How to teach grammar like a boss

This website is fantastic. Purdue OWL

Don't make grammar more difficult than you have to because often other people have done the heavy lifting for you!

Why are banks so effing unhelpful and frustrating?

[insert rant here]

No one else needs the specifics but it's a pain in the ass to be sure!

-Rachel

So many things that I didn't know! Grammar for smarter than your average dummy

English is hard. Terribly, terribly bastardized and convoluted.
Makes no sense except in use.

I thank my lucky stars regularly that I learned English as a primary language, and never had to make sense of it as an adult.
Learning French from middle school on, and more recently Spanish has helped to improve my English but we can all use a little help...

My favorite from the list is:

• The singular of biceps is biceps; the singular of triceps is triceps. There’s no such thing as a bicep; there’s no such thing as a tricep.

Although I think that I might still get this wrong regularly:

• He stayed awhile; he stayed for a while.

-Rachel

Being larger than you are

 "I firmly believe in small gestures: pay for their coffee, hold the door for strangers, over tip, smile or try to be kind even when you don’t feel like it, pay compliments, chase the kid’s runaway ball down the sidewalk and throw it back to him, try to be larger than you are— particularly when it’s difficult. People do notice, people appreciate. I appreciate it when it’s done to me. Small gestures can be an effort, or actually go against our grain (I’m not a big one for paying compliments), but the irony is that almost every time you make them, you feel better about yourself. For a moment life suddenly feels lighter, a bit more Gene Kelly dancing in the rain." — Jonathan Carroll

Maps: Chile

Feast for the Eyes: Iceland

Húnafjörður, Iceland. photo by Marie l’Amuse

-Rachel

Re-homing your treasures or the craigslist shuffle

I bought a lot of my furniture off of Craigslist. In fact, I consider it to be one of my greatest skills - reading between the lines of people's descriptions to decipher the truth. Always look for pictures, and select your neighborhoods carefully. The ritzier neighborhoods tend to have quality stuff that is a little more gently used. 

Bottom line: I know how to play the game.

I've also moved 4 times in the last 5 years. Not that I've had the top of the line furniture but it's been treated well, and I like to think that I curated some beautiful and quirky pieces to fit my life. Not a lot, but enough. (the same cannot be said for shoes or clothes though - of those I have too many and to the consternation of my step-father)

And it's hard to not get attached to the things that you touch and rely on every day of your day-to-day life. The things that are your go to places, the place where you keep your other treasures. I spent a fair amount of time to find these pieces and I have to temper that attachment with the need to purge. I don't need many of these pieces that are around. And above all they deserve to be useful. So I've put them up on Craigslist. Not cheap enough where people will treat them as disposable, but hopefully they all find good homes.

The craziest part though is having to deal with all the Craigslist yahoos. Some key thoughts when Craigslist shopping or selling. Be fast, be fair, and don't take anything personally. Most people will waste your time with no regard. Often they don't know how to bargain the deal either. Not that I'm an expert but persuasive speech is very rarely 5 words: 'Is 'x' still available? $5?'

I respond. No shit, sherlock. It's still available. Price is firm for the time being, and your offer is insultingly low.

Come on! At least see the piece before you decide to offer 1/10th of the asking price. You don't get to own my prized chair. Or ottoman. Or anything. You will treat it like garbage - I can tell. You won't prize it. And that's what I require. That's a luxury that I have now. 

Ask me in 2 weeks.

Everything may be a lot cheaper.

-Rachel