I have a new job! I work in San Francisco now, which is a 45-60 minute train ride away, depending on which train I catch. If I time it right and catch the “Baby Bullet,” there are only four stops between me and the city. (I love the Baby Bullet.)
Two trains a day = at least 90 minutes on the train each day. That’s 450 minutes of reading each week. That’s right: I just added 7.5 hours of reading time to my week.
Of course, I hadn’t worked full time since February, and last week (my first week of an additional 7.5 hours of reading time) I was dog meat most days on the train. Friday I think I slept on the way there and back. I tried to pick through some Stephen Covey, but that was way too much work for my tired little head.
Last night in the bath, I finally started Dear and Glorious Physician. I’m only a short way in, but I already knew this fundamental truth: always trust book recommendations from Dad.
I’m open to other suggestions, as well. I’ve got some time to fill.
Hey all readers: I’m approaching 5000 hits! I know that isn’t huge when it comes to blogs these days, but I have to imagine it’s big when it comes to grammar blogs, right? Thanks for your readership and support!
You may have read that I have an interesting relationship with contractions. There is one that stumps me beyond all others.
I grew up in Michigan, where we point to our hometown on our hand map, call Diet Coke “pop”, and have an unusual affinity for nasal vowels. Film Chris and I have a lot of relatives back there, and some of them (very dear, special people to us) drive me bonkers with the use of you’se.
Yes, you read that right. My spell-checker is dying to fix that.* You’se. As in “We’ll miss you’se guys at Christmas this year.” I’ve also heard “You’se guys should tell us when you’ll be back in town again, so you’se guys can come visit us.” There seem to be bonus points awarded for using it multiple times in a sentence. The Christmas card we received yesterday, sparking this post, contained four uses of the word, with two in one sentence.
I’m going crazy trying to figure out what exactly is being contracted here. You, obviously. But what is the second word? What word fits there, and was so long that it needed compacting?
I’ll let you’se guys consider that and let me know what you think. I’m going to go get a pop.
I grew up near the left heel of that hand.
*I think this post broke my spell-checker.
