Daniel, all healing thoughts to you, and good employment-finding, too.

Ginger, clear ear-ma, and soon.

My first name was a trial in K-6, because nobody else in the world was ever named that. My last name was odd anyway, but an odd variant on the spelling that was accepted. I meant to marry John Smith Doe (I meant Doe!), I swear, so as to A. get into the first half of the alphabet, and B. have an easily recognized and spelled last name.

Failed on the second count. Did good on the first, though.

I meant to marry John Smith, I swear, so as to A. get into the first half of the alphabet, and B. have an easily recognized and spelled last name.

I basically did this. I mean, the marriage didn't work but the name change did. ... I still spell it out for people.

The first time Pete heard me spell our last name to someone on the phone (yeah, I took his) with the instructions, "No, that's V, as in vampire", He did indeed facepalm. What? Like I'm going to pick another word that starts with V.

V as in vulva. Try it just once.

Bwahahaha! Okay, I will try that the next time.

Vulva should work. Crotch is a miracle of remembrance, swears.

One of the reasons I switched to Raq was that I was really bored with everyone spelling "Rachel" as "Rachael."

People do okay with my last name, but it tends to be illuminating about their interests which "as in?" they go with. "As in the gun?" "As in the cathedral?" "As in the town?" "As in Charles Emerson?"

So far one person has said "As in the brothers in Supernatural?" And that was a Colombian hotel desk clerk.

Ooh, score for him, Raq.

I'm always amazed how many people are confused by my last name. It's just ... an Irish name, and it's spelled exactly like it sounds. But I get Gravy and Garver and all kinds of stuff.

Beverly's last name is much harder than mine. Mine at least has enough vowels.

I used to try "As in a light bulb" but that confuses some people even more.