Weekly Word, "Albatross"

Albatross
Function: noun
Definitions:
1) any of a family (Diomedeidae) of large web-footed seabirds that have long slender wings, are excellent gliders, and include the largest seabirds
2) a : something that causes persistent deep concern or anxiety b : something that greatly hinders accomplishment: encumbrance

I read this in an article that was describing how home mortgages may now seem to their owners. Oh, this poor, sad little economy. In the middle of all this, it makes me kinda grateful I never had much to lose. You can't lose what you don't have.

Can anybody think of a more inspiring, or at least funny, way of using that word? I like it. But I prefer not to dwell on it in its current context. Help a sister out, will ya?

The weekly word/phrase: "The Peanut Gallery"

So, as those that may have come to know me a bit might know, I tend to spout out random ridiculous crap sometimes. And now that I am YM pres in my congregation, I get to spout out even more random ridiculous crap. And that has lead me to this weeks weekly word/phrase.

During Priesthood today, the boys, which provide men endless means of enjoyment, (mostly because I can mock them all day, and they seem to think that is affection, which is great, because they love my sarcasm :), were making large amounts of noise and obnoxious comments. That allowed me to utter the phrase...."Quiet in the Peanut Gallery" which was wonderfully poignant I thought. And then, as kids do all too often, they asked "What is the Peanut Gallery? What does that mean?"

Now me, I had never looked up the phrase peanut gallery. Who looks up that phrase? On top of that....who doesn't know what it means? I mean really, this is basic English or so I thought. So, I started to spout of at how at theaters, the cheap seats were called the peanut gallery because the poor people sat there and they served peanuts as food, and if they didn't like what was going on or were just drunk and disorderly they would throw peanuts and their shells! And alas, just to cover my **** (those four asterisks are for the word "self", but it makes it much more intriguing if you don't know what the word really is).

So alas we have our word/phrase for the week:

"The Peanut Gallery"

1. The hindmost or uppermost section of seating in a theater balcony, where the seats are cheapest.

2. A group of people whose opinions are considered unimportant: "Pressure is building ... to force ... Alan Greenspan to cut interest rates and pump up the money supply. [He] has politely ignored these catcalls from the peanut gallery" (H. Erich Heinemann).
3. A peanut gallery s an audience that heckles the performer. The term originated in the days of Vaudeville as a nickname for the cheapest (and ostensibly rowdiest) seats in the theater; the cheapest snack served at the theater would often be Peanuts, which the patrons would sometimes throw at the performers on stage to show their disapproval. The phrases "no comments from the peanut gallery" or "quiet in the peanut gallery" are extensions of the name.

In the late 1940s the Howdy Doody show adopted the name to represent their audience of 40 kids.

So, there you have it folks...the Peanut Gallery! Enjoy!

Weekly Word

Lately, my world is full of words I half-know. I'm trying to put words I half-know in the know. So maybe I could sound smart and make other people think I actually AM smart because of my impressive word usage. In my quest to appear to my fellow men to be smarter than the average bear, I offer up this week's Weekly Word:

Auspice
Function: noun
Definition:
1) observation by an auger, especially of the flight and feeding of birds to discover omens.
2)plural, kindly patronage and guidance
3) a prophetic sign; especially a favorable sign.

I had not idea it was so fortune-telling related. How scandalous a word. Oh, and I'm really just kidding about the impressing people thing. Really.

Weekly Word Double!!

This week, I decided to post not one, but TWO, weekly words. The first I heard as I was listening to the news on the radio this morning during my commute to work:

Abstruse
function: adjective
definition: difficult to comprehend; recondite

How appropriate, since when I heard it I found the word abstruse to be abstruse at the time. He he he.

The second word, oddly enough, I didn't hear anywhere recently. I was just thinking of abstruse and all the other words I don't know and then I thought, "Yeah. Like that word 'concomitant'. I don't know that one either." And then I thought it's kind of funny to think of a word you don't know. If I'm able to conjure the word without external clues or information, doesn't that mean that, in some way, shape or form, I must know it? Is this also not a bit abstruse? Well, whatever it is, I couldn't conjure the definition without external guidance of Merriam Webster.

Concomitant
function: also an adjective
definition: accompanying, especially in a subordinate or incidental way

Weekly Word: Sycophant

You guys might already know this word. I know I've heard it before, and I even know that it's a word I would not like to be associated with. But do I really know what it means? Well, when one of the professors at the university here decided to use it in an email to me in regards to one of the students in our graduate program who took his course (ouch!). I thought I'd look it up to make sure.

Turns out upon further investigation, I didn't have a firm grasp of the word previously. But now that I've checked, I can read or use or refer to it without hesitation. It's a fun word. It makes me wish I insulted people more often so I'd have more opportunity to use it. Word like this do that. And words like dungus-head. Or k-nigget. Too bad.

Which brings me to another thought..... If they used words like stapler or fax to describe people negatively, would people like being negative a lot less?

In case you too were unsure, here it is:

Sycophant
function: noun
definition: a servile, self-seeking flatterer.
synonom: parasite

Like I said, "Ouch!". Best wishes to you in avoiding the aquaintance of or other involvement with sycophants in the near future.

Weekly Word: Verdant

So, lately I'm always listening to NPR. Frequently the reporters will use words that I don't know. On occasion I remember to look up those words. This time, however, I didn't learn the new word from a reporter on NPR. Instead it was from a repetitive plug for a sponsor -- some foundation who wants a more just, verdant and peaceful world. And over and over again, I would think, "Huh.. What's verdant?"

Well, at last I remembered to actually look it up. My uncanny ability to spell words I don't know the meaning of then came into action and I swiftly found the word in the dictionary.

Verdant
adjective
1. a) green in tint or color b) green with growing plants
2. unripe in experience or judgement: green

If I'd only known. Then my post last month would have been, "Do I Look Verdant to You?".

And all your friends who can recycle -- you can call them "verdant".

And all those greenies on missions. They're very verdant.

Verdant, verdant, verdant. I'm gonna be having a hay day with this one!

Weekly Word: Farding

Oh, you are gonna love me for this one.

Yes yes, I know you don't know this word, and I know you know the word it sounds like...but gentlemen, if you want to have a little fun with your special lady friend, or for that matter, just as long as she is a lady friend, doesn't have to be all that special. Or ladies, if you enjoy a little potty mouth every once in a while, or wish to show a little literary hi-brow to those gutter minded men around you, then Farding is the word for you.

So. let's start with what Webster's has to say about Farding:

Main Entry: fard
Pronunciation:\ˈfärd\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French farder, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German faro colored — more at perch
Date: 15th century
1: to paint (the face) with cosmetics
2 archaic : to gloss over
— fard noun archaic

So, next time you are late for dinner, and it happens to be because your special lady friend isn't ready...you can quite literally to tell her to stop Farding.....and let's go! :)

Weekly Word: Imprimatur

BTW, I was watching an episode of Urban Myths last night, and they were trying to "bifurcate" a car by sending it, at 55mph, into a head-on collision with a stationary, incredibly massive snow plow. And if you're wondering, no, you cannot bifurcate a car using this method. You can, however, harm the passengers inside the car (the blow up dummies did not fair well.)

I just so happened to discover a new word this week, and so I will share it with all of you.

Imprimatur
function: noun

Definitions:

1. a)a license to print or publish, especially by Roman Catholic episcopal authority, b) approval of a publication under circumstances of official censorship

2. a) sanction, approval, b)imprint, c)a mark of approval or distinction

I read it in an article, or maybe I heard it on the news... probably read it. Anyway, it was being used with the 2nd and more applicable of the two definitions. What a fun synonym for approval! Use it. I dare you.

Weekly Word: Exegesis

This is one of my favorite ones. I learned this word back in undergrad, and for some reason it has stuck with me. Who would have known that I would still remember it to this day.

So what does it mean?

Exegesis (from the Greek ἐξηγεῖσθαι 'to lead out') is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text.

Now the fun part is how you use it. Most commonly the word is used in an academic setting...like in a summary of a text, an analysis of some written document or something similar. Clearly, it has several uses in law, but lawyers like to ask for a case summary rather than the exegesis of the case, because they don't want analysis or critical explanation...they just want recitation.......BORING!

Challenge of the week....use the word exegesis...even if it is just putting the word in a sentence in the comments on this blog!

Weekly Word: Bifurcate

This weeks word is one that I have come across a lot in the legal context, and I think it is just the funniest word in the world for a few reasons. 1. Because it sounds so weird when you use it...definitely a $0.50 word. 2. Because I don't think that many people know that it has uses outside of the legal world. and 3. Because if you rip out the word bifurcate in a sentence, let me tell you, a lot of people will be impressed with the language. It makes the word Pedantic look like an obnoxious attempt to sound smart without any knowledge of the english language.

According to Webster, it means the following:

transitive verb : to cause to divide into two branches or parts.

In more contextual settings, such as the law:
Bifurcation (law), the division of issues in a trial for example the division of a page into two parts.

And in the world of clothing:
Bifurcation in context of clothing: clothing which separately covers each leg (such as trousers) is called bifurcated clothing, while clothing which covers them jointly (such as skirt) is called unbifurcated clothing.

Things or areas that you may want to or are interested in using Bifurcate:
A road that is under construction and being split, you could use the word bifurcate.
"They are going to bifurcate the highway."

You could use it in the world of work, when a discussion is getting too complex.
"Let's bifurcate this discussion"

That is the end of the the weekly word!

Weekly Word: "Spender"

Through research, the general population of economists and financial advisors have found most people "grow into" their income. There's that initial point of being able to meet needs, (which I think is somewhere around $30,000 for a family of 4), and then everything after is really just the extra comforts and niceties we know, love and would like to know better .

I have reached the point where I am meet my own basic needs. Hallelujah. And now? Ooooh. I can easily imagine "getting by" on practically double my salary. I look forward to the year I can get my hair done regularly and fly to Europe for a two and a half week vacation, stomping and frolicking all over London and Paris. At that time, I would ideally be vacationing away from my fabulous home which I have filled with creature comforts of lovely furniture and home decor. Am I asking for a lot? Growing up in America where bigger is always better and spending money is fashionable, I might seem a "reasonable"gal. Take me to Africa and they would likely think me a Diva. It's just so hard to figure out "reasonable" when you look from a global rather than national perspective. It'd be easier for me if I didn't do that. Note to self: endeavor to be less globally minded. Then you won't feel so bad for being such a spender.

In looking at spending from another angle, I think about lavish hopes and wants and needs in relationships. You can lavish someone with kind deeds, thoughtfulness, affection, listening, patience, service, selflessness and a whole bunch of things. These things are free as far as money is concerned. But can you overspend? Can you give someone too much? And then, what about the receiving side? How do you know what your budget is? How do you know what it should be.

It makes a lot of sense to look at this kind of budget in terms of romantic relationships as well. I am reminded of the "love languages" theory. Let me think.... If I remember correctly, we have: physical affection, acts of service/kindness, compliments, gifts and quality time. Amongst these categories, one could draw out a budget of what you need and also what you tend to spend. Then, compare with whoever it is you are or would like to be romantically "relationed" to and see if you can adjust and meet each other's needs. It's TOTALLY like a budget. And if you or they can't do that... well... much like a job that can't pay your bills, you should likely find a different one that fits.

It seems to me these kinds of commodities translate into a type of universal budget that knows no class of people. What a lovely idea that we can all "afford" to spend and be spent on, where it would be possible that there be no poor. I suspect that I fall into the group of people who are low-budget. I don't ask much. But I have a concern. If you do that, do others budget you less because you don't seem to need it? Or does the excess go into a savings account that you can access later? Maybe I should become more expensive.....

On the other side of the coin,I don't think I give that much. Therefore, uncharacteristically, this makes me not a very big spender. I'm low budget on every end of this. How absurd. What I have in abundance I seem to dream up fewer ways to do things with. That's a really bad way to do things. From what I can make of this kind of budget, I think I should be 'spending' as much as possible. You'd think it would be so easy, considering my nature. If only that transferred into how I spend my thoughtfulness, service, patiences, affection and selflessness. Alas, I must endeavor to be a better spender AND be less globally minded. How's your spending going?

The weekly word: "Definitely"

Well, I am a slacker, loser, and above all lame. I missed our lovely weekly word two weeks ago. Fortunately, my fellow co-blogger is not so slack induced. But alas, I start this week strong!! Strong as an ox awaiting branding....or something like that. Please, please don't brand me, and definitely don't tell someone I have been branded!

Which brings us to the weekly word "Definitely".

In connection with my previous posts of the timeliness of communication, and what that communication means in regards to making plans, we revert to when things are as close to in the present as if they were never a question. Something so solid, that pen isn't even conclusive enough. Go ahead and decorate that calendar page! Break out those markers. Bathe in the myriads of stickers which will adorn the wonderful calendar date which has been confirmed with the word "Definitely."

When working out plans to see movies, fly to europe, hang at the park, or walk the dog, there are few words which should convey the amount of conviction, dedication and resoluteness that the word Definitely entails. Now, depending on the type of person you are, and the type of plans being made, this type of commitment should not be given too far in advance.

Obviously things such as travel usually require a little more planning than average, but I would not give a definitely until you are ready to buy tickets, or have already taken the days off of work. In regards to movies, put the money on the table baby, cause we're going, so don't commit until you know you can commit. There are many other terms that could be used, like "Maybe", "Probably", "Hopefully", or phrases such as, "Planning on it." (See past and future weekly words to determine the appropriateness of each term.)

Now, if you are canceling a definitely, and don't do so unless you are willing to withstand the fires of hell or the near death of your mother, the first and utmost priority is not to call the individual. This is not like the others where a phone call as early as possible is necessary. Canceling a definitely requires thought, contemplation, and above all, presents. Yes, that's right folks, presents are deserved when making someone cross out all those hearts, starts, and balloons on their calendar. The size of the present is obviously determined in conjunction with the amount of planning and the amount of reliance by the lost and forlorn party, left to wander the streets with whipped cream on their nose and nobody to wipe it off. That candied cherry stem tied in a not left alone and unnoticed to drown the remaining pool of liquid ice cream. Oh, THE HORROR!!

So, what are we looking at for presents? It could be something as simple as a chocolate the next time you see them. Maybe even some flowers, or a combination of all of the above if a bigger event. Remember, no present and you might not be invited next time. Your status of the definitely will be translated by the receiver as a maybe, and next thing you know, they aren't showing up, you aren't showing up, and you may as well have not made plans in the first place. Take 'em out of your phone book, delete them from speed dial, cause it's over baby. That's right, O-V-E-R over!

So, to prevent some wonderful, meaningful relationships from ending, use the word definitely with due caution, and if cancelled...bring presents.

Weekly Word: Judgmental

I claim to be an incredibly judgmental person. Really. I am. You do or say something -- ANYTHING -- and I am likely to start thinking about what I think of it in .000002 seconds.

We had a speaker in church on Sunday who was referencing an article written about Harry Potter. I love Harry Potter. However, even if I didn't love the books, I would not have been very impressed with the article. It talked about how there was no "God" that Harry prayed to and how the whole series was based on the Love in that world as a source for good and nothing else and therefore the book was promoting a movement away from God and religion.

My judgment? It's a frickin' kids book created from a brilliant imagination. The author felt no inspiration for infusing religion or doctrinal matters into her work. I don't think that means you then infuse the idea that she is promoting a god-less world. C.S. Lewis wrote books that retold stories from Greek mythology and nobody has ever accused him of promoting the free world to start worshiping Zeus. I also read a children's book to my niece a few weeks ago about a magician turning somebody's mom into a pirate. They didn't talk about God in there either. Perhaps I should warn my sister about the anti-religious paraphenalia she has lying around her house and encourage her to burn it.

Here's another one -- I don't see why we all get so uppity all the time. I even started to get uppity towards somebody because so far, every time I've spoken to this person (which has been a total of three times, and those interactions and conversations were moderately brief), she's mentioned that she has her Juris Doctorate. This is a great accomplishment and I think it's very impressive. I do. And I'm sure she is very smart. I only wish she would stop announcing it to me. I could probably deduce that she is smart even if she DIDN'T have a Juris Doctorate.Why does she keep telling me? Or maybe I'm just jealous. And while we're on the subject of pomp and medals, here's another story it reminds me of, though this scenario is slightly different: one of the board members at work wanted to make sure I put his name on our organization's website correctly and decided to properly spell and punctuate "Ph.D." for me, to make sure I got it right. I wanted to yell at the man and tell him we covered those grammatical issues in, oh, probably my 8th grade year! But I held my tongue.

I do not mind that people are good and seek after good things. I only dislike when they read into things and assume that other things, if not like their things, are not good. And I don't mind that people are smart and that they get degrees. I only mind that they feel the need to wear their laurels for the free world to admire or that they assume others have yet to get done with finishing school and learn their abc's.

I used to really have a hard time with "Utah Mormons"(I can just feel every friend of mine who was born in Utah and is a Mormon wince as they read those words). It's true. I thought they had a weird sense of humor, were stuck in the 5th grade, were way to perky for not ever having had coffee and were way to casual and assuming when talking about church-related things with any and everybody they ran across.

In all this, we find, quite simply, that I am as I said I was: judgmental. There is a beautiful thing in this, however. I have come to love and adore a few people that are indeed, Utah Mormons. I have grown to be slightly endeared to the oddball board member who drives everybody on the planet nuts and is still unawares I have some edgycaishun. And I will endeavor to learn a thing or two about Mizz Juris Doctorate because, if she has enough brains to get that far in school, I'm thinking she might have something worthwhile hidden in her head. These people are all humans. And they have redeeming qualities as well as qualities that can drive other people batty.

I spoke with a woman the other day who is dating a guy who used to be Mormon and is now very angry with the LDS church (which I find to be very common among people who "used to" be Mormon). I had another conversation recently with a friend who is gay who also used to be Mormon before he came out. Both conversations started to lead to this labeling and frustration with this big heap full of Mormons.

My observation is that we all seem to lump things and group people in a generic pile with too much ease. All those Mormons. Having hung around with them for a while, I have found Mormons are human and are pretty accurate reflection of the population at large. In my mind, if you don't like Mormons, I wonder if you like anyone at all.

I think people group things and judge people because it is easy. Maybe. I don't know. But you really can't group things accurately. You can't group an individual either. They may be very pompous. But perhaps they are incredibly smart and good at what they do and can give you some great advice or guidance. Unfortunately, we often think it better to notice their fault and then toss them in a pile of human refuse we wish not be bothered with. And for what?

Admittedly, I don't think I'm going to stop being judgmental any time soon. I don't even know that I should stop. But I like that I am acquiring the ability to appreciate the good in a world full of imperfect people. I like to go back over my pile of refuse and create another "salvage" pile.

Weekly Word, "Okay"

Here's a few scenarios for you:

1) You invite me to your house one evening. I arrive and ring your doorbell. You come to the door in a very timely manner and invite me in. Upon my entering, you ask if I would like something to drink. I respond, "I'm okay. But thank you."

2) You're on a date with your boyfriend. This evening is one of the rare occasions when you actually paid for the movie tickets. Before the movie, your boyfriend discloses the fact he didn't have dinner. After the movie, you ask your boyfriend if he's hungry. He responds, "I'm okay. I've got food at home."

3) A good friend comes by your house on his way home from class. It is an evening class, and the friend commutes to class from his home which is about an hour away. He arrives just as you are about to go out with another friend for a previous engagement. He looks exhausted. You ask your friend if he would like to sleep in your spare room, as he looks really tired and you'll be home in a bit. The friend says, "I'm okay. Just wanted to stop by and say hello."

In each of these cases, the term, "okay" is very vague. It's a politician's answer to an uncomfortable question. In each of these scenarios, whether or not the person is okay wasn't even the question! So why do people answer with it? We all wonder the real reason. Case in point, let's look back over the previously mentioned scenarios. In many of these situations, what the person really meant is hard to say. We are all left to guess and explore the possibilities.

In scenario one, the meaning of "okay" could be any number of things, such as:

1) I'm not thirsty

2) I don't want to trouble you

3) I don't trust your glasses because the last one I had at your house was dirty

In scenario two, the meaning of "okay" could be:

1) I have leftover pizza at home and I REALLY want to eat it because leftover pizza is my favorite food in all the world.

2) I left my wallet in the car because I didn't think I'd need it since you paid for the tickets, and I don't want to make you pay for dinner because I'm the boy and you're the girl.

3) My laundry should be done by now and I'd like to get home as fast as possible so it doesn't get that sour smell.

In scenario three, the meaning of "okay" could be:

1) I feel weird being in your house without you, even if I will just be sleeping there.

2) I have somewhere to be early morning, so I need to get home.

3) I really just came by to say hello. I did that. Now I'm outty.

4) Actually, I came over hoping for a booty call and since you won't be home, I have no reason to stay.


See how much we leave to a person's imagination when we use "okay"? Now, some of these responses are things we would never say. At least most of us wouldn't. Even if they were true. In which case, it may be best for you to be vague and say "I'm okay."

But what if you were offered a glass of water and your real reason for declining is "I'm not thirsty." Do you want to make the host wonder if perhaps you are too considerate to trouble her? Many hosts, in this case, are compelled to repetitively try to entice you and offer you a drink, just to make sure. Or she may wonder if you don't care for her lack of attention to detail in dish washing. Do you really want to cause this kind of undue stress to your host? Even more so, if you turn down your friend for a soft bed when you're tired, do you want her to be bouncing back and forth about whether it was for a booty call? Or perhaps she thinks what you really needed was to "TALK" and she is worried she isn't being there for you when you need her.

My advice in using "Okay" is that if it is possible, without causing offense, be honest and clear in your reasons. It leaves out the vague guessing game . On the flip side, when it may be more appropriate to leave things to vaguery (say, in the case of really not approving of your friend's attention to detail in dish washing), please feel free to say "I'm okay." I think, in that case, it's better to leave a question than to leave no doubt. Nonetheless, whenever possible, be specific. As with most terminology and wording, please careful in your choice of words, and use "okay" only when appropriate.

The Weekly Word: "Sooner"

So, in my dating extravanganza, (It really isn't so extravagant, and there is definitely no ganza going on) I have come across the all too often situation of trying to figure out when to plan date number 2,3,4,5, etc. Although when you are a student and life is fairly up to your own making, once you hit the professional world, things are not the same. There is a schedule which you have to adhere to, and then there is the all too often pop ups, which you didn't plan on, and as a religious individual, we have the all so fun regular and sometimes unexpected church duties, meetings and obligations.

So, you are left to finding two individuals that have competing schedules, trying to navigate the all to common waters of....do I like you? Which leads to the question of, well, when do I see you next? And the common response I have often after a date is "Sooner rather than later"

So what does that mean? Well, I guess we could start out that Sooner is not later. Later being a longer time than sooner, yet both being undefined and left to interpretation.

If you were in law, you would rely on one of those funny things called precedent. Precedent is when you have a series of actions or judgments of the same terminology or situation, and how they were treated previously.

So that makes it interesting, I look at how we have scheduled "outings" or dates before. It seems that there might be a toughie. We have scheduled things eh, more likely later rather than sooner. Sometimes it is over a year between our dates, but recently it has been roughly a month or more between dates.

So, in that situation, sooner rather than later could mean a month in between is sooner, and a year in between is later. Wow, that is a long time, and despite precedent that doesn't seem conducive to the event scheduled.

Which leads us to then a common mans understanding of what sooner rather than later means. My suggestion would lead me to believe that sooner means less than a month, but more than a week. Somewhere in between that time of I want to see you again to the point of spending every waking minute, and the, we'll see each other whenever we have the urge or feel like it. There is more of an urgency in sooner than the lackadaisical approach of whenever I get a free moment, but actually looking for a free moment.

So, that leads me to the one and a half and 3 week timeframe. I doubt that unless I was the president or that busy, as in the book "He just isn't that into you," (which all individuals should read), a month in between dates is not sooner. We are not so busy that we couldn't find time within a month to schedule something.

The one and a half to three week timeframe leaves enough space to accomplish whatever it is that you have eating at you to get done, yet schedule one evening where you can plan on meeting up. Obviously it is more difficult in bringing to persons busy schedules together, but it isn't that hard. If nothing else, in that time frame the planning should have at least begun. Or at a minimal contact made.

So, what am I to glean from this sooner rather than later exchange? My assumption is that either my definition of sooner is very different from hers, or "She just isn't that into me!"

Weekly Word: Smoothie

What is a smoothie to you? This past week and a half or so, I have had the ever-challenging task of feeding myself. What to eat is a HUGE topic. Americans everywhere read about it, write about it, think about it..... The effort we must all put into feeding ourselves is a challenge, for many different reasons. Some of us feed too often. Others forget too often (I still haven't figured out how these people do that. I never forget.) Many of us struggle not with how often, but with WHAT to eat. In my case, I have a hard time digesting dairy. And things with lots of oil. I even had a long period of time where I couldn't eat veggies and other "ruffage" type food. I have an aversion to eating a lot of meat. This made about 80% of the food found at the supermarket useless to me and I quickly acquired an aversion to grocery shopping. Freak, I know. The digestive system is a beast. A picky beast.

But alas, I have found a safe haven. I have found this in the beauty and simplicity of "The Smoothie". Healthy. Has Fruit. Has yogurt. I can add "boosts" to it to make it even more healthy. It's got ice (as good as a glass of water), it's cold, and I find it very filling and satisfying. The perfect summer food. I have had one almost every day since my parents left town and have caused me to have to fend for my own meals. All other meals are either grubbed off of somebody else or consist of whatever random things may still be in the fridge and cupboards of my kitchen ( I ate gold fish and ice cream for dinner one night).

I am but a few days shy of reverting back to yesteryears where all I ate was peanut butter & jelly and burritos from the freezer. For months. But I still think it would be worth the price of my cherished smoothie. With using these food rations, I can afford to get my lovely, delectable smoothie pretty much every day and still not spend ridiculous amounts of money on food. In reality, I could go to the grocery store. But then I would have to give up my smoothie.

The Smoothie is my new love for food. It is every wish I have for in a summer meal: sweet, cold, fruity, easy, drinkable, nonfattening, easily digestible, guilt-free, fast, affordable and accessible. It comes in many varieties and the whole fruit kinds are not TOO sweet. MMMMM MMMMM Good. A smoothie is my reason for taking lunch. It is my thirst quencher. It is my tide-me-over happy food till the folks return and actually bring real food around the house.

What's your smoothie?

The Weekly Word: "Slacker"

So, as my dear sweet co-blogger will tell you, I slacked a bit last week...I didn't post the weekly word, and it was my turn. And then I think, what is a slacker?

So, alas, I googled slacker, and first up....wikipedia.

According to Wikipedia, the term "slacker" was most commonly used during the WWI and WWII era to explain men who were avoiding the draft, but that isn't me....hmmm. Next, they give a short concise evolutionary definition, applicable to modern times "A typical slacker is characterized by a static, unenthusiastic air manifesting in an apparent lack of effort."

OUCH!!! I sure hope that isn't me.

Alas, I turn to the urban dictionary for respite. With their new voting system, urban dictionary puts a whole new meaning to community dictionary. The most popular definition presented is

"Someone who puts off doing things to the last minute, and when the last minutes comes, decides it wasn't all that important anyways and forgets about it" I don't know how I feel about that definition, but it is better than the other one. Still a bit assumptive in characteristic, yet pessimistic in outcome. Oftentimes I think a slacker does it in the end, just a bit late. Lastly, I come to the Freedictionary.com. "One who shirks work or responsibility." I like it, short, sweet, not overlybroad, yet vague enough to be applicable to the majority of commonly associated occurences. In my terms, what is a slacker? Someone that says they will do something and then doesn't. Perhaps it is just someone that works on a different time frame from the rest of us. Or maybe it is a genius so engrossed in other thought, that it appears as if they are doing nothing, but in reality, are one more "slacking" moment from uncovering the mysteries of the universe........ok, ok, yes, that is a far stretch. And if I wasn't a slacker, I would probably type okay, instead of ok. Regardless, slackers are our best friends, our worst enemas, and our enviable compatriots. We love hanging out with them, because they are the only ones that have the time to hang out, while the rest of us A-type personalities are off being anti-social and trying to conquer the world. Everything is the worst enema...can you have a good enema?....wait, don't answer that. And lastly, we envy their ability to shirk responsibility, make time for the more enjoyable things in life, and somehow have a far more relaxed, yet wholistic approach to daily life. True they may be goalless, needy, and empty wastes of space, but we still want to be like them. So, touche, I wish I was a slacker, but until then, I'll just have to blog about it.

The Weekly Word: "Friend"

I just got back from a weekend rafting trip with 5 friends. It was one of the most enjoyable weekends I can recall. It made me reflect on my recent trip to Vegas with 3 other friends. Equally enjoyable. In a couple days I will have a lovely Scrabble get-together with a couple other friends I haven't seen for a while. And I got a letter in the mail last week from a childhood friend of mine. The friendship between her and I is one that transcends convenience and commonalities because we've known each other for forever, we know each other all too well and we know each other to be, simply, irreplaceable.

Last week, I was speaking with a gentleman who is participating in a housing program. He has been building a house for the last year, spending all of his free time at the work site, along with seven other families who are doing the same thing. He said he is tired. Understandable! But he is more than just tired of building. While he gets along and cares about all these people he is building homes with, he said he wouldn't hang out with these people if he didn't have to. And he misses hanging out with friends of his choosing.

I think, when I hear this at first, that he's missing something. How could you not cherish these friendships more?! Some of the people I've "had" to serve with and be around are people I have loved and wouldn't trade their friendships for the world.

And then, I rethink. I am so quick to judge. Bad thing to do because then I find myself a hypocrite. My confession: while I do not like working every weekend, it has been somewhat of a relief to me to be at work instead of church most Sundays for the past couple of months. I spend much of my free time at church. And it's no secret I feel much like a social misfit amongst everybody at church. I'm that crazy, spiritually challenged, friendly girl who likes to go dancing and is a little nutty. Not very pious. Not to mention I think, say and do a lot of things I probably shouldn't. I'm not saying OTHER people think this of me (though they might), but I think this of me among the crowd I run with at church. And I have been frustrated in the past, when bogged in by callings and meetings and more meetings, that all of these friends were people I didn't have things in common with. They weren't people I would choose for myself if I were to have friends. They are so different from me. And I don't feel quite myself when I'm around them all the time. I wanted friends like me. I wanted freedom to go find them and spend time with them.

But friends like me , or friends not like me, what makes somebody a friend? There are people I like to spend time with who I don't have much in common with. And of course, there are friends whom I DO have things in common with. Comparing the two, however, I'd say my more lasting freindships have been mostly with the people I DON'T have that much in common with. If not convenience and commonality, what is it that makes us feel so at home with these people we call "friends"? There are lots of quotes about this. Here are my thoughts on what makes a friend:

You Know They're A Friend When:

- having that person make fun of you is endearing
- you can give each other hugs any time you want or need to
- you don't have to call them back if you don't want to, and they won't hate you for it
- they can tell when you really NEED them to call you back
- they listen
- one of you can disappear from the planet for ages, and when you cross paths again it's like you never left.
- you have mutual respect, appreciation, and love for what makes you different
- you can trust them
- they're honest with you. Even if they don't think you'll agree with them or appreciate they're honesty all that much
- they can tell you you're being an idiot to your face
- you can tell them they're being an idiot to their face
- you can be honest with them, even if you think they'll think less of you, love you less, or be suspicious that you are off your rocker
- they "get you"
- you "get them" too
- you let them borrow your toothbrush
- Even though you hate needing anything, and imposing on anyone, if you had to do it, you would rather impose on or need something from them
- they get genuinely excited and glad about your big news
- you get really glad about their big news
- you send them flowers whenever you want to
- you actually have occasion to want to send them flowers
- If you were asked to save the world, and needed a band of superhero friends to save the world with you, you would choose them to be one of them
- you like to share what you have with them
- you go on a rafting trip and are quite sure you and all your friends are having the most fun on the river.

That's my list. I love friends. They make life much more fun.

The weekly word: "Probably"

After a recent conversation with my dear sweet co-blogger, the thought occurred to me that it would be great to have a weekly "word" post. Take a word that is generally used, but sometimes can lead to confusion. Which brings us to todays word "Probably".

What does probably mean? What happens when a friend/boyfriend/girlfriend/sibling/etc. tells you that they will probably meet you somewhere? What is required protocol for using "probably" in an arrangement to make plans.

Well, let's get some easy ground concepts down first. Primarily, probably means that further conversation is needed. Whether or not you will "probably" do something, it isn't definite, but can be anticipated and planned on, and at the very least, some sort of communication confirming or canceling the plans should take place.

If you are "probably" going to a movie, then you are definitely going to talk/discuss when, where, etc. I would argue that both people can count on the activity happening with the caveat that there is allowance for cancellation without annoyance disappointment, or other unkindly feelings.

What probably is not is a "maybe." Although I won't get into what a "maybe" means, probably is more on the likelihood of a 75% chance or more of occurring. Depending on the person, it could even be as high as 85%. It isn't as high as a "most likely" or a "definitely", but has far more dependence than a "maybe".

A probably can be put in the day planner in ink, with allowance for cross-out. It doesn't need pencil so either you or the other can cancel. And if you don't cancel a "probably", it is as good as not canceling a "definitely". After all, someone is still counting and planning on something, and unless they hear otherwise, YOU'RE RUDE!

So, please use PROBABLY appropriately in your future conversations and life.