I eat people like you for breakfast

Since I have been gone for a month, many things have happened that I have not blogged about, due to the lack of internet. And I forgot how to write a blog entry, hence the one I just posted without a title. I will get back into the swing of things eventually.

But as I was perusing my blog comments, I remembered that I had posted about the first dance I went to this year and the kid who was stunned to find out I am a successful, financially independent software engineer with a career. So to update you on this situation, I have successfully blown away two other boys heads! No, I really don't set out to do this. It just happens. So the next victim was at a dance, and he asked what I did and I said I work at IBM, and he was like, IBM, WHOA! what do you do there, and I said I write software. These are my phrases to play it down. And he was like, WHOA! you write software, oh my gosh, did you go to MIT and graduate with a 4.0, and I said something like that, and he said WHOA, and I said just kidding, I went to UNC Chapel Hill which is better (oh yea, Tarheels rock!). Anyway for the rest of the dance he kept muttering IBM! Writes Software! I did try to ask him what he did and make it sound like it was equally hard but...... it didn't help put his head back together.

So then at church on Sunday the pianist for the choir wasn't there, so a guy filled in. He did a great job. So afterwards I told him he did a great job filling in on short notice, and so we got to chatting and he asked what I do. So I said I worked at IBM. And his eyes got big and he said no way, what do you do? and I said I write software (obviously my playing it down phrases aren't working!) and his eyes got bigger and his head started to spin and he said, but you don't look like... i mean... i wouldn't have thought that you.... that is.... my brother in law is a geek and he has a gut and you don't look like .... and I said, oh, I am too pretty to be writing software? well, thanks. but what do you do? and he said he was going on a mission........... needless to say the conversation pretty much ended there because I had ruined his entire perception of what computer geeks are, and I didn't want to do any more harm to a future missionary.

I have to admit, part of me thrills at seeing the eyes grow big, the head start to spin........ but part of me does think I should be nice and come up with euphimisms for what I do. Where do you work? Oh, just a local company in RTP. What do you do there? Attend meetings and take notes, mostly. Satisfy customers. Corral cats with a leaf blower. Of course, I think my sister had the right idea.... "I can't tell you my name because I am in the witness protection program"