Campfyre Stories

When I got home last night Spawn was cleaning the kitchen and whistling while he did it.  Something got through.  It was the whistling, more than anything, that really took me off guard, though.

I had a conversation with a former co-worker of mine.  He had the same experience as I did, except that disparaging remarks were made about his work rather than his personality.  He told me who it was in his case…  I would be surprised if it was the same person with me because I always thought that person liked me…  then again, so did he

I hate feeling set up by people I care about.  Too often I feel like my opinion is only asked when they 1) already know what I’m going to say and 2) intend to do something other than what they already know I’m going to say about it.  This means that when things go wrong, they can look to me and have me say "I told you so", which is not something I generally say, and certainly not something I *enjoy* saying.  At the same time, I’m not particularly fond of saying "Be careful about this specific issue that I’m worried about" only to find, months down the road, that the very situation has arisen and now I’m supposed to be sympathetic to something "that would never EVER happen in my situation". 

I hate when people steal my lines.  I hate it more when they do it in an apparent attempt to be endearing or cute.  I try not to do it to others (except for memes, but that’s something entirely different, they’re memes, they’re *supposed* to be viral), not even to grab a hot topic in the blogosphere.  Ironically, there’s a current hot topic in one of the circles I sometimes skirt that hits home and is applicable to a situation that I am trying not to be involved in.  As much as I’d like to write generically on the topic, I know that some would assume that the reason is something other than it really is, so I’ll save that for another time…  once it’s not a "hot" topic anymore.

My Canadian manager’s first language is French, so he has some odd speech habits in English.  As a result, I find that I very much enjoy breaking certain language "rules" and playing with the language and grammar.  I don’t do it in ways that are obscure or that will hinder him learning more about English or will cause people to understand him less, but I like to think they’re ways that will help him better understand what is possible within the language since, honestly, I think a lot of the English rules (especially US English) are much more flexible than many other languages.

I speak more precisely and slowly when I’m speaking to someone with a heavy accent.  A lot of people have told me that it’s easier to understand me than other Americans, who tend to SHOUT instead of speak slowly and deliberately.  I still want to know if it’s easier for ESL folks to understand other ESL people with the same accent, or if it’s easier to understand native English speakers or if it depends on the teacher.  I wonder about a lot of random things.

I’m really ready for this year to end.  Spawn agrees and claims "I’m done with 2007."  My reply, of course, is, "Yeah, but 2007 isn’t done with YOU."  Or with me.  Or with any of you.  But I am certainly ready for it to end.  I think I’m also done with this post.