For an example of why it doesn't ping me as an age thing, my aunt tells her granddaughter "No ma'am" when she does something naughty.

Ha! I do the same with my dog! "NO SIR!" though.

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askye, that's good about the cleared up infection. I hope you get the pain source figured out and treated soon.

Yes, this! Yay!

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I just emailed my parents and sister to see if they want to visit me. I could use some time away from math.

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I work in a giant tower downtown.

Daisy Jane, how close are you to my new building? We should try and do lunch.

Also, I've entered the wild world of OK Cupid

:: wink wink :: Take a look at my profile. (maybe tell me what's wrong with it)

ETA- since moving to TX, I've been called "Sir" more in the past year, than the rest of my life combined. They are very polite down here.

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For an example of why it doesn't ping me as an age thing, my aunt tells her granddaughter "No ma'am" when she does something naughty.

Ha! I do the same with my dog! "NO SIR!" though.

Growing up on (a) an Air Force Base; (b) in the South, I still "ma'am" and "sir" reflexively.

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My grandmother used to get so mad at me when I was a kid because I refused to call anyone "ma'am" or "sir". Mostly because I wouldn't call HER "ma'am". I wasn't disrespectful; I was very polite. I just didn't want to.

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I was very polite. I just didn't want to.

Uhmm...I'm seeing a discordance between these two statements.

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My grandmothers were both called Miss until the days they died. Good enough for me.

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Quasi-exhaustive meara:

(((Aims))) I'm catching up, so I hope you're doing better by now.

If I don't like you, I don't mind being intimidating. Scaring people I don't like is fun.

And you do it with such elegant grace. Priviledge to witness, as long as it's focused over *there*. At *them*.

I had counterparts in other offices refusing to partner me in classes, no reason given, except they'd all "already found a partner." Finally, the IT guy told me, "Well, you can be intimidating." Coming from someone who never exhibited an emotion of any sort in public, and who had everybody terrified of him, but who got the hysterical giggles when he and I worked together, I figured I was on the side of good.

I work really hard (for example, at Buffista gatherings) at presenting as approachable, but lord, it takes a mort of energy. And then I have to go somewhere and hide my head for a few hours and recharge.

I like the sound of "welcome" more than I like the sound of "problem".

Nothing stodgy about it--it is an actual perception, and welcome is far better received than problem.

I hate it when people I don't know use my first name.

Particularly when it's a 20 year old gum chewer at the doctor's office. Or the doctor. You call me by my first name, bub, I'm calling you by yours. And yes, I know the last name is problematic. Oh, gone are the days I leapt to the rescue of anyone attempting to muddle through the apparently random assemblage of consonants and vowels. Now I just say, "Make a note on my chart--I prefer not to be called by my first name," and then watch them struggle through the phonetics.

And a bit tangential, but I dislike it when doing business on the phone, I'm asked for my last name and I spell it. "And how do you pronounce that?" Like you're ever going to have occasion to say it aloud? And if I'd answered your question with my name, the first words out of your mouth would have been a semi-awed, "How--um, do you spell that?" I'm attempting to save your time and mine, here.

Askye, I'm glad the infection is gone. I hope the new stuff is something easily and quickly fixable.

I have a last name that most people are unwilling tackle.

::waves hands in the air:: I know! I know how to say it!

I still "ma'am" and "sir" reflexively.

Riley comes to mind, and I always did have a soft spot for that boy. My mama never made me ma'am or sir anybody, but I did have an inbred knowledge of when it would be to my advantage to use it. And I had the usage of please and thank you beaten into me by sheer reminding and repetition. I will say, my younger hooligan got off punishment for a lot of the stuff he got into with a smile and please and thank you. I have used madam and sir for kids of all ages, as well as "little man" when appropriate.

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"And how do you pronounce that?" Like you're ever going to have occasion to say it aloud?

Sometimes I reply to that: There aren't many of us. It's not a useful skill.

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