That Lucky "55".

Numerology is a subject that has always fascinated me. I love the number "5" but not the number "23". Both my wife and I recall sports uniforms we wore that were either numbered "5" or were a combination of the number.

We recently won $250 in a football pool where I simply chose available numbers that started five spaces from any of the four corners of the sheet. I won money as I was passing the slots in A.C. using the same logic by choosing the 5th slot machine from the end.

We also recall that the number "23" - which also adds up to "5" - was a date that produced several unfortunate events in our lives. We will occasionally request doctors to reschedule appointment dates that fall on that day - just to be on the safe side.

Perhaps my fascination with any combination of numbers stems from my dad's occupation as an Accountant. As I recall, he enjoyed playing number games with us as kids.

Flashcards were conquered quickly in the Sullivan home.. We learned that the complement of a two digit number was the sum that, when added to the object number, would produce the number 100.

We memorized those complements such as: 36 + 64, 73 + 27, 49 + 51, etc.

This information also made it easier for me to correct mistakes I had made on the huge IBM proof machine I operated at a bank when I was going to college. In order to "zero out' the computations you took the total on the tape and added to it those numbers that would produce all zeros.

As a child I also quickly learned the irony that the numbers from one through ten when added together would produce the number 55 , and of course, 5 + 5 = 10.

I failed to apply these math skills when practicing the rhythm method with a wife and Mom who was a practicing Catholic. We had 4 incredible kids in 5 years. Because they were born so close together I didn't always remember their names and referred to them as "Boy #1, Boy #2, and Boy#3. Child # 4 was easy. It was my only daughter, Beth.

OK, the last was a lie - for the most part anyway.

So why, so many years and generations later do I entitle this blog "That Lucky '55'?"

Very simple. I recently read that the total # of blogs I have published prior to this one is 55.

There are few things I enjoy these days more than writing my blogs. It keeps me off the streets.

In my next blog I hope to relate, in a manner that does not resemble paint drying, why I write a Blog and why I would encourage you to do the same.

For now, I'll just say "Thank You" for the comments and feedback you have provided to me during the completion of the first" 55".