Comments on: Maybe if She Posted More Often, She Wouldn’t Have Usen 1400 Words in One Entry.

By: WarsawMommy

WarsawMommy — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:11:39 +0000

Oh, my. Usen. Well, I have my own Usen-esque experience: back when I was teaching English, I had one kid (Jacek) who kept saying ‘He are’ no matter how many times I asked him. Then one day (glorious day!) I said to him, “Jacek! He…??” and Jacek said “Is!” and I shouted at him: “No! He are! Jacek! He ARE!”

And I totally meant it. And I was ready to strangle him. Ahem.

So sorry to hear about your baby getting so sick. How are things now?

By: abby schrader

abby schrader — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:41:17 +0000

Hey Alexa! I’ve been busy so the idea of reading a million word (OK, 1400 word) post has been a bit daunting, to say the least. But now I read that you are going to be IN OUR FAIR CITY. Probably during one of our many record-breaking snowstorms. But drop me a line–email me a note. We’re crazy busy but we’d love to meet you, or at least hook you up with a list of the bestest places to go (thank goodness the Mutter Museum is already on your list…but we can tell you where to grab excellent food, fabulous libations, and some down time. And should Simone ever come to town, we can also tell you how to regale her with Philly’s finest–and I do mean that–kid’s attractions).

By: dora

dora — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:32:28 +0000

Somewhere between James Thurber and Joan Didion, huh? Really?

By: Kristine

Kristine — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:42:42 +0000

Ten years I have lived in the Philly burbs and my husband (the native) has not taken me to the Mutter. hmmphhh

So, here I am in Philly. Having had a bit of a girly crush on you for quite a few years. And now you tell me you are coming here? More details please so I can stalk you?

In all seriousness, I’d love to meet you and any other cool Philly peeps that have piped up here. What say you?

And if nothing I just wrote above this makes sense I blame it on the Ambien I took an hour ago. I probably won’t remember writing this in the morning.

By: La Flaca

La Flaca — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:38:13 +0000

Sorry about the baby’s seizure. Kids do that sort of thing to torture parents. Just wait until she’s a teenager and she wants to get a part of her body pierced that can’t be mentioned in polite conversation, unless, of course, it’s a conversation among OB/GYNs — drunk, dirty-minded OB/GYNs.
On another front, I’m confused by your reference to a “Jersey Shore Nickname.”
I grew up on the Jersey Shore, Spring Lake, to be exact, fondly known as the Irish Riviera. The nicknames we used weren’t any more colorful or unusual than the ones employed by denizens of other parts of our great nation. Could you, perhaps, be imagining that the Jersey Shore is infested with large, menacing men whose last names end in vowels and who call each other things like Jimmy “The Dremmel” Boobliaro or Eddie “The Saber Saw” Stronboli? If so, you’re sadly mistaken. Just as there are people in Wyoming who are not ropin’, wranglin’ buckaroos, there are New jersey residents who are not members of organized crime families.
I’m sadly disappointed in you.

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:42:05 +0000

long time listener first time caller. If your blog has given any insight to your taste in food and booze you MUST go here when you are in Philly. http://www.southwarkrestaurant.com/

By: Aina

Aina — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:02:13 +0000

Again, the two-parted, two-hearted reply:

1) 107!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So very sorry you had to go through that, so very glad it is all okay.

2) Because you have usen “usen”, I am going to buy TWICE AS MANY of your books as I would have had you not usen “usen.”

By: Daily Cup of Jo

Daily Cup of Jo — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:20:15 +0000

I’m new to your site. Wanted to offer a simple “thank you” for not making me feel like the last few minutes I spent reading this post were in vain. Great writing and good luck finishing up the book.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:11:57 +0000

One of my daughters had a febrile seizure about nine months ago, and she too stopped breathing. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced, and it took me a good many weeks (months!) to be able to talk to anyone about it without crying. Lots and lots of doctors told me that it really wasn’t a big deal, febrile seizures are not uncommon and don’t hurt the child in any way, but it’s still not something I think I ever want to go through again (my daughter had three in total over the period of about 6 weeks).

The not breathing part was the scariest. Somehow I have a hard time convincing myself, regardless of what the doctors say, that a child with blue lips, not breathing, is not a problem. :-)

I sure hope you’ve seen your last febrile seizure.

By: Trista

Trista — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:30:43 +0000

I have a friend who’s son has febrile seizures any time his temp gets above a certain level (and, for good measure, the occasional non-febrile one), and from listening to her describe it I can only imagine how terrifying it is to watch it happen to your child. Poor Simone!

I snickered at your use of “usen,” then I remembered that I had a long-standing argument with a lawyer friend of ours over the word “learnt.” I was convinced it was not a word, that it should never be used, and any idiot who didn’t know it should be “learned” should have their license to speak English revoked. You can guess exactly how much crow I had to eat.

I spellchecked this comment before posting it.