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| Sunday, January 18th, 2009 | | 7:50 pm |
Stating the obvious.
I bought a new curling iron. Like a good girl, I read the little pamphlet that came with it. Under Safety Instructions was the following caution: Do not use while sleeping. Well, duh. | | Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 | | 2:32 pm |
Grammar Rant II
This might not be the time for another grammar rant, with fires raging, kitties sick, and friends facing layoff--still, maybe an intellectual diversion is in order. Looking at the Comments, it seems your pet peeves fall into several general categories: Homonyms, word confusion, then/than, your/you're. The homonyms (hoard/horde, rein/reign, tow/toe) and word confusions (don/dawn, tenet/tenant, tack/tact) are misused in context and are, to some degree, due to ignorance of spelling or definition. There are no rules covering usage of these words, except LOOK IT UP! Spell-checker will not catch it. The case with then/than is a little different. Not only do these words look and sound similar, their definitions are close enough to be confusing. In general, however, 'then' is temporal and 'than' is comparative. When I was a kid, one was encouraged to say 'different from' instead of 'different than', but that prejudice is slowly disappearing. In Ireland they say 'different to', which makes a lot of sense to me. Now for your/you're and its/it's, the confusion over the possessive and the contraction. This irritates the hell out of me. "Your welcome." Grrrr. 'His' and 'hers' don't have apostrophes, so neither do 'yours' and 'its.' This should be simple to remember. One of my pet peeves is 'he and I' v. 'him and me'. Some people, including news anchors, think it sounds ignorant to say "him and me." But in this case it is correct: It went badly for him and me. A simple test for the correct choice is to drop one of the pronouns and see how it sounds. It went badly for him. You wouldn't say, "It went badly for he." By the same token you would say, "He and I went to the mall," not "Him and I went to the mall." Use the same test. He went to the mall. Can I just say one more thing? 'None' is singular, so make sure the verb agrees. "None was left standing." The test for this is to mentally substitute 'not one' for 'none' and make the verb agree. It should be obvious from this rant that I am not a Punctuation Nazi, and I have probably made many mistakes regarding the ' and the ". Whatever. I can only be perfect in a limited number of areas. | | Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 | | 4:17 pm |
Grammar Rant
There was a box on my MSN home page today explaining the difference between lie and lay. The improper use of these words has always made me crazed. In essence, if you recline you lie, and if you place something you lay. You lay things on the table. A hen lays an egg. You lie down for a nap. You lie in the sun. So, it should be Lie Lady Lie, Mr. Dylan. I am probably preaching to the choir here, as you all are educated, but some people near and dear to me are educated too, but a little casual grammatically. Which leads me to "irregardless". The "ir" in irrelevant, irregular, etc., means 'not' or 'un'. Therefore, irregardless means "not regardless", which is opposite of the intent. There is no such word. Use of this word in my presence makes my teeth hurt. I think I have passed this prejudice on to my daughter. My own mother used to correct my grammar relentlessly, until there was no need to do so anymore. I have been guilty (blush) of correcting others, even those not related, but I getting better, more mellow, I think. I am almost OK with the current, improper, use of the word "hopefully", since it is in such common usage that it almost becomes proper. Thus ends The Grammar Hour. Next we will rant on your/you're and its/it's. Then maybe we'll do were/was. PS Here is the link to the Encarta article, for those of you interested. http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Columns/Default.aspx?article=LayLie>1=27001 | | Monday, November 10th, 2008 | | 9:38 am |
| | Monday, October 6th, 2008 | | 2:36 pm |
Truth in Cartooning
I saw a cartoon last week, Pearls Before Swine, in which the Rat character talks about an 'earworm'--a song you hear once and can't get out of your head for the rest of the day. Now I have On the Wings of Love stuck in my head....Yikes. | | Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 | | 10:58 am |
Attention Knitters!
I have found an invaluable website for knitting techniques, etc., it is Knittinghelp.com. There are videos showing those troublesome stitches and techniques like the dreaded Kitchener that are clear and simple. The website is easy to navigate, and has stuff on it I have never heard of. Look at the Russian join! Voila! | | Thursday, September 25th, 2008 | | 5:27 pm |
Happy Birthday, Tron!!
Wishing you a most deliriously happy day. (Card and present in the works, pending.) MIL and FIL | | Wednesday, September 10th, 2008 | | 10:28 am |
Oh, did I mention...
That I am possibly the world's happiest mom? I live 2 blocks from my daughter, and she wants me to!! The other night, instead of talking on the phone, she walked down to visit. Walked . Down. To visit. Love you, Wend! Love you, Jeff! OK, definitely the World's Happiest Mom. | | Saturday, September 6th, 2008 | | 4:57 pm |
Cat Heaven???
It has been a couple of weeks now since Magick got sprung from The Cage, and I think it is safe to say he is back to normal. I bathed him as soon as I got him home to our new house, and spent lots of time stroking and drying him after that. When semi-dry, he was allowed down on the floor to explore, which he did quickly and eagerly, albeit cautiously. He got to sniff the familiar furniture, roam among the piles of boxes, and hide in the closets. At first he spent ALOT of time under the bed, and ran at every strange new noise, and wasn't very talkative, but there was none of that I Am Magick's Evil Twin behavior. Now he is much more normal and talkative, happily paddling and drinking from the bathroom sink, and not freaking out at noises. We had a small smoke-alarm incident yesterday which made him disappear, but oh, well. Giant Whew. Many thanks to you all for the kind and helpful words regarding aberrant cat behavior. I very much appreciate the support! | | Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 | | 4:57 pm |
The Magick is Back!!
So, we emerged from Cat Hell into Cat Heck. Magick's transition to Susan's house was not a successful one, and he was un-adopted. Long story, not worth repeating. The upshot of the whole thing is--we have our white kitty back. Unfortunately, he has been shunted from pillar to post the past week or so, from Sue's to the vet, into a cage for a hellish trip in the car to Sunnyvale, and into another cage at the new vet's. Our furniture will take a few days to get here, and Magi is safer at the vet's, but he is thoroughly miserable. Our normally fastidious cat is languishing in his litter box, stinking and hissing and growling at all who come near his cage. We visit him every day, and he lets us pet him and change his litter, but then he is back in the stuff. Today, finally, he remained outside the box when we returned him to his cage. This has been going on since Saturday, an eternity to me. Can't wait to get him into the new house and bathe him, then snuggle him and show him around, point out his bed, the wide sunny windowsill, and a proper big litter box in the laundry room. Soon, Magi, soon. | | Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 | | 4:44 pm |
Beware the Tofu!
OK, all you would-be dads, listen up. Harvard researchers have found that eating soy-based food could significantly lower a man's sperm count. This was reported in the journal Human Reproduction. It seems that soy contains a plant form of the female sex hormone estrogen. Thought y'all should know... | | Thursday, July 24th, 2008 | | 12:46 pm |
Cat Hell
I parted with both of my cats this week, one voluntarily, one not. The 'not' involved my girl-cat, Fiona, who was diagnosed with some sort of intestinal cancer--bad outlook--and whom we had put to sleep on Monday. I held her while the shot was administered, and she was gone in seconds. My big tough husband stood on the vet's porch during this procedure, unable to watch, crying softly. Fiona is not pictured here. She was not very photogenic, and I have only a couple of good pictures of her; in my favorite, she is curled up in my underwear drawer. She was a small tortoise-shell, sort of bitchy, but always sweet to me. She was mostly quiet, but she had a cute vocabulary. The declarative was 'map', the interrogative was 'mrrr?', and she had a little trill, like 'brrrt', mostly food-related. I will miss her terribly. Her step-brother Magick, pictured here, is another story. Because of our impending move, we had decided to have our friend Sue adopt one or both of our cats, though there was always a chance we would, maybe, keep one. We would see how our two got along with Sue's resident cat. I secretly hoped my bitchy Fiona would need to be reclaimed and brought to Sunnyvale, but suddenly that option was lost to me. Then Magick got very mopey without his companion, and I could only hope that he would adjust to a new girl-cat. I took him to Sue's on Tuesday, and she is slowly getting the two cats used to each other, giving me daily updates, and it looks like this transition might work. Sue has had many cats, she has a huge house and many resources, so things are looking up. I'll be cat-sitting for her a couple of times before we move, so I'll see Magi in his new environment. It will be a long goodbye. And I am very hopeful. But it's been a hell of a week. | | Friday, June 27th, 2008 | | 4:38 pm |
Reading Preferences
At my Doctor's office today, the reading table contained only 2 things: A Holy Bible, and a stack of Avon catalogs. What would you call this weird juxtaposition? The Sublime and the Ridiculous? Body and Soul? C'mon, Bax, I'm counting on you for a zinger... | | Saturday, March 15th, 2008 | | 4:02 pm |
Oh, no, Terry!
I just found out that Terry Pratchett has Alzheimer's. What kind of stinking irony is that? | | Thursday, December 6th, 2007 | | 7:59 pm |
| | Friday, November 2nd, 2007 | | 1:30 pm |
A little more help, please?
It seems I am always asking you guys for help. Or at least input. Currrent dilemma concerns knitting needles. I have many many needles already, but I am about to embark on New Adventures in knitting, via Cat Bordhi and her magical method, involving lots of various lengths of circular needles. Also got Barbara Walker's book on knitting from the top down, also involving circular needles. I think the best solution would probably be a set of interchangeable tips with various lengths of cables, but there are lots of different kinds out there, and I don't even know where to start. Wood tips? Metal? Resin? And who makes the best? Heeelllllp! While I have your attention, a couple more questions: What is 'teh'? What does it mean and how do you say it? Also 'woot'. Same inquiry. Is a 'klingon' the same thing as 'a bat in the cave'? Inquiring minds want to know.... | | Friday, October 26th, 2007 | | 2:08 pm |
HOME!!
We are home. HOME. Unburned, darling little house home. The town is still pretty deserted, and the crush to get re-entry is backing up at the checkpoint, but we should soon be back to 'normal', whatever that is. I had to stop at said checkpoint, and was told that the wait was about 40 minutes. I buttonholed the nearest Sheriff's deputy, told him my husband was 'with' the Sheriff's in Twin Peaks, and that I had cats in the car. Cats, he says, hmmm. Follow me. And he put me second in line at the permit desk. Cats Rule!! Kent had preceded me up the hill so he could help with the Sheriff's Citizens Patrol, so he had no trouble getting in. Just flashed his badge.We had boarded our kitties at my step-son's vet, and when I picked them up, they refused payment. Great folks. Magick wet his pants as we pulled into town, so the car isn't reeking too badly, but he is not a happy guy right now. He was unceremoniously rinsed off in the kitchen sink and rubbed down with a dishtowel. I have had a minute to brew some coffee and dump my catpissy clothes in the washer, so life is good. We had a nice few days with Kent's son and family, and I managed to get almost all the junk food I was craving. Our town only has Round Table and McD's, so all the finer things, like Rubio's and Quizno's are rare treats. I am leaving behind, in Redlands, my friend Sue who has a house in the Arrowhead area. She may not get back up for another week or so. She is comfortably nesting with a friend there, so should be OK, but is still anxious. I must thank you all for your good wishes on our behalf, and for my birthday wishes too. Thanks. Oh, btw, we had to evacuate the day after the aforementioned bridal shower, so I didn't get to tell you all how that went. With your help I decided on a cookbook written by a Food Channel cookie, it looks perfect for a new bride, and then wrapped it with a bunch of little utensils on the front instead of a bow. Cute, and much appreciated. Thanks for the input! Bax, your mention of the embroidered blanket was great--I may do that for them down the road a bit. Whew. I am going to bring in our stuff from the car and get re-settled. Kent should be home in time for dinner. We never lost power, so our refer food is still good. Rhylar, hope your folks are OK in Del Mar. San Diego Co was really hard hit. And today is the anniversary of the deaths of the 5 firefighters in the Esperanze fire. Life in So Cal... Hey, Wendy, you said your folks are "f'ing PC." Does that stand for Politically Correct? Which we are, of course... Bye for now. | | Thursday, October 11th, 2007 | | 1:52 pm |
A Little Help Here?
I have been invited to a bridal shower for a young woman I have met only once--she is the fiance of my step-son's stepson--so I know very little about her. I am appealing to members of her generation to give me an idea or two for a shower gift. If there is anything you remember getting, pre-nuptially, which you still value today, and haven't relegated to the back shelf of your pantry, I would like to know the identity of said object. I am feeling hopelessly 'out of it' and also suffer from 'live in Hickville-itis' so your assistance would be more than appreciated. My line is open... | | Saturday, June 23rd, 2007 | | 12:50 pm |
Graduation Day
On Thursday, my husband Kent and I went to his grand-daughter's graduation from High School. It was a pretty typical graduation ceremony, and maybe the family gathering was pretty typical too, I don't know. Here's a list of the attendees: Tom, my husband's second son, my step-son, father to Brittany Brittany, the graduate, my step-grand-daughter Sally, Brittany's mother, Tom's ex-wife, my ex-step-daughter-in-law Tyler, Brittany's brother, my step-grand-son Dottie, my husband's ex-wife, another of Brittany's four grand-mothers, and Tom's mother Bob, Dottie's current husband, Brittany's step-grand-father Lindy, Tom's girlfriend Christian and Paul, the elder of Lindy's four children Daniel, Brittany's boyfriend and Duane(?), Sally's boyfriend Children like Brittany have twice as many relatives as a child in a 'normal' family would have, due to divorce and remarriage. The adults have trouble remembering who belongs to whom, but the children have no problem. They know everybody and where they all fit in. Naturally, since the world revolves around them! Anyway, it was a fun gathering, we all went out to dinner together, and caught up on each other. There have been rough patches in the past, hurt feelings, estrangements, and general ill will, but all seems smooth now. We've all grown up. | | Sunday, May 6th, 2007 | | 5:52 pm |
Dragons
I recently saw 'Eregon' on DVD, and although I liked the story and look forward to the sequel(s), I have to take issue with the appearance of the dragon, Safira. Her face is way too flat, and her eyes too small and forward-facing. The presumed descendants of dragons, lizards and birds, have long central ridges from brow to snout (beak), and large protuberant eyes that are more situated to the side. Safira has a brow stop, for crisake! Any comments? Bax? |
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