A Number of Things

A Number of Things

1- me, one solo person roaming through life
2- parents: Jackie and Jim.
3- living grandparents at one time: Ida, Jack and Doc.
4- surgeries to date: tonsils, nodules on my vocal cords, breast, and gall bladder
5- kayaks I have owned- inflatable, kid's kayak, a sit on, two sit-ins.
6- siblings: Kathy, Jim, Sharon, Chris, Patricia, and Brian.
7- great nieces and nephews
8- cars I have owned: Granada, Cavalier, Renault, Mystic (blue) Mystic (silver) Dodge Ram Van, Honda Element, Honda Civic
8- aunts and uncles
9- my immediate family: parents and siblings
10- the number of kids a number of families had in my neighborhood: Flatley, Hunts, Bartons.
11- ports visited on my semester at sea program,- Bahamas, Venezuela, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, China, Hong Kong
12- trips to Europe
13- trips to Asia
14- the number of Kelly cousins.
16- nieces and nephews
17- my age, the first time I traveled abroad, to Italy in 1973
18- my age, when I started college- 1974
22- my age when Elvis Presley died.  I thought he was a fat, old man at the time and he was only 42.
25- my age when I earned my Master's degree in Secondary Counseling- 1981
26- my age when I secured my first professional job.  I became a school guidance counselor.
29- my age when I own my first car. I was the 4th owner and this damn car used up every single extra penny I had.
30- the number of beers I drank for my 30th birthday celebration.  In hindsight, it was a stupid idea.
31- my age when I earned my doctoral degree in School Administration- 1987
32- my age when I first became a high school administrator- Stroudsburg High School Assistant Principal.
36- my age when I first went to Asia.  I went to Thailand in 1992.
42- my age when I made a pilgrimage down to Graceland in TN to see Elvis Presley's house.  I couldn't believe how young he was when he died.
45- members of my high school graduation class- 1973- Merion Mercy Academy.
49- states visited to date.
49- my age when both of my parents were gone.  That was too young.
50- my age when I went up in a hot air ballon in Steamboat, CO.
52- my former address- 52 Greenbrier Road, Carpenter's Point, MD
53- I spent this birthday in Morocco, sleeping on a dirty blanket, under the stars in the Saraha desert.
54- the number of times I have visited my brother in VA.
55- my age when I retired. I seemed so old then and now it seemed like I was so young.
57- the number of my former students who have died of drug overdoses.
60- breweries visited this year to date (2018).
62- my age when I started receiving my social security check.
63- I had my gall bladder removed.  The surgery was effortless.
64- I spent my birthday in Bali.

65- my age when I was diagnosed with uterine cancer.

66- my age when it was determined that I was cancer-free.
71- the age my mother was when she died.
74- the age of my grandfather when he died.
75- a month's rent in Williamsport in 1981.
76- my father's age when he died.
77- countries visited
85- my maternal grandmother lived to be this age.
100- days on the Semester at Sea Program- Spring 1994
110- my former address- 110 South 8th Street, Stroudsburg, PA.
129- breweries visited to date
201- my current address: 201 Easy Gay Street, West Chester, PA

260- breweries visited to date (2021)
300- $$$ for the purchase of a floor loom that I purchased in 1982 and used once but hauled around with me, everywhere I lived until 2017.
500- a month's rent for the house on 8th street in Stroudsburg, PA- 1988
527- my former address- 527 North Grier Street, Williamsport, PA
600- $$$ Bose subwoofer speakers in 1992
800- what I paid for a 12 foot, yellow, mixed composite sit-in Wilderness tsunami kayak in 2008.  I loved that kayak. It was stolen and I want revenge.
1149- my former address- 1149 Providence Road, Springfield, PA
1200- trade in $$$$ for my 2003 Honda Element
1243- my mortgage payment for my house in Springfield, PA- 1999 to 2012.
1338- my former address- 1338 East Sharpneck Street
1800- my monthly rent for my current apartment- 2017
1831- the number of connections on LinkedIn.
2200+- the number of friends on Facebook.
2500- the cost to rent a castle in Ireland for one week- June 2000
3000+- the number of students that I am connected to on social media: Facebook, Linkedin, Instragram, WhatAp
6425- my former address: 6425 Woodbine Avenue, Philadelphia.
6500- $$$$- my yearly contribution to a Roth IRA that I make every year now.

8400- the cost for a month trip to Jordan, Israel and the Palestine Territories- 2019
10,000- the number of students I had over my career as an educator.
15,000- $$$ for my 2014 Honda Civic with 12,000 miles.
40,000- my current mileage on my Honda Civic.

165,000- the price I paid for my first home which I bought in 1999.
170,000- miles on my beat-up, old gray Granada.  This car broke down so many times on the side of the road that AAA kicked me out of their club.  I was on my own when I traveled in that vehicle.
195,000- $$$$- what I paid for my MD home in 2006
205,000- $$$$- what I got for my first home which I solid 2012.
243,248- miles I got out of my 2003 Honda Element
1,000,000+- hits on my blog as of November 2018