Names, getting work done, and the future
Do any of the rest of you feel anxiety about how to refer to older adults with whom they're acquainted? I've encountered several friends' parents recently and been unsure of how they want me to refer to them, so I've avoided it altogether. (Luckily, in one case, I have completely blanked on her first name, which leaves only one option. Regardless, I did not use any terms of address when I spoke to her.) Some old friends' parents have made it clear that I am more than welcome to use their first names, now that I'm a grown-up. Am I? Really? I still call myself a "boy" a lot. This came up today, not only because of the recent issue, but when I spoke on the phone to my family's optometrist. This is someone I've known for nigh two decades. I have always called her "Mrs LastName". Today she answered the phone with "This is FirstName LastName." I said "Hi, FirstName, it's Knile, how are you?" We proceeded to have a conversation about my prescription, all the while my heart wrought with embarrassment at my gaffe. She didn't mention it. It's surely not a big deal. But it weirds me out that I'm a grown-up and don't know how to deal with this. Do you still call your friends' parents Honorific LastName? Bottom line, I do that until told otherwise.
Once upon a time, way back in the early 21st Century, I was going to write a piece about this for a soon-thereafter defunct publication at Hopkins. Would that I could remember that publication's title now. The Charles Street Standard? Maybe. Older-types, I'm looking for your help here. I want to say Brandom published in it, and it was edited by somebody with an interesting name that my/our types were friendly with. What was that compared to VOX? (The latter pulled from this list, which is horribly outdated, for sure. Points to anybody who finds typos! I count one but am tired and lazy.)
I made that phone call from a new coffee shop in town, Muddy Waters. They had handed me a bunch of 50% off cards when I stopped in there a few weeks back with jisalynn and I wanted to use them before they expire AND get work done. Rewind further: I decided to skip my meetings today in favor of getting work done. Work I'd told myself I'd have done last week. Oops. I got work done at home. Then needed a change of scenery. So to Muddy Waters I went, where I formally met the owner (Jake) & the barista-on-duty (Ed), whom I later bonded with over several things. This is what happens in a tiny place when you're there for hours & hours, it seems. After completing a goodly chunk of work and drinking two lattes, I decided to move elsewhere in the South Wedge. To the Tap and Mallet! There, I got more work done, while enjoying a tasty beverage AND soup AND a sandwich. And fries. Phew. Good times, good productivity, but I can't do that every day. Or even every week? Maybe, maybe.
Dylan and Surabhi's wedding is this coming weekend. I am driving to Pittsburgh on Friday. I shall catch up on TAL listening on the way there. Sadly, I don't have enough back podcasts to listen to on the way back. At least, not ones I really want to listen to on that drive.
The latest plan is comps in a month. Moving out in two months. Scary stuff.
Once upon a time, way back in the early 21st Century, I was going to write a piece about this for a soon-thereafter defunct publication at Hopkins. Would that I could remember that publication's title now. The Charles Street Standard? Maybe. Older-types, I'm looking for your help here. I want to say Brandom published in it, and it was edited by somebody with an interesting name that my/our types were friendly with. What was that compared to VOX? (The latter pulled from this list, which is horribly outdated, for sure. Points to anybody who finds typos! I count one but am tired and lazy.)
I made that phone call from a new coffee shop in town, Muddy Waters. They had handed me a bunch of 50% off cards when I stopped in there a few weeks back with jisalynn and I wanted to use them before they expire AND get work done. Rewind further: I decided to skip my meetings today in favor of getting work done. Work I'd told myself I'd have done last week. Oops. I got work done at home. Then needed a change of scenery. So to Muddy Waters I went, where I formally met the owner (Jake) & the barista-on-duty (Ed), whom I later bonded with over several things. This is what happens in a tiny place when you're there for hours & hours, it seems. After completing a goodly chunk of work and drinking two lattes, I decided to move elsewhere in the South Wedge. To the Tap and Mallet! There, I got more work done, while enjoying a tasty beverage AND soup AND a sandwich. And fries. Phew. Good times, good productivity, but I can't do that every day. Or even every week? Maybe, maybe.
Dylan and Surabhi's wedding is this coming weekend. I am driving to Pittsburgh on Friday. I shall catch up on TAL listening on the way there. Sadly, I don't have enough back podcasts to listen to on the way back. At least, not ones I really want to listen to on that drive.
The latest plan is comps in a month. Moving out in two months. Scary stuff.