Even More Dumb Signs

I get that not everyone is a grammar geek like me. Most people don't get excited about editing and correcting grammar mistakes (although I just don't understand why not). But if you're a company, with a public image, and your main focus is to promote your business, gain customers, and MAKE MONEY, wouldn't it make sense that you'd make a concerted effort to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your signs? The following photos just make me shake my head....and seriously consider NOT shopping there.

I found this one on the front doors of a Belk department store in GA, right around Mother's Day (and anyway, shouldn't it be Mothers' Day? More than one mother celebrates on that special Sunday every May, right?). But I digress....Selfs? Really? No. The plural form of the word self is not selfs. That's NOT EVEN A WORD. Even my built-in spell check tells me so, with its angry, red squiggly line underneath. But my inner first grader told me so first, which is why I snapped the photo on my way into the store. I'm not going to tell you what the word should be. If you've made it past first grade too, you should already know it.

I'm disappointed in you, Target. We had such a great relationship for so long. But I just don't know if I can take this kind of thing. It's not me; it's you. The word women is already plural. You don't add an s to make it...more plural. Maybe they were going for possessive here? As in Women's Section? If so, then the apostrophe is missing. Either way, it's still WRONG.

I didn't take a very good photo of this one; the flash ended up putting a glare right where the problem is. No, people; apostrophes don't make things plural. (You will hear/read me say this many times.) Sheesh. By the way, I found this beauty in one of those junk touristy shops in downtown Gatlinburg, TN. You know the ones. I won't even comment on the significance of getting a tattoo "just like in the movies." Makes me shudder.

I'm not sure what rosted strips are, but they're cheap! Now, I would give The Colonel the benefit of the doubt if there was a space between the o and the s in rosted, indicating that high winds or some other act of God had blown away the missing a. But no, this was not God's fault. We just have stupid people at this KFC. This one was in Nashville, TN, right near the international airport. Great. So we can prove to the world they were right about us Southerners all along.

So tell me this...if an apostrophe and an s make a video, cassette, or a CD plural, why aren't they also needed for returns and exchanges? If video's, cassette's and CD's (oh, excuse me--C.D.'S), then why not return's and exchange's too? Apostrophes don't make things plural, folks!! (There it is again!) I don't even remember where I took this photo. By the date stamped on it though, you can tell I've been collecting these for a long time. It's, like, one of my favorite hobbies...next to riding roller coasters.

I know you're just dying to see more of these gems, aren't you? Don't worry, I have plenty more to share. Stay tuned....

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: Book Review

This is the story of Nick and Amy Dunne, how they met, their courtship, and marriage. It's their 5th anniversary and Nick comes home to find Amy missing, with signs of a struggle in their living room. Amy is gone. As her husband, Nick of course becomes the prime suspect in Amy's disappearance. As the investigation unfolds, so does the story of their marriage together...a dying, dysfunctional marriage. Or is it?

Wow. How do I even review this book? For one, the writing is brilliant. Sharp, perfectly paced, dark wit, twisty. Very twisty. Does the author have some sort of degree or background in psychology? I wouldn't be surprised. At first, with the switching back and forth between the narratives of Amy and Nick, I couldn't remember if the author was a man or a woman. You truly cannot tell; she does them both so well. Or, at least, she does Nick as well as what I THINK a man's thoughts would be. I'm not a man so I don't really know. Anyway, it's good. 

It's definitely a psychological thriller, and the people are seriously messed up. The story messes with you, it gets in your head. I certainly won't be forgetting this one anytime soon. But it didn't mess with me in a way that I feel I needed to take a shower immediately after reading it. That was a nice change. Usually books like this creep me out, make me feel uneasy, like I need to watch The Marx Brothers or listen to Disney music or play with a puppy after reading it (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo did that to me). I loved the way Flynn messed with my loyalties throughout. At first I felt bad for Amy. Then I sympathized with Nick. I flip-flopped like this until the end, and I really had no idea how it would end or even how I wanted it to end. All I knew was that these people's lives would never be the same - how would they recover from it? - and it was all just so sad. 

I was disappointed in the ending. I really thought it would have ended stronger, differently. It was kind of a let-down, actually. I felt like the whole story was paced so well, until the last 50 pages or so. At that point it seemed rushed, too fast, with a lot of things left out. But I wasn't completely dissatisfied. It still gets 5-stars from me.

It's so nice to read a book that's just a self-complete story, not part of a trilogy or more. You pick up a book, you read it, it's a good story, the end. Excellently written, in a nice, one-book package. How refreshing! Are they going to make a movie of this one? I wouldn't be surprised. It would make an excellent movie. Probably one I couldn't bear to watch. (Note: I just checked - Reese Witherspoon's production company has picked up the rights to this one, with suggestions that Reese would star as Amy. That would be perfect.)

I'm definitely interested in reading more by Gillian Flynn.

Get the book from Amazon.com. 
Read about the author, Gillian Flynn, on Goodreads.com.

Reached (Matched #3) by Ally Condie: Book Review

This is the third and final installment of the Matched series of dystopian YA novels by Ally Condie. The three main characters, Cassia, Xander, and Ky, have all left the Society to join the Rising, but at high costs. Cassia is stationed as an undercover sorter working in Central. Ky is a Rising pilot, flying airships here and there and everywhere to aid their cause. And Xander is an undercover medic working in Camas. A major outbreak of a strange illness catapults the entire world into chaos, and the three friends have to rely on each other to survive and to save others.

I enjoyed this enough, but the ending just didn't satisfy me. I felt like the love between Cassia and Ky wasn't believable, probably because they were so rarely together. I couldn't understand why they were so completely devoted to each other when the last time they had any true quality time together was on the hill...in the first book. And the fact that all three of them - Cassia, Ky, and Xander - were so altruistic and completely selfless in their total devotion to one another was unbelievable to me. They are still teenagers, right? Their selflessness and sacrifice to each other (well, at least the boys' to Cassia and to each other) was just not believable. Maybe living in conditions such as those (in the Society), and seeing all the death and destruction that they saw caused them to grow up really fast, but I still feel that there would have been some hint of jealousy or selfish notions on someone's part.

There was too much external conflict in these books, and not enough of an internal conflict to make it compelling. I kind of started to feel like the Plague parts were dragging. I'd had enough of that story line by the end. My feelings toward Cassia were consistent throughout - she's my lest favorite character in this story. I like Xander and Ky more, by far. I wonder if that was the author's intent. All in all, an interesting premise for a dystopian story, and pretty well executed. I'm glad I read this one, but I believe the first book was the strongest of the three. Three stars from me.

Buy Reached on Amazon.com. 
Read about the author, Ally Condie, on Goodreads.com.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: Book Review

I've been meaning to read this book for years, and I'm so glad I finally did. It was not at all what I expected, but then, I really don't know what I expected. It's the story of a young, naive woman who meets a dark, handsome, and mysterious stranger while on holiday in Monte Carlo. She becomes infatuated with him, and in a sudden, surprising moment, he asks her to marry him. She does, of course, and is soon whisked away to the infamous Manderley, his huge, gorgeous mansion of a home. But the house has two inhabitants who are not as thrilled with the fact that the master has brought home a new bride--the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, and the now-dead, former lady of the house, Rebecca.

I loved the dark, gothic feel--the mystery of it--throughout. However, I kept expecting there to be more of the "ghost story;" I guess I kept expecting the narrator to actually see the ghost of Rebecca somewhere in the house. It took me reading half-way through the book before I realized I did not actually know the narrator's name. I thought that was ingenious. It fit perfectly with her persistent feelings of being nothing, nobody, completely insignificant. Speaking of which, that part did annoy me. I really had very little respect for her because she obviously had zero respect for herself. I was cheered toward the end, when she said she'd finally broken free of Rebecca's and Mrs. Danvers's power over her. I was disappointed that the story ended soon after that and the reader was never able to actually see her as a new creature, reborn, and no long self-loathing and insecure. I also felt an undercurrent of lesbianism in the relationship between Rebecca and Mrs. Danvers. Theirs was certainly not a "normal" relationship; I felt that both women were somewhat mentally unstable. The narrator's tendency to daydream about what she expected to happen in each and every situation became tiresome, but I did love the detail with which she experienced and described everything.

This story was certainly reminiscent of Wuthering Heights and the like. I enjoyed it, 4 stars.

Get the book from Amazon.com.
Read about the author, Daphne du Maurier, on Goodreads.com.

Resist Devolution: Write a Thank-You Note!

Yes, it's still customary to write a thank-you note. In fact, it's still expected. I realize I may be old-fashioned in my opinion on this, but I believe we should resist the devolution of humanity. In this age of e- and i- EVERYTHING, we are forgetting how to actually communicate and connect with each other. It's causing us to devolve--to go backward to a more primitive state, at least as far as interpersonal connection and socialization are concerned.

I was taught that a thank-you note is always appropriate, even if it's extremely late, or if it's in reference to the smallest thing. And no, a hastily typed, impersonal e-mail is not sufficient. If someone took the time and effort (or money) to do something special for you, buy you a gift, or otherwise show you their love, the very least you can do is to sit down with a pen and a piece of paper or a card and SAY THANK YOU. Yes, that will require a stamp. Yes, that will require some thought. And yes, that will require five to ten minutes of your time. It's really not that hard.

I have been really surprised at the lack of "thankfulness" I have witness lately. I attended a wedding nearly 14 months ago and ordered a gift from the couple's online Target registry to be shipped directly to their home...two weeks before their wedding. I have yet to receive a simple thank you from them. That is inexcusable. In the months since then, I can count at least six other instances where I did something special for someone in need or gave a gift and have not been sent a note of thanks. Several of these instances included home-cooked meals for friends or acquaintances who were either ill, had a sick family member, or were in some other crisis situation. I can understand a delay of a few weeks or even months, depending on how severe the situation, but at some point a proper thank you is expected. Now don't misunderstand me. I have not done these things only to get a self-serving pat on the back; I truly did them to be helpful. Lord knows I've needed help from my friends and family at times too, so I know how important it is. It has just recently occurred to me (as I was sitting down to write a note of thanks to a friend who helped me out the other day) that I have never heard from those people. As I thought more about it, I realized that no one really does it anymore. Not even most of my own family. And that has made me sad.

Now I'm teaching my Mini Maven how to properly say thanks to those who bless him. He just recently finished hand-writing his own thank-you notes to 16 different people. That's a lot for a just-turned-eight-year-old! But it's a valuable lesson he needs to learn. He worked on writing two to three notes every day after school, and by the end, he was doing beautifully; he seemed to have gotten a knack for what to say from his heart, and his handwriting had improved immensely. It's a win all around, I say.

If someone has done something special for you lately, write a note to thank them. I promise it will NEVER hurt, and it will only cost you a few minutes, a small piece of paper (you don't even have to have preprinted, fancy note cards), and a stamp. It's never wrong to say "thank you." And it's never too late, either. One exception to this rule is for mutually exchanged gifts. I have to point out one particular family member of mine--she writes a thank-you note for EVERYTHING, including Christmas gifts, even though she gives us gifts as well. Where Christmas gifts are concerned, when they're mutually exchanged, a thank-you note is not required. But it doesn't hurt either! Be thankful!

More Dumb Signs

Saw this in the airport in Baltimore, I believe. Be relax, huh? Yeah, you do that.



These gems were spotted in a public parking lot near Boone, NC. (We were on our way to try out Black Cat Burrito - YUMMY!) "Free one hour only. Not a pay lot. No long term parking. Not a pay lot. No ticket needed. One hour only free. Long-term parking at end of lot, at pay meters. Not a pay lot. No ticket needed. One hour only free. Long-term parking at end of lot. At pay meters. Questions please come around." Wait. What am I supposed to do again? And if your questions try to go around, they will see the same signs on the other side. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. And why are you yelling at me?

The Casual Vacancy: Book Review

We're definitely not at Hogwarts anymore.

Very long and slow-paced, more character sketches than plot-driven. There's no main character; you follow the stories of several people in the small town of Pagford and how their lives are affected by the death of council member Barry Fairbrother. No one is painted black or white, but rather shades of gray, so it's difficult to fully like or detest any one character. Rowling is a fantastic storyteller. I'm always amazed at her talent for developing characters and interweaving their story lines. Even though the book was sometimes tedious and slow, and quite depressing throughout, I found myself compelled to read on. I wanted to know how it would all end, how Rowling would tie it all together. I was a little disappointed in the ending. It seemed a little anti-climactic after all the excitement of that one fateful day about 3/4 of the way through. But in the end I was just kind of relieved it was over, so I didn't care all that much about how it ended. Now I feel like I need to do something uplifting and fun-filled, to get the heavy, depressive feeling off me. Ugh. Three stars from me.

Get the book on Amazon.

Read reviews of it on Goodreads.

Read about J. K. Rowling on her Goodreads page.