Have you noticed what a fan of the ellipse I�ve been lately? That and the parentheses are the punctuation marks nearest and dearest to my heart. Growing up I was a huge fan of the colon and would try to put it in all my paper titles (Witches or Warriors: Women in (insert Shakespearean play title here). It was a personal quest.
Anyway�nothing like starting with a tangent. Is that even possible?
I�ve been in a bizarre funk the last few days. While moodiness is not a huge surprise given my temperament, I just can�t figure out the reason for this one. Nor can I seem to really snap out of it. In an attempt to do just that last night I went to the library and got a stack of books I had loved when I was younger (Nancy Drew, Anne of Green Gables, the Anastasia books). We will see if I am successful.
I don�t know. Maybe I am just tired. I haven�t been sleeping well lately and have been having really vivid dreams. I am just feeling really disconnected from everything.
But enough bitching and navel gazing. On to the point of this entry.
I am sure you are all asking yourselves: �Austin is clearly cruel and judgmental. What are her pet peeves? I want to know so I can avoid them all and make her my best friend.�
So here you are. A list of the things that truly drive me up the wall.
1. The misuse or less and fewer. This puts me into an annoyed fit at least once a day because people are morons (apparently I like to be annoyed my things people do often. I am thinking of becoming bothered by breathing). Rule of thumb: If you can count the things, for example people, it�s fewer. If you can�t, for example water, it�s less. Live it, learn it, love it.
2. The misuse of the subjunctive (what can I say, my dad used to be an English teacher). It�s �I wish I WERE�, for the love of God.
3. People who don�t send thank you notes. That�s right, I am everyone�s 80-year-old grandmother. I am a religious thank you note sender and I think not sending them is incredibly rude. Especially if you send someone a gift and they then proceed to not acknowledge it at all. Grrr�
4. �Cute� spelling of words. How lazy are people that they have to write things like �tonite� or �luv�? Stop butchering the English language! What has it ever done to you?
5. There are a couple that are only wedding related. People who don�t send in their response card despite the facts that we included an addressed and stamped envelope and they totally know whether or not they are coming. Also, the host of people who assume they can bring dates even though they were not only not invited with one but are also not actually dating anyone. Oh humanity. How you frustrate me.
6. Generally, I am just not a fan of bad etiquette or rudeness. I work pretty hard to be thoughtful and polite and it steams me when it is not returned. Again, this only results in me spending a lot of time annoyed. Fun!
So. Am I am bitter shrew? Perhaps. But at least it gives me a purpose in life. Whenever someone is saying that there were �less people�, you can find me at the back of the room, fiendishly muttering �fewer, fewer.�
Reading: A stack of the Alice books by Phyllis Naylor
Craving: Uninterrupted book time. Yes, still.
Thinking: Would I be happier if I were a plucky girl detective like Nancy Drew?
Student teaching begins - 2005-02-20
Three more days!! - 2005-02-07
Weekend recap - 2005-01-31
Oh the hate - 2005-01-26
Yay for staying home! - 2005-01-24