Thursday, October 29, 2009

Things i have recently discovered...


MENU OF THE DAY:
Song: "Remembrance Day" by Mark Knopfler. (What a beautiful song!)
In my glass: Melange, which is a really good red blend by Waterbrook
Good book: I am reading that book The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Society book that my other friend Sarah/(who is cowboy here) mailed me. LOVE IT!
Last iTunes purchase: Springsteen's "If i Should Fall Behind".
What i keep forgetting: That damn dental appointment. AND something else, i swear...right now, i cannot remember it. (I'm not trying to be funny - i was sitting here for about 3 minutes trying to remember it.) Oh well, it's on a post-it note on my desk at work though, so I'm sure I'll get to it.
Last good netflix: The Wrestler. I did not expect to like this movie as much as i did. It was like watching Micky Rourke's real life, as i might imagine it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I think we wore out the irresponsibilities post because we were all so good right out of the shoot thinking of them. I loved it. So here's the new one:
I have discovered___________________
1. I have discovered that i don't believe i could ever in my life really truly pull off being Super Irresponsible. I am incapable of letting some stuff slide and it would probably cause me as much stress trying to leave it as it does trying to make it work, if that makes sense. (Just making the make believe list sometimes made me cringe!)
2. I have recently discovered that when drinking wine (even on a weekend) i can be perfectly happy with only two glasses.
3. My brother loaned me the Tom Petty "Running Down the Dream" DVD. Oh my. It was so good! i have about 4 cds of Tom Petty and i looked today and have not even loaded them on my iPod yet. He is so good. And such a cool guy too. Very principled. Fought the record company to retain ownership of his songs when he was pretty young and also successfully got them to reduce the price of LPs.
4. ...I like running more than i thought i did.
5. I have a habit of saying "OH for God's Sake!" (with bold inflection). I am not aware that i have this habit . But recently Irene in my office (who is British) said she cracked up because she caught herself saying it at home and thought of me. (She's the second person i've worked with over the years to tell me this.) I responded that SHE has me saying "chit chat".
6. I discovered JJ Grey and Mofro from iTunes and bought their whole cd "Orange Blossoms". What a great fun cd. Good cooking music too!
7. ...If you pour a half bottle of really dark beer and a big square of baking chocolate in chili it is REALLY good.
8. ...there is way too much dust floating around. it is a phenomomen to me every time i push around my big old microfiber dust mop over my hardwood.
9. I discovered that there are people i really don't respect in the workplace, but i can learn to get along and find some common ground so as to keep from making it a hostile work environment.
10. ...I have vulnerabilities when it comes to my family.
11. Tearing off wallpaper is not a job i will ever do again, i don't care how much i love you! Even if Jesus asked me to come and tear off the little lamb wallpaper that Mary put up in the stable where he was born i would say NO. (Then i would cuss out Mary for putting up little lamb wallpaper in the first place, it wasn't even HER house!)
12. ...that i have some really good friends.
13. ...that asking a question that is difficult or scary to ask can open a door and sometimes the person is secretly hoping you will ask it. (so don't be afraid to ask it.)
14. ...my husband is a man who can always be counted on to do the right thing and the thing i need.
15. .... that i need to figure out when someone wants my advice or when they just want to vent. (I am too quick to think of course, they want MY advice and jump in prematurely.)
16. ....i am ready to get out of union work. I have made a decision to retire after next year. (I'll get another job though, somewhere maybe in the schools.)
17. ...that i must have had a lot of influence on Kylee/Modern Hippie, because sometimes when she posts i feel like i am reading my very own words. I'm sure y'all may have noticed it too. (and i love our kindred spirit-ness very much.)
18..... Lyle Lovett has one of the sexiest voices every. "Simple Song" just came on as i was typing and every time i hear this song it brings me to my knees.
19. It takes a long time to write a blog post. I think i have been at this for one whole glass of wine or at least 45 minutes. (Next time i will time it.)
20. I want to end on an even number and make a plea to the 23 followers here to join in. I know that the way we talk to one another here might feel cliquish at times, but the truth is most of us here don't know each other in real life. I meant this blog to be a participatory blog that people will join in.
So c'mon. Everyone has a list in their life. Post yours!

54 comments:

Modern Hippie said...

1. i have discovered that i am a very lazy person and i hate getting ready, i hardly ever wear makeup or do my hair when i go out in public. luckily my parents gave me good skin and usually i'm fine without makeup, of course i look better with it but you'd still recogonize me either way

2. i have discovered that i should never be a mother if i was to ever treat/raise my kids the way i treat/raise my dog, i think this will soon be a blog post. stay tuned.

3. i have discovered that i am not terrified of dying at all, i am just terrified of the people i love dying. i would rather that i would go before everyone else lol.

4. i have discovered that i LOVE not working, and i am SO glad that tomorrow is my last day of work, it is much needed and it is allowing me to enter into two design competitions, which whether we win or not its highly encouraged for us to enter as many competitions as we can. (not really sure why but all our teachers tell us that lol)

5. i have discovered that i have bi-polar periods, i have times when i'm barely ever home i'm with friends all the time going to alot of parties, and then times like now where i would prefer to stay home watching movies and work on homework, and cook real meals. i really much more enjoy the 2nd

6. i have discovered that i have abnormally chapped lips. they are always chapped. but thats also because im always licking them

7. i have discovered that my parents are much more conservative than i ever really knew. they are actually very traditional but if you met them, you would proably think it was a weird observation, even though, it is so very true.

8. i have discovered that i truly believe Jon Stewart is my true news source, although I do like CNN i get annoyed on the coverage sometiems. and stewart is sexy so thats all that matters.

9. i have discovered i am very controversial when it comes to men, i am more attracted to older guys but then i think its creepy for an older guy to like such a young girl.

10. i have also discovered the reason i am single and have always been single: when a guy likes me, im not attracted to him. end of story, haha, the minute a guy starts liking me i'm bored or something haha and i think its "creepy" theres that word again haha

11. i have discovered, im not superstious, but i wont break a mirror just in case i'm wrong.

this one was harder. i'm done. : )

IslandPearl said...

I'm right on the verge of having dinner ready (I've been up since 4AM EDT on the road and whileit's currently only 6:25pm here in Hawaii, but it's after midnight back east so I'm whupped.

I've discovered that I'm actually a pretty positive person -- I'd rather focus on the good than the ill around me.

I seem to have gotten my mojo back -- my creative spark and my self confidence both skipped town together a while back, but they're both hanging around me a lot more lately. Yay!

I've discovered Pearl's Theory of Relativity: A 9-hour flight (given an iPod with best tunes, a good book, a magazine and a couple of decent movies) is of shorter apparent duration than the 45 minutes spent dodging idiots at baggage claim.

There is apparently no bottom to the depth of peoples interest in the lowest common denominator. Kate plus Hate, Octomom, and now Levi Johnson, whose sole claim to celebrity is knocking up the wrong girlfriend at the wrong time. Can't believe he's still being interviewed and taken seriously. Are there that many people out there who are really that stupid?? I'm increasingly POSITIVE there are.

I'm already looking forward to Christmas. I've wrung a great deal of stress out of the holidays by stopping those details that nobody else seemed to care about - like my handmade ornaments that I used to make everyone. I still enjoy fancy gift wrap, but it's because it's something I really enjoy doing. And it's ever so much better that way.

I appreciate me.

Modern Hippie said...

12. I have discovered that I hate giving people ideas of where to eat lunch in seattle, i have completely given up when people stop by my desk and ask and think i'm the conceriege because i give them an answer "no we have that back home, dont want that" give them another suggestion "no i dont want that" im sorry i am the freaking zaggat

13. i have discovered that i would much rather spend time with family than with friends, because MY family is awesome. seriously. : )

14. i have discovered that when i have free time i am VERY inspired, i am entering into 2 design competitions, im going to work on habitat for humanity of course while still doing full time school

15. i have discovered that i HATE tabloids and anything to do with living famous people. BUT i am OBSESSED with dead famous people, but i think its because there is so many more answers after someone dies, the story is over there is no waiting game. after howard hughes died they found so many documents it told a whole nother' story and its fascinating.

16. i have discovered that i really dont like wine that much yet but i want to like it because i think it brings an air of maturity, but i really truly believe its because i just havent found "my" wine yet. there is just too much wine out there, not only from the types: chardonnay, pinot grigio, zinfandel, merlot, etc etc theres so many brands that make every single type taste completely different.

i think i will be a carrie bradshaw cocktail girl, but i do hate martini glasses i am so damn scared im going to spill all the time. haha.

IslandPearl said...

I'm just happy to hear that there are still tourists who DON'T want to find the closest Chilis/Applebees/Cheesecake Factory. I always seek out local people's recs for dining, especially for a city (like Seattle) that I will be returning to frequently. I've developed some awesome choices in Anchorage thanks to my friends' suggestions there, and asking the concierge and bell captains for recs. In fact, if there is someone besides the concierge in the lobby (like your desk) I'll ask them because they are less likely to have an 'arrangement' with nearby restaurants.

What they never showed on SITC is the technicolor barfarama associated with overindulging froufrou cocktails.

The best drinking advice I ever got in college was to stay away from sweet -- creates the nastiest hangovers and the ugliest drunks. So I developed a taste for Scotch on the rocks. You aren't tempted to chug it (ever!) so it is self moderating. Found my wine taste much later in life.

equeyaya said...

I have recently discovered...

...that I am more in control of my own destiny than I ever gave myself credit for.

...that sometimes people's behavior has to do with their own stuff and isn't just hostility directed toward me.

...that i would much rather spend time with friends than with family, because MY friends are awesome. seriously. : ) (twist on kylee's #13)

...that i have been in my job so long i can practically do it in my sleep. which comes in handy at times, but makes me realize that i may want to (after 21 years) start thinking about the next step in my career.

...that 80s rocker darius rucker (aka hootie of hootie and the blowfish) is now a country singer, and not too shabby!

...my youngest daughter has a horrible potty mouth.

...that acupuncture can be amazing therapy.

that's all i've got for the moment!

jojo cucina cucina said...

equeyaya, you have been in your job for 21 years also? I was just telling my husband that I have been in the job so long i could do it in my sleep. And i used those same words you just did. However, i do hate the idea of training someone else for it. It's a detailed job, i've just gotten so used to it and so i've made up my mind that next year is my last year and i'll leave with a retirement monthly check and go out and do something without needing as much money.

OH, Kylee/Hippie, pearl is right. Sweet wine is the worst hangover. (Sangria doesn't count if you drink it like wine since it's only partway wine.)

I am ready for my trick or treaters. I suspect i will only have about 12. So why do i have a 150 piece bag of Halloween candy? I think it's because long after Halloween i remembered where the nice ladies lived who gave out GOBS of candy.

pearl, love the "barfarama"!

IslandPearl said...

Warning on the sangria -- it's still full of sugar and was the source of one of the most terrifying drunks of my life. It's too easy to guzzle.

Stick to sip and you'll never slip.

equeyaya said...

"terrifying," lol! I sense a GREAT story behind that adjective!

louielouie said...

In my cup: milk and coffee

On the radio: NPR- Sunday addition, just finished the Puzzler

1. I have discovered I really like to sew. I quit for years but now that I’ve started again with some little projects I really want to keep at it.

2. I have discovered I’m a good cook and becoming a better host; still tend to be too nervous and hover-y but am getting better.

3. I have discovered I’m not smart enough to take medications and calcium at the same time. Now that I’m on some anti-headache stuff I haven’t taken my calcium and my bones are probably going to crumble.

4. Over the years I have learned what great people my kids are. They are smart and funny and caring.

5. I believe I have good instincts. I just need to learn how to go by them (and sell them I guess) in non-work situations. When we make decisions that go against my gut, because I give in, they’re usually not a good idea.

6. I have discovered that even with financial ups and downs, jobs and no jobs, I live a pretty sweet life.

7. I have discovered I CANNOT stop unloading the dishwasher at work, picking up paper in the halls of the high schools, replacing the toilet paper rolls, rinsing my cans for recycle, letting people merge in front of me, accepting responsibility when it belongs to my boss…

8. I too am looking forward to Christmas, am still short on ideas for some family members. I know I will stress myself out some, but am eager to bake and sew and even shop. Maybe I’ll put up a tree this year LOL

9. I prefer odd numbers to even, tried to get to 11, because prime #s are my favorite, but need to get to church early to set up for communion…

IslandPearl said...

See, jo. That's precisely why I do not number my lists.

Numbers are special, and precise. Each has meaning, and groups even more. Plus they inherently convey an order of importance even when none is intended.

I prefer the un-numbered bulleted lists, but blogspot software doesn't appear to offer the option.

louielouie said...

I love bullets

but don't like the automatic indent cycle you get into with WORD.

numbered lists do stress me out; I mess around with the order way too much when there are numbers (I do it with bullets too, but not as much)

I love bold but do not like underline.

I absolutely detest bold and underline together, I mean really just make a decision. Using them both doesn't make it seem more important, it just makes the writer look childish.

Italics have their place. Please don't ever bold and underline italics; that would push me right over.

I do not like caps, but it's my only option here...

There is no place for bubble letters or dotting your i with hearts beyond the 7th grade. Same goes for comic sans

Oh, I guess I should have started with I have discovered
here goes:
"in editing the work of others, I have discovered the following preferences (see above)...."

equeyaya said...

Love those, louielouie!

IslandPearl said...

I did the dotted the i with little circles in the 8th grade. That was enough. I was always torn between the sloppiness of speed (hurry is the burden of the procrastinate) and the precision of beautiful hand writing. Fixed it by learning calligraphy. Then learning about planning and proper execution. Then learning about pacing myself. I find (THERE it is) that on those rare occasions when I do hand write things now, it's pretty legible.

I find that I appreciate a well turned phrase and a properly written sentence more than ever. And I would like to offer my editorial services up to any number of websites I have come across, because they apparently haven't been able to find an editor of their own...or just don't care. Every now and again I stumble upon one that is just appalling. And not a personal blog or the like -- an actual commercial website, for a reputable firm!! If you put it out there, do it right please. I can help. I'm a terrific editor.

I have noticed lately that writing (as in grammar) skills are apparently falling the way of math in our schools. Because from what I'm reading, it certainly is being ignored. Which makes me wonder what, exactly, IS being taught anymore.

I have found that I'm one of those wretched nitpickers that doesn't care if you got it done unless it was done well. Much as it drove me nuts with my father, I have grown to appreciate the lesson.

Blog comments being a notable exception to the above as there is no spell check and minimal edit capability.

I do edit my own blog posts though - usually several times - for spelling and phrasing.

louielouie said...

ooo you are the Pearl-of-my-dreams

Although you cannot tell it from my comments here (even though I do write and rewrite them in Word to spell check and edit; not that Word can grammar-edit worth a darn), I am a total grammar freak. My biggest problem is lack of keyboarding skills; just ask jo, and thinking faster than I can type.

My mother is still into the verbal-smack down for the misuse of lie, lay, lain… and various other language abominations. I do call on her (and my English major sister) to settle grammar arguments and punctuation conundrums.

I come from a long line of grammar snobs and sticklers for precise word choice. I did give my daughter an illustrated version of Strunk and White’s “Elements of Style” to carry on the tradition - she gave her boyfriend a copy of “Eats Shoots and Leaves”; I highly recommend it. - “Woe Is I” was great too. - oh what I would give for some italics here.

My current mission is to reduce the use of anxious when the speaker means eager. Those are both 5th grade words in my opinion so I think it's a battle worth fighting. I’m trying to "just let go" the increase use of nouns as verbs (fellowship, gift); I would just settle for subject/verb agreement.

I do miss diagramming sentences; I swear some of the subject verb issues stem from not recognizing the subject from the object in a prepositional phrase.

Some things still confound me and I don’t claim to be an expert. Is it Strunk and White’s? Does it just belong to White? What about Strunk? Does the period always belong inside the parentheses?

Speed is my biggest enemy with writing; actually it's not speed, it's working and reworking and knowing I'll always find an error later. But at least I know when it’s wrong.


I have discovered that I am more prejudiced against folks with poor grammar than those with potty-mouths


I am sort of afraid to post this comment- you know, I know there will be mistakes here. What the hell...

jojo cucina cucina said...

LOL.

Kylee is the only one in my family who will have graduated with a bachelor's degree. I grew up in a house where both parents spoke in double negatives. I also did until i started working with louielouie in the early 1980's at the junior high where we both met. She corrected my grammar quite often. I didn't mind because i wanted to learn and I knew enough from being a voracious reader (did i spell voracious correctly?) that "don't got none", "her and me" and "me and the kids" was not proper so i was never THAT bad, but still needed help.

louielouie is better at grammar, but i am a better typist.

jojo cucina cucina said...

I have problems with lie, lay and lain. And also sentences that end with "I" instead of "me". As in: "You are a better typist than I."

jojo cucina cucina said...

AND when to use a semi-colon vs. a comma. I make it up as i go, depending on what i am semi-coloning. ;)

IslandPearl said...

I see grammar, spelling and basic mathematics as the vegetables of learning. Once you have them down, THEN you get to have the dessert of arts and athletics. But NOT before.

It's something that you should already have nailed down before you leave highschool.

My pet peeve: Orientated. Orientation takes place so that you can become oriented.

equeyaya said...

I am so there with you on orientated, pearl!

Another peeve: people using exasperate instead of exascerbate!

I love the direction this thread is taking! Louielouie you should write your own blog.

jojo cucina cucina said...

i LOVE the word 'exascerbate' because it sounds nasty.

I can't think of any real pet peeves about vocabulary right now. I do at times, depending on the person, have pet peeves about pretentiousness in word usage. I don't care how poor your grammar is as long as you have some common sense, street smarts and are instinctive about people and are kind and generous. (which would describe my brother but not my parents).

So yeah i agree with louielouie about being prejudiced there when it's the Jerry Springer type of personality speaking with terrible grammar. But not always. We have on union president who endearingly butchers the English language (he is a custodian, not a teacher) and because he fits all the above in common sense, etc. I don't mind it.

IslandPearl said...

I'm not pretentious. I'm just erudite.

;-P

I can't stand it when people insert phrases of foreign/archaic languages. Especially when it's a language not native to them and out of context. Now THAT's pretentious. Even when it's in the vernacular. Makes me wish that I was fluent in that language so I could carry on the conversation and throw them for a loop.

It's the same sick show-off drive that makes me long to be a concert pianist so that when I pass a piano in a lobby -- it happens! -- I could sit down and launch into Rachmaninoff.

Fortunately I'm not talented enough to indulge in either fantasy. But I can dream about it.

My greatest challenge is keeping my mouth shut when confronted with bad grammar or inappropriate language. The latent teacher in me stirs and I want need!) to correct them. But I don't. sigh

sam said...

I have discovered that, although I write well and did great in language arts, that these days reading all of the above has made my head ache.

I've discovered that I'm unsettled. I don't know why, just have this overwhelming feeling of being less than (although I'm plenty).

I love coming to this blog. It feels like friendship here and that's a very good feeling.

Modern Hippie said...

yeah I think that’s why people ask us a lot of times, I was always so for it but it just gets exhausting sometimes because people don’t say "do you know a good local Italian place?" they say "what’s a restaurant?" haha

We have a lot of chain places in downtown though - although some of them are more "Seattle" chain like fox sports grill and taphouse - (both down the street from the Sheraton)

yeah I can do gin & tonics and that way I sip it, but even with sweet drinks like an apple martini I don’t chug it because it is so sweet. BUT with sweet drinks I think more unaware of what you're drinking.

equeyaya about your doing your job for so long. I do get worried about graduating and starting work so early because as a designer you don’t really get promoted, I have no interest in owning my own business so I worry that im gonna get tired of it - but I really don’t think that would happen.

Regarding potty mouth: there’s an age when you're growing up that cussing seems so cool. like a weird right (word spell check is telling me that this is supposed to be "rite" but I don't believe them, lol) of passage, I has weird phases when I said certain words A LOT, I think there was a week that I made a point of saying "pussy" at least twice a day haha

pearl - jojo's sangria is really good! But I don’t know if she adds sugar? Just fresh fruit, wine and vodka? -- But it’s not something I can guzzle.

I like that though "stick to sip and you'll never slip."

I have discovered (kind of in response to louie's no. 5) that my "do what I want" will actually help my career. in a presentation yesterday for a ballet studio im designing I had moved something the teacher never specifically said we could or couldnt do so when I presented it I said "yeah so I did this (blah blah blah) im not sure if I can do that, but its a much better solution) and I also changed the name of the studio and said the same thing "yeah so I changed the name, not sure if I can do that..." haha but my teacher actually congratulated me on it and said that’s what designing is about, if we follow everything specifcally to the requirements all the designs will look identical.

however I don’t really like the numbering especially like what im doing today it is nicer to reference when you can just say "louie louie number 5..." lol

I HATE the automatic smiley faces on word. I like : ) these kind.

I HATE comic sans, I always did. I even went to a lecture on typography and it just made me hate comic sans more lol

I used to be bummed because there is no "I" in my name so I used to spell out my middle name of marie so I could put a heart over my "I" I remember my aunt stephanie told me she used to spell her name stephany so she could put a flowy "y" at the end of her name like all her friends LOL

hahaha pearl! in my sustainable class we were going over the book we're reading and it was like a side bar of numbered bullets and they forgot a space and my teacher is reading "whomp whomp whomp blah blah blah whomp whomp, c'mon guys make the space, you're writing a book for god sakes, whomp whomp whomp...." haha it was pretty funny.

I NEVER pay attention to whether or not my spelling or grammar is correct on here though, I type at the same pace as im thinking which is why my writing has so much "voice" in it - but I sometimes type faster than im thinking and leave out words but I usually skip some days and come back later and write and then I have to much to go over. this is my leisure not my work, I shall not edit! here I stand! hahahaha okay that was nerdy! haha

Modern Hippie said...

I type better than my grammar skills are. I write almost too much like I talk so ima comma and semi-colon whore. I used to think I was a good writer until I took a writing class in college and my teacher made it bleed. (from all the red marks, if you didn’t get that lol)

more than ANYTHING I hate "ebonics" its not a racist thing, I don’t care if youre black white or asian, all races use this slang and it drives me CRAZY. it is my BIGGEST pet peeve. I had someone at work one time send me an email "aint got no paper, aint got no credit tape, aint got no pens. haha I know that’s not proper but that’s how I grew up and I think its funny" im sorry you're proud you grew up talking like this? - he definitely talked this style when he was off the clock and im sorry its just a way of saying "don’t worry im an idiot because I don’t know all the words of the alphabet."

woahh you could get me going on that for hours lol

ohh I never realized im going to the best first to graduate with a bachelors! my sister only graduated with an AA and my mom went to technical school for dental assiting and dad didn’t go to college at all and no one on the other side (jos side) graduated from college at all, I think one cousin went and dropped out (not naming names)

I don’t like saying "ashley and I" it bugs me, I know its not right, but who says its not right? ahhaha "me and ash" sounds so much more normal to me. But that’s the main one, but I say that one wrong on purpose, Jo has corrected me and said I didn’t like saying it exacerbate sounds dirty cause it sounds like masturbate. haha.

The union president is a custodian????

I sometimes find mis-using, mis-used (what the hell - what word am I trying to say?!) endearing, especially with my friends who grew up in other countries. I have two friends in class one from France and one from brazil - accents but not to strong and my friend Fanny (from France) has been here awhile married to her American husband for 7 years now - she still has certain words she’s like "what do you call it in English?" or use the plural when you need the singular.

I definitely have the worse grammar here, but I don't think I’m embarrassing - at least not in person, haha. And you guys must hate me because I hardly ever add my apostrophes or capitals. I started to do a spell check on work but it annoys and bores me – so screw it! haha

Modern Hippie said...

and damn blogger for limiting the response to 4,096 characters. when i have been absent from the blog i have a lot to say when i get back!

oh thats my other thing. i almost always forget to space a lot. i usually write alot. lol

Cat said...

I'm doing a driveby reading tonight....I have no brain cells left to say anything witty or interesting, but I wanted to give a shout out and say I'm still here and I miss you guys! What the heck is a Melange? Is this even wine? How did I miss that? Now I want to try some! Jo, love your eyes in that photo!

louielouie said...

Yo Go Grammar Girls

There certainly is a time and a place for spell check and editing and rewrite. I think a blog is not the place unless one is borderline OCD; that would be me. And maybe, I hesitate to suggest, Island Pearl.

It is funny what you grow up with and what sticks and what doesn’t. I have good spoken grammar, both my parents did; I think it has more to do with what you hear in the home than school or college.

My son had a remarkable vocabulary at age 3, but I don’t think it has expanded much since then. Pretty sure his degree in physics didn’t help. My daughter loves words and has an excellent vocabulary, she was a voracious reader too Jo; her high school debate experience helped I’m sure, plus she likes to show off. Both my kids pronounce the T in often, don’t know where that came from, they didn’t learn it at home.

My best home vocabulary story when my kids were about 7 and 12. My daughter (7) was chiding my son for saying crap, so got into an argument about what was worse, shit or crap. Emma was convinced that crap was worse because she never heard me use it but I said shit all the time. Such a proud moment as a mother.

I don’t mind grammar slips in conversation or even a misuse of I and me, we all do it. I try really hard to make my written work correct, especially at school. Jo’s sister in-law used to circle errors in my parent newsletter and mail it back to me. And people wondered why I ended up doing the whole thing myself…

Let's see if I've discovered something here...

louielouie said...

I've discovered I look forward to reading everyone's posts and am interested in all your thoughts and opinions.

Everyone that is but Jo's husband's brother's wife :-)

jojo cucina cucina said...

No matter how many glasses of wine (or maybe i should say glasses of milk) i was drinking would it ever occur to me to do a post about grammar. But i so love the road this one has taken.

louielouie, you're killin' me. Crap is clearly a bigger Bad Word. And next time i see Emma i'm going to have her say 'often' to me so i can hear for myself.

IslandPearl said...

Compliments of Dictionary.com, an nteresting note about ofTen:

Usage Note: During the 15th century English experienced a widespread loss of certain consonant sounds within consonant clusters, as the (d) in handsome and handkerchief, the (p) in consumption and raspberry, and the (t) in chestnut and often. In this way the consonant clusters were simplified and made easier to articulate. With the rise of public education and literacy and, consequently, people's awareness of spelling in the 19th century, sounds that had become silent sometimes were restored, as is the case with the t in often, which is now frequently pronounced. In other similar words, such as soften and listen, the t generally remains silent.

Props to your childrien for being literate!

IslandPearl said...

And screw blogspot for not having spellcheck...arrrrrrrrghhhh

IslandPearl said...

And I think that it's funny that I get more "action" from my responses on your blog than I get from my own blog postings. Those sad little orphans go for weeks all by they lonesome.

Modern Hippie said...

hahaha wait a minute Louie Louie, when you say jojos sister in law is that marie? my mom? because that is HILARIOUS! i kind of hope so, if its the other "nameless" no-longer-sister-in-law then its just bitchy LOL

this confuses me too: I've discovered I look forward to reading everyone's posts and am interested in all your thoughts and opinions.

Everyone that is but Jo's husband's brother's wife :-)

please explain :)

hahaha im high mainteance tonight

im sure i have a million things wrong when it comes to spelling and grammar tonight but i sat through 4 hours of presentations tonight only to come home and work on my own project from 9pm-1am so... suck it! hahaha

i might post my design for feedback on my blog soon if i do i'd love for everyones input - can never get enough its in a changing phases right now and i need to step away from it right now.

Modern Hippie said...

oh p.s. i say "ofTen" instead of "offen" (is that the debate here?)

jojo cucina cucina said...

not your mom, ms. Hippie. Jo's HUSBAND'S BROTHER'S WIFE. Not jo's Brother's Wife.

she was a head secretary in the elementary school in louie's district and did used to make corrections on newsletters. She also forwarded an email her daughter (who was in Iraq at the time) had written but had corrected all the spellings and grammar errors. What was funny was we got the original email from her daughter too with all the mistakes.

equeyaya said...

I think I pronounce the t in often, but i don't emphasize it. interesting factoid, pearl!

Modern Hippie said...

oh haha i just heard sister-in-law haha i always think brians family is all in e.washington - but that would have been funnier if it was mom! dont you think? hahaha

louielouie said...

Nice info Ms Pearl. I am not telling my uppity children a word of it. I do say the d in hanDsome and the p in consumPtion but not raspberry; although I do spell it correctly.

Ms Hippee, I would NEVER bad-mouth your mom on this blog; she has seen me in a compromising position (something involving tequila shots with beer chasers, bad idea, take my word) and I count on her discretion.

jojo cucina cucina said...

Oh yeah, i'll never forget the Belfair camping trip where you were worthless the next day but your then husband painstakenly rebraided the rope on the ski boat so they could all go skiing again. (One thing about your ex, he was a pretty good handy man.)

CAT!!!! i just noticed you are here in between all the grammar-ing. Good to see you.

I actually am finding that i often say the T in 'often'. I just tried it and it feels natural to do so. Except i talk pretty fast and often i leave it out.

I actually get annoyed with people who over enunciate, just to warn y'all. for example if you really say the "G" ALL the time at the end of the 'ing' words.


Also what is a gerund phrase? Years ago i wrote a newsletter for the union and had an English teacher circle it and return it to me. (I wish i could think of the sentence now.) Anyway, because the union president and I felt I got it right we asked another English teacher and she told me i was indeed correct, that it was a gerund phrase. But i had not heard of a gerund phrase before and still don't know what it is.

I do lots of writing in my job and have to say it was the only time anyone ever sent back a correction. (But that could be because many union newsletter are not widely read. However, i do have others proof my writing - We try and do a pretty good job of making sure we get our spelling and typos and grammar corrected since we are in education.

I'm starting to like it more that blogging is raw typing and cannot be corrected in the Comments section.....

jojo cucina cucina said...

Oh yeah, i finally threw out my Halloween pumpkin today. I was going to try and be irresponsible (as i mentioned in my last blog post) and keep it up to see if i could maybe be a tiny bit irresponsible. But it got too moldy looking.

I was thinking it might be easier to be OVER RESPONSIBLE. So maybe what i should do instead is to start putting up my Christmas decorations NOW and get all my shopping done. Then i can brag about it and piss allofyall off cause i am so FAR AHEAD! (I used to hate that when they did that on the Gumbo message board.)

Modern Hippie said...

haha not throwing out your pumpking is irresponsible thats just disgusting you would for sure have rats coming around. and shouldnt it technically be called Brian's pumpkin? haha (p.s. everyone, it was a very cool pumpkin lol)

haha jojo, you know who you sound like don't you? getting all your shopping done before thanksgiving...

oh p.s. louie louie, my mom has had a few situations of those herself so if she ever blackmails you i can maybe help you out. (okay im only saying this cause i know i'll never have to do it, i wouldnt really black mail my own mother lol)

IslandPearl said...

When you have kids in Scotland, getting your shopping -- and shipping -- done before Thanksgiving is a must. One year we shipped the first of December and they got the stuff in time for Valentines Day. Srsly.

And this year with the Royal Mail on strike, it's liable to be worse.

So, in anwer to the unasked -- I'll be finished with their stuff and ready to go by the end of this weekend.

Modern Hippie said...

really? we've never seemed to have that problem with our family in Scotland, but then again we've never mailed packages just cards and they were the ones to mail the packages and i dont know how long it ever took.

that sucks though.

where do they live in Scotland? our fam is kind of all over but most of them are in Glascow I know my Auntie Alice and Cousin JoAnne are closer together about an hour away from Glascow (maybe even further)

EoDE said...

I see that I have many kindred spirits here, especially when it comes to spelling, grammar, and editorial preferences.

I think that text messaging, the Internet, and television have all contributed to some of the troubling trends we see in spelling and usage. For example, the heavy use of abbreviations and clipped forms in text messages, emails, and Internet posts has carried over into formal writing.

On television I've noticed that the latest trend in advertising is toward using adjectives in place of adverbs: “drink it slow” instead of “slowly” and “live adventurous” instead of “adventurously.”

Another trend is back-formation of verbs from nouns: the dreaded “orientate” is an example. The other day I heard a news correspondent say employers used healthcare benefits to “incent” employees. She meant that they use benefits as an incentive to recruit and retain employees, but I was so distracted by her use of "incent" that I almost missed what she was saying altogether.

Back to the original topic: I’ve discovered by the time I’ve collected my thoughts on a topic and edited them to my liking that the topic has changed! (This used to happen to me all the time on Gumbo, so this is not a new discovery.)

Other things I’ve discovered:

That it’s easier to declutter someone else’s house than mine, and that there can be great satisfaction in throwing stuff away (especially if it’s not yours).

That my mom, who had such a wonderful sense of humor, probably worked a lot harder at it than I realized and used it to prop herself up when times were hard.

That at 55 it feels strange to be an orphan.

That Taco Bueno’s cinnamon chips are addictive.

That my dogs are still are on daylight savings time when it comes to their dinner hour.

EoDE said...

I've discovered two more things I'd like to fix, but in the spirit of being irresponsible--and because Blogspot won't let me edit my comment anyway--I won't. :D

louielouie said...

Aren’t gerunds ING-words? My trouble with grammar is I usually know what is right but not the rule behind it. I know it’s “If I were a rich man” not “If I was…._” but I couldn’t tell you why.

In second grade my son had a paper “IF I Were A Whale” sent home “corrected” to was by his teacher.
I brought it to my school to ask Mrs. Slaughter why Nick was right and the teacher was wrong so I could make his case - he truly was confused.
Hey, I was nice about it….

I’ve discovered that being right is not where it’s at.
Being kind is.
I struggle to combine the two.

My first husband WAS handy.
I discovered that wasn’t enough

My daughter just called to say how proud she was of herself (and thanks for the edit-help) of a grant she just submitted.
My son is coming home for Thanksgiving (from Kailua, Pearl), and called to confirm dinner time.

I’ve discovered I’m a sucker for kid-attention

actually, I'm just a sucker

jojo cucina cucina said...

EoDe. i'm SO glad you found your way over here! You, pearl and louie should start a club! LOL. THAT is such a great catch about the advertising and adjectives vs. adverbs! pearl and louie are wishing they said it first!

interesting pearl, that both louie and Ms. Hippie have connections with you and their families.

Louie, that's cool that Nick is coming home.

EoDe is right, this blog takes a turn and you lose track of what it started out to be but i like that a whole lot. So just to really shake it up i want to go back to the previous post about being irresponsible, because what is funny is i am finding in my daily life other ways i can be irresponsible since i posted that, so let me add some more:

1. (I have to start over with the numbering, because it's a whole new post.)

2. (And i'm too lazy to see where i left off.)

3. Anyway, i am going to quit facing my bills and giving exact change when i go to the drive-up Arby's window. In fact, I am going to start carrying around 100 dollar bills to give out at those drive up windows.

4. And when i withdraw $100 in cash from my bank account so i can do this very irresponsible act, i am going to make sure that i do so only when i know i have non-sufficient funds.

IslandPearl said...

My single act of irresponsibility: refuse to take the irresponsible turn.

MH - the kids are in Dollarbeg, kind of between Glasgow and Edinburgh. They used to live in Menstrie (same area) and you could see the Wallace Monument from V's kitchen window.

L-L...is he in the military? I used to live on that side of the island when I first got here.

Oh - and one of my husband's biggest grammar pet peeves is the 'reverse gerund' -- verbing a noun. Specifically: scrapbooking.

(Yes...sentence fragment. Those and ellipses are a few of my favorite things. I'm a study in contradiction...)

Unknown said...

Hey...I'm finally able to relax again after a week of pre-inventory cleanup. Tomorrow I start post inventory cleanup. Yea, me.

The last few weeks have been a blur. Lots of people out with bronchitis, sinus infections, colds..everything but H1N1. So far, I've been ok but I'm dosing myself with vitamins, drinking lots of fluids and gargling.

I posted a new blog entry..it has cows in it. I went to Amanda's cow show two weeks ago and I see why Amanda loves working on a farm.

I read the Guernsey Potato Pie book last year and loved it! Such a great story. I'm about to dive into the world of Claire and Jamie with the Echo in the Bone novel. This will completely take me over for a week or two so I need to be ready for it. I met Diana Gabaldon a few years ago...

I love Tom Petty..I have nothing more to add.

Irresponsible acts? Not many...during the divorce and custody battle (which lasted years) I had to watch my every action, my every word, so closely. It is now my lifestyle. I'm in managment with a very strict company. Not much room for rebellion there.

That is all I have for now. I so enjoy reading this blog and all of the responses.

jojo cucina cucina said...

i have discovered that i am having a difficult time coming up with new material. and it's not just cause i am waiting to get to 50 comments.

but i'll think of somethin'.

r4i said...

I have discovered that I am currently not able to make up my mind as to what I am supposed to do in future. I am lost completely. I am doing things that do not interest me and I don't have the liberty to do what I really want to do. Don't know what plans God has for me. This is what I have discovered.

Between, do ya know a nice astrologer or palmist. Just kidding.:)

jojo cucina cucina said...

r4i are you Brian L?

louielouie said...

I have discovered I am not really able to be irresponsible – in reality I’ve known that for some time.

I have discovered if it’s not good wine, it’s not worth drinking - I’ve known that for several years now and practiced it just this weekend.

I’ve discovered Jo is nosy (see previous post) - oh I’ve known that for some time too

I’ve discovered we need a new topic - this might actually be a new discovery


Pearl, my boy's at the Kaneohe Marine base, 2 more years on his Academy commitment, then we'll see

Go Navy beat Hawai'i (then Army)

jojo cucina cucina said...

Of course i am nosy, but it is my blog. (It's not Brian L.)


Also, i am instinctive. I changed the blog just as you were getting tired of it. So was I.

I'm going to change the other one fairly quickly too.


HOW COULD I FORGET THE BIGGEST ONE OF ALL:
I have discovered it's harder to do these blog posts when i am not drinking wine.