Weather in the Tries: 

This last week has been a week of Seattle weather on steroids, i.e., it’s been cold, wet, and windy. The coming week appears to be a tad more civilized with lows all in the 40s and highs going from 58F to 65F. Thanks, Ma!

Vlad and other Grumps:

Actually, I did get a rather dark laugh out of Vlad this past week. He got on his high horse, looked Biden in the (virtual) eye (or maybe an old photo?) and threatened if we send any more weapons, &c to Ukraine, he’ll consider nuclear retaliation. My comment to Vlad, not that he cares, is: Vlad, Dahling, pull out of Ukraine, stop the war you started, and no one will have to send them weapons and munitions. See how easy it is?

One of the people in a discussion group I belong to did bring up a good question that none of us has seen/heard discussed by any of the newscasters or pundits we follow. If Vlad’s army is in as rough a shape as it is, what kind of shape are his nukes in? If his soldiers are so ignorant they stole radioactive souvenirs from Chernobyl (I hope they were small, and fit in a pant pocket), what makes anyone think his nuke sites have been properly maintained? 

Grump #2:

After a busy day of emptying boxes, I would turn on the tv for a bit of relaxation, only to get my dandruff up. Have you noticed how many women on the tube do not know how to part their hair? It really isn’t difficult to get a straight, curved, or artsy part. With the advent of large screens and high def (and, I suppose, my astigmatism), I find the lack of a straight, curved, or artsy part to one’s hair annoying. Yes, I’m scraping the barrel, but…

Grump #3:

For—definition from Merriam-Webster: read it, it’s interesting. There is also fore (used in golf and with other words) and four (used to keep 3 and 5 apart. For the correct pronunciation, check out the Minute of Speech, here.

Fur: that stuff that covers most cute fuzzy animals, the exception being those who have hair. 

Fir: a tree, such as the Douglas Fir, that when spoken the two sound the same, so you need to take it in context. To hear the correct, American pronunciation, check here

Far: as in the opposite of close or near. To hear the correct pronunciation, go here.

Why am I grumpy over this? Because there are three different and distinct sounds. And I’m tired of people saying (and spelling) “fir” when they mean “far” or “for.”  For heavens sake it’s only three letters. Get them straight, pronounce the correctly. One’s mouth must change for the ‘ah’ sound, the ‘oh’ sound, and the ‘ir/ur’ sound.

In watching the news, not only do I want to mail combs to the female reporters I want to send all of them a pronunciation guide. 

Grump #4:

Author Jason Tharp loves to write and illustrate books for weird kids for the best of all reasons—he was one. I wish his books had been around when my kids were young enough to appreciate them. He was all set to read his book, It’s Okay to be a Unicorn to a class near his hometown and at the last minute, he was cancelled. Rather, the reading of that book was cancelled because there is a rainbow on the cover and some illiterate parent whose child wasn’t in the class he was visiting, saw it and complained it was a book about being Gay. Oh, please, are these people going to cancel their God because S/He paints Rainbows in the Sky? Read the article here and if it’s paywalled a judicious email…

A NOT Grump:

So, my housemate is moving in this month, he’ll be here sooner than later, I imagine. Especially as I have most of the boxes out of the office and we’re not letting SBD into his room until he’s here. That gives me time to “practice” — it’s been years since I’ve had a housemate. I’m used to wandering the house in my skivvies, leaving the bathroom door open, dishes in the sink, cooking for one. (We haven’t discussed cooking/grocery shopping yet. His Type B personality says, meh, it’ll settle out. My Type A personality says, What do you mean? The bowl is half empty. No. Wait. That’s the nonexistent cat.) But you get the idea, I’m sure.

Photo of the Week:

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads

I haven’t had time or inclination to read much this week. But I have read a bit in an ARC (advance reader copy). It’s a fascinating book and I can hardly wait to finish it.

Earworm of the Week:

“Imagine” written by John Lennon, performed by his son, Julian. And if you’d like to see the lyrics to follow along, think about, cogitate, check out this site.

Quotes of the Week from Brainy Quote:

“Vladimir Putin is creating an axis of authoritarian regimes that he will lead.” —Malcolm Nance

“Never say ‘no’ to pie. No matter what, wherever you are, diet-wise or whatever, you know what? You can always have a small piece of pie, and I like pie. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like pie. If somebody doesn’t like pie, I don’t trust them. I’ll bet you Vladimir Putin doesn’t like pie.” —Al Roker

“Frankly, I would never accept an award from Vladimir Putin because then you kind of give some credence and credibility to this butcher, this KGB agent, which is what he is.” —John McCain

Today may be a holiday for many, but Auntie Lenora loves you, each and every one, and she knows you wait with bated breath for your weekly Coffee Break Escape. Pour a cuppa, sit back and relax. Sammy Brave Dog is already back on his bed (which is really my bed, but he prefers it to something on the floor with his name on it), curled up and asleep. It takes a lot of energy to give each of you your weekly pupkisses., but he’s happy to do so.