Friday, January 16, 2009

Do you have a nickname?

What Ho everyone. Just a little greeting ala Jeeves & Wooster. We've been loving the British series and it's a little sad because we only have three more episodes till it's over.

One of the fun quirks in the show is how most of the men have a nickname. Do you have a nickname? Most of you who know me don't realize that you know me by my nickname. I don't really care for my given name, but you don't have a choice in the matter.

One of the blogs I read (mostly lurk) has a lot of amusing nicknames and it's like you are enjoying the daily interactions with each of the characters. Trainman, Brother Tightly Wound and Silver Fox are just a few that get mentioned. I know she does this to give some anonymity to them and herself with good reason.

We also have nicknames for some of the people we interact with, usually because we don't know them personally and when we mention them by nickname we know who we are referring to. A lot of this started when we lived in our old apartment. Smokerguy, Tattooguy, Weebles, Skank, Skank's Mom, Matress, Screech, Plumberguy, THEBEASTetc. They all had back stories and reasons for the names, some not so nice but well chosen based on the back story. Since moving to a nicer place, their are fewer "charaters" but we still have "Noseybody", Guido, and a few others.

There are some changes in my life. I have a new job starting soon after months of repeated interviews. I worked in the Aerospace industry off and on for years but with the recent strike at Boeing and other issues it was a good time to look elsewhere. More info to come when I have more to share....

Some of my handspun yarn has made it to a finished object. Mrs. Twisted made a beret recently from some of the 3 ply merino I spun a few months ago. You can see the whole story here and on her blog.

The first bobbin is complete of the previously mentioned superwash for the ply-by-night group. I had a chance to meet with the Tuesday night spinning group and took the operatunity to focus on finishing the first single. I know I have 6 weeks to finish spinning the fiber and knitting the scarf plus I think the Mrs will do some of the knitting on the scarf.

The lace skirt is at 30% complete and slowly moving in the right direction.

This week Mrs Twisted's sister called from the cold mountains of Vermont and asked to come visit. They're having -20 nights and single digit daytime highs while we're having unseasonably warm 80 deg temps. This is her first trip to So Ca from what I understand and all she wants is some warm weather. She hopes to be here in a couple weeks, needless to say, the wife is thrilled to have some family coming to visit. She went back there a little over a year ago for her niece's wedding but it's nice when they come this direction to visit.

15 comments:

  1. congratulations on your new job. I hope all goes well and you can share some details soon ;-) Working in the aerospace industry is scary right now.

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  2. Woo-hoo! Congratulations on a new job.

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  3. Congratulations on the new job! Starting something new is always so much fun! Nice to hear about someone getting a job instead of the reverse in the current economy.

    I don't have a nickname, but I do have one for a waitress at my hubby's and my favorite restaurant. Big Bird, is a lady approximately 50? who is the human equivalent of Big Bird from Sesame Street, right down to the crooking her neck and peering directly into your face when she talks to you like Big Bird, Short fuzzy blondish hair, with big circular glasses (elton john would be jealous) tall and same mannerisms.

    I don't intend this to be poking fun at her. She is a very nice person!

    I just can't help it, I see her and I see big bird!

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  4. Hi Jerry! Congratulations on the job. It's tough all over but to get a job in this climate makes you one talented and special dude!

    On nicknames; I have really just one and only one person uses it. My dearest friend from high school calls me something that was from my early childhood. My brother (who dies long ago but she knew him) used to call me KooKa when he was a baby cause he couldn't say my name. My friend learned of this and now calls me Koo all the time.

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  5. Congratulations on the job! That is excellent news in this economy.

    Nicknames, well I post under my usual nickname. I got it because my younger brother couldn't say my name and the nickname stuck. I'm certain that my ex has a choice nickname as well, but fortunately doesn't use it to my face! (grin) I had another childhood friend who insisted on calling me "Nellie" because he thought my name was stupid.

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  6. Job: wonderful!
    Nicknames: still snickering over here...

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  7. congrats on the job! I am horrible at nicknames (there are many "the crazy lady"-s in my life), but I like your list!

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  8. "Crazylegs". [I wonder what Trainman calls *me*?]

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  9. Anonymous10:32 PM

    Ah yes, my dear husband aka "Normal Man" works in aerospace as well. We're hoping for the best, preparing for the worst. In other words, life as usual! Good Luck with your new job!
    - Denise aka "Nisie Muffin"

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  10. Anonymous11:40 PM

    I've had many nicknames over the years - Dubonet, Dooba, Auntie Booga etc.

    But don't forget what we imagined the children at the apartment complex called YOU - "The Mean Guy in 55"!

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  11. Anonymous12:22 PM

    You don't read my blog much do you, Mr.? Or you'd know.

    Go Team New Job!!

    -Jen

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  12. Anonymous6:05 PM

    FYI-
    Since some youngin' took Nipsey Hussell, I am now known as Crip Wilson. Hey, I did grow up in da hood!

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  13. Anonymous6:14 PM

    Congratulations on the job! I know things have been disconnected for you because of it. (I still think it was weird that you went all quiet just when networking would help, but since you found a job when there are "none" it must have worked.)

    Nicknames. I could go on and on. But I think names are important and the way things are named forever is really stupid. But mostly, as a fantasy geek, I would really have liked if there was some demonstrable symbolic change for adulthood.

    I did realize that we were using a nickname for you just because it is rare for boys to be given diminutive names as their whole names. I know girls who were named "Jenny" not "Jennifer" but no boys were ever named "Jimmy" not "James".

    I also think nicknames are a lot more common for boys because there are so few valid options. I frequently go into a new place and there will be 3 or 4 Johns and a few Steves and a handful of Marks and Chrises. If I were a little more like Sherlock Holmes, I think I could get more than 50% of men's first names at initial meeting, just by guessing.

    I have recently started applying my skill at the naming of things for spun yarns and knitting projects. Things that are named are a lot more likely to get worked on. When it has a name, it stops being a nebulous future project.

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  14. Great news about the job! I hope that you will stay there until you decide that it is time to move on (i.e. retire . . . in many years).

    I think I and my youngest sister (there are 7 of us) are the only ones who don't have nicknames.

    My husband and I have various nicknames for different people and the kids will ask "who?" We just say never mind or you don't know them.

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