Category: Life

Posts about stuff

The best awards come from within the community

Yesterday I was nominated for two awards by fellow blogger Blue Bead Publications:
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Both awards have the same rules:

  1. Link back to the person who nominated you
  2. Display the logo
  3. Nominate 10 bloggers and let them know that they have been nominated.

These are two separate awards and so I could nominate up to twenty bloggers, but I have only been blogging steady for about two months and have thus far collected a small cadre of fellow bloggers who exhibit the community spirit that WordPress works to encourage, so like the previous two winners, I will combine the nominations for both awards.

The Sunshine Award also requires that I answer the ten following questions:

Favorite color – It changes from time to time, but right now it is royal blue, then bright orange.

Favorite animal – owls

Favorite number – I like the number three.

Favorite non-alcoholic drink – Fresh ground, fresh brewed black coffee. I think it’s more vital to me than water.

Do I prefer FaceBook or Twitter – Facebook. I’m trying to get into Twitter, but still haven’t gotten to the like stage.

My passions – running, writing, and figuring out how I’m going to get to go surfing someday.

Prefer getting or giving presents – I prefer to give because I often feel like I don’t really need anything.

Favorite pattern – Argyle

Favorite days of the week – sunny days

Favorite flower – sunflowers

Now, for the nominations. The following bloggers have struck me as the blogger family type, with a side of sunshine – in no particular order they are:

  1. Didi Hagar, aseablackwithink
  2. Andra Watkins, the Accidental Cootchie Mama
  3. Rachel Folk, the All-night Knitter
  4. Josh Eddy of BeardTalks
  5. Coco J. Ginger
  6. A Star on the Forehead
  7. prophetbrahmarishi
  8. JUMP FOR JOY! Photo Project
  9. Stacey Utley
  10. Opinionated Man

Thanks to Bluebead Publications, and thanks to you all for being there, for the likes, and for making me feel like a significant contributor to the blogging community – much love. 🙂

P.S. now that you have all been notified, I’m going to go have a beer or three in your honor. 😉

Is most unnecessary word “the”?

Today’s Daily Post prompt asks:

If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

I believe, without a doubt, that the most useless word in the English language is the word “the”, which is also the very first word I would ban from general usage if I were able to do that. I mean, to use that word indicates a single instance of the object “the” is modifying – “the” dog, “the” group – one of each. Coincidentally, the next word(s) I would get rid of is “a” (and “an”), but “the” is a better first choice due to it’s greater length.

So sure, we would be going around sounding like a bunch of Russian immigrants, but can you imagine how much time, money, and text we would save? Books and articles would be significantly shorter, without sacrificing any content. And if, like many other languages, we assumed the default mode of a subject or object to be singular, then articles like “the”, “a”, and “an” really bring nothing to the table – like employees who come to work and consistently goof off all day.

What do you think? Is word “the” necessary thing to have in English language, or not?

Another thing I miss about Michigan is…

… good Chinese takeout

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#8 sweet and sour chicken, courtesy of Hong Kong One, Ferndale MI

One thing I miss about Michigan is…

You can buy alcohol just about anywhere. 20130621-133855.jpg
(Karisa wearing Delaney @ Costco)

Preparing for the trip

In just over an hour I will be leaving work and then I have the next six days off. It feels like every minute is hanging, a question mark of infinite length, drawing out the torture of knowing I will be kicking it for real after getting on the plane tomorrow morning. We will be visiting family, showing off our daughter, going to the zoo and the brewery; were going to eat real Chinese takeout and Thai food, Coney Island and Slurpees… For six days it’s going to be a real treat, and then we can come back to this.

Next year I’m going surfing, I swear.