英語(yǔ)播客 A Cup of English Quite a social calendar.

Do you use calendars very much? I do. Without them, I'm sure I would forget a lot of appointments. I have a calendar conveniently placed in my kitchen, just above where I do my podcasts. I have a collection of other important things on this 'mini-desk' of mine, so it keeps me organized while I do my little projects, check my E-mails, or pay the bills. My husband has one on his iPad that is much more sophisticated than mine. He relies on his to keep his business affairs straight. However you use a calendar, it can be a great tool for remembering important appointments or events. In English, we say that people have a busy 'social' calendar, when they have appointments with friends, or commitments that are fun. I have a few of those on my calendar, but most of the things I have written down are mundane: dentist appointments, volunteering dates, taking the dogs to the vets for shots etc etc. But as I look up now to my calendar, I see that I do have some fun, social things planned for this month. I have lunch with my siser-in-law next week. Then there is a walk with a friend of mine in the park. We go every fortnight (or two weeks) There is a school bingo night which is to raise money for school supplies. And then, of course, there is Thanksgiving on the 25th. My birthday is also somewhere on the calendar, but I won't tell you where. This one calendar has been so useful for the whole family, that I bought a dry-erase version that hangs in the children's mud room. It is reusable, and has all of their school, sports, and music dates. If other people stay organized, it certainly takes the pressure off of me.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: convenient, to pay the bills, to keep your affairs straight, mundane.

1. A large supermarket is being built where we live, how convenient!

2. It's that time of the month again; I have to pay the bills.

3. This business is very complex. It takes a lot of time and effort to keep your affairs straight.

4. Household chores are so mundane; they can get downright boring.