Let's eat grandma

At the risk of making error in this post that turns me into a hypocrite, I'm going to share one of my biggest pet peeves: the misuse of the apostrophe.


I have come to find that most elementary and secondary English classes have been remiss in the education of our population when it comes to spelling and grammar.  The most notable injustice has been done to the apostrophe.  Misuse of this member of the punctuation family is RAMPANT.  Granted, I can see how the layman may not be all too concerned with its appropriate use, however, you would THINK that businesses would take a little more time to proofread.


Before I submit to you the following "fails", I feel we need to clarify that apostrophes have two main purposes, to take the place of missing letters in a contraction or to indicate the possessive.

1. 
According to the company's website, the name came from the concept that the customer would "toot" their car horn and the attendant would "tote" the customer's purchase to them.  Therefore, I believe it is acceptable to assume the name is a play on the phrase "toot and tote them".  If this is the case, the apostrophe's purpose is to take the place of missing letters in the contraction making the correct punctuation for this convenience store "Toot 'n' Totum".  Unless of course they are intending "toot'n" to be a shortened "tooting".  However, that makes no sense when taking into consideration the origin of their name..."tooting tote them"...


2.  *The picture of the sign has been removed from the source, but you can find the store, "Yesterday's and Tomorrow's" site here*
From the way this sign is punctuated, it would seem that "flowers and gifts" belong to yesterday and tomorrow.  I would buy that and consider it intentional if it weren't for those three little words in the top left corner.  Yep, it's supposed to say "for all your yesterdays and tomorrows" requiring NO apostrophe...at all...for any reason.


3. *The store, "It's Banana's" has since closed thus removing the picture*
Really?  It is?  The use of the apostrophe in the "it's" is correct, a contraction for "it is".  The apostrophe in "banana's" makes it seem that whatever "it" is indicating actually belongs to "banana"...yeah, makes sense, doesn't it?


I'm going to have to cut my examples short as I can hear Rory awake and I need to dress and feed her before we head to AC's best friend's birthday party.  Before I go, I invite you to "like" the Facebook page "Let's eat Grandma!" or "Let's eat, Grandma!" Punctuation saves lives.  Educate the masses, one potential cannibal at a time.


Until Then,


AC 'n' Rory's Mom


Have you ever found illiteracy in business?  Please share...

Life Lesson #1

Read this somewhere, the author is Unknown.  What an unfortunate moniker...  ;o)

"During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy."

I know my cleaning lady really well.  In fact, I saw her naked this morning...in the mirror.  Bahahahahaha!!!!

Until Then,

AC 'n' Rory's Mom

Wee in the Wee Hours

Last night I agreed to let AC sleep in my bed.  Around 11 p.m., knackered, I was really looking forward to crawling under the covers passing out for the night.  I fling back the comforter and slide in only to feel something warm and wet.  Yep, AC peed.

Can I tell you how much thrilled I was to have to sponge off and redress an understandably stinky and whiny 3 year old before having to strip my bed and wash the sheets??  I tossed everything in the washer and crawled into AC's little twin bed next to her waking intermittently to toss it into the dryer and then, finally, to climb into my own bed with clean sheets at 2:30 a.m.

I think my kids were unwittingly out to get me because no sooner did I close my eyes, than Rory decided she wasn't sleepy anymore.  I spent the next hour and a half trying to get her back to sleep.

This really is par for the course around here.  It makes me wonder WHY it is that I am having a hard time losing weight.  Seriously, I feel like, aside from small spaces of time here and there, I am ALWAYS moving in order to clean up, get someone something, put something away, etc.  I think I'm going to spend the rest of my life petitioning God to change the rules.  Moms should have metabolisms that run double time.

Until Then,
AC 'n' Rory's Mom

1500 Tubes of Toothpaste

It's been a while.  We've been fighting the sickness that seems to morph slightly as it bounces back and forth from family member to family member.  Since my husband was home, we've had ear infections, strep multiple times, impetigo, colds, sinus infection, and various unnamed viruses.  Let me say, I am SO ready for summer...

Sitting on the couch snuggling one sick child or another, I've been watching a LOT of TV.  My new favorite show?  Extreme Couponing.  If I'm totally honest, I would love to be able to do that.  I know it seems like it's ridiculous to have a stockpile of toothpaste, canned soup, cereal boxes, and body wash, but I can understand how it's a security thing for these people.  If I have even a glimpse of an empty shelf in my pantry or freezer, I feel the need to head to the grocery store and fill it.  Maybe it's the result of experiencing lay-off after lay-off.  If things are stockpiled and I'm buying shelf (or freezer) stable items when I can afford it, I'll be oh, so glad for them if or when times get lean.

Why haven't I started extreme couponing?  A few reasons.  First, I don't have anywhere to PUT all that stuff!  If I get to the point that I have that much stuff, I'm going to need the room to inventory effectively because it doesn't do me any good to have 100 cans of soup if I have to toss out half of them because I didn't use them before they expire.  Secondly, I wouldn't know where to start!  I don't know of a store that doubles coupons in town, nor am I really that good at math.  I'd end up spending more on my mistakes than I'd save, I fear.  I kinda wish my mom lived close enough to help me out.  She's no math whiz either, but I think, between the two of us, we could figure it out.

Until then, I'll have to be content with planning my menus around the store specials and available online coupons as well as making sure to take my own bags ($0.05 off for each bag at United).

Until then,

AC 'n' Rory's Mom

Do you use coupons?  If so, where do you look for them?  If not, why?