In my own home…

Where I live, it is close to impossible to purchase a home that’s less than 20 years old without subjecting oneself to the governance of a homeowner’s association.

HOA’s apparently got their start in Boston in 1826 when an upscale and exclusive neighborhood found itself in need of some sort of provisions for maintenance of the community park.

The community drafted a document that covered maintenance of the park as well as clauses that would guarantee the exclusivity of their neighborhood and ensure that future residents would meet certain cultural, religious and financial criteria. So basically, HOA’s are founded on snobbery.

I don’t entirely disapprove of the concept. A person who is willing to trade their right to wash their car in the driveway in favor of perfectly uniform landscaping and a community pool, should be able to do so.

What I find a bit discouraging is the widespread acceptance of these types of sacrifices. As a society, we are far too complacent about our personal freedom. It’s become a common occurrence for Americans to willingly trade in our rights for the sake of propriety and pretention.

If I want to paint my house, there are 3 colors in which I can paint it. My window coverings have to comply with HOA standards and I’m not allowed to fly a flag. The landscaping for my backyard (which isn’t even visible to the public) has to be approved and I can be fined for taking my garbage to the street before the sun goes down. I’m not allowed to attach a basketball hoop to my garage as a permanent fixture and the mobile hoop we got as an alternative can not be left in front of the house.

These are all rules that I agreed to when I bought my house and in reality I don’t actually mind them- but I should. It should offend me that I can’t raise an American flag on Independence Day. I should be outraged that I have to ask permission to improve my own home. But I’m not. It’s just the way it is and I, like just about everyone else in the Phoenix Metro area, have decided to accept it.

The Curse of the Red Sandals

While packing to move into our new house, I decided to throw away a pair of sandals that were a somewhat odd color that is probably best described as a dark brick red. I purchased them to coordinate with a dress that has since been ruined (which is girl code for “It made me look fat”).

The sandals were really cute and flattering so I kept them for several years in the hopes that I would someday find an outfit with which they could be worn.

Finally I decided that there was no way on God’s green Earth that I would ever find anything in that particular shade and since we were getting ready to move I figured it was a good time to get rid of some of the excess garbage that normally clutters up my closet.

Needless to say, a few weeks after moving into the new house we went shopping in our new neighborhood and I found a really great outfit in the exact same color red as those sandals. It figures, right?

So I bought the outfit figuring the color must be back in fashion and I would be able to find another pair of sandals. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and I still can’t wear the outfit because I don’t have any shoes to match!

This is why women hate to throw away clothes, shoes, or purses. It’s similar to men and tools. You may not have touched it in 5 years but you know you are eventually going to need it again- usually the day after you throw it away.

NFL Football-A Modern Ritual

Football season started this week and, although I’m not a huge fan, I still watched 3 games today (Browns vs. Vikings, Cardinals vs. 49ers, and the Sunday Night game).

There’s something comforting about the ritual and tradition of Sunday football that transcends the actual competition and adds value to the experience of watching the games. Well.. maybe not. But I do find the whole thing kind of fun to think about.

First, there’s the pageantry. Not just the pre-game,half-time,and post-game nonsense, but also the costumes worn by the fans which can be as simple as sporting the home team’s colors or as flamboyant and extravagant as the the apparel worn during Carnival in Venice or Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

There are also food traditions that go along with the Sunday football ritual. Fans who watch from home will likely consume potato chips, beer or soda, and a variety of other snack foods prepared in a way that represents their favorite team. Enthusiasts who watch the game at a stadium will have an opportunity to participate in the pre-game tailgate party which is, as far as I know, completely unique to American sporting events (and probably not very sanitary).

I don’t think it would be that much of a stretch to compare football to religion. Team loyalties, like religious beliefs, are typically learned from one’s parents, both include a weekly ritual including family, food, and special clothing, and both have the potential to bridge social boundaries such as race or social class.

Some other aspects of NFL football that I find interesting include the revered status of exceptional players and coaches, the phenomenal amount of random statistical information available and the unwavering loyalty of fans to their favorite team.

Proper English,AP style and common language

So my husband and I were arguing about grammar and I thought it was an interesting topic.

He claims that the rules of grammar are generally arbitrary and useless and I feel that they are necessary for the sake of clarity.

Having said that, there does seem to be a bit of conflict between the way English teachers expect us to write, the way newspapers and magazines are written and the way the English language is used by the general public.

The conversation started when I forgot to capitalize the word Internet in my introduction post. I don’t understand why the word Internet is considered a proper noun.

According to Grammar Girl the Internet is considered one big happy place and that is why it is a proper noun (Side Note: Kudos to Mignon Fogarty for the Schoolhouse Rock reference!). Apparently this is also true for “the Net” and “the Web” but it all seems entirely counterintuitive. It also seems contradictory to how the words are commonly used.

Another contradiction comes from the AP stylebook which insists that Web site is two words and that Web must be capitalized but the same rules do not apply to webmaster, webpage, webcam, or webcast. How exactly does that make sense?

I realize, as I said before, that the rules of grammar and style are intended to add clarity and readability and that they are necessary. I just find it incredibly interesting how common use, slang, and (more recently) texting jargon continue to drive the evolution of the language. I don’t think this is an indication that the rules are arbitrary, I just think that some flexibility is needed.

I’m sure there are a few purists out there who might disagree. For example, I know some people were upset with Merriam-Webster’s decision to include a definition for the word ain’t and there was some controversy when they added google to the dictionary as a verb used to describe the process of using the Google search engine.

Each year new words are added, new rules are created and old rules are discarded. I have no idea who makes the decisions or how they decide, but I find the whole thing completely fascinating. Maybe next year they’ll add “LOL” as a legitimate word- then I won’t feel so silly for saying it out loud.

So what’s this all about?

A bit about me: I’ve been told that I’m odd. I don’t think about or react to things in a way that the people who know me would consider normal. I’m ok with that. In fact, I kind of like it.

A bit about this blog: Nonsense with Cheese is intended to be about anything at all that is interesting, thought provoking, humorous, tragic or bizarre. Readers will be able to contribute to an ongoing conversation and express their opinion on any topic presented. Comments will be moderated for civility, but opposing or contradictory views are encouraged.

A bit about the cheese: As the name implies, none of this should be taken too seriously. Readers can expect to find random musings, occasional rants, and quite a bit of humor and oddities. There’s a lot to laugh at in this world and most of it is on the Internet.