OT Note from School

I remember the time they were building their house. My very organized sister had a tabbed three ring binder, with each tab things like plumbing, electrical, etc. The electric man stopped by to verify that the work was done and to verify the bill with my sister and brother-in-law. Little did he know who he was dealing with. She informed him that the bill was wrong, as in too much, and he assured her that it was not. She proceeded to pull out her binder, open to her spreadsheet of the bill and what they had ordered and what the house plans said. He assured her again that the bill was correct. She matter-of-factly stated that they would then be going room by room to verify his bill before she authorized payment from their contractor. He had met his match. The bill was immediately corrected, that is to a lower and correct amount. He had indeed padded the bill.

The second reason that this gentleman picked the wrong person to deal with. She worked for two judges and she knew the system and who to use to deal with such persons and how to expidite the system if need be.

The third reason that this gentleman picked the wrong person to deal with is that her, our, dad was a barber and barbers are always asked for recommendations. Let's just say that while the work was quality, as my Dad correctly passed on, the caveat also passed on was to be sure to check your bill.

Oh my dear Sandy, I wish I was more like you and Polly and my sister. While I am organized at work, in getting things done, and mostly in "a place for everything and and everything in it's place", I have yet to achieve it to the level desired at home. While I am sometimes on a "mission" and don't get in my way, I don't have everything very organized at home. I surely do wish, but it is just not bound to happen. The box may have sewing stuff, but all just piled in. The file cabinet drawer may have the household info, just not in order. I think you get my picture. I would be more so, but for two reasons. I just haven't taken the time or kept it that way, and it would drive Bert absolutely crazy. He's one of those get the tape out of the drawer, use it on the way, set it down on the way, wonder later where the tape is, kind of persons. I'm very observant and see and know and can tell him, if I haven't put it back already.

I've got to get the sewing table back in order though so that I can do some machine work. That is the next "mission" that I am going on.

Steven Alaska

I confess, Steven. I am only organized about some things. I couldn't tell the Sheriff what my car is if it were stolen. It's old, big and black. In my bill bin, there's an avalanche of insurance papers, cancelled checks, phone bills, and stuff. I don't know what to keep, what to toss... or when - so I don't. I guess I'm only organized about important things. Aurifil whale gray, Fons & Porter September 2005 and California garlic powder are important. Polly

No problem. I don't think there are that many model Ts on the road anymore... (ducking for cover...)

We're beginning to be able to think about QIs, but it may still be a few weeks until we can get one in here. In the meantime, it's looking like we may actually have to go back to cleaning the kitchen floor - the popcorn is getting DEEP...

Doc

LOL. Thanks, Doc. Polly

No problem. I don't think there are that many model Ts on the road anymore... (ducking for cover...)

We're beginning to be able to think about QIs, but it may still be a few weeks until we can get one in here. In the meantime, it's looking like we may actually have to go back to cleaning the kitchen floor - the popcorn is getting DEEP...

Doc

So am I! In my school teaching career, in the two best departments I worked in, it was the absolute rule, from HoD down to lowly minion, that we proofread each other's 'stuff wot goes out to parents' and classroom teaching materials before they went out to kids. Once I got computerized, there were rarely any errors in mine, as I ran the gauntlet of Himself's beady eye, and my grammar is generally good. I was usually only asked to re-word a sentence that got rather long and involved for the level of child it was aimed at (82 word sentences are a tad difficult for the average or under average 11 YO, I will conceed! ;) )

I had a demon pedant for a father, and a mother who winced visibly and audibly... Helps a lot, does that! And at an early age I became a fan of Fowler's Modern English Usage...

That's debateable...

I insited upon the Modern Humanities Researh Association's internationally recognised rules for presentation and citation, from the start of year 10 and the exam years. I gave the students all a copy of the relevant portions, plus the general marking criteria for their exams, so there was no question about how to do things and where their grades came from. This was something I started on my own and was adopted as a sort of unofficial policy by three schools in which I taught. In one it has become standard practice for all exam subjects.

When my father retired from the RAF (aircrew: he was a navigator) and became a technical writer, turning the 'back of the envelope' scribbles of engineers about their instruments into manuals for the use of aircrew, he became the over-night 'Ask Jim' whenever there was some ambiguity of spelling, grammar, punctuation, or how an instruction should be worded to make the best and quickest sense to aircrew using the equipment.

Without good teachers prepared to stick their necks out over such issues, we would not have anyone educated sufficiantly to become the doctors, technicians, and other useful people we so badly need.

Giant Mutant Ninja Teenager! My Cherub is now six feet tall, broad as a barn door, stands in the tide like the Bass Rock, and waves break against him. He will be 15 on the first of October! In the vernacular, built like a brick netty! :D

I've solved that one... No car! ;)

We have a thin called The Crap Pile... Every so often I'll riffle through it and toss the waste paper in the recycling.

Yup!

About once a week I manage to scrape the stuff off the carpet long enough to see that it has not yet turned to compost...

I did express horror at the teacher's inability to spell well enough to grade a spelling test -- but-- One thing I have learned is that spelling isn't a gauge of "smarts". Some people can spell. Some can't. I think it has to do with how we are taught to read. That's just my theory. I worked in newspaper for 30 years. I was a "spellchecker" before computers! I ran across some of the most gifted, most talented, educated writers who couldn't spell worth a flip.

Sherry

First of all, Steven, good for your sister! I'm in awe of what she accomplished. :)

Second, while my spices may be alphabetized, etc., I won't go so far as to say that my sewing space is always as neat as it should be. I tend to accumulate "piles" there. I know what's in each pile, of course, but eventually they tend to take over and I have to do a major clean-up. Still, my sewing tools are always in their designated places, since I can't stand not to be able to find them.

DH is more like your Bert. It drives me crazy that I can't find something of his that I need to borrow, but it drives me even crazier when he borrows my things or uses "our" things and doesn't put them away. We've learned to live with it. ;)

Umm... We have a thin[g] called The Crap Pile too, but it's nothing I would considering riffling through under any circumstances. YMMV (but we won't be shaking hands...)

Doc

I used to send class assignments and other missives back to the teacher with corrections in red, which the relevant child helped make. Please forgive me! Teachers have so much authority, and sometimes children need encouragement to stand by their own convictions. They need to know that adults often make mistakes. My children's teachers, fortunately, were usually relaxed and confident enough to admit to error. I don't think they were terrified of me! (They probably were terrified of DD2, who really didn't need encouragement.) Roberta in D

I think it should be a 'fat' called the crap pile... It's rather like the ironing pile: we ignore it until it gets too tall and slithers all over the floor! Or we need all those letters that tell us about the current state of pension plans and endowments and other stuff we usually ignore. ;) It got that name because of the amount of 'ad crap', bank crap (the bumph that accomanpies the monthly statements), bill crap (the same that accompanies the utilities bills), and all the odd stuff we don't know what else to do with...

Leave your crap pile long enough and some archeologist will dig through it with glee!

'Riffle' is a portmantau word: a combination of 'rifle' and 'waffle'.

bought, brought. border, boarder. etc is for et cetera not ec cetera. ask not axe. specific not pacific. the list goes on. argh. j.

"We use Bic!" We do? I've never heard that. Must be a Minnesota term .... not one used in Virginia.

HOWEVER, here in Virginia most people pronounce pin and pen the SAME way! That drives me nuts. They will usually say "pin" for a sewing implement and "ink pin" for a writing implement. Once at a QUILT GUILD meeting, I asked several people for "pins" and each offered me a writing implement. I said, "Pin, not Pen" and none of them heard/understood the difference. It drives me nuts, but if we were all the same Life would be so very dull.

(BTW: I already know that my use of commas is usually wr>> I love the story, Kate. Translation needed however. What is 'scribbled

Not in this case, PAT >g< . In message , Pat in Virginia writes

She is just very persnickity about it all going out correct. Mind you, this is the sister with the alphabetized list of spices inside the cupboard door, the color coded entries on the calendar, the color coded bins of holiday decorations,

I wish I was that organized at home. I run a tight ship at work, though. Here at home, it's more of my being a professional "pile-it". Every once in a while it gets cleared out...kind of more like...moved.

amy in CNY

When I was growing up in Indiana, everyone pronounced Crayons "crans". My grandmother called a harrow, a harry - for city folks, a harrow is a piece of farm equipment. I still pronounce pin and pen the same way, 'cuz that's how I learned it! We always pronounced tournaments as turnaments. I know there were other words that I learned wrong, can't think of any more right at the moment.

Donna in SW Idaho