<p>GM- can you invite the guy to dinner? Get a look at him and then maybe you will feel better about things. She might have good taste in people. Also in teenage world, any disapproval can just fuel the romance fire. </p>
<p>About books, Drae I am coincidentally reading my way through Anne Patchett. I read Bel Canto ages ago, just recently State of Wonder, The Magicians Assistant, and am on Patron Saint of Liars. </p>
<p>I recently reread Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler. I think she is underrated, because she is home-y and kitchen sink drama ish. Then I looked her up and they did give her the Pulitzer. Also read her most recent Noah’s Compass. Am currently also reading 22 Brittania Rd for book group, it is strange and im not sure I can recommend it.</p>
<p>settled!! (dance)
I thought I was a pro but I wasn’t.
Greyhound jumped ticket price for holidays in three weeks windows, not usual two weeks.
now his three days four nights suffering is going to cost 70 bucks more!!
I could not believe it and jiggled dates/places and found that there is no statics consistency for reminding dates counts/price/ destination, but pure money making formula!
watch out for the mafia dogs(greyhound) folks! </p>
<p>same time American airlines going bankrupt maybe that got something to do with or don’t, suddenly cheap flights are popping up where it weren’t before.
I saw total bargain non stop but departing 1AM coming in Newark (NO!!)
if counted departing part cab fees and path train headache here it is not really a bargain.
settled for rather nice one but after few arrangement I needed to take care of, say, in matter of 3hours, that price went up 30 bucks!!
Who is doing this?
How?
Where?
I consulted whoever around and go ahead and bought it, I can worry about everything else later.
you know what, the moment I submitted payment, HUGE weight is lifted from my shoulders.
and comes real sense of “giving” “receiving” “holiday” " togetherness" " connection"
whatnot awwwww he is coming home!
I sent “this is what I did and you are gonna do” email attached to confirmation from the flight because he would need those numbers and stuff, that also show payment receipt.</p>
<p>I did never mean it to guilt trap him but here is reply
“NYC will be weird, ****. I can maybe do job if I have enough time and hang out less.”</p>
<p>Yay Bears! I wonder if you got a better deal than I did… probably. We have to live with the HS term restraints which aren’t as liberal as colleges. </p>
<p>I’ve seen fares evaporate before my very eyes – I usually dread trying to make flight reservations because they’re very expensive and those dollar signs dance in front of my eyes. Especially around the holidays. But we do this every year and I figure as long as there’s grandparents still alive, that we need to go and do this. </p>
<p>See! Baby Bears wants to come home to his momma! I know how much you will enjoy your time together and how much you’ve missed him while he’s been gone. I hope you will have a little time off so that you can really enjoy some time together without having to work work work…</p>
<p>Sometimes those airfares evaporate if your computer is accepting “cookies”. They know you’re interested, and so the fare goes up a bit. It happened to me once, but I didn’t buy the higher fare and magically it went down again about two days later. </p>
<p>An easier solution is to log in on a different computer. You should see the lower fare because they think you’re looking at it for the first time. Southwest Air doesn’t play that game, which is one reason why I love them. </p>
<p>Also, is Greyhound your only option? There are much cheaper buses running up and down the east coast (and not just the scary Chinatown buses). Bolt and Vamoose are two good lines that are more affordable, clean, and wired too.</p>
<p>unlike parents forum, no one would make fun of me so I looked over me-self.
I posted something in the Cooper thread and the spell-check fixed the word I typed up into “ostensibly” which I meant to describe some famous artist’s funny shoes I saw at the book talk.
I thought it is OK looking (the word) but not 100% sure, so went back to Oxford dictionary and found out it was supposedly
“ostensively” adv. derivatives of the word " ostensive" adj. directly or clearly demonstrative
NOT
“ostensibly” adv. apparently or purportedly, but perhaps not actually.</p>
<p>Here in launch, ^ I wrote “statics” meaning “statistics”
“guilt trap” should be “guilt trip” (but why? aren’t we more “trapping” them in guilty feelings?)</p>
<p>You all nice art moms, please feel free to tell me when I do wrong. It is the only way I can learn, it seems.</p>
<p>G
from where he is, it’s the only option. you can however, have choices to go upward and sideway, or downward and diagonally. </p>
<p>agggghhh I wish I had known to switch computer!
but HOW do they know?
where are THEY?
WHY do they care about teeny measly consumer like me?
Is it worth all the trouble? NOT!!!</p>
<p>then again, the flight I bought is now gone (of course I had to check)
only few middle seats and one window seat in front of bathroom were left at the time of the purchase. I suppose it won’t come back alive cheaper in next week…
then again you never know. something better could suddenly surface from nowhere.
mafias!!</p>
<p>thanks love for the link
yet
I am bad at hearing esp. thru microphoned audio and often couldn’t tell what he is saying and had to follow badly timed subtitle.
They (blond or coiffed fancy dressed people) are all LOLing, means they can hear clearly what he is saying, or laughing at him just because?
Some jokes are neat, like switching to celsius from farrenheit for the solution of global warming. problem is, most American won’t get it quickly as is, so he had to tell how that goes from 100 to 40.
It must be hard to get over “what funny in where, how much is too much” hurdle, if one is to do this for living.
I am treated as “novelty” sometimes at all white gatherings (not literally but you get the idea) and everything I say and do is supposedly exotic and funny, and total strangers who is not used to my way of talking would try so hard to “get” it which I just feel they have no idea what they are “getting” to.
food is usually great at such places and I do play my part but often wonder, really where, say, Margaret Cho or this guy here stand in the big picture.
woops am I dumpenning the thread again?</p>
<p>Well I just read “What Was Lost” by Catherine O’Flynn (good but grim) and then watched the Tree of Life. Probably should have just had a couple of shots of good whiskey and stabbed myself in the eye…would have ended up in the same place emotionally.</p>
<p>Okay I’m in a better place now. Hope that visual wasn’t too much for anyone, the book is great but I sure wouldn’t recommend combining those two on the same weekend. As I would have said when I was in college, Man what a downer. Back to work for me.</p>
<p>Loveblue, thanks for posting the link to the video…very funny! I passed it on to some of my family to enjoy. Very clever guy!</p>
<p>Bears, how wonderful that you were able to get your son on a flight home! I think he was originally going to take a bus? You will have much more time to enjoy his company this way. I bet you are counting the days! </p>
<p>I know I am…my Ringling kiddo is in finals week now, working hard but is very upbeat and just making the most of every hour. She said she is getting enough sleep and prefers to work late and then sleep in. Tonight there’s a midnight pancake study break for the kids, compliments of the college! She plans to go unless she’s working in a studio across campus. There are two similar events later in the week, and last night a holiday/cookie decorating party. I think these things give the students a chance to relieve the stress if they can pull themselves away from their work to partake! Lots of projects and presentations this week, as well as one on one meetings with profs. Then Saturday she flies home for a month…yay! I know she’s been working non-stop, so the break will be a welcome one for sure. </p>
<p>Bears, it makes me sad that you feel like you are treated somewhat as a bird in a cage when you are mingling in those crowds. Does it not take you some effort to understand their speech, too? When you are speaking, does it bother you if someone asks you to repeat something? I am guessing it does not…the point is to understand one another, right?! When you post there is such substance to what you say and I enjoy reading what you write.</p>
<p>Greenwitch and Bears, did you get together for Thanksgiving?! Wonderful! Did you know one another before? </p>
<p>Good luck to all of your kiddos on their finals! I know some kids won’t wrap up until later in the month…hope everyone does well and travels home safely!</p>
<p>pancakes are always good.
there were chain restaurants in the South called “huddlehouse” that served breakfast 24/7. when you have weird work/travel schedule and small children who would eat only few things, it was heaven sent. pancakes with scoop of icecream with chocolate syrup for late supper, why not?
I think it will work in Manhattan for midnite snack. who won’t like pancakes???
I would like some right now!! I had scheme of pancake playdate for CMU acceptees back in “squee” thread, it never materialized. mmmmm pancakes. stack of it. doused in butter and maple syrup. mmmmm</p>
<p>no colcon I am a bear in a cage hahaha
people do ask me when they can not hear or understand
“Pardon?”
“what’s that?”
then I’d try using different words, say things sslooowwweeelly or spell it out (if I could spell it) or use other references: like instead of saying “Takashi Murakami” say "the other Murakami who does art (or Haruki for “who writes books”) instead of “Kyoto”, “the old capital that it is not Tokyo”, It is always hard to say names and places.
If people still don’t understand, they usually go u–hum and almost never ask to repeat something more than twice, being polite.
S/he’d then say
“I am going to get drink/something to eat now, see you around” and leave, or change subject to something else, like Samurai movies or sushi
“by the way have you ever seen (made/eaten) this and that? I loved this and that because…”
It is good to know so many people are eating sushi and watching sword fighting films, following Murakami books or arts. plus all manga stuff added, we are in good tidings.</p>
<p>speaking of manga, it was Tigger/Gultenmom who fed me.
I am dying to meet greenwitch the (still)mystery mom of twins plus one.
or anyone for that matter
DO FEED THE BEAR (or the dog) wagwagwag</p>
<p>Bears
Personally I find myself constantly amused and impressed with your writings. I think you have a style that is a lot more expressive than many who are “natural born” English speakers/writers. And I have to assume that anyone who expresses irritation or rudeness when “correcting” your English writing or speaking has probably never tried to learn another language themselves . . . particularly a language as different in structure and form as Japanese. and your interest in our culture puts most of us to shame, I think you’re probably more of a student of America and know more little tidbits about different parts of the country than many of us who’ve lived here since birth. Excepting for those on this forum of course LOL!</p>
<p>Finals week here seems to be going smoothly but maybe that’s because I’ve learned . . . finally . . . to just not ask so it doesn’t get interpreted as not having faith or some such thing.</p>
<p>and you, smarty:still mystery matron, workaholic insomnia owl, hohohoooo
thanks alot for the encouragement and understanding.
I am carrying around “the elements of style” illustrated by Maira Kalman that I gave to my kid some birthday or holiday back; I can read it here there in the subway or while waiting in line for something.
I’ve figured it is less offensive than the “world’s best seller”
so far I have mastered comma, colon: and semi-colon;
^see that I’ve used them and didn’t mix up? (or did I?)</p>
<p>I Elementary Rules of Usage
5.Do not join independent clauses with a comma.
6. Do not break sentence in two.
7. Use a colon after independent clause to introduce a list of particulars, an appositive, an amplification, or an illustrative quotation.</p>
<p>problem is, I don’t know many words that describing, eh…“words”
“clause”“particulars” “appositive” etc. I can kind of guess but guessing is just not going to cut it if I mean business, yes?
So I’d have to remember to look up those words when I get home or if I am with someone who could be bothered, I’d grab the person and ask. And often they don’t know or can not articulate what it mean.
Prof. Strunk wrote this for “writing” student in mind, who was happened to be White who perfected this, yes?
I need “the elements of style for dummies” but still want Maira Kalman to do the picture (and quizzical faced Bassett hound of the cover) but she won’t go for it if it weren’t with nice penguin logo on.
[Amazon.com:</a> The Elements of Style Illustrated (9780143112723): William Strunk Jr., E.B. White, Maira Kalman: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Illustrated-William-Strunk/dp/0143112724/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323084555&sr=1-5]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Illustrated-William-Strunk/dp/0143112724/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323084555&sr=1-5)</p>
<p>Hello all I saw the new muppet movie last night! My h is a huge fan. It was poignant. Kermit is such a sweetheart. I never got what he sees in that pig.</p>
<p>Isn’t Kermit sort of the classic “nice guy”? I’m not that up on muppetland but that’s my sense of him.
Bears
“see that I’ve used them and didn’t mix up? (or did I?)”
I wouldn’t know since you’re probably a lot more knowledgeable than I about proper grammatical usage. But whatever you did it looks and “sounds” good.</p>
<p>Bears, Now I want pancakes! You’re right, who doesn’t like pancakes of one kind or another…buttermilk pancakes, crepes, potato pancakes…something for everyone, kind of like Belgian Waffles! Last week I had some leftover buttermilk and decided to whip up some pancakes for dinner using a recipe I found online…yum! Anyway, kiddo was finishing an oil painting and was heading over to another studio so she skipped the midnight snack. I was feeling bad for her until she told me she slept til noon or 1 yesterday (Sunday) so at midnight she had only been up for about 11 hours! This is her last super busy day and then it eases up for the rest of the week with just presentations and meetings/evaluations with her teachers. I’m going to convince her to do some laundry, at least the sheets and towels, before she packs to come home…we can do all the clothes here if she doesn’t have time and just wants to stuff them in her suitcase.</p>
<p>Bears, yes, I think people do feel awkward asking anyone to repeat something more than a couple times. It’s funny that they switch over to manga or food, though! Maybe they’d be more comfortable if you asked them to repeat, LOL! By the way (since you mentioned Murakami!), I saw the Murakami exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum a couple years ago, LOL! I’m no fashionista so it was a surprise to me to see his art on the LV handbags (or was it another brand?). Anyway, aside from the commercial applications of his work the rest of the show was a mix of delight and shock. </p>
<p>How nice of G-mom to invite you for Thanksgiving! Sounds like a fun and interesting day! I’d love to meet you guys, too, and anyone else who wants to come along. I’m only a train ride away!</p>
<p>Bears, I think you are on to something with your idea of an Elements of Style for non-natives. Really, if there isn’t one out there already you should pitch the idea! Smarty’s characterization of you as “a student of America” is very fitting.</p>
<p>Switters, The Muppet Movie is on my list so I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m waiting for my daughter to get home and we’ll go see it during the week when all the little ones are in school. </p>
<p>OK, off to wrap some Christmas presents before kiddo gets home on Saturday!</p>