Cyber Monday

I did some shopping, spent some money and I don't even feel guilty.

I bought two courses from the Learning Company/the Great Courses, one about linguistics and the other about public speaking.  All courses are 75% off today and I got my two courses for $19.95 each plus free shipping.

Description of the linguistic course:

With more than 6,000 languages spoken around the world, it’s no wonder that linguistics, the study of language, has a reputation for being complex and inaccessible. But here’s a secret: There’s a lot that’s quirky and intriguing about how human language works—and much of it is downright fun to learn about.

Every day, linguists ponder and try to solve some of the most intriguing scientific, historical, and sociological puzzles behind the inner workings of language—how it emerged, how it evolved, how it’s used, and where it’s going in the future.

I couldn't resist it.

I don't really plan on becoming a public speaker but learning about it should be helpful at church and maybe at the library too.

I bought the CDs but can also listen to the courses on line anytime.

I love to learn and I feel like this was $40.00 well spent.

Lubricious

Another wonderful word:

lubricious

PRONUNCIATION:
(loo-BRISH-uhs)

MEANING:
adjective:
1. Lecherous.
2. Salacious.
3. Shifty or tricky.
4. Smooth and slippery.


How can this fun and fabulous word, lubricious... Let's say it together: Lubricious!... have a negative meaning?  Its flavor should be closer to delicious than to lecherous.  I wish I could change the definition of words to suit me.

For more fun with words visit the "A Word A Day" website at wordsmith.org.

A New Gym Experience

School started today for my daughter but not for my grandson.  Owen wanted to go home with his mom last night instead of spending the night with Pa and Gingie.  I told Beth I would go to the gym early the next morning and then go by and pick up Owen, take him birthday shopping to sweeten the deal, and then go back to my house.

I got to the gym at 8:00 a.m. (I meant to be there by 7:30, but hey, I'm retired).  Not many cars in the parking lot and when I walked in the door I saw nothing but people over 60, many of them over 70. I smiled and thought to myself, "These are my people." I enjoyed exercising with folks more like me.

Two men were on machines in the circuit room talking about weekend company and catching up with each other.  I started doing the pull-down bar when in walked two YOUNG black men.  One looked like a football player, the other was shorter and thinner and covered in ink.  They started taking pictures of each other.  Maybe they were the before pictures to go with future after pictures, I don't know.

When one of the old guys finished up on his machine, he went over to chat with the youngsters. These two young guys were in tank tops with work out shorts and wore athletic footwear to die for. The older gent had on boat shoes (deck shoes, topsiders?) Khaki brown pants with a belt fastened high above his waist and a short-sleeved button down shirt.  I couldn't tell what was being said but the older guy was doing all the talking and at the end of his story, all three of them burst out laughing. Gotta love senior citizens.

If I didn't like sleeping in so much I'd get up and go to the gym early every day.

Obsequious

Obsequious.

I love this word.  I love to say it. Obsequious.

But I don't like what it means.  Shouldn't such a lovely word as obsequious mean something grander than "to behave in an ingratiating or servile manner"?

Obsequious should mean something like mysterious.  His obsequious behavior intrigued me.

How does one go about changing the meaning of a word?  How many people know what obsequious means, anyway?

For more about obsequious, visit A.Word.A.Day.

Thank you Copyblogger for sharing this graphic.

Making Books at Shutterfly

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create your own custom photo books at Shutterfly.com.

You Never Forget Your First Doctor

Matt Smith
The 11th Doctor

By the way, who was it who thought, "Hey, this screw driver needs to be more sonic"?


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