Tag: Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen – Things that Begin with B

Karen

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Thirteen “B” Words that Describe my Life

Scrolling through my life, one letter at a time.

By the way, this makes my 113th TT.

1. Boring – I’m not a thrill seeker. The most excitement I have all week is renting a new movie. I don’t like to spend a lot of money so I’ve conditioned myself to be satisfied with doing free stuff- like reading, riding my bike or surfing the web (which isn’t necessarily free, but you get the idea). Though I’m not exactly boring to hang out with, I’m not someone who will keep you awake, either.

2. Blessed – I have an awesome family. Not a perfect family, but an awesome family. Though my oldest son is hormonal, moody and sullen, I still catch glimpses of his true personality and that usually holds me over until the next bout of crappy behavior. My youngest is a sweet, thoughtful, goofy, small kid who is constantly surprising me. My husband is a kind, thoughtful man who is okay with me staying home and making virtually no money (I’m working on that, honey!)

3. Bitchy – I’m a fairly nice person (emphasis on fairly), but I do indeed have hours moments when I’m, um, a tad on the snarky side. This usually occurs when I encounter stupid people, or I’m forced to do something I don’t want to do, or I have a headache, or I’m tired, or … well hell, this isn’t looking good.

4. Bubbly – Though I am boring and can be bitchy, I can also be bubbly when the occasion calls for such behavior. But it’s a fun, carefree bubbly, not the kind of bubbly some women get so that you feel like poking them with a needle just to allow all that excess happiness out.

5. Bloated – This is an ongoing condition with me. I have digestive problems (my mother thinks it’s gall bladder related, but we won’t go there until it gets REALLY bad) so I constantly feel bloated and puffy. As a result, I rarely feel sexy.

6. Believable – I’m an excellent liar. In fact, if this was an admirable trait, I’d put it on my resume. I can make anybody believe anything – with a straight face and sincere eyes. Seriously. Did I tell you about the time I participated in a Missouri beauty pageant? No? Some other time then. 😉

7. Baloney – Most of the stuff you read on this blog? Baloney. I’m not exactly lying (though I bet you’re wondering now), but I rarely tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God. Oh, and I hate baloney – both literal and figurative. The actual baloney meat makes me feel bloated (see? Always bloated), but the figurative baloney I get from people drives me insane. If you’re going to lie, then lie WELL, for pete sakes.

8. Berate – I berate my children people all the time. Though I pride myself on being an optimistic person, I simply can’t stomach wishy-washy, stupid people. Here’s a thought, think about what you want to say before opening your mouth. Please, do us all a favor. Seriously.

9. Beverage – I absolutely, positively MUST have coffee every day – sometimes twice a day. There’s really no justifying this weakness nor trying to explain why; I simply must make it so.

10. Business – For the past two years, I’ve designed and maintained websites for six area schools, three restaurants, one financial company and have narrated classes for an online school in New York. I’m currently working on offering blog templates (sometime in the next decade) and submitting some of my writing. That’s what I do – that’s what I am.

11. Baggage – I don’t have a lot of emotional baggage. True, I’ve had some pretty shocking things happen to me in the past, but I’ve been pretty successful at leaving my baggage on the carousel and dodging the occasional phone call to come pick it up. Life is too short to dwell on past mistakes – move on.

12. Bullet – I wear bulletproof vests. I bet you didn’t know that about me, did you. Even if you looked closely (and this is assuming I’d allow you to get close enough to try), you wouldn’t see it. I’ve bulletproofed my heart and there is simply no way anything, or anybody, can puncture it. Okay, that’s not entirely true – there are ways, but they aren’t obvious so I’m not worried about anyone trying. How’s that for vague? 🙂

13. Blogger – I’ve become a full-time blogger. At least, I feel like a full-time blogger. I spend an unhealthy amount of time online and I’m not ashamed to admit it (okay, maybe I’m a tad ashamed). I adore blogging and I adore quite a few bloggers. I feel like I’m part of a community and even though I’ll most likely never, ever meet 98% of the people I’ve “talked” to online, I consider them friends. Blogging is better than drugs – not that I’ve ever tried drugs. *cough*

Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen – About Me, N to Z

Karen

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(TT number #112!)

This list is a continuation of last week’s TT.

1. N What’s the story of your NAME? were you named after anyone? Do you go by a nickname? Any aliases?

I’ve written about the story of my name before. In essence, my mom wanted to call me Carrie (don’t you just think about the Carrie covered in blood in Stephen King’s novel? I’m so GLAD that name didn’t work out) but my dad wasn’t crazy about it (thanks dad!) so they compromised and called me Karen instead.

(Added: Though being named Carrie wouldn’t be all that bad nowaways – it could be cool to be compared to Carrie from Sex in the City – sans the shoe fetish. Oh all right, I sort of have a shoe fetish, too. Only I’m too cheap to really DO anything about it. I just settle for slobbering all over them when I’m at the store – I’ve been asked to leave on more than one occasion. Did I just say that out loud?)

I was called KK a few times when I was little, but it didn’t stick for some reason. Pity, I rather like that nickname.

Aliases? Oh probably, but none I would want to repeat here. 😀

2. O OBSERVANT – What’s around you right now? What do you see?

My cluttered desk, which consists of: my Baby Blues desk calendar, Lands End catalog, Washington DC paraphernalia, a Writer’s Digest renewal form (note to self, mail that off!), a ton of old calendar pages that I’ve torn off and used as scrap paper and am too lazy to throw away, school information letters/forms about the upcoming school year, post-it notes, a check stub, a copy of JUICY email correspondence (would love to tell where I got that or what the “juicy” part is, but alas, I’ve been ordered not to talk about it on my blog – but think SCANDAL). On the floor next to me? The book I’m currently reading, an Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (because we’re going there next summer even if I have to drag my three guys there by the short and curlies – ew, that’s a gross visual), and a fan that I turn on because I’m hitting that time in my life where I get FREAKING HOT ALL THE TIME.

3. P Who are the special PEOPLE in your life?

Why, my family of course. Duh.

4. Q Any Little QUIRKs About Yourself:

I love to wear sexy underwear.

HA! NOT.

Okay, no underwear.

HA! NOT.

Seriously? I can’t think of anything. I’m boooring. Waah!

5. R What do you like to do for RECREATION?

You’re kidding, right? You really want me to answer that? Why blogging, of course! And reading! And writing! and sipping Starbucks drinks!

6. S Do You SING in the Shower? In the car? For your friends? Shower?

I’m not a big bathroom person, period. I do my business and I’m outta there. So no, no singing in the shower. But the car? Oh yeah, I have a tendency to really crank the music, especially when I’m by myself (my husband tried calling me three times on my cell the other day and I had no idea because I was jamming my heart out at the time). Not only do I crank? I totally sing. And depending on my mood (or the time of month, ladies you know what I mean), I totally don’t care if other drivers see me singing. In fact, I have a tendency to ham it up if I know I have an audience. *grin*

7. T What’s at the Top of your TO DO list?:

Get this website project DONE! Upload a website that’s ready to go (HA! That one’s not my fault, thankyouverymuch), and write something for this literary mag because I LOVE them and would certainly die and go to heaven if they ever published something of mine.

8. U Any UNUSUAL Experiences:

I’ve had quite a few unusual experiences in my life – many I’ve already talked about on this blog. But two come to mind that I don’t think I’ve mentioned before.

1. My husband’s remote control airplane, the one he built FROM SCRATCH, was stolen right out of our garage one night. He (and we still debate as to who actually left it open) left our garage door open one night and some perp (we suspect our next door neighbor – they had the police over there quite a few times and he was actually taken away in handcuffs one time) stole it. My husband toughed it out, but I think it really depressed him that he spent all of his time and money building something so cool and only flew it once before it was stolen. People suck sometimes, don’t they?

2. We woke up one morning, opened our garage door to go to work only to discover a strange truck parked in our driveway. It was parked askew as if someone had parked it and then ran – which is precisely what happened. We called the police and they tracked the owner down, which happened to be one of our neighbors. We’re not sure why the thieves decided to abort the crime so close to the owner or why they left it in our driveway, but it was creepy and fascinating at the same time. In fact, that would make a great story, wouldn’t it? *grin*

9. V VEGAS,Vienna,Venice,Vladivostok… How far have you traveled? What’s your favorite City?

Cozumel, Mexico is the farthest I’ve ever traveled. We went there for our honeymoon nearly 18+ years ago. I completely cried like a baby when I got there because duh, no one spoke any English and it freaked me out. (I never claimed to be smart back in those days).

Favorite city? Oooh, a toss up between St. Petersburg, Florida and Estes Park, Colorado. St. Petersburg was uber cool and oh so beautiful (full of beautiful people) and Estes Park … well four words – COOL AND NO BUGS. ‘Nuff said, right?

10. W WINTER, Spring, Summer, Fall… What’s your favorite season?

Oh Fall, hands down. I can bury my girth in sweatshirts and jeans and not FEEL fat, you know? Whereas summer, you can’t HELP but be aware of all of your flaws because geez, they’re on display for everyone to gawk laugh stare at admire.

And Fall is my opportunity to wear my cowboy-looking shoes!! (They aren’t full boots, just a shoe with cowboy heels, CUTEST things!)

11. X EXes – Things You Don’t Do Anymore (but did, once (would you, again?))

I used to be able to stay up late, but then I married an early bird and it’s all I can do to keep my eyes open past 9:00 p.m. Geez, how pathetic is that??

Would I marry my hubs again? Absolutely. (Really, what did you expect me to say? 😉 )

12. Y Any secret/deep YEARNINGS?

I have several secrets, but nothing suitable for Internet consumption. Yearnings? Oh yeah, to be published – several times to be greedy, but once in my lifetime to be satisfied.

13. Z ZERO to ZENITH – Where are you in your life? Still growing? On an upward (or downward) curve? Just skating along?

I’m doing good. I have matured a lot in the past ten years and I’m starting to finally feel comfortable in my own skin. I’m happy in my life and I’m looking forward to enjoying the next twenty/thirty years of graduations, grandkids, and good times travelling cross country.

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Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen – About Me, A to M

Karen

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(TT number 111!).

1. A – If you were an ANIMAL, what would you be?

Probably a cougar because they’re fast, wily and clever.

2. B – BOOKS: What’s on your reading list?

Everything She Thought She Wanted by Elizabeth Buchan
Cold Fire by Dean Koontz
The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks
Riptide by Catherine Coulter

3. C – COMPULSIVE about anything?

Starting new projects. I LOVE learning something new. However, my problem is, I take on too many projects at one time and lose interest in old projects thereby never finishing anything. Grr.

4. D – DREAMS – Do you … dream in color? remember your dreams? keep a dream journal?

I’ve never thought about whether I dream in color. I’ll have to pay more attention. I have dreams about my teeth falling out CONSTANTLY. I wake up jittery and disturbed, really weird dreams. No, I don’t keep a dream journal; I should though!

5. E – EATING – what’s your usual snack?

Yogurt. I love it and it has good bacteria for women. Yogurt = no happy doctor. hehe

6. F – A Few of your FAVORITE Things:

Books. Internet. Blog. Camping by the lake.

7. G – GIGGLES! What (or who) makes you laugh? Do you have a good sense of humor?

I have a strange sense of humor. Some days nothing makes me laugh, other days, everything makes me laugh. Overall though, I have a dry sense of humor. People don’t really get me, I think.

8. H – major HOT Button:

Drivers who talk on the cell phone, drivers who refuse to yield, drivers who don’t strap their children in, drivers who … oh heck, ALL DRIVERS!

9. I – I have a fierce temper, as in, irrational and crazy temper. I’ve worked all my life to control it. Sometimes I fail.

10. J – What kind of JOKES do you like? Dislike?

Funny ones. Wait, that’s pretty vague. Here’s an example:

A woman was out golfing one day when she hit her ball into the woods. She went into the woods to look for it and found a frog in a trap. The frog said to her, “If you release me from this trap, I will grant you three wishes.” The woman freed the frog and then the frog said, “Thank you, but I failed to mention that there was a condition to your wishes. Whatever you wish for, your husband will get ten times more or better!” The woman said, “That would be okay.”

For her first wish, she wanted to be the most beautiful woman in the world. The frog warned her, “You do realize that this wish will also make your husband the most handsome man in the world, an Adonis, that women will flock to.” The woman replied, “That will be okay because I will be the most beautiful woman and he will only have eyes for me.” So, KAZAM– she’s the most beautiful woman in the world.

For her second wish, she wanted to be the richest woman in the world. The frog said, “That will make your husband the richest man in the world, and he will be ten times richer than you.” The woman said, “That will be okay because what’s mine is his and what’s his is mine.” So, KAZAM–she’s the richest woman in the world! The frog then inquired about her third wish and she answered, “I’d like a mild heart attack.

Don’t mess with clever women.

Dirty jokes can be funny, but not if they’re overly vulgar.

11. K – Also KNOWN As… Aliases? Screen names? A non de plume perhaps?

I’m take2max everywhere online, you just have to know where to look. 😉

12. L – I LOVE …

Strawberries and Cream Frappucino’s from Starbucks. THEN I have to take a Lactaid in order to digest it. *sigh*

13. M – How do you feel about MEETING people? Do it all the time? Rarely? Parties or 1-on-1?

Uh, I’m an introvert. I avoid people like I avoid the happy doctor. But if I have to meet people, I’d rather in a meeting setting so the attention is not entirely on me. I’m a shape shifter -I like sticking to the shadows and people watching. 😉

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

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Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen – Things that Begin with A

Karen

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Whoa. This makes my 110th TT. Apparently? I dig TT. 😀

Thirteen “A” Words that Describe my Life

Scrolling through my life, one letter at a time.

1. Applications
Part of my job is to learn new applications. For example, I’m seriously considering upgrading to Dreamweaver 8 because it’s been nearly five years and I hear it contains new, and better, features that will benefit my clients. The problem is not the time required in order to learn it, or the level of difficulty (I’m rather stubborn when it comes to teaching myself new things) but rather, the cost. I believe it will cost about $200.00 to upgrade. Ouch.

2. Admirers
I haven’t had many admirers in my life. I was never really “into” boys until after I graduated from high school and moved out on my own. THEN I went a little hog-wild and admired quite a number of boys *cough*. But overall, I was a tall, gawky female who laughed too loud, had a potty mouth and most likely scared most of my “admirers” away.

3. Anarchy
I avoid confusion every chance I get. I’m a simplistic sort of gal – I like to keep things simple and have no desire to complicate my life. Unless I’m feeling hormonal and b itchy, then all bets are off. 😉

4. Authority
Question authority has always been my motto. Just because someone said something doesn’t necessarily make it true. I’m a firm believer in finding out the truth for yourself – don’t rely on these so-called experts to do your thinking for you.

5. Addictive
I’m completely addicted to blogging. I think about it constantly and am always on the lookout for new and fresh material. I love passing along information, making people laugh and sharing bits of my life. I suppose I’m addicted for the simple fact that I don’t have anyone else in my life I can share these things with. This blog is my friend. Isn’t that sad??

6. Adhesive
I’m a strong person. I don’t fall apart easily. In fact, I’m one of these people who are incredibly calm during a crisis and act accordingly. It’s only after the fact that I have a nervous breakdown. I’m a strong person, both mentally and physically and I’m proud of that fact.

7. Appetite
I have a very healthy appetite … for making stuff up. I love asking myself, “What if,” and thrusting people/characters into situations and then watching them wiggle out. As far as a literal appetite – I’m not a big food lover. I eat to exist, nothing more. I have a problem with one thing and one thing only:
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8. Asinine
I don’t even bother being polite to asinine people. I have no patience for stupidity, none. We all have brains, we’re all capable of using said brain. Please don’t give me excuses for poor decision making. I get ugly. It’s not fun. Let’s not go there.

9. Awkward
I’m not physically awkward, though I am a clutz when I’m tired. However, I am awkward when it comes to meeting new people and/or making small talk. I can find a zillion things to talk about on this blog but when it comes to face-to-face interaction, I’m a tongue-tied moron.

10. Agony
There are exactly four (major) incidents in my life that I regret – deeply and completely regret. I have succeeded in sweeping those events under my mental rug and they very rarely bother me. So mentally, I’m in good shape. But physically … I have three areas on my body that put me in agony on a semi-regular basis – back, sinuses and digestive. Walking takes care of my back. Drugs keep my sinuses under control and not eating solves my digestive problem. (Don’t worry, I’m not the sort of person who would ever have an eating disorder – I like my carbs too much).

11. Anew
I’m a firm believer in starting over. There is no sense in killing yourself over something you can not change. My motto is: buck up and move on. I can’t stand pessimistic, whoa-is-me people. If you’re unhappy, change the situation.

12. Anxious
Though I don’t believe in wallowing in self-pity, I do worry about things – especially things I don’t have control over. Yes, it’s true – I’m one of THOSE people: a control freak. As long as I know what I’m dealing with, I can handle it – it’s the not knowing that drives me insane.

13. Analyst
I like to think of myself as a pretty good judge of character. I love to people watch and stay on the outskirts of social situations. You can tell a lot about a person just by watching their facial expressions and their body language. You can also tell a lot about a person by listening to them talk and/or react to situations. Once I’ve “pegged” a person, it’s only a matter of shifting my personality a bit to the left or right in order to get along with them. This is probably a good trait to have, but I sometimes lose sight of the “real” me in the process.

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Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen – Unknown Facts About Me

Karen

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13 unknown facts/secrets about myself. (Okay, so they aren’t real deal breakers, but you have to admit, the first one took you by surprise, didn’t it. *grin*).

1. Explain what ended your last relationship?
He was married and went back to his wife the night before the divorce was final. Yep, I was the other woman (though not the reason they were divorcing – those wheels were in motion before I came into the picture). I bet you never suspected I used to be a bad girl, eh? 😀

2. When was the last time you shaved your legs?
Yesterday morning. I shave about three times a week.

3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m?
Checking emails, catching up on my blog reads in Google Reader, making website updates.

4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Waking up the boys, making beds, cleaning up the kitchen, grabbing a granola bar and getting back on the computer. Seriously? I’m never far away from either my PC or my laptop. It’s pathetic, quite frankly.

5. Are you any good at math?
I suck at it. In fact, I’ve been FORBIDDEN to try and help the boys with their math homework.

6. Last night?
I walked six miles and watched “P.S., I Love You.” I thought the premise was genius, though the acting left something to be desired.

7. What is outside of your back door?
Our camper, a wooden treehouse that the boys have only played on a dozen times in the years since my husband built it, and a shed my husband built where we keep our lawnmower and generator.

8. Have you ever taken out a loan to pay for school?
Yes, several times. In fact, the husband and I used my first student loan to get married. We are still paying on my student loans to this day – I graduated from college in ’03. (The interest rate is so low that we haven’t been in a hurry to pay it off and have instead been concentrating on getting higher interest debts paid off).

9. Do you know the words to the song on your myspace page?
I have a MySpace page – there is no way in Hades I’m ever going to use it. One big reason? I LOATHE their web page setup. Speaking as a web designer? It’s too cluttered and “busy.” It drives me bat sh*t crazy.

10. Last thing you received in the mail?
A book I mooched from Bookmooch.com. In fact, I have three more on the way … all for free! Join! It’s fun!!!

11. How many different beverages have you drank today?
Coffee, orange Juice and water. I rarely drink anything else.

12. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
Of course not. I’m too busy trying NOT to look like someone just dug me up out of the sand. I’m one of those women who DO NOT look good at the beach.

13. What’s the most painful dental procedure you’ve had?
Getting a root canal on my upper molar. OMG. I spent two hours with my mouth unhinged (not really, but it felt like it!) and the vibrations, the burnt-tooth smell and the fact that I was nervous as heck that he would drop an instrument down my throat made me sicker than a dog. As soon as he was done, I ran (literally) to the bathroom and threw up.

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Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Common Writing Mistakes

Karen

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that I have a “thing” (defined as an interest, not an obsession – though I do get pretty annoyed with people when they constantly substitute “loose” for “lose” – GRR) for language. I have an electronic dictionary somewhere on my person at all times (mostly). I routinely listen to how words are pronounced on Merriam-Webster.com because even though I know what the word is, what it means, I SUCK at pronouncing it out loud and my husband makes fun of me, (“You would think that as much as you read, you’d know how to pronounce that word.” I READ, I don’t read OUT LOUD – sheesh). I love to read the Chicago Manual of Style, when I’m in the mood to do so; I’m not a TOTAL geek. And I copy and paste my blog posts into Word to check my spelling (because, well, I really am that anal about my writing).

And I enjoy refreshing myself on language rules from time-to-time because I’m only human and I find myself either forgetting a rule or breaking a rule all for the sake of, well, breaking them (and it’s FUN). A lot of times, grammar, or syntax, rules are broken here because they make more of an impact on whatever I’m trying to say – this is assuming that the people who visit here know the rules to begin with. If not, then forget what I just said – I’m an AWESOME wordsmith who NEVER makes language mistakes. *wink wink nudge nudge*

In other words (get it?), I like language, I like language rules and I’m a bit of a snob when I read other people’s work if they routinely use the wrong word for something or misspell something (and notice I said ROUTINELY; we’re all human, we all have days when our brains shut down, I’m not talking about THOSE days. I’m talking about the material that reads like a second grader wrote it – you know what I’m saying. *nodnod*).

So, I hope posting these tips help you. I hope they don’t bore you. But this sort of stuff interests me and being the self-absorbed peon that I am, I always assume anything that interests me, interests YOU. If I’m wrong, I do apologize. 😀

I did not write these tips. These tips, and many more like these, can be found at Common Errors in English. So, if you disagree with these rules, then please, don’t kill the messenger. These are here just for your learning/entertainment, nothing more, and nothing less.

Now that you know my disclaimer, let’s move on to the juicy stuff … *rubs hands together in glee* …

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1. AESTHETIC/ASCETIC: People often encounter these two words first in college, and may confuse one with the other although they have almost opposite connotations. “Aesthetic” (also spelled “esthetic”) has to do with beauty, whereas “ascetic” has to do with avoiding pleasure, including presumably the pleasure of looking at beautiful things.

St. Francis had an ascetic attitude toward life, whereas Oscar Wilde had an esthetic attitude toward life.

2. ADMINISTER/MINISTER: You can minister to someone by administering first aid. Note how the “ad” in “administer” resembles “aid” in order to remember the correct form of the latter phrase. “Minister” as a verb always requires “to” following it.

3. ADULTRY/ADULTERY: “Adultery” is often misspelled “adultry,” as if it were something every adult should try. This spelling error is likely to get you snickered at. The term does not refer to all sorts of illicit sex: at least one of the partners involved has to be married for the relationship to be adulterous.

4. ACCEPT/EXCEPT: If you offer me Godiva chocolates I will gladly accept them—except for the candied violet ones. Just remember that the “X” in “except” excludes things—they tend to stand out, be different. In contrast, just look at those two cozy “C’s” snuggling up together. Very accepting. And be careful; when typing “except” it often comes out “expect.”

5. AFFECT/EFFECT: There are five distinct words here. When “affect” is accented on the final syllable (a-FECT), it is usually a verb meaning “have an influence on”: “The million-dollar donation from the industrialist did not affect my vote against the Clean Air Act.”

Occasionally a pretentious person is said to affect an artificial air of sophistication. Speaking with a borrowed French accent or ostentatiously wearing a large diamond ear stud might be an affectation. In this sort of context, “affect” means “to make a display of or deliberately cultivate.”

Another unusual meaning is indicated when the word is accented on the first syllable (AFF-ect), meaning “emotion.” In this case the word is used mostly by psychiatrists and social scientists— people who normally know how to spell it.

The real problem arises when people confuse the first spelling with the second: “effect.” This too can be two different words. The more common one is a noun: “When I left the stove on, the effect was that the house filled with smoke.” When you affect a situation, you have an effect on it.

The less common is a verb meaning “to create”: “I’m trying to effect a change in the way we purchase widgets.” No wonder people are confused. Note especially that the proper expression is not “take affect” but “take effect”—become effective. Hey, nobody ever said English was logical: just memorize it and get on with your life.

The stuff in your purse? Your personal effects.

6. AFFLUENCE/EFFLUENCE: Wealth brings affluence; sewage is effluence.

7. AFTERWARDS/AFTERWORDS: Like “towards,” “forwards,” and “homewards,” “afterwards” ends with -wards.

“Afterwords,” are sometimes the explanatory essays at the ends of books, or speeches uttered at the end of plays or other works. They are made up of words.

8. ALL OF THE SUDDEN/ ALL OF A SUDDEN: An unexpected event happens not “all of the sudden” but “all of a sudden.”

9. ALLEGED/ALLEGEDLY: Seeking to avoid prejudging the facts in a crime and protect the rights of the accused, reporters sometimes over-use “alleged” and “allegedly.” If it is clear that someone has been robbed at gunpoint, it’s not necessary to describe it as an alleged robbery nor the victim as an alleged victim. This practice insultingly casts doubt on the honesty of the victim and protects no one. An accused perpetrator is one whose guilt is not yet established, so it is redundant to speak of an “alleged accused.” If the perpetrator has not yet been identified, it’s pointless to speak of the search for an “alleged perpetrator.”

10. ALLUDE/ELUDE: You can allude (refer) to your daughter’s membership in the honor society when boasting about her, but a criminal tries to elude (escape) captivity. There is no such word as “illude.”

11. ALLUSION/ILLUSION: An allusion is a reference, something you allude to: “Her allusion to flowers reminded me that Valentine’s Day was coming.” In that English paper, don’t write “literary illusions” when you mean “allusions.” A mirage, hallucination, or a magic trick is an illusion. (Doesn’t being fooled just make you ill?)

12. ALOUD/ALLOWED: If you think Grandma allowed the kids to eat too much ice cream, you’d better not say so aloud, or her feelings will be hurt. “Aloud” means “out loud” and refers to sounds (most often speech) that can be heard by others. But this word is often misused when people mean “allowed,” meaning “permitted.”

13. ALL READY/ALREADY: “All ready” is a phrase meaning “completely prepared,” as in “As soon as I put my coat on, I’ll be all ready.” “Already,” however, is an adverb used to describe something that has happened before a certain time, as in “What do you mean you’d rather stay home? I’ve already got my coat on.”

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And that concludes our lesson for today, boys and girls. You can pretty much count on more lessons in the near future. Bring popcorn next time – the teacher will allow it. *grin*

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Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen – What If #1

Karen

Thirteen Interesting “What If” Situations – How Would YOU Respond?

Please feel free to give your opinion on these situations even if you’re not playing Thursday Thirteen. There are no right or wrong answers here – it’s a question of scruples and what would you do?

null1. You’re a policeman. You pull over a car that’s speeding in a school zone. The driver is a neighbor’s son. Do you let him off with only a verbal warning?

My answer: It depends. If this is his first offense, then I would most likely give the kid a warning. However, if he has a record (whether speeding or not), then I would absolutely give him a ticket and most likely say something to my neighbor, too.

null2. You and your spouse are planning to separate. Your spouse develops an illnes, becomes an invalid and requires constant care. Do you still file for the separation and leave?

My answer: Boy, this is going to sound harsh, but yes, I would go ahead and file for the separation, however, I wouldn’t entirely abandon the man – I would stick around and make sure he’s being taken care of, checking up on him, helping out, etc. However, if he fell ill BEFORE we decided to separate … wow, that’s a tough one. If I stayed, I would resent him, but if I left, I’d feel guilty for doing so.

null3. You’re a young executive. Many members of top management in your company belong to a swanky country club. Do you overextend yourself financially to join the club?

My answer: No. Mainly because I’m not going into debt for any person and pretend I’m something I’m not. However, I would wrack my brain for another way to show management my stellar capabilities. *grin*

null4. You have to go to court on a drunk driving charge. Do you tell your boss the truth about why you need to take the time off from work?

My answer: Absolutely not. However, I would keep in mind that my boss is most likely not stupid and will find out sooner or later. To avoid any unpleasant scenes in the future, I’d join a program to prevent myself from getting into this situation in the future AND to show my boss that I’m responsible enough to nip any problem I might have in the bud before I hurt someone.

null5. A friend, whom you’re very competitive with, signs up for an outdoor survival program – the challenge is to spend three days and nights in the woods. Your friend dares you to test your resources in the same program. Would you?

My answer: Actually, I probably would. One, I’m pretty competitive and two, I’m pretty sure I could hack being out in the woods for that long. But I wouldn’t do it solely because my “friend” dared me, I don’t easily succumb to peer pressure like that, but mainly just to prove to myself that I COULD do it. I’m weird that way.

null6. You are the most financially well-off in your family. Your aging parents need financial help and all of your brothers and sisters want to contribute. Do you give more?

My answer: Absolutely, positively – no doubts and no second thoughts.

null7. Before your father died, he asked to be buried back in his homeland. The expense will greatly diminish his estate. Do you honor his request?

My answer: Again, absolutely. It was my father’s money and my father’s last wish. I’m not about to renege on something that important because of greed.

null8. You’re amazed how low the electric bills are at your new condominium. Later, you discover why – your washer and dryer outlets are hooked up to your neighbor’s system rather than your own. Do you tell your neighbor?

My answer: I’d be tempted to let it go, but yes, I’d tell him. I’d feel too guilty and would let my neighbor know what was going on. Especially if he was cute. *wink*

null9. You and your spouse are on a weekend sailing trip with another married couple. The boat is small and sensitive to any motion. You and your spouse are in a tiny sleeping berth and become amorous. Do you rock the boat?

My answer: Are you kidding me? My husband is too shy to kiss me or hold my hand in public, there’s NO WAY he’d rock the boat. And I’d be too self-conscious about the boat rocking and knowing our friends knew what we were doing to do it to begin with. Wait, did that make sense?

null10. Your co-workers ask you to contribute to a gift for a fellow employee. You hardly know the person. Do you contribute?

My answer: Yes, but I wouldn’t be happy about it. I mean, I’d have to work with that person for hopefully a long time. I wouldn’t want to start the working relationship off on the wrong foot because I was too stingy to give some money. But MAN, I’d be hoping they wouldn’t put me in that situation to begin with.

null11. As a public servant, you’ve taken an oath of confidentiality. You discover that the city government is misleading the public about an important issue. Do you leak this information to the press?

My answer: Probably, but not in the obvious way. To keep my cushy job (because what government job isn’t cushy?) I’d try and expose the truth without actually letting on that it was me doing the exposing. That way I wouldn’t get into trouble and the public would know what was happening – a win-win situation, if that’s possible in this case.

null12. A tradition in your spouse’s family dictates that your first-born son should carry the grandfather’s name. You hate the name. Do you break tradition?

My answer: Yes. I’m already the family rebel, why change that image? *grin*

null13. You think your friend tickles and cuddles your eight-year-old child too much. Do you ask your friend to stop?

My answer: I think it depends on how the child reacts to the cuddles and tickles. If the child is distressed by the physical attention, then I would absolutely step in and say something. But if the child is having fun and I can see that my friend is just more of a touchy-feely sort of person, then … maybe not. But I’d sure keep a close eye on the situation and wouldn’t hesitate to say something if I thought there was a HINT of anything weird going on.

Your turn.

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