Taking a load off (#idiom)

Taking a load off

Monday is President’s Day, a holiday in the U.S., so we’re getting a three-day weekend, which means I finally get to TAKE A LOAD OFF. It’s been so busy at work lately that I’m making it a point to take it easy this weekend. Sure, I still have a list of things to do, but… Read more »

Christmas 2015

It’s Christmas!

We’re having an unseasonably warm Christmas here in New York City. It’s strange, but no one’s complaining. Most of us are enjoying it, especially as we know the brutal wintry weather will eventually return. I, myself, have been busy lately, so Christmas this year means slowing down, taking it easy, and getting plenty of rest…. Read more »

Pasta dish for English vocabulary lesson

It’s Thanksgiving!

It’s Thanksgiving once again! I wish you all a day of fun, great food, quality time with family and friends, and plenty of things to be grateful for. If you are celebrating Thanksgiving, you will most likely pig out on a huge meal with some fantastic desserts. You will probably have seconds. You will be… Read more »

Image of autumn leaves for English lesson on the future perfect

Reviewing the Future Perfect

. We’re halfway through November. The autumn leaves have fallen, and winter is fast approaching. The year 2015 is almost over, and we just have a month or so before the new year begins. Do you have anything that you want to accomplish by the end of the year? Are you working on a task… Read more »

cute pumpkin photos for Halloween post

Is Halloween becoming less scary? :-|

Halloween has always been a spooky holiday where people put up creepy decorations and wear scary costumes. When you think of Halloween, you think skeletons & vampires & haunted houses & witches flying in the dark. People get pumpkins and carve Jack ‘o lanterns that are supposed to give passersby chills, right? SPOOKY, CREEPY –… Read more »

photo of lunch for #vocabulary lesson

Calling in sick & feeling under the weather

I’ve been home feeling under the weather the past two days. I think I caught my cold early last week when I started sniffling off and on. I must say I did a pretty good job keeping it at bay until Sunday, when it suddenly got worse and my nose started to run nonstop. 😐… Read more »

image of the simple present and the present progressive from a grammar booklet

Have you mastered the English present tenses?

The Simple Present and the Present Progressive/Continuous are the first two tenses that you learn when you first start studying English. Because of this, many students who have been studying English for a long time don’t want to practice them anymore because they think these tenses are too easy. Unfortunately, even advanced students can have a… Read more »

photos for English lesson on the slang phrase "the skinny"

Here’s the skinny on “the skinny”!

You probably already know that the word “skinny” also means “thin,” which is the opposite of “fat.” A person who doesn’t need to lose weight and who probably needs to gain weight is skinny, right? However, did you also know that the phrase “the skinny” is slang for “information” about some topic? That’s right! This… Read more »

photo to teach English vocabulary

Are you a night owl or an early bird?

People are usually either a night owl or an early bird. If you love to stay up until the wee hours of the morning, you are definitely a night owl. On the other hand, if you prefer to hit the sack early and get up early the next day, you can call yourself an early… Read more »

PB&J photo for an English vocabulary blog post

Becoming FOND OF blueberry jam

I usually make a PB&J to take to work every day–or my wife does it for me. 🙂 Recently, we decided to try blueberry instead of my usual raspberry, but I quickly realized I wasn’t too fond of the flavor. 😐 I like blueberry in pies and cakes, but it just didn’t go with peanut… Read more »

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  • Mr. R wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day.

    Wishing you all a happy Valentine’s!

    I hope you’re all enjoying this day whether you’re spending it with your special someone, with family and friends, or by yourself! It’s still freezing here in the New York City, and the temperatures are expected to plunge even further tomorrow,  so the wife and I are probably staying home for most of the weekend…. Read more »

  • Use your small amounts of time well

    We’ve had quite a few winter storms here in the northeastern U.S. since the end of January. This was what it looked like a couple of weeks ago in New York City. It seems like the storms are lining up one after the other as they move across the country toward the northeastern U.S. So far,… Read more »

  • It’s Christmas!

    From my family to yours, wishing you all the best of this holiday! Joe Yu

  • Being grateful and planning for the new year

    It’s that time of year again. In the U.S., we roast turkeys, make a few other dishes, then sit down to a nice dinner with friends and family until we’re completely stuffed! Thanksgiving is so special, and despite the work that needs to be done and the stress that sometimes comes with it, we love… Read more »

  • Americans are HEADING TO THE POLLS!

    Americans are HEADING TO THE POLLS today to CAST their votes for certain local and state officials. A number of governors & members of Congress are on the ballot. Some people think it’s “only” a midterm election and is therefore not as significant as a Presidential election. However, it is very important as the OUTCOME… Read more »

  • Having A BLAST being a zombie

    Catwoman and I work in the same office. She helps students with their status as international students. It’s Halloween! We had a party at work yesterday, and it was a total BLAST. This year I decided to GO OUT ON A LIMB and be a zombie, which was very brave of me as I wasn’t… Read more »

  • Warming up to a table-top ironing board

    The cover that came with this new table-top ironing board stunk, 😐 so we decided to wash it first. This is an old cover. My wife and I live in a tiny apartment, and every time I BREAK OUT the ironing board to PRESS my shirts, it takes up most of the kitchen area, and… Read more »

  • Morning after the storm

    It feels like the morning after a storm. Indeed, a storm went through our area yesterday, but it turned out to be a weak one. It definitely wasn’t the SOAKER that was predicted. SOAKER – heavy rain; a rainy, wet day I guess that’s a good thing, but it can be kind of A LETDOWN… Read more »

  • Happy first day of fall!

    A pumpkin patch at the supermarket where I shop, displaying some fall colors before the leaves start to turn in our area.  Pumpkin PATCHES are POPPING UP around town once again, especially in grocery stores and farmer’s markets. It’s one sign that fall is here! Well, it officially arrives tomorrow. The temperatures in NYC have… Read more »

  • A nice time watching the U.S. Open final competition

    Watching the final game of the US Open in Brooklyn, with Lower Manhattan in the background. We THOROUGHLY enjoyed the #AmexTennis #USOpen event at Brooklyn Bridge Park early this week. It was a nice VENUE with the Manhattan SKYLINE providing a dramatic BACKDROP. I even SCORED a nice, free picnic blanket which I’m sure we’ll… Read more »