The Marmot Comes Clean

(This just in: It has turned into a beautiful 50-degree day! If you think that's an oxymoron...I guess you haven't lived here very long. Sun shining? Check! Sky blue? Check! That does it for me.)

I am a big snob when it comes to vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. I get incensed at inappropriate apostrophes (ie, "Try Our Delicious Burger's!",) the oft-forgotten p in raspberry, and my real pet peeve is when people say less instead of fewer. ("There were less people in here today than yesterday.") There are, of course, many more. I'm currently reading this book and I've enjoyed it so far. So thought it would be a good exercise in humility for me to reveal to you the habitual errors I make when writing.

The worst I only recently discovered. Microsoft Word has probably been trying to alert me to this for years and I just never noticed--I type lastnight instead of last night. All the time. I just noticed this about three months ago and I've been trying to break myself of it, but I fear it's a losing battle. In my addled brain, it's one word, like yesterday.

The word cocoon--I really want to put another c in it!

And, on occasion I have written your when I meant you're and vice versa, but I usually catch myself!

There are probably many more--I'll post as I notice them.

"dittos" as they say at kappa kappa gamma

My sentiments exactly. Except I would have been a little more caustic. I keep thinking "Am I really getting old, or is this the worst song, ever?" This piece of crap makes me yearn for the subtle innuendo of "The Thong Song."

OK, here's something cute. (Something for the TV channel one of my teachers suggested, with only good news!)

And this photo reminds me of my uncle.

And happy new year! (almost) What are your resolutions? I can't even remember mine this year. Maybe I should write mine for 2006 in my Christmas present from MSH. If you are short on ideas for your resolution, try: reading (or rereading) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It's a great book--I enjoyed it more this time around than I did in 8th grade English class. And Harper Lee was Truman Capote's research assistant on In Cold Blood. (Irrelevant.)

hair

I am planning to put my prolific hair farm to good use by donating my dead cells to this charity next year. The gallery of recipients is cool, but I just can't stop looking at this. Maybe because there are a lot of cute kids, but for some reason, it just gets me right there.

winter

I am so lucky to have a desk by a window--several windows, actually. Two Thursdays ago when it snowed, I got to watch it come down all day, and didn't have to see it melt when it hit the ground. In the mornings, I watch the sunrise (very red today--sailors take warning!) And right now the sky is so clear and blue and the sun is slanting against the white trim of the house behind our building, so crisp. The LIGHT in winter seems flatter and bluer to me than in other seasons. And behind the roofline of that house, the Cascades are craggy and snow-pocketed against that sky. Air stagnation advisory be damned; I love it!