Ellensburg is the home of Central Washington University. I have been lucky enough to be a student there twice. The building was constructed in the late 1800's, and makes a lovely center piece for the town. The town is quite small really; there are only about 18,000 residents. It is odd, actually, to think of such a large university being in a small town. This happened because, in the 19th century, Ellensburg made a bid(1) to be the political capital of the state, but lost. As a consolation(2), the university was built. The rest of the town is agricultural and fairly modern, with a few historical buildings here and there. I have a soft spot(3) for both the town and the university because of my good memories of being a student. Now I have another reason for visiting the town. Two of my children play AAU basketball, which is a non-school league. Last weekend their teams played in the university gym, so we spent the whole weekend there. Just outside of the gymnasium is a very large statue of a wildcat which is the mascot of the university. It was covered with a thin sheet of frost, and looked very intimidating. There were people everywhere, mainly students, of course. Above the gymnasiums is a jogging track, and next door is a huge weight room, and a climbing wall. It is a wonderful and useful modern addition to this historic place. The weekend came and went quickly, with lots of wins and losses, and before long, we had driven over the mountain pass and were back at home in Wenatchee.
1. 'To make a bid' is to ask to win/receive a contract. We also 'ask' for bids from companies to see which one can give us the best service.
a. Many countries made their bids to host the next Olympics.
b. We asked for bids from several builders, to see which one could build our garage for the most reasonable price.
c. At the auction, the highest bid for the antique chair was $1000.
2. 'Consolation' is a gift of some kind to compensate for a loss. The verb 'to console' is to offer kind words to someone when they have lost something.
a. The loser of the competition received a consolation prize of a laptop.
b. I consoled her after her pet died.
c. The policeman gave the child a teddy bear, as a consolation, until they could find her parents.
3. 'To have a soft spot for something/someone' is to have positive/ tender feelings sometimes related to memories.
a. I have a soft spot for the college because I have good memories of being a student.
b. I have a soft spot for cats; we always had cats when I was a child.
c. They have a soft spot for Madrid; they first met and later got married there.
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Thanksgiving was on 26th of November. It is always on the fourth Thursday of that month. It is a day that everyone looks forward to. It is a welcomed break for school children and anyone who works. And, of course, there is a big meal to share with family, friends, or both if you are lucky. This year, I decided to try something different. Each Thanksgiving morning here in Wenatchee, there is The Turkey Run. It is a 5km run or walk that is organized to raise money for charity. Participants(1)need to pay a certain amount to receive an official number in the race. Then, all you need is a good pair of running shoes, and some warm clothes. I had got(2) up early that morning to go to the supermarket. It was freezing cold. "Uh!" I thought to myself, "The race will be miserable if it stays this cold." Thankfully, by the time my daughter and I were ready, the sun had come out, and it was a few degrees warmer. At the starting line, there were hundreds of people of all ages, all dressed in winter clothes, some wearing funny hats, and even a couple of ballet Tutus. There were lots of smiles and laughter, and a few serious runners who disappeared along the road and up the hill as fast as lightening. My daughter wanted to run ahead to find one of her friends, so I jogged behind her. I kept my eyes on her bright pink sweater, as it darted through the crowd. During the run, I saw people I know, and was able to walk and talk with a few. I also was able to admire those in wheelchairs who were making a wonderful effort for charity. There were people with turkey hats on, others dressed in the Seattle Seahawks colors, and even babies bundled up like Eskimos being carried by their parents. I can only imagine that with such a good turnout(3), a lot of money was raised for charity. I will definitely take part in the race next year; I'm tempted to buy a silly turkey hat just for that occasion.
1. 'Participants' is the noun, from the verb 'to participate' meaning to take part in something.
a. We were participants in the race, but not serious runners.
b. Now it is time for the participants to be judged.
2. 'Got' is used in British English as the past participle, instead of 'gotten' which is used in the U.S.
a. We had got tired of the cold, so we went back to the house.
b. They missed the bus because they hadn't got up until really late.
3. 'Turnout' is a number of people coming to an event.
a. I'm so pleased at the turnout of this political rally.
b. The turnout for the new video game was a record breaker.
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