the fog!
I thought I would find numbers on Daylight Savings – Spring Forward. That was a surprise as clocks and numbers seem to be a driving force!!!
Loved the incorporation of numbers throughout your piece, Fran. Shows life is a balanced mixture of math and English.
Life is truly a balance of math and English! So important to consider the balance and I am betting you also have a new respect for SOME numbers as well! 🙂
You are a marvel of ingenuity – well done, my friend.
Thanks, Tara.
Still taking some risks on “new” ideas!
How fun! I’m with Tara – another innovation.
Such total fun . . . but a real pie would have been nice, too. 2 crusts, 375 oven, 1 pint of gooseberries – I do believe I could continue!!! Thanks, Anna!
I like the way the blue emphasizes the numbers.
Thanks! It’s my favorite so it often shows up! I knew red would totally send the wrong message! ❤
Love this By the Numbers post. Enjoyed reading about your process and that final comment – dark and dreary day 2!
Thanks, Ramona!
It has been so much fun to literally “spy on myself as a writer” and think about how I actually DO these posts! ❤