Late Night Conversations about Money...

Jane: (giggling to herself) hey honey, listen to this!

[from Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover] So, my Total Money Makeover begins with a challenge. The challenge is you. You are the problem with your money.

Wow. That is so right. Noone has ever said that to me.

How did he know that?!

Gareth: Yea, that is good. (looking at Jane sheepishly out of the corner of his eye) Does he know your other problems, too?

Jane: Huh?! Wait a minute...what problems?! That's not very funny!

Gareth: Then why are you laughing?

I guess I was laughing.

Dave's right, too. I'm making a change, though, and my money is going to start working for me -- instead of the other way around! Look. Out.

Well, Well, Well

Did you miss National Grammar Day this year? Me too. Thanks to a diligent tutor, these Top 10 Grammar Tips just came across my desk to remind me.

Because I had a friend who never missed an opportunity to correct me on this particular grammar usage, here's my favorite. (That corrects him right back. ha!)

Enjoy...

Is it "good" or "well"?
There are people out there who insist that "I am well" is the only acceptable answer to the question, "How are you?"

They are wrong, bless their starchy little hearts.

It is true that adverbs modify verbs, and "am" is a form of the verb "to be." This is a special kind of verb. Called a "linking verb," it connects a subject to additional information. It's not an action verb.

Just as the sentence "Kermit the frog is green" is correct, while "Kermit the frog is greenly" is not, "I am good" is a correct way to answer the question.

Here's the kicker, though. "I am well" works, too. It has a slightly different meaning, and describes your state of health. So, if you want to reveal your glowing physical condition, by all means say, "I am well." If you merely want to say stuff in your life is hunky-dory, "I am good" is just fine.

Who's Too Busy?

It has become a favorite of mine to frequent Vivo with good friends for a happy hour -> dinner on Fridays after work. These friends are favorites, too, and I love sharing margaritas and queso with them!

Two Fridays ago, Lindsey told me that she's been REALLY busy at work these past couple of weeks. Her eyes got wide and I could see in her expression that she was about to launch into her tails of an inbox overflowing with emails, tasks to numerous to keep track of, and a project that demanded far too much of her time and energy.

All that came out of her mouth though were these words...

"I'm as busy as...YOU!"

The truth is, she's right.

You know what? I don't like that about myself, anymore.