Microsoft has dispensed with using old traditional “straight” quotes (quotes without any curves or contours) as the default choice. Instead, it now uses curly “smart” quotes. Also, the most recent update changed my settings to Microsoft’s default choice, and I didn’t notice it for several days at least.
Not every program or platform supports curly quotes, so those gurus who claim they are the only quotes you should use are wrong.
So, what is the problem? Why would I say such a thing? Smart quotes mess up the formatting in some files or on web pages. An example of what happens can be found here: Editing: The Problem with Smart Quotes | LinkedIn.
The most upsetting thing is this—I don’t know how many documents I messed up before I caught the problem. I have no clue which projects now sport straight quotes mingled with curly. I’ll have to resolve that document by document, using a global search and replace. It’s not the end of the world, but is inconvenient.
If you’re like me and prefer straight quotes because they’re less hassle, you will want to change the default curly quote setting in your Microsoft Office apps. Here is a link to a webpage that will walk you through the process: How to change ‘smart’ quotes to ‘straight’ quotes in Microsoft Word, Outlook and PowerPoint | Windows Central.
Another frustration, this one of my own devising, is the mess I have deliberately created in a new project. I’d run into a wall with this story last winter, so I set it aside. Then, two weeks ago, I had the bright idea to change the viewpoint and make it present tense.
That change has injected life into the narrative. Unfortunately, it’s created a minor problem that I suspect my editor will chastise me for—verbs that somehow fell through the cracks and didn’t get changed from past tense to present. Went to goes, had to has or have—things I have spent hours on and will spend countless more when it gets out of the first draft stage.
And no matter how I comb for bloopers now, Irene will have her work cut out when she gets this mess.
The positive side of this self-imposed difficulty is the way the plot is unfolding. The words are pouring onto the paper now that my protagonist is telling the story.
One of the blessings I’m grateful for this week is a direct result of the pandemic: the fabulous people who do the shopping and deliver groceries to my door. I have never enjoyed shopping, and as I wend my way through the store, I forget what I intended to buy and bring home things I never knew I wanted. Hooray for the delivery people who bring the groceries I ordered to my door. I like this convenience so much that I even enjoy putting the food away.
Now, if only the laundry would do itself, that would immensely help.
We do get out sometimes, though. We have a wonderful farmer’s market in this town. The hubby and I enjoy shopping for some things when they’re in season: locally crafted jams, honey, and mustard. We don’t get down there as often as we’d like, but we always find something delicious when we do. The last time, it was a fabulous lemon raspberry jam that was to die for from a local producer, Johnson Berry Farms.
Another blessing in our life is the number of restaurants in this town. Olympia is friendly to all dietary persuasions. Every restaurant has at least one plant-based option, and so far, they have all been delicious and thoughtfully prepared. Last night, we had dinner at Cynara, near the boardwalk and the Olympia Farmer’s Market.
It’s a fancy restaurant, with a fancy menu and a fancy tab—but an occasional splurge keeps life interesting. The food there is fabulous. Greg had a lamb dish, and I had their cauliflower. Both meals were eye-candy and every bit as delicious to eat as they were to look at.
As I write this, I’m preparing to head north to Seattle for the annual PNWA Writers Conference. I attend every year, and always feel bad about leaving my husband on his own. So, this year, Greg will go with me for some downtime in the hotel. The hotel we’ll be staying at has many amenities for a man hoping for a bit of relaxation; not the least is a decent sports bar serving good food.
September is always a month of transition. The summer weather is changing to cooler days, and leaves are turning red and yellow. The days are growing shorter, and the traffic outside our windows during rush hour is a little more frantic.
This is the month when homemade bread and crockpot soups make the house feel cozy. We’re still spending time on the balcony and finding humor in watching the shenanigans of harried commuters as their cars fly by in excess of the speed limit. But soon, the rain will move in and drive us indoors.
Not to worry—we’ll have plenty of opportunities to pass judgment on their driving skills from our window.
That’s it for today. I hope your frustrations are minor, and may your blessings far outweigh them.
Credits and Attributions:
Image: Olympia Farmers Market, Wikipedia contributors, “Olympia, Washington,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Olympia,_Washington&oldid=1176094163 (accessed September 19, 2023).
Life in the Realm of Fantasy 