Spring

Do you have a spring in your step because spring is just around the corner? 

The "official" first day of spring for baseball fans is the first home game of the season. For our hometown Kansas City Royals, that will be April 5. 

Here in the US we were told to spring forward one hour last weekend for the start of Daylight Saving Time. So for a few weeks, the difference in time between Poland and Missouri will be only 6 hours instead of 7. 

Do you have cabin fever from being inside during this long, cold winter? Lots of people around me are eager for winter to be over. I'm in no hurry. Summer is so hot and humid here in the midwest that I really don't want to think about it. I've spent too much time in my air-conditioned office, my air-conditioned home, and my air-conditioned car. 

If I came to visit your town, would you spring for (pay for) a drink? Be ready--you never know when I might spring a surprise visit on you!

Blah

Have you ever felt "blah"? I have.

I had a headache yesterday. The pain wasn't terrible but I felt lousy all day--not much appetite, no desire to talk to anyone, and I took a long nap in the afternoon. Blah.

I didn't feel great when I got up this morning, but it was Monday so I didn't think much about it. After 3 or 4 hours at work I didn't feel any better, so I decided to go home. I felt "blah"--no specific pain or symptom. I just didn't have any energy and more than anything I wanted to take a nap. It's hard to write computer code when your brain feels like mush. Blah.

It's hard to push yourself to work or study or clean the house when you don't have the energy or the motivation to do it. I know there are times when you don't have any choice. When your baby cries in the middle of the night, he's not going to change his own diaper and get a bottle by himself. He needs your help or he will feel worse than "blah" and will let you know it! 

Maybe you don't have enough sick days to stay home from work, so you go anyway because you can't afford to lose your job. So if you're having a "blah" day, do the best you can and I hope tomorrow is a better day for you--and me!

The

I see I've been a bit lazy. I didn't add anything to this blog in the first 2 months of 2010. Oh well. 

One of my friends asked me how to decide which way to pronounce "the". Sometimes it sounds like the beginning of "these"; at other times it's more like "thus". Here's an easy way to decide: 

1) If the next word after "the" starts with a vowel sound (a,e,i,o,u), you pronounce "the" with the long "e" sound in "these". 

2) If the next word starts with a consonant sound, "the" sounds like the beginning of "thus". 

Notice I said vowel "sound" and consonant "sound". Sometimes English is tricky because some words have silent letters. For example, the word "herb" is pronounced as though the "h" weren't there. It's spelled with a consonant at the beginning, but it's pronounced as though it started with a vowel. So you would use #1 above, not #2. That's the (#1) end of the (#2) story. 

Don't forget to stick out your tongue when you say "the"--whichever one you use!

Celebrate!

How time flies! It's already the last day of the year--the end of the first decade of the new millennium. Ten years ago we were worried about "Y2K". We were afraid some things would stop working when the calendar flipped to January 1, 2000. We survived. 

Will you celebrate tonight? What are your New Year's eve traditions? I'm getting old. Sometimes my wife and I don't even stay up till midnight. Are you glad this year is over? Are you excited or worried about 2010? 

Best wishes to you for a great year in 2010!

Pain

Friday was a real pain. The pain in my neck nearly drove me out of my mind! Hot pads, pain pills, pain relievers--no relief! My body worked so hard to fight the pain, that I was tired the next day. 

We say that "he's a pain in the neck" or "she's a real pain" when someone annoys us. We also say, "No pain, no gain." 

Some people think that physical exercise must be painful to be helpful. If you don't feel pain, you're not working hard enough. I prefer a painless, easy stretch, or a relaxing walk, thank you! 

You can also use "pain" in a more positive way. You can say that she takes great pains to avoid mistakes in her work. She's very careful, very thorough--meticulous. 

I hope that life is not painful for you now.

Who are "they"?

Sometimes we use a shortcut when we quote someone but don't know his or her name. 

1. They say it's going to snow tomorrow. 

2. They say you should get a flu shot this year. 

3. They say you can't take it with you. 

4. They say that love makes the world go around. 

5. They say that pride goes before a fall. 

Who is it that says all these things? How did "they" get so smart?! Here's the source of the quotations above: 

1. The weather bureau or a local meteorologist 

2. The medical community, your doctor, or the CDC (Center for Disease Control) 

3. Common saying that means you won't have any of your earthly possessions after you die. 

4. Another common saying 

5. The Bible (book of Proverbs) 

What do "they" say in your country?

Snow

Has it snowed in your neighborhood? We had some a couple weeks ago, but it disappeared fast. 

According to the latest weather forecast, we may have some more snow soon. It depends on the temperature whether we have rain, snow, or both (a "wintry mix" our forecasters say). The last few days definitely felt like winter to me. 

Do you like snow? Some people think it's a "dirty" word. I like snow. I like to watch it fall. I like the way it makes a shiny white blanket over everything. I even like to drive in it. When I was a kid, I went sled riding on our farm almost every time there was enough snow. One time I nearly ran into a fence! So for me, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"