Can't Make A Silk Purse Out of a Sow's Ear

Well, 2010 is off with a bang.  Sorta. Work is already busy (generally busy season starts in February, though it is already picking up.), new leadership of the firm, Fiscal Responsibility is taking a whole new high, and I am back on the trolley with running.  I know, I know. I have lamented about running as long as I have had this blog. But honestly, one of the ladies in Dallas has inspired me by posting her Nike+ runs on Facebook. So over the holidays I bought a Nike+ sportsband and a pouch for non-Nike shoes (for the foot sensor). So. Back on the trolley with fun gadgetrey. Granted I am hitting it on the TM for several months, but so it is. Already signed up for the Shuffle.


About a week ago, I went to visit a new client. He asked me what was different about people in Chicago verses Dallas. Oddly, I had a hard time coming up with something that sounded intelligent even though I do often notice little nuances. Here are the two that I butt heads with on almost a daily (work day) basis:

• Tweaking. Yes, tweaking. Everyone here 'tweaks' things. Not, 'hey I'll have such and such to you after I make a few changes'. Rather, 'this will be ready after a tweak such and such'. Or, 'this letter needs to be tweaked.'  Somehow it sounds very slick willie and under the table to me.  I decided to look up the meaning of tweak and found tweak and tweak. I pulled these two sites in order and I feel very satisfied that in proper language circles (aka not urban speak), its the second meaning that ties back to my colleagues favorite word.  Also upon finding the urban dictionary finding, I said, 'oh maybe this explains the under the table feeling'. RJB very politely said my colleagues are not thinking that tweak = meth and tweaker = meth addict. I however was a little surprised by RJB's quick reference to a tweaker. Indeed.

• Couple. Simple word. This one doesn't bother me too much but am often astonished by the literal meaning Chicagoans take. I always would think of a couple as being something more than 1 but less than say, 5. Clearly I know that a Couple is two people, etc. But when saying a couple of years, it was like saying a few. Not so much here. Couple = two no matter what context it is used. 

As a side note, you may remember the posting on our Rothko. RJB just admitted that he is happy we have the big daddy as it is in the essence of what Rothko was intending - big canvas (or print in our case). We carefully didn't revisit the transportation methodology, however. 

Ok, off to watch a DVD about my fav artist, Mr. Jackson Pollock.