Thursday, January 3, 2008

Numbers ..... A Lifetime Of Numbers!

Numerals And Numbers
Last evening while reposing I was doing some calculating. My husband was working his Sudoku. It made me think of the many ways we use numbers. Many mornings I check my weight on the scale. I am hoping by divine intervention that miraculously I have lost a few pounds. My husband can tell you sunrise and sunset times plus the location in the sky. I let Mother Nature handle that as I know she will make sure that happens! We check our checking account on line to make certain that an expense which should be paid with an automatic deduction has been paid and our balance is correct. We check the calender for date and appointments. Being retired does have its benefits and having a holiday in the middle of the week surely throws one off schedule! Telephone numbers have become more of a challenge and not because my mind is failing me. It is only in the last few years that I have them stored in my cell phone and don't have to memorize them. Try calling a person from some other telephone without your cell phone handy and no telephone directory! My husband attaches his pedometer to his belt as he has a daily goal. I get busy organizing my meal plan and calculate for necessary ingredients. Our day goes on much like yours. Then my husband will ask me something like do you know what we did 17 years or any number of years ago on this date. I have to say , now let me recall what I had for breakfast. That is my standard reply to him that unless it was really important to me, I don't recall. I have learned early in the marriage not to challenge his great ability with numbers. Interesting as it is, both of us enjoy entertainment that requires math skills. I love to sew and that requires precise measurements for proper fit. Don has been raised in a family of card players. Don't throw the wrong card as Don can tell you which trick you should have played it and what you threw by error. Don's latest fascination is with Texas Hold'em. He watches the cards on the flop. He calculates his chances of winning by its percentage. He watches the other players trying to guess what they might be holding in their hand and what percentage they would have of winning the hand by what is exposed on the table. It is a great game of skill created by numbers.
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There are only ten numerals, 0 though 9. Single digits or in combinations they are not only great tools in our daily lives, they need to be life long companions. Let's see since returning home from our Christmas travels we have been eating holiday leftovers for 7 days. It was sixty plus years ago, that is 6-0+, I began to hear that it was a sin to waste food! Tomorrow I am back to "Dine With Donna" and some recipes.

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