Since You've Been Gone

Okay, that post title maybe could be read as "Since I've Been Gone" considering it's been so long since I've actually posted on a regular basis.  But I've been busy working (to which the hubby can attest) with occasional breaks for playing hard:

I went ziplining! (Back when there was greenery!)

Road trip to Denver included a visit to Casa Bonita

So that's my excuse...

I wanted to share something but first we have to talk about this meme that's made its way around not too long ago:

{And I've just spent thirty minutes looking and it's nowhere to be found}
{After a few days, I decided to try to find it a different way.  Time spent looking: five minutes.  Geesh!}

Here's a writing exercise: write a scene revolving around the sentence, “She told him that she loved him,” adding the word “only” before different words. You can check out some of these posts to see one author's take on the exercise (here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).

Let's do the same exercise with since and because.  In my copyediting, I tend to suggest because over since when there's a relational thing going on: because this, that happened.  I suggest since is better used as a notion of time passing: since then, this happened.  I know that in speech, we are less apt to use the words that way, but there are plenty of instances in the exposition where the change is a good thing. So, on to the exercise: this time we'll switch out the since for because and see how the sentence changes meaning. 

Since you've been gone, I read all the time.
Because you've been gone, I read all the time.

Since you've been gone, we've had a party.
Because you've been gone, we've had a party.

Since you've been gone, I've never felt better.
Because you've been gone, I've never felt better.

Or, to borrow Kelly Clarkson's words:
But since you've been gone, I can breathe for the first time


But because you've been gone, I can breathe for the first time

Alright, readers: got any more good ones to share?

What Are You Made Of?

While my husband and I were on a two-week trip (Denver for Thanksgiving; Wisconsin for a Christmas party - yes, we will travel for a party!), I saw this sculpture:
 

It's a metal sculpture made up of letters, in the shape of a person.  I thought it was a really cool idea - to think about what people are made up of, and how words are used to describe people.  I'd like to say I had time to stand and reflect on the sculpture, but in truth, I had ducked out of the rental car, run across the road, took some pictures (that I hoped would come out okay), and then ran back to the waiting car after the hubby had turned around and drove slowly so I could hop back in.

What made it even cooler? Guess the name of the park where I saw this sculpture:

Yup, that's Atwater Park!

2014 Mystery Phrase Update

Way, way back in January (you remember January, right? well, if not, don't worry - the next one is right around the corner) I awarded the 2013 Favorite Goof and briefly mentioned the 2014 contest.  And here we are, at the beginning of the last month of 2014 and it occurred to me that I haven't given you any updates!

My mystery phrase (it's still a mystery to you!) didn't show up as often as I thought it would - just 21 times in the 100+ titles I've worked on so far.  But it was weird how it would show up in bunches: 5 times in January, 3 times in August, and 3 times in October.  Throughout the rest of the year, it was just once or twice a month.

We'll have to see how December pans out - and what I decide the "prize" will be!