I Want to Tell You

TOP FIVE NAMES (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER) THAT I WILL NEVER BELEAGUER MY HYPOTHETICAL CHILDREN WITH

1. Darryl. Sounds like a skinny, tobacco-chewing, trailer-dwelling hillbilly. You can't even say it without a drawl.
2. Kaitlin (and other spellings of the same). Too common, plus there are about ten million spellings of this name. Also, too little girl-ish; you can't imagine anyone over forty with the name Kaitlin. At least, I can't.
3. Anything ending in "elle." Especially Arielle. Not to discredit my cousin's girlfriend's family (Raquelle, Michelle, Nicole, Danielle, Chanelle, and Lorielle), but it's a little too prissy and, like Kaitlin, little girl-ish.
4. Chad. It's so hard and flat. If you say it enough times, it doesn't even sound like a name anymore. Plus, too much association with both the African country and the 2000 election fiasco. Funny story, though: according to Bandy, a girl at quiz bowl camp tried hitting on Chad by saying, "What's your name?...Chad! That's my favorite country!"
5. Durward. That name is actually in the so-called Best Baby Name Book in the Whole Wide World. I hope no one in the last few centuries has actually named a child Durward. I think that qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment.

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT AUBURN (IN SPITE OF MYSELF)

1. Overhearing greasy guys in army fatigues talking excitedly about video games in the hallway.

2. Ross' wolf shirts. Where does he get those things?

3. The continuing saga of J.P.'s hair.

This very likely shall become an ongoing feature.

Other than my lists today, I saw and spoke to Phil for the first time since the events of last Friday. Everything was normal, and it was okay, except for when I saw his mom, there to pick him up, who said "Hi, how are you?" in a really excited way. Maybe she's just that way...I hope Phil didn't tell his family that I asked him to the dance. That would be embarrassing.

I'm currently listening to the School of Rock soundtrack. I think my favorite song is Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen," although the Ramones' "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" is an old favorite. I've grown up listening to "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg."