3 Thanksgiving Thoughts

1. I prefer the drier white meat of the turkey over the dark meat.
And I eat it without gravy. Because I'm crazy like that.

2. My favorite Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade moment of all time:


3. I like green beans. I like casseroles. But I do NOT like green bean casserole.
In fact, I hate it. There, I said it.

Adverbs

WORDY WEDNESDAY

Adverbs are used to modify verbs (action words). Adverbs usually tell you when, where, how, in what manner, or to what extent an action is performed.

Most adverbs end in -ly, particularly those that are used to express how an action is performed. Although many adverbs end in -ly, some do not (like fast, never, well, very, most, least, more, less, now, far, and there).

Types of adverbs:

• Adverbs of Time (when)
• Adverbs of Place (where)
• Adverbs of Manner (how)
• Adverbs of Degree (in what manner or to what extent)

Adverbs can also modify adjectives and other adverbs.
Examples:
1. He boxed more cleverly than his opponent. (more modifies cleverly, which modifies the verb)
2. She wore a beautifully designed dress. (beautifully modifies the adjective designed)

Or just let Schoolhouse Rock! tell you about adverbs:

Candy Crush

TWITTER TUESDAY

I am so frustrated with Candy Crush Saga. I've been stuck on level 350 for entirely too long. #overit

Dear Patriots

Dear Patriots,
I find you irritating. You make me angry, and I can't stand you.

Dear Tom Brady and Bill Belichick,
If I have to hear another commentator sing your praises (I'm looking at you, Cris Collinsworth), I think I may scream.

Dear Broncos/Patriots game,
You successfully conned me into watching your end. Not only did I end up heartbroken and wanting to vomit at your outcome, but I also wasted time I could have spent binge watching some more of The Good Wife. (I'm in season 3 now, but I also watch the latest episodes on my DVR. Just trying to get all the back stories.) Thanks a lot.

Dear Julian Edelman,
I had you on my fantasy team all season, and you did DIDDLY SQUAT after week 1. So I finally decided to get rid of you on Nov. 13. And then you rack up 23 fantasy points in last night's game. Shame on you.

At least I can count on Jimmy Fallon to make me laugh about the whole debacle.

I like rice cakes

FREESTYLE FRIDAY

I like to have rice cakes as a snack. Big Daddy says they taste like cardboard. My favorites are the butter popcorn flavored ones. I could eat an entire bag of them in one sitting.

Do you have any snack favorites that other people think are strange?

My Current Top 3s

3 THOUGHTS THURSDAY

Fave TV shows
1. The Good Wife (I've been binge watching it for days now, getting all caught up from the very beginning.)
2. New Girl
3. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Fave songs
1. Royals by Lorde (Seriously, I can't get enough of this song.)
2. Roar by Katy Perry
3. Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

Fave cartoons
1. Adventure Time
2. SpongeBob SquarePants
3. Regular Show

Fave web sites on which I waste too much time
1. Facebook
2. Pinterest
3. Twitter

Stuff I'm over
1. Miley Cyrus
2. Twerking
3. This stupid head cold I have

Who vs. Whom (and Its vs. It's)

WORDY WEDNESDAY

OK, folks. Here they are. As requested.

Who vs. Whom
Who is the subject of a verb, and whom is the object of a verb. (Subject = the person or thing doing the action; object = the person or thing having the action done to it.)

The easiest way to figure out whether to use who or whom is by plugging he/him into the sentence. If he works, then you use who; if him works, then you use whom.

Its vs It's
Rule 1: When you mean the word as a possessive, don't use the apostrophe. (its)
The dog hurt its paw.

Rule 2: When you mean it is or it has, use an apostrophe. (it's)
It's going to be a lovely day.
It's been nice getting to know you.

Vegetarian nachos

TWITTER TUESDAY

I heart #Qdoba. Drove all the way to downtown Bloomington by myself so I could eat there. So yummy.

Dear Illness

Dear ears,
I wish I could hear out of you. Please stop being clogged up.

Dear nose,
Why have you decided to join this illness party? Why have you decided to start running and then being stopped up five minutes later?

Freestyle Friday: I don't do the Elf

I don't do Elf on the Shelf. There, I said it.

I see the millions of Elf on the Shelf idea pins on Pinterest, and it makes me shudder.

Why? Let me break it down for you.

1. The elf is creepy looking.
2. It's yet another thing I'd have to remember to do.
3. Emma already knows Santa and I are pals and are frequently in communication, so why do we need an "elf spy" at the house to report back to Santa?
4. The elf creeps me out.
5. Call me lazy, but I just don't want to.

If your house participates in the Elf on the Shelf tradition, more power to you. We're going to refrain from it at our house. To each his own.

3 Thoughts Thursday: Little-known facts

There's this game going around on Facebook where people are given a number and are supposed to tell that many little-known facts about themselves. Since today is 3 Thoughts Thursday, I gave myself the number 3 and will play along; after which I henceforth absolve myself from further participation in said game.

1. I almost died in a car accident when I was 16. And a few months later, I was in another car accident at the same intersection (walked away unscathed that time).

2. I love office supplies and could spend hours looking around in an office supply store.

3. The spelling of my name, J-A-I-M-E, came from Jaime Sommers, the Bionic Woman. My name also means "I love" in French (j'aime).

Wordy Wednesday: Their/There/They're

I'm realistic enough not to assume that people know this (even though they should, but I digress); so I'm just going to throw it out there and hope it sticks.

their = belonging to them

there = a place

they're = they are

Which of the following sentences is correct?
1. There going to they're cabin located in the woods over their.
2. They're going to their cabin located in the woods over there.

If your guess was #2, you're right. (I spy a future Wordy Wednesday topic in that sentence...Do you?)

But I bet you see sentences like #1 more often than not. I do, and they make my brain hurt.

I'd like to end with a shout out to my friend Johnny Hotsauce, who gave me the idea for Wordy Wednesday. You'll always be a state spelling chimp to me, my friend.

Twitter Tuesday: Norbert's birthday

Happy birthday, Norbert! You have been a wonderful part of our family for 11 years now. Love you, dog-face!

Dear Veterans

Dear Veterans (including my dad),
Thank you for your selfless service! So thankful for and proud of you.

Freestyle Friday: I heart grammar

No, it's not Wordy Wednesday; but I'm going to give you a grammar lesson today.

Emma had her spelling and spelling sentences tests today. She started one of her sentences like this: "When me and mom go to the store..." Her teacher didn't count off for it, but she just wrote "mom and I" in parentheses above that phrase.

I asked Emma if she knew the rules for that kind of phrase. She didn't. (Which is probably why she didn't get counted off for it.)

Do you?

Here's how I explained it to Emma.

1) When you are listing people, including yourself, you (i.e. "I" or "me") are listed last.
2) To decide whether to use "I" or "me," take the other person/people out of the list as if the sentence were just about you and see which one reads correctly. "When me go to the store..." Wrong. "When I go to the store..." Right.

Easy peasy.

And that, my friends, is your grammar lesson for the day.

3 Thoughts Thursday: Please do nots

1. Please do not live post the results of an entertainment awards show on Facebook (or Twitter or whatever).
If I wanted to know the results, I would A) watch the show, B) look up the results on the show's website, or C) DVR the show to watch it later, and thus you would be ruining the whole thing for me. Most likely, though, I don't really care. So stop it.

2. Please do not wear leggings as pants.
Just don't. If they were meant to be worn as pants, they'd be called pants.

3. Please do not make short lists with inane demands that no one really cares about.
Oh, wait...

Wordy Wednesday: Palindrome

A palindrome is a word or phrase that reads the same forward and backward.

One of the longest palindromic words is aibohphobia, which means a fear of palindromes. Ironically, the word is a palindrome itself. Apparently even nerdy word people have a sense of humor (albeit quirky).

How many palindromes can you think of?

UPDATE: The full-size Twix was eaten today. By me. As promised. I am a woman of my word.

Twitter Tuesday: Rainbow Loom

I'm officially addicted to @RainbowLoom. Just started a week ago, & I've already been asked to make bracelets for Emma's class. #hmmmOK

For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about.

Dear Halloween candy

Dear Tootsie Rolls,
You are Emma's favorite candy. So I will not pilfer you from her candy stash.

Dear Reese's Cups,
You are in danger of being eaten quickly. By any one of the 3 of us in this house.

Dear Lemon Heads,
You disgust me. You'll probably still be in the candy jar this time next year.

Dear Twix,
I would love you more if you were of the peanut butter variety, but that kind is almost impossible to find. I still love your brother, caramel.

What is this Twix java?? Where can I get one of those?!?!

Dear Kit Kat,
I know there is a full sized version of you in the candy jar. I know where you are. If you are still there two days from now, you will be mine.

Dear Smarties,
I have always loved you. I'll probably be hiding several of you in my purse so I can find you from time to time. What a lovely "surprise."

Freestyle Friday: Fall colors

I. Love. Fall.

I love looking at the beautiful colors of all the trees. My favorites are the really vibrant ones, especially the bright red and bright yellow.

It seems like the big, weird storm yesterday/last night brought with it all the beautiful fall colors. I couldn't help but take some photos on my way home today.

And this next one is the view on my way up the hill into my neighborhood. Isn't it beautiful??