well fed and basically happy; a job-related ramble

[redbird]

I just had a very nice birthday dinner, with cattitude. It's nice having a good restaurant in walking distance: the food is loosely Moroccan: we shared Moroccan cigars (spiced beef in phyllo dough) for a starter, then I had rack of lamb and he had a seafood couscous, and we finished with flourless chocolate cake. We were debating which dessert to have--the pear tart also sounded appealing--and the waitress came back and said "You're going to have one chocolate, right?" So we did, since it was as well that one person in the conversation had a definite opinion. It was indeed excellent, and supported a birthday candle quite competently.

And tomorrow is my last day of schlepping to Port Washington. Cattitude suggested that, in the "free at last" vein, I deliberately skip the gym tomorrow. But I like lifting weights: I may figure that, as a woman with a much freer schedule, I get to go play with the machines at the gym. (If I know for sure that I'm not going, I don't need to drag the gym gear with me.) I'm still a bit fragile, because while knowing I won't be doing this commute much longer helps, in the meantime I'm still doing the 12-hour days.

The mailing I'm currently proofreading includes specific text for every state in the US (except Texas, for complicated reasons), plus the District of Columbia. The instructions say it's using "state mottos". It's not. It's also not using state "official nicknames", except by accident. What they appear to be using is (slightly old) license plate tag lines. So New York's says "The Empire State," not "Excelsior," New Hampshire has the famous "Live Free or Die," and Marylanders are urged to preserve the Chesapeake. The copywriter is getting a general query pointing out that these aren't the state mottos (though that at least spares me trying to proofread Hawaiian [Latin I can handle]), and a specific one noting that if they want to stick to the license plate mottos, the D.C. mailing should say "Taxation Without Representation." (The less said about such lines as "greatest snow on earth," the better.)

On this list, the text for Colorado reads "Nothing without Providence." Or, in words of one syllable, "It's all God's fault." (That was my second thought on reading that motto, the first being "What does Rhode Island have to do with this?")

Comments

[kate_nepveu]

Yay, last day tomorrow.

Oddly, we were behind a Colorado plate tonight. It had mountains with a flower in the middle, but we couldn't see the motto.

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

Colorado doesn't have one. I think perhaps once upon a time it might have been "Colorful Colorado", but other than that nada. Well the columbine plate has "respect life" on it, but that plate costs extra.

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks for the information--that turns out to be related vaguely to something I'm dealing with, so it's good to know.

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't care for Colorado's state motto. If they're doing liscense plate ones we don't have one except the "Respect Life" one on the columbine plate. Though I thought our motto should be something along the lines of "Let justice be done though heaven may fall" "Fiat justitia, pereat coelum". Though that would get the religious right's knickers in a twist.

[treadpath.livejournal.com]

I love the Hawaiian state motto!!! I forget exactly how it is spelled (something like "ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono"), but I read that the translation is "May the life of the land be perpetuated in righteousness" which I think is wicked awesome. There's a Hawaiian musical artist named Israel Kamikawiwo'ole who wrote a song called "Hawaii '78" which features the Hawaiian state motto as the refrain. Very cool! :)

[redbird]

The translation I saw was 'The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.' Either way, I'm sure I wouldn't notice missing words, let alone misspellings, in the Hawaiian-language copy.

[wouldyoueva.livejournal.com]

To nitpick: the tag on one of our cars says "Treasure the Chesapeake."

The Maryland state motto is "Womanly words, manly deeds." Argh.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

After an instant of pure horror at "Womanly words, manly deeds", I suppose it's OK if everyone is enjoined to that. Maybe it translates as "Communicate thoughtfully, act decisively". Or maybe "Talk softly but carry a big stick" or "Communicate, Communicate, Thwack."