Ok, one thing that happens when I state the place of my employment is the listener expects me to be able to reel off from memory all sorts of trivial factoids.

How far away is it? uh, high

can it spy on us ?no

I'll bet it does and you just don't... no, that would break important components

how much does it weigh? a lot, but it is in space

has it ever take a picture of X? lemme get right on that

can I take a picture with it? get funding

Who looks through it? um...

How do you get the film down? ummm...

ever seen any aliens? I'll bet you have and just aren't telling eyeroll

No really, I saw on this show...walking away

see, where those people go wrong is not pinching your cheeks and commenting on your cuteness. For that is the correct reponse to anything you say or do.

silly people. I should give lessons.

re Birmingham:

Starbucks sent me there from Atlanta for three weeks or a month to try to whip the store on that little swanky main shopping street into shape. So I actually lived at the Extended Stay America out on (16?) Mile. Something Mile, anywhoo.

duck tapes msbelle's pinchy wee fingers

how much does it weigh? a lot, but it is in space

Pretty sweet.

People do ask me about my company's line of business. We do a lot of what we do, #1 in the country, or whatever, but *I* certainly don't. Never used the industry's services even. Couldn't help anyone do anything other than manage their paper.

What do you do was quickly followed up with so what do you drive?

Oh, THAT would have pissed me off. Not least of all because I was driving a Honda at the time, and if you're in MI and care enough to ask, the fight will be on.

People tell me in LA that everything's about what you drive. I haven't been exposed to that segment of the population, and I'm good.

My favourite time to say what I do is while I'm in Montreal. The way the slow film of glaze flickers over their eyes as they go through the "not in the industry/well, she's here so maybe she knows someone/hey, I could bang her anyway" at the festival is quite precious.

no one loves you more than me!

Oh, THAT would have pissed me off. Not least of all because I was driving a Honda at the time, and if you're in MI and care enough to ask, the fight will be on.

I love Hondas, but I'm currently driving a Ford and apparently that was the right answer. However, my vehicle is too old.

But the pinching!

I adore my little stress mascot way too much. It bounces so well off the wall!

pinching makes the world go round.*

• to be ammended later to any activity that I want to do. all instances of pinching only refer to the pinching of sara's cheeks and ita's bum.

I'm currently driving a Ford and apparently that was the right answer

You're a good company man. Me, a godless heathen. I think there was some allowance for buying a luxury European car, but not much. Buying an Accord? Travesty, betrayal, unpatriotic.

Reliable and affordable, though. My bosses advised against it, since we had Ford and GM as customers, and I'd look bad in their parking lots. And then I heard tales of factory workers who had their imports picked up, cubed, and returned to their parking spot.

eta:

all instances of pinching only refer to the pinching of sara's cheeks and ita's bum.

Good luck with that! It's like STEEL, baybee.