THEN vs. THAN

Livin In Clay,

Question #1.  What's It All About, Alfie?

Question #2.  How did you manage to print the schwa in the pronunciation of the word, than?  That's a good one.

If you inform me, then I will be mo happy than I would have been had you not. 

RichK 

I propose it would be more beneficial to the people, rather than putting them down, to try and lift them up.  Then perhaps they, the people, would have a clearer message of what you are about.  But, then that's up to you.  As for myself, I'll move right along rather than wasting my time on this spot.

MeMaw

For your consideration, my guess for the answers to your questions...

Question #1.  What's It All About, Alfie?  It is directed at Marsha.

Question #2.  How did you manage to print the schwa in the pronunciation of the word, than?  That's a good one.  Copy and paste.

When he couldn't discredit Marsha on his other blog which seemed to be his intention. He has not resorted to personal attacks.

How low would they go?

Marsha has earned the respect of the MCS bloggers.

Something evidently they have not accomplished Livin in Clay.

MeMaw, Angela & Read,

Thanks for filling me in.  I must have missed it.  I guess I'm still on cruise ship time.  Too bad this is taking the place of a personal attack.  Is it just me or do we seem to see more & more spitting & scratching?  I might understand if Marsha was a knuckle dragging, bottom feeding, irritating yutz, but she's just the opposite.  Well, if nothing else, I'll know to scroll past certain blogs & replies.  Once again, thanks for clueing me in.  JATFUR.

RichK

Angela,

We do our best to watch out for spelling errors and grammer but there are still things like poor typing skills and poor vision that come into play when sending out a response to anything.  I am satisfied enough, usually, if I can be understood by the general population.  On occasion, I am sorely tempted to repost something because I see an error after it is posted.  I try not to do that because it pushes the post of someone else further down the Recent Comment line.  As an example, my post about the Outer Beltway posted in the Subject line as Ourter Beltway.  I guess my fingers are more accustomed to typing our than outer.

Solo,

Animals and people sometimes spit and scratch when they feel backed into a corner. There are many people that have been hurt by the things that have gone on inside this well-known golf course community.  One thing leads to another, one comment leads to another.  Defenses go up; anger, fear, sadness, regret and probably many a tear have resulted.   I think Marsha can take care of herself.

I mis-typed grammar! 

Excuse me while I go and write it 50 times on the blackboard.  I'll be right back.

Also, thank you for the lesson in word usage.  Yes, I am terrible sometimes with such things and I'm not the least bit against learning, or re-learning as the case may be.  I will refer back to this blog often when I have the time for such things.  Overall I believe I speak English well enough that the message gets through. 

I won't however be paying attention to the lesson in this reply.

I've have been through so much in my nearly 50yrs.  Yes that's right folks yours truly turns 50 this year.  I've buried my Mother, three of my five Brothers, a husband and a Grandchild. I have spent days, sometimes weeks or months making the pinto beans and peanut butter stretch till the next military pay day while the Father of my children served his country, often away from me.   I have seen more then one Christmas with no presents under the tree for my kids.  I have at times depended on the kindness of my Church to keep a baby in diapers. I raised three girls alone for seven years with absolutely no family around me anywhere.  My Daddy says I have grit.

It will take far more then cowardly, petty and spiteful behavior to bring me down even for a moment.  This is not the first time in my life I have dealt with small minded and bitter people who have nothing else to do in life but spread their negativity.  Most of the time now since I GREW UP the only time these skills come in handy is in advising my teenage daughters.  You need to up your game.

I have no false pride, I am not only aware of my faults, I freely admit to them.  It is a blessing to be human.  In order to be brought down there must be somewhere from which to fall, and my feet are firmly on the ground and my spirit focused on being a better person tomorrow then what I am today.  Somedays I succeed, somedays I fail. What I have you cannot take away or cheapen, because they are things that cannot be touched. 

It will take far more then the email I got last week threatening to take me down.

I wish for the sake of the other bloggers and readers that you would try to focus on something positive to contribute or just go away.  However people who do the things that are going on here don't care about other people so I won't hold my breath on that one.

The only person looking foolish here is you, this one actually made me laugh.

You don't have to stop with this foolishness, but if you think you're going to shut me up from talking about the Ravines you are only fooling yourself.   If what I say jerks that much of a knot in your knickers you have far larger problems. 

Dang girl, don't hold back here, tell him what you really think!

I told someone else that if they were going to take you on they were probably stepping into a battle of wits unarmed. Apparently this one didn't read that thread.

I don't know when it is, but happy 50th.  

MikeH

Are you willing to share where you went and how you liked it?  I took a cruise several years ago when I was a widow and had the best time ever.  So much so I now like to live through other people who've gone on cruises, I can't wait to go again.

What cruise line? Where did ya go?  What was your favorite part (that you can share in a blog) of the cruise.

Lets turn this ugly blog into something more pleasant.

How bout it Uncle Rich? 

Wasn’t it Nicomom that first tried the grammar check on these blogs, and failed miserably at her attempts? Have you ever noticed that the ones who criticize most write the fewest blogs? The way I see it; if I write it and can understand it the writing Is good enough for me and should be for all. Livin in Clay how many grammar errors did I make in writing this.  Just wondering

Marsha,

Your question comes at a great time because I've been in a foul mood because of the lack of reading comprehension of people who apparently don't know what the hell is meant by signs that say, "No Soliciting," "No tresspassing," & the indifference of the police to enforce the laws.  OK.  I got that out of my system & I'm feeling much better now.  Back to you & a more poeasant subject.

My wife & I have enjoyed cruising for over 20 years.  The two things I like @ it  are the fact that you unpack, stay in a 4 star hotel, see different places & at the end, you pack & go home.  I hate packing.  The other thing is the fact that on a cruise, you can do as much or as little as you want.  We caught up on our reading.  I lost a few bucks in the casino.  On the good side, there was a fantastic high school orchestra that played in one of the show lounges.  They were GOOD. On the bad side, high school girls in bikinis.  I am so grateful I went to an all boys Catholic high school.  I doubt if I would have survived otherwise. 

We usually go twice a year.  A 7 day cruise in the Autumn & a 3 day cruise in the Spring.  We went a bit early this year because it was free do to earning points on the credit card.  I love not having any credit card debt.  That's due to the financial genious of my better half.

We went to the Bahamas for three days.  The weather going there was cool & windy.  Nassau was quite pleasant, especially in the afternoon when the clouds blew away & the temps got into the mid 70's.  The shore excursion (we didn't go.  Been there, done that)  to Coco Cay, their private little reserve just like all the cruise lines have was cut short because the wind got up to 45 mph & safety was a factor.  The ship anchors @ 200 yards off shore & a tender brings people back & forth.  The ship, being rather large, doesn't have a problem.  But the tender bobs up & down to the point that when they were bringing people back, the ramp got a bit bent from hitting  the TOP of the hatch.  In strictly nautical terms, it's called a bad thing.  Thankfully, no one was hurt, just a bit frightened.

We've tried a few different cruise lines but like Royal Caribbean the best.  Not as stuffy as something like Holland America.  (I'm too laid back & informal for 7 days of that)  Not as expensive as Crystal or Raddison.  And not as party til you puke like Carnival, although they have gotten better.

If any of you out there have never cruised, I would highly recomend it.  If you have never cruised, don't wast your time & money on a 7 day outing.  If you want to try it, take a 3 day one with Carnival out of JAX.  Parking will run you @ $10 - $12 a day.  I would also recomend using a reputable travel agent.  They can be worth their weight in gold.  Also, & this is MUY IMPORTANTE, use your computers.  Even if you sign the dotted line, if you keep checking, they give discounts the closer you get to the sailing date.  If you find a lower fare, PRINT IT OUT.  Then contact your agent.  It's good to be the king or queen.

I'm still a bit put off from the negativity lately.  I'm not that worried @ you too much.  To put in the parlance of my New York friends, "You seem like a pretty tough broad."  and that was a compliment with the best New York accent I can muster.  I hope we won't see any more for a while.  Spoils the mood, produces stomach acid, makes me perspire about the waistband & in general, gives me cooties.  And please allow me to add a Happy Birthday.  I wouldn't mind seeing 50 again.

Hope I produced a little ray of sunshine on this cloudy day & mood.  You take care & please remember & don't ever forget.  You've got a lot of people who like & respect you on these blogs.  Even if you are turning 50.  Join the club.  Toodles.  JATFUR.

RichK   

Marsha - handled with your typical class and elegance.  It's why we love you so much.

Re the angst and negativity - this too shall pass.  Backed into a corner - or acting out from boredom.  This blog has its ups and downs.  I feel a good UP coming.

Cruises - I haven't been on one yet, but can't wait for the first one.  My cruises on nuclear subs in the Navy don't count - not a lot of sight seeing going on there - thankfully.  My wife worked for a travel agency in her life before retiring into grandmotherhood and full-time babysitting, and went on a few with the agency.  She always raved about them.  Apparently they feed you until it hurts, and then offer you dessert.  Sounds good to me.  I think I would really like a cruise out of Alaska.  Seeing those huge icebergs and glaciers up close and personal would be great.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. I know there is an ugly side to life, it's just nice when we can keep it out of the blogs.

RichK thank you for granting my request to elaborate on your Cruise.  I met some regular cruisers on mine, some of them even carried two different sizes of clothes knowing they would gain weight from all the food.

Mine was like a fairy tale, the only time in my life I felt like Cinderella or the Belle of the Ball.  I took a Celebrity Cruise, maiden voyage of a new ship called the Mercury. I was single at that time and traveling alone which I found out is an oddity on Cruise ships.  I was invited to dine at the Captains table (because I was single and alone no doubt) the second night out and spent the rest of the week hanging out with him which included alot of special treatment, it was awesome. I saw places on that ship that the average passenger never sees. Because it was the first time in my life I had ever traveled alone (fearful)  I didn't get off the ship at the first two stops, Key West and then Calica.  I really regret not getting off at that second stop, Mayan ruins are right up my alley.

Baxley I have friends who took an Alaskan Cruise and they were in awe of the sights.  They said there was nothing like sitting in a hot tub looking at Icebergs. The pictures they brought back didn't even look real.  I don't like cold weather so I rather doubt that would ever be a choice for me.  

Bax,

I also spent some time on the all expenses paid for Haze Gray Cruise Line & much prefer the civilian version.  The one thing I did like @ HGCL was the fact that it offered me, as a 19-20 year old who, at the time, had never been outside the US, a particularly great opportunity to see how other people live, relate thrive & survive.  It was basically the start of another educational experience that has never stopped.

My wife has been on a couple Alaskan cruises with her mother.  She keeps trying to get me to go.  I keep refusing on what I think are very logical grounds.  I prefer the warmer climes.  If I want to see cold weather, I'll go back home to Chicago in the winter.  Besides, going back to Chicago involves only one time change & I can drive there in my very comfortable pick up, thanks to Ford.

She says:  "It's not that cold in Alaska in Sept!

I says:  "If it's not that cold, as you say, what do they do, import the glaciers & icebergs from Siberia?"

She says:  "But the glaciers & icebergs are so beautiful, especially close up."

I says:  "Fine, Fine.  Good, good.  Send me a post card.  Take some pictures.  Show them to me when you get back."

She says:  "But the glaciers, the fjords, the forests & mountains are beautiful beyond belief.  You really should see them."

I says:  "If I want uncomparable beauty, I look at you."  That usually shuts her up & stops the nag, nag, nag, over going to Alaska.   Sometimes, I can be a real silver tongued devil, a real smoothie.  Other times, I can be a real stubborn schmuck.  It can go wither way. 

My wife did take one memorable cruise to Alaska with her mom.  Unfortunately, I had to call her @ 3 or 4 in the AM, Alaska time.  Thankfully, she was already up.  I told her to turn on CNN because we were being attacked.  Yes, it was @ 9 AM local time, Tues., Sept. 11, 2001.  I had the news on, as usual, & was watching planes flying into the Twin Towers.  It had an unusual effect.  If you remember, Bush grounded all flights, a particularly smart move.  Since my wife & her mother decided to go a day or two early for shore excursions, they were already in the city from which the cruise started.  But because of the flying ban, she & her mom were among the only 1/3 of passengers the ship was supposed to carry.  People had no way to fly in.  She said it was wierd & nice at the same time.  Plenty of room, more than enough to eat.
 

In any case, treat yourself to a cruise.  I think you'll really enjoy.  JATFUR.

RichK

Just a note about some of the less-than-perfect literary efforts on the blogs ...

Editing something you've written yourself is a tough task for anyone, including professional editors.  It is far more difficult than editing someone else's work.  The self-editor knows exactly what he or she means to write, and can often overlook their own minor transgressions.

But the point behind the blogs is communication, and Lord knows a lot of that gets done here.

Marsha, in all your free time (in between working, wifing, grandmothering and defending your home against greedy development), I think you should coordinate a My Clay Sun Bloggers Cruise.  If you're too busy, maybe Lamar can get his advertising staff to put one together.

Personally, I'd recommend leaving port the day after the County Commission Republican primary.

Michael S. Mann

Marsha,

Uncle Rich is always mo happy to add a bit of sunshine.  Besides, you know the talents of a ratchet jaw like me.

My wife & I got to eat at the Captain's table once, but didn't get the tour. Funny, I never got to eat at the Captain's table when I was in the navy.  Seems like a bit of a social faux pax, if you ask me.

Hope you get to enjoy another cruise in the future.  JATFUR.

RichK