LOOKING FOR A JOB MAKES ME FEEL LIKE JOB

So, the word is trickling down to the little folks in my office (and we are all little folks in that we are not at the main office) that our days are numbered. We know our lease is up in February because the building is being torn down to put up one of those one block long, five story, office/residential buildings with a retail base. That's what happens when a city lifts or raises the height restriction in surrounding neighborhoods – old buildings get torn down and new buildings go up, and, up. If you live in a place where the economy is a teensy bit slow, just raise the height restrictions and the construction business will boom, making other parts of the econ better. Our good mayor is on a campaign against sprawl. Bravo for him. I've lived in sprawl, I'd rather have density any day.

I do say "our good mayor" a bit facetiously though, as there really isn’t much more than the density thing on which I agree with him anymore. In fact, I'm kind of mad that I voted for him twice. The first time, because I thought he'd be good for the city, the second time because it was the lesser of the two evils. He has good ideas, but he lets big business, which in this case is major land owners, thwart them until it looks like the only thing he cares about is keeping the landowners happy. He says he want our city to be green, and he goes about on weekends picking up trash with the common folks, but it really is just a photo op, especially when he turns around a nixes a public transportation thing that was approved by the voters three times. Yes, three times. Not once, not twice, but three times. Or was it four? I think I've lost count on how many times we had to vote on that. It's a bit pandering to say you want to be green and then scrap portions of the bicycle plan for the city. How much greener can one get than a bicycle?

But I digress. February. Yep. That seems to be the consensus in the office. I mean, why move the people if you're going to lay them off? They will probably offer us the opportunity to keep our jobs if we move to Reno, but, and this is a big but, why would we move to Reno when we live in paradise?

So, I guess it's not that big of a deal. It isn't the first time I've been laid off. More like the 6th or 7th time. And maybe the title of this blog is a little misleading, since I'm not yet actually looking for a job, (though maybe I should be), just anticipating the ordeal because I really dislike the process. Although a job that paid a bit more would be nice… Or one that I could walk to would be great… One with better bennies… A job with travel wouldn't be bad…

VAGUE-OSITY

I like words. I especially like whan I can find the precise word for a very specific thought. This isn't always easy for me. Often it's on the tip of my tongue for days. When it comes to remembering events and obscure happenings, my brain is the repository. I have often heard a friend remark, "That's why we have Patti, she remembers things for us." I guess it's good to be good for something. Even though I love words I often draw a blank when trying to come up with a specific word. When it comes to names, I am a hopeless case. Once I was introducing a friend to some people, and I was so worried that I would forget someone's name that I said, "And this is my dear friend..." Blank. Totally blank. I turned to this woman whom I've counted as my best friend for those 39 years, and I raised my eyebrows, pleading with her to help me out. "Rochelle..." says she, and "I can't believe you forgot my NAME!"

So the other day I came across a word that I have been familiar with for a very long time, and one that I use often. I don't know however, whether I'd ever actually seen the definition.

Peruse. Simple enough. Peruse. You, in fact are right now, perusing my blog.

Here is Mirriam-Webster's definition:

peruse \puh-ROOZ\ verb
1 a : to examine or consider with attention and in detail : study b : to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner
*2 : read; especially : to read over in an attentive or leisurely manner


Quite stunning I think, that in this huge language of ours, we have one word that means both to read carefully, and to read casually. Why not have two different words - one for each type of reading. I always use the word in the careful way, but I did an informal poll and I find a slight lean towards using the word in the casual manner. Now my poll was not scientific by any means - I will admit now, publicly and with a weird sense of pride, that I took Statistics three times before I passed. I am a word person, not a number person. But I can see the problem arising if you tell someone you'll peruse their manuscript or report or article. Will they expect constructive critisism and feedback? Or will they be upset that you do not feel it warrants a careful reading? Do you then have to say: I'll give this a careful perusal, or, I'll casually peruse this. Either of these feel redundant to me - careful or casual is implicit in the meaning of the word. One wouldn't say - The show was fabulously fantastic. The fabulousness of the show is conveyed by calling it fantastic. The carefulness of the perusal is conveyed by the very word peruse. As is the casualness of the perusal. What's a girl to do?

Definition #2 - to read in an especially attentive manner or to read in an especially leisurely manner.

Which is it? Can one read attentively and leisurely at the same time? I think these words are contradictory. Am I wrong? I think we should pick one meaning, and then create a new word that defines the other meaning. Who is with me on this? Are we in agreeance? Can I get a show of hands?