"Counting With Numbers"

I was babysitting last night, and the kids had left some schoolbooks out on the dining room table, one of which was called "Counting With Numbers." Which is an oddly specific title, given that the only way to count is by using numbers.

I suppose, if we wanted to, we could count with Roman Numerals instead of numbers. But I don't think anybody's attempted to do that in the last couple millennia.

I'm trying to think how to count without using numbers. I'll google a definition for "count."

Here's one:

count: to determine the total number of (a collection of items)

Ok, so if you wanted to find out how many jelly beans you have, you could "count" them without actually counting by measuring the weight of the total amount of jelly beans, then measuring the amount of one jelly bean and dividing the total weight by the weight of one jelly bean, giving you the number of jelly beans in your possession.

Side note: I realized that I don't write how I talk. I'd never actually say "in your possession." I'd say something more like, "you got." And now I feel dishonest and mistrustworthy for not writing how I talk.

Anyway, even if you did take the weight of your jelly beans and use division and all that rot, you'd still be using numbers. In which case, the title "Counting With Numbers" is redundant. I thought it was, I just wanted to make sure.

Changing the subject completely, I am in Total Hobbit Mode this summer. I've been pinnning about 500 Tolkien-related stuff on Pinterest every day.

I feel like

Person: Hi!

Me: Lord of the Rings.

Person: How're you?

Me: Lord of the Rings.

Person: What're you doing later?

Me: Lord of the Rings.

Person: Want to get some lunch?

Me: Lord of the Rings.

Also Battle of the Five Armies is coming out in 4 months and several of my favorite characters are going to die, and I will be very dangerous with sadness and feelings and stuff, so don't touch me or talk to me or breathe on me. But I'm not sad now, because I'm wearing my favorite shirt.

Anyway, good night. Elizabeth out