Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Lake Superior University has once again published a list of words/phrases they think should be banished from the Queen's English...here's the list for 2013-

fiscal cliff, kick the can down the road, double down, job creators/creation, passion/passionate, yolo (acronym for you only live once), spoiler alert, bucket list, trending, superfood, boneless wings, and guru

Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Go here to read more about how the words were chosen.

This is tough.  I'm a big believer in words.  Even if they're overused by some, they tell us something about the culture we live in, as well as a glimpse into our culture as our descendants look back on our time from the future.  That said, if I've got to choose, it would probably be yolo.  While I agree with the sentiment, the older I get, the less I'm caring for acronyms in every day speech.

2. When was the last time you rode a train? Where did you go?

Well, I know I haven't been on one in at least 7 years, though I can't say for sure the last time I was on one.  I used to live in Philadelphia and trains were a pretty common thing for me to ride then.  My husband and I didn't have a car for much of my time there and we'd take the train to visit friends in NY, to go out to visit his family in Cherry Hill, or to go out to the PA suburbs to visit friends there.  I miss riding the train.  I'm actually hoping that the next time we make a trip to visit family in NJ, we'll be able to take the boys on the train into Philly to visit some of the sights.

3. Bagels-yay or nay? Favorite 'flavor'? Favorite topping?

I love bagels!  I don't get them often enough.  My favorite is asiago with cream cheese topping.

4. 'Tis the season of awards shows....if you could star in a movie already made, which one would you choose?

Hrmmm... I've got a lot of favorites that I'd love to be a part of.  But the top of my list would probably be Coraline.  I'd be able to just do voice acting rather than be on the screen itself, I'd be a part of a Neil Gaiman creation, and it would just be fun!

5. The move towards single gender classrooms has been making the news in recent months...what say you? Do you think kids perform better if separated by gender and are taught differently or is that discrimination? If you're a parent is this something you'd support in regard to your own children?

I hadn't heard about single gender classrooms, but I've definitely got an opinion on it.  I don't like it.  The world we live in isn't separated by gender and our children are going to need to learn how to deal with everyone, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, outlook on life, or anything else that makes them a little different.  Classrooms are supposed to be a place to learn and learning needs to be more than just what comes in a book.  If this were something to be discussed in my boys' schools, I would make sure they knew my opinion quite strongly.

6. What's your favorite thing about staying in a hotel?

So many things to choose from!  I love staying in a hotel.  I love having maid service come in and take care of cleaning up, of not having to wash my own linen.  I love having someone around that can suggest good places to eat or visit.  I love not having to make the food myself.  But my favorite thing is, far and away, having a chance to be somewhere different.  It's a small slice of getting out of my own life, even if it's only for a night.  And it's refreshing to my spirit to be able to do so.

7. Do you have a 'word' for 2013? What's the story behind your choice?

Button courtesy of Melanie at Only a Breath

I saw the One Word meme last year but never jumped on the bandwagon of choosing one for myself.  This year, I decided that having a word would be a good thing, giving me something to incorporate into my every day life.  The word I chose (as you can see above) is "Focus".  Why?  Because I'm trying several new things this year - from eating better to challenging myself daily, to being a better me.  All these things require me to stay focused on my goals.  Instead of flitting from here to there, I've got to work on keeping my mind focused on the task at hand.  I succeed so much more when that happens.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I haven't been on top of things as much the last couple of days.  Between the cold, rainy, icy weather here in Nashville, a cold that seems to be getting worse, and a day filled with errands yesterday, I've been putting a lot of things on the back burner.  I'm still not sure if I'll manage to get my challenge done for today, mainly because it involves cooking when all I want to do is sleep.  But I may surprise myself after all.  Maybe I'll take a short nap and feel refreshed.  We'll see as the day goes on.  But I'm trying to remember that one day is not going to destroy my progress, as long as I get back up and do what needs to be done tomorrow.