The King's English

My friend Mary Ann has a wonderfully quirky blog No More Commas Period that I recommend for those longing for a daily dose of fresh air, a snappy humor and a look at a different world. She and I were copywriters in the advertising department of the now-defunct Capwells in Oakland. We quit and got real jobs. Her post on Wednesday had to do with what I will call linguistic annoyances. More than annoyances, however. Hers is the use of the word "like," as in: "Like did you know you have like spinach on your teeth?" "Like no way!" "Man like I'm telling you." "Like gross!" You get the point. Mine is the substitution of the verb "to say" by the verb "to go." Such as: "Well, I go 'Mom, where's the peanutbutter.' And she goes, 'Just where you let it last night, under the sofa.' And I go, 'Like gross!' " Then there's the "I mean" phenom. Where did this come from, and how can it be erradicated? Well, there are probably fewer than a dozen folk who care about this travesty of English usage. Alas. And what would the King say?

As for life in Davis, the patient is coming long, inch by inch. He has not eaten much in the last couple of days. Throat has been sore, appetite has been low. We got another delivery of liquid supplements so I guess that's going to be the diet of necessity for another month. The doc has said he is a bit dehydrated. He must be fully hydrated before the next CT scan. He has to push the water intake so the dye will not affect his kidneys. So it's MORE WATER to puff him up!

As for the weather, it is bloody cold. The pool guys called to say we have to run the filter beginning at 9 PM tonight and running until 8 AM tomorrow to prevent freezing. PG&E is going to have mega profits this next quarter.