Week of October 30-November 5 (very belated)

Six rejections, two requests for further material, one "no longer at this establishment." This is what we call motion. Activity. Progress, maybe, but definitely activity. (Some weeks I'm very good at the philosophical position that finding out where a story does not belong is also progress. This week so far I am not much good for most philosophical positions.)

Last night we went out so that I could eat an entire restaurant. Okay, not quite that, since we hope to go back there, but we had a big meal, especially by my standards. I desperately needed it, after the weekend. I'm not drive-capable yet this morning -- still very shaky -- but I hope to be soon.

I put half of the third panel of this on my monitor with yhlee's battle spork and "SMITE: There had better be smiting before book's end or I will be Very Cranky" and sculpin's, "You don't have to be a hero. Heroic behavior is optional; that's why it's called 'heroism' and not 'good manners.'"

I think I should look at sculpin's line several times this week. We all work within our limitations. There's no sense whining after what I'd be able to do if I was feeling well, because I'm not, so if I need to lie down between paying the mortgage and the gas bill, that's what I'll do.

If that last bit sounds cheerful, you're reading it wrong.

Translation question: Minnesotan to English

timprov and I have discussed it and generally agreed that the appearance of the phrase "would hate" in a Minnesotan sentence followed by an infinitive generally means that the person is doing the infinitive, or trying.

Examples: "I would hate to rush you" = "Hurry your butt up."
"I would hate to make you feel like you had to go home now" = "Get out of here."
"I would hate to pressure you" = "Do it now."

In many cases, the speaker is quite sincere: they really, genuinely want the end effect without the stated intermediate event. They want you to hurry without feeling rushed, to go home without feeling unwelcome, to do whatever needed doing without feeling pressured.

My question is: is this universal, or does this phrase get used otherwise elsewhere? Or does it just not get used at all, where you're from?