Franny is another creative speller. I've noticed that she does well on spelling tests, but as soon as she's writing a story or an essay her spelling goes awry. I'm working on a theory that the brain stores the spelling of the word in one slot and the meaning in the other, and her brain hasn't quite laid down the wiring to access both at once.

E is like that too. She does well on spelling tests, but otherwise is horrible at spelling, much like I was/is. I think it's because she simply memorizes the spelling test words rather than using phonics.

My sister lives with my folks, in the attic. She started when she was getting her 2nd Master's (MLS) and has stayed. She pays rent and towards utilities, and has paid off her credit card debt.

She's been there 5 years. Worked for her. Some frustrations, but pretty minor.

I am on hold. They denied my co-pay on a script and I was asked to pay the full generic price. Of COURSE it's a "discrepancy" and they will take care of it -- in FOUR BUSINESS DAYS. Sigh.

Yeah, Sara does fine on spelling tests, too. I think when she's writing she's simply more focused on getting the thought out than spelling each word, whereas during a spelling test, spelling is all she has to focus on.

Can I rant? My half-sister is getting married Saturday, and we are going. She emailed Sunday night to tell family that our father is choosing not to attend the wedding (he has already left town, it seems), and she doesn't want anyone to mention this fact this weekend. I don't know what it's about. I'm finding myself really angry with BOTH of them, and then I feel bad and selfish, but seriously, could we please have a wedding without this ridiculous level of drama? (I mean, my mother was insane before my wedding - ask me about The Fight About The Silver Chafing Dishes - but we never got anywhere near "I will leave town for a week while your wedding takes place at my house.") And I feel like asking everyone not to talk about the elephant in the room is sort of like asking us all to lie and pretend everything is okay, which is not how I like to live my emotional life, thanks.

I think it's because she simply memorizes the spelling test words rather than using phonics.

Using phonics was usually where I ended up getting most of my more creative spellings from. I HATED phonics. It just never made any sense to me, because whatever rule they taught us, I could always find an exception, and that made it not a rule. I still remember how upset I got when I was in third grade, and we had a phonics worksheet about doubling letters at the end of words when adding -er. Like, "run" becomes "runner," but "walk" doesn't become "walkker" -- you don't need to double the k because there are already two consonants. One of the words we had to add -er to was "mix." Now, I knew very well that "mixxer" wasn't right. But I also knew that there was a rule written at the top of the worksheet, and I was supposed to follow it. So I wrote "mixxer," and it was marked wrong. I threw such a fit.

I write Hubby's important emails for him because he's a horrible speller. Really bad dyslexia. However, he loves to read. He only stumbles when he's reading Warhammer novels out of Britain, and he uses me as a handy British usage-to-American meaning translator. Though he never has problems with archaic historical and armor usage. Our individual linguistic databases are amazing.

At my office, Pooh case is mostly committed by HR and by our fundraiser. We've managed to ween the fundraiser off it, mostly because her copy goes through a horde of editors before it leaves the building. I've pretty much given up on HR.

The OC was 10 years ago. Everyone get your cane to shake at those damn kids.

The health insurance fucked up, and I just spent 40 minutes, mostly on hold, to get the problem worked out. 40 minutes, and 7 business days to get the forms done so I can afford my script. Lovely.

You know, people have it a lot worse than me. I get it. But I am TIRED of things like this, stretching $32 to last until the 15th, and now I can't afford my script. I can't even come up with $14.69 to pay for 9 days worth until the forms come through. I have pawned everything worth anything, except my grandmother's wedding ring. I am working on one client job, and have an excellent chance at a 30 hour/week editing gig. My husband and I bust our asses just to pay bills. In the past two months, we have lived for almost two weeks with no gas (no hot water or using the stove; thank god it was summer) and a week without internet. I have cut back DRASTICALLY on smoking, and am trying to quit (Don't give me any shit for the smoking, please; I am not in the mood, and it's fucking HARD, I've smoked for 23 years and I am super-stressed and gave up Xanax.)

I was not able to give my husband a birthday gift or take him even to a cheap place for dinner.

I don't want to be rich (well, I wouldn't PASS on it...) but I am so goddamned tired of being broke. Can I just have enough to pay the bills in full every month, and maybe go out to dinner once in a while? You know, crazy stuff like that. I'm not even asking about a wedding ring or honeymoon, neither of which we have been able to afford.

We don't have central air or AC in either car because it's broken and we have to pay other bills. We don't have a credit card. We eat lots of ramen, hot dogs and mac and cheese.

It will get better; god, it HAS to. We are working on it. But I am so, so, so tired of it.

Sorry about the money bitching, but I am SO FRUSTRATED.