Monday, February 15, 2010

If You Waive Good By, Is It Really Hello?



Aisle be missing you...what? Did I say something wrong? Know, it looks write two me. 

I was in the shopping isle at my local market. What a splash! Serial and crackers all over the place. 

What??!!

Gosh, quit interrupting. So rude. 

Fine. I guess I better get back to work  since you can't seem to contain yourself. (Do you know in medical transcription you can't use contractions? No, you can't, not at all.) 

How much does grammar matter? Spelling? Do you judge? And, by the weigh, is it judgment or judgement? Traveling or travelling? Must be proper, you know. 

For all you righters out there, how many times do you write and rewrite a post? Lots? Nun at all? Some of you are so eloquent. Your posts have a point, they follow a path, they get to some conclusion. Some of you are snarky and sarcastic. Born storytellers. I wait with baited breath for the next line. 

Or are you like me? Start typing, let it fly, hope it makes cents, and then off it goes? (And spend more time looking for the proper video to go with your post?) I can never be a real author, it takes too much time. I have Blog Attention Deficit Disorder. BADD. This format suits me fine...short, hopefully, pithy, and if you make mistakes, you hope people will forgive you for egregious errors and lack of loquaciousness. Nobody wants to be thought of as a diminutive dimwit. 

Can you tell it's Monday and I want the week to end already? It's Presidents' Day for goodness sake. Nobody is in school, the mailman is taking the day off, the bank is holding my money hostage, so why are my docs in the box...I mean, office? 

Sigh. 

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34 comments:

ib said...

Interesting.

While it seems somehow nobler to just rattle it off and let it all hang out, I have a habit of dicking round retrospectively. Sometimes I might just tinker with an image. Sometimes I might lop off entire paragraphs as whim dictates.

I have a tendency to impulsively hit the 'publish' button without due care or consideration, only to take a digital eraser to it after the last beer's worn off. Sometimes, too, I can't be fucked.

The way I see it is it's my journal and I've nobody to appease but me. Occasionally I'll be alerted to a grave material inaccuracy by way of a comment and then it the burden of correction is a little more pressing.

There is nothing wrong with BADD, either.

Used to be my spelling was more than atrocious; a hamfisted balancing act between English and American English grammar. I ditched "spell-check" by accident some while back and can't work out how to reinstate it. Now I have to think before I bash down my finger.

Well. More than I use to.

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

Ib...I think I do it so quickly so I can blame all errors on speed, a careless error that I would NEVER make if I had taken proper care and caution. Dang. I do love the way you write by the way. A "...a habit of dicking round retrospectively." I have a medical spell-checker which is always good for a laugh.

I was feeling rather like an ignoramus because I read about subjunctive mood in grammar in another wonderful blog and gave myself a massive headache trying to figure it out. Perhaps I need to start diagramming sentences again~!

MJenks said...

Judgment and judgement are both accepted. There was a point where people tried shortening the English written language by getting rid of the unneeded letters. Since the /dg/ automatically gives you the soft /j/ sound of the 'g', people decided that the e was no longer necessary.

So, it's correct, from a historic point of view. Kind of like how light is correct over "lite".

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

MJenks....So, I guess Lite-Brite is cool now. Just kidding. I know it's Light Bright. Wait, that's not rite either. Now I really have to go to Rite-Aid and get ibooprofin. (My medical spellchecker is squawking like a deranged chicken.) I could do a whole post on what patients call the drugs and medications they take and get all snippy when you ask for the dosages, too.

English Rider said...

Ha! Ha! I enjoid this post.

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

English Rider...I'm glad you enjoided this post~! I sure could use some lethal fruit though. Can you tell I just love that name?

I scored a hat trick with my first 3 commenters...all of you write so well~!

ethelmaepotter! said...

I find that usually a post is either funny or thought provoking; this is both!
Perhaps I have a bit of a dual personality, because I am normally obsessed with following an idea, spell-checking as I go, rewriting and editing, and I have been known to correct mistakes even months down the road; and then there are times when I just ramble, hit publish, and never look back.
By the way, I did not know that little tidbit about medical transcriptionists - do they all speak like I Dream of Jeannie, then? Maybe that's why she spoke in such a manner? Maybe she was actually transcribing for Persian doctors for 2000 years while she was cooped up in her bottle on that beach, writing by quill on tiny scrolls by candle light?

adrienzgirl said...

This was a fun post. I have a hard time reading many blogs that are littered with spelling errors. Not that everyone doesn't make mistakes, they do, but not know the difference between lose, and loose, or their and they're and there. Drives me insane.

Oh...and TOOKEN is not a word. Just sayin'.

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

Ethelmaepotter...Why, thank you~! Of course, now I'm wondering why people say "Why, thank you." Why the why? Since I think everything you write is a home run, it is nice to get to bat. I used to be a spell check nut and I still find it hard to read a blog with too many spelling boo boos, but I have learned that so many writers are so gifted in WHAT they say that I look beyond the spelling. But, I love when I read something where the use of language is so incredible and I know it is because they follow the rules, dang it.

Yes, if the doc says can't or won't, we have to spell it all out. The word NOT is very important when you are talking medical stuff...they can be such mumble mouths.

Adrienzgirl...Oh my lord..I think you were reading my mind! I was about to use the word tooken in my response to a comment. HAHAHA. See, I have a whole post on the words lose and loose~! I guess that is what gets me...we can all make mistakes and use the wrong word but it does drive me crazy sometimes if it seems like they don't know there is a difference. Aisles, isles, aisle, isle, I'll...such fun words, huh?

thiakaren said...

Have you been talking to my family and friends? I always use isle at work and Trish reminds me we are not in the Bahamas WHATEVER....
Scary how many time I have to fix my blog posts.In fact if you have me in a RSS feed sorry! Updated....updated...updated. And that is WITH My mac spell check. Scary...Love this one. By...Karen~

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

Karen...I knew that Trish was a character~! It could be worse, you could call them islands and then what Trish say? This is why I love mnemonics. Like never BELIEVE a LIE so you spell believe right or a PIECE OF PIE to spell piece right. Can we make one up for PEACE and PEA? I should know better than to drink this much coffee~!

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Me being the totally type-A perfectionist I can write. I sit down and the story just flow forth then I stop and edit the dang thing to death. I can sit and edit story that took ten minutes to layout and write for two hours. Yep, I've got it bad. I so enjoyed your post and all the perfecta spellings.

Ya'll have the most beautiful day!!!

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

Nezzy...Sounds like my SIL~! Me...I brew on a post for awhile in my head, arguing with my muse about whether it is worth committing to pixels or not. Finally, I start typing, and except for a very, very, very quick proof, off it goes to blog land. I do re-read them over and over and wonder to myself if that was truly worth it~! Your posts are so wonderful to read...loved, loved your BUSTED post. See, I write that kind of post in my head but it never comes out like that on paper. Shucks. (In my imagination, I write like that anyways. Gosh, now I'm delusional.)

funderson said...

a-ha!! Lucky me...my kid was at school today!

Coffeypot said...

Spelling? Grammar? Syntax? Fuckit! I'm not in school anymore. Grade me all you want, I don't care.

Resentful Wife said...

I have to admit that I have a hang up with typos. My eyes seem to get caught on them (whether it's a spelling issue or their, they're, there) and then I lose all train of thought and have to read the whole dadgum thing over again. It's a sickness, I'm sure.

A Cuban In London said...

Cracked me up completely. Or should that be kracked me up?

Loved it, loved it, loved it. So eloquent, witty and humourous. But humour with a wink, the way I like it.

Many thanks.

Greetings from a very wet London.

matron said...

I am known to sit for hours composing something witty for a post,then ditch it after posting,some issues come to mind instinctively,because I have an opinion on the subject in question.As for spelling,the spell check on this computer (mac) is American and always tells me I am wrong even though I think my spelling is right,!! I am always getting the dictionary out to verify my so called mistakes.
Love the video,very informative.

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

Funderson...HAHAHA. I read your post about your son being in school. Very funny stuff.

Coffeypot...I fail anything to do with grammar except for trying desperately to get my verbs to match my subject. Otherwise, I love run on sentences, misplaced commas. And, I say that because I'm not sure what a run on sentence is and commas always seem like a personal choice.

Resentful Wife...Yes, because of what I do for a living, typos catch my eye, too. I got my title because of a boo boo I almost made in my work. The doc said the patient waived further surgery and I started to type waved. Sheesh.

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

A Cuban in London...Ah shucks, thanks. This post started out as a boo boo I ALMOST made in a medical report. Waive, wave, whatever.

Matron...I bet your ditched posts are great. I try not to second-guess myself too much on my blog and hope that people forgive me my sins~! One day I am going to visit your castle...love the pictures.

MrsBlogAlot said...

Great post! I'm off to do my 685th edit (-:

Dual Mom said...

While it may seem odd for someone (me) who ENJOYS starting sentences with "And", spelling errors bug me. I mean posts full of spelling errors. Also, not using punctuation, like a capital at the beginning of a sentence, yeah another one I can't really let slide.

But (see?) to each their own. I have a choice not to read things that I don't like, right?

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

Mrsblogsalot...Thanks! When you get to 1000 edits, let me know~!

Dual Mom...Since I also love starting sentences with the word and, I cannot say too much. Posts full of spelling errors drive me nuts, too. I have noticed that if a post is chock full of boo boos, it is usually a blog I won't read too much, but there are people out there in bloggy land who are grammar kings and queens and I cringe thinking they are reading my stuff and clucking their tongues. Tut, tut and all that. And, sometimes, those spelling errors can be very funny...or punny.

Aunt Juicebox said...

I love spellcheck! Some words I can never seem to get right no matter how many times I spell them!

Phoenix said...

Start typing, let it fly...and then edit the crap out of it, starting with spell check and noting grammatical errors as well.

I can't help it - my mom is a professional copy editor and my aunt (who helped raise me) is an English school teacher! :)

Barlinnie said...

A splendidly original post... grate in it's entyretie.

Madame DeFarge said...

I check assiduously, but have a friend who always spots one typo in every post. It's a game we play endlessly. I'm sure that I leave one in just for him. But I am a sad checker.

Sandi said...

I must admit I write a post and edit before hitting the send button. Never know who might be reading! You are very good with words and, if you are able to write your posts and send without re-reading or editing, my hat is off to you!

Anonymous said...

YES! this is me! I get all happy and stuff when I have only a few misspelled words and then my sister has to dash my pride when she's all like, yea you're grammar sucks and then I'm like wait, grammar is spelled with an A?

Nice post =)

Happy Hour...Somewhere said...

Aunt Juicebox...I tend to get into trouble if I trust spellcheck too much. One of my clients was a urologist and he was doing a voiding TRIAL on a patient but I typed TRAIL. Yeah, I guess if you have boys it is a trail, but still. It is hard sometimes not to fly past the words spelled correctly but used incorrectly~!

Phoenix...I do sometimes do that but no matter how many times I proof my own posts, I always have a boo boo. I just noticed a misplaced comma in this post. Sheesh.

Jimmy Bastard...Thanks and I hope it is not too grating to too many ears. I am having flashbacks of nuns and their rods and rulers after reading your post~!

Madame DeFarge...Alas, that is me, too. But I hope we are among (amongst?)friends and there will be gentle forgiveness~!

Tgoette said...

Ha ha! I liked this post alot. Most peeple don't worry to much if there writing is full of speling or grammattical errs, but me, I like too be sure that wut I right is alwaze correct and uzes proper English like I lernd in skool.

Great post!

Nuke Girl said...

Hey, thanks for following me, love your blog! And I loved this post, I am a total spelling/grammar Nazi. Guilty as charged. :)

A Cuban In London said...

So, you're Californian. What a coincidence! At some point in the future I would like to drive through California. It's one of those golden dreams that I hope will come true one day. The thought of the Pacific Ocean on one side and the mountains on the other day is so appealing.

Many thanks.

Greetings from London.

Confessions of a Closet Hoarder but you can call me Judy said...

I don't judge others on their spelling too much. There are a lot of people for which spelling, or math, or other things just don't come naturally. I can handle that...in others. That being said, a simple misspelling (to vs two vs too or they're vs there vs their) can change the meaning of a sentence dramatically.

I have a tendency for wanting my own posts to free of mistakes. It makes for easier reading for those who are anal retentive (IE: ME! LOL) In fact, the other day, I actually looked up the term "'bated breath", because I wasn't sure how it was spelled, and I wanted to know for me.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and following me. I look forward to your future posts and having time to read through your older ones. :)