At work this morning I realized that all the managers, supervisors and otherwise responsible people were on vacation. So I turned to Flossie, my coworker and said, "Hey! We don't have any adult supervision today!" She said, "You're right" and I said, "well, except for me . . . I guess I'm an adult. I have a degree you know!" She just laughed and said, "You sure do!"

Of course my degree has absolutely nothing to do with my job. I made my "no adult supervision" comment in all earnestness since I am low man on the totem pole at work and I am much associated with my young coworker as we exude silliness about the place.

Today we were having a non-sensical conversation, basically ignoring the two other people sitting at the table with us. We discussed how tsunami was a pretty word, and if it didn't have such a horrible meaning we would name a daughter such a nice name. "This is my daughter Tsunami, and her twin Alluetta."

One of our table mates chimed in to say how tragic the tsunami was, and why did it have a "t" at the beginning? Well, we just didn't know, perhaps only because it is foreign, but there are plenty of English words with the same affliction! Knife, knee, knight (kanigit) not only that but pneumonia, psychology, how about comb and bomb (which I'm sure are supposed to rhyme, but they do not!)

Another person joined us and said, "what are you talking about?" and I said, "bombs!" (with the second b pronounced) He said, "oh." Flossie explained about the unpronounced letters. (I was content to leave him wondering if I was retarded, apparently she was a little more concerned for my dignity.)

He said, "well, I thought you'd be talking about sciency things, usually that's what people talk about here."

You see that was his mistake, taking us for scientists . . . We are just there for the love and attention, and the weekly pay check.

By that time the others had tired of our nonsense and moved on.

We moved on to discuss our British names recalling that mine was Cynthia Castlebottom. I declared that the spelling should henceforth be Tsythiab Castlebottom.

And Flossie said, you know when you watch a sitcom and you think, "nobody really has conversations like that!" We have those kinds of conversations all the time.

I said, "yes, I know." with a lateral lisp.