Louisville by the Numbers

I spent last week in Louisville, taking a class for my master's degree. Being a houseguest, reuniting with old friends, and getting my first taste of live-and-in-person seminary class made for some fun times. If I had to describe the week in one word it would be: amusing. Here are just some of the amusements, by the numbers:

3 credit hours earned in 5 days? Yes, please.


50 pages of notes taken in class (because I'm old school and learn better by writing things, not typing them).

26 hours spent listening to lectures/taking tests.

I met up with 3 different "old" friends. For dinners/movie/staying at their house.

Approximately 6 times my mother implied that one of my top priorities this week should be looking for a potential husband.

2 times I had conversations about breastfeeding in mixed company with almost complete strangers
(and just in case you read this blog and don't know me, please understand that I am not currently breastfeeding, never have, nor am I planning to in the near future--so this was not normal. And it happened twice.).

1 time I had a conversation about timing "it" so as to determine the gender of your baby in mixed company with almost complete strangers.

I overheard 3 conversations involving the scheduling of having babies around semesters or vise versa.

Apparently, Louisville loves babies.

at work...

I get asked some fun questions at work...who knew people expect church secretaries to know everything? Good thing I do know how to use Google.

Deborah [the receptionist/ministry assistant] was out of the office for a few days last week, so I got to answer the phones. Here is just a glimpse of some things I was asked:

--a senior adult: "Where can I find a video of your rap?"

--on the phone:
    Church Member: "Is Deborah there?"
    Me: "No, she's out."
    Church Member: "Okay, well, weird question: Do you know what they make stencils out of?"
    Me: "Like, the plastic?"
    Church Member: "Is that called mylar? or mylemar?"
    Me: "I have no idea."
   My question is, would Deborah have known the answer?

--on the phone, after a confusing discussion about preschool programs/early childhood education:
    Lady: "It's been a while since I've been in the Southern Baptist church. The miracles in the Bible--you all believe they're true?"
    Me: "Yes, that's what we believe."
    Lady: "Okay, good. Just making sure."

--a church member's mother passed away this week at the age of 108. At least three people told me how old she was. She was born in 1902. She retired in the 50s. She has definitely seen some crazy stuff.

--Church Member: "You work here now?"
   Me: "Yes, sir." (since last year)
   Church Member: "Several new people working here, now."
   Me: polite laugh.

Small Observances

• People who say, "I just don't want the drama" or "I hate drama" usually cause more drama than people who don't say that.
• Lately, a bag of Maple and Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal is pretty much a staple in my purse...and my book bag (different than a backpack)...and my desk drawer. Good stuff.
• You know that moment, when you thought you clicked on a link (when really you didn't) and you're just waiting and nothing happens? There should be a term for that.
• I have to do a spell check every time I have to spell exercise. I have a mental block when it comes to s vs. c vs. z (I often mess up resource when I'm hand-writing things).
• Sometimes, I edit my sentences as I'm speaking them. Like a second ago, "Is this the hymnals that is...are...in the pews?" and then I was ashamed because that sentence was messed up from the beginning. I would have corrected it, but the question (poorly asked) had already been answered. Then, I felt embarassed. In a land where "I haven't eat yet" is a common sentence, I think my feelings are a little unusual.
• At least twice at work I have been called a perfectionist. I didn't know I was a perfectionist (though, I suppose that last point may have proved that I am a little bit of a perfectionist).

HEY DECEMBER!

Everyone else was saying hello to this cold, Christmas-y month, so I thought I should too.

Hello.
Nice to see you again.
Let's have a lovely 31 days together.
And maybe in about thirty days, we'll plan a rendezvous for about this time next year?
Okay.

thankful

I am thankful for many things each day of the year, but since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a day dedicated to eating tons of food before shopping with 1,000 other people at your local Target, I thought I'd list out a few things I am thankful for this year specifically. For the purpose of this list, I am leaving out the more usual suspects, though that in no way means I am less thankful for them. I just feel that they deserve more than just a bullet point on this list on my blog. Maybe someday I'll do a post for each of those important things..
Anyway, back to the list of Ten Things I Am Specifically Thankful for in 2010 (and Possibly Was Not Thankful for in Previous Years):

1. A job that provides me with endless amounts of Twitter material. And it's mostly fun. And I actually use my degree (who even knew that was possible?). And, hello! it's a job. I didn't have one of those at this point last year. (not to mention it's at a church, which means so much in terms of coworkers and purpose.)
2. Pandora. Free music that is catered to my taste all day? (and only $.99 when I run over 40 hours in the month?) Yes, please. And thank you.
3. My refillable coffee cup from Thornton's, along with their lovely selection of flavorings, creamers, and cappuccinos. I bought it for $1.99. Now every refill is $.69, and they don't care if half of my cup is filled with half-and-half. Every 5th one is free. Sorry, Starbucks (I still love you for the tea!).
4. Free Rent. I sometimes complain about living at home, but if I couldn't do that, I'd probably have to live in a bad neighborhood, or be in debt. Going back to school would have meant having to take out a loan.
5. Nashville. I love this city. I am so glad that my free rent is near such a place.
6. My car. Sure, it had a moment this weekend, and it has a few other small quirks, but it is newer than my old one. It has AC, too, which is nice. And fewer dents.
7. Twitter. Seriously, I have found out about concerts, music videos, blogs, coupons, free music, etc. through this social media outlet. Plus, it's entertaining.
8. Lamps for my office. Not having the fluorescent overhead lighting on has increased my productivity amazingly. They also have the added bonus of making the gray concrete block (they are actually painted gray...) walls look somewhat cozy.
9. School. While it is awful to have to do so much homework/read/watch lectures, at least it's fascinating stuff. It's good to at least have some general plan for my life, too. Even if that plan is extremely vague and flexible.
10. My iphone. Having twitter, facebook, the Bible, Spider Solitaire, a Dictionary/Thesaurus, email, voice memos, pandora (see #2), a camera, an ipod, the internet, google maps all handy is just worth it.

So, there you have it. Kind of unusual, but very true. I am thankful for all of those things.

What random thing(s) are you thankful for this year?

the flute

When I was 10, I joined a band. [I would say "the band" to clarify that I mean more the marching type than the rocking type, but I'm not sure I can claim that, since we never marched and we were homeschooled. So, it was never really "the" band just "a" band.]
It didn't take me long to decide that I would play the flute. My parents and I went to the local music store and, because my parents are intelligent human beings, we rented a flute.
I went to the next band practice and learned the very basics of flute-playing. Armed with some sort of instructions (I don't think I even had sheet music at this point) on how to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and my little flute case, I went home at the end of band practice with dreams of Carnegie Hall.
I practiced the next day. Two minutes after assembling my flute and beginning to play, I had to sit down because I had hyperventilated. I tried to play a few more times, seated, but continued to get light-headed. After the next band practice, I decided to give up on my dreams of becoming a world-renown flautist and quit the band (and the flute).

You know that song, "Everybody Plays the Fool"? For a long time, I thought it said "Everybody plays the flute...sometimes." At first I thought this was a very specific experience to apply to humankind universally, but after my flute playing days, I totally got it. I specifically remember turning to my dad one night as the song played on the car radio and expressing what I thought at the time to be a deep thought: "It's so true. Pretty much everybody does play the flute at some point. I mean, I did and a lot of people do in school..." Either my dad didn't hear me, misunderstood me, or thought I was joking, because he didn't correct me. So, my belief was cemented.
Upon learning the real lyric, I found that the song made a lot more sense. I did know a lot of people who had never played the flute, after all.

what. a. week.

The last seven days of my life, in outline form. [btw, I do know the rules on outlines. I chose not to follow all of them.] You're welcome.

• At the wedding of my life-long friend, Joanna
• "Three times a bridesmaid, never a bride" please don't apply to me.
• My friend's mom told me "Yours [meaning my wedding, though it took a second for me to grasp that] is next year. Are you ready for that?" What?? (<-Which is, literally, what I said to her.)
• After the wedding
• I was asked at least twice what I was planning to do with my Master's degree.
• I surprised myself by knowing the answer
• That answer was extremely vague
• Sometimes you just need a friend to tell you you aren't crazy
• On the way to and from the wedding, I listened to a dramatic reading of Screwtape Letters. I highly recommend both dramatic readings for long car rides and the letters of Screwtape.
• At work this week:
• I was asked on Monday to write the intro to the sermon
• I was actually asked if I could "Script out the sermon." I later found out this meant the intro only.
• It's about lying. So, if you should ever need an intro for a talk about lying, let me know. There may or may not be a small fee.
• I made a Justin Bieber wig for a stuffed beaver.
• Justin Beaver--get it?
• I tweeted about it
• I got a Reply Tweet from one @elusivebeaver (whom I do not follow, nor does he/she/it follow me) accusing me of wrongly harassing the beaver population
• It was kind of a lame attempt at a wig, therefore, no picture
• I learned what a "gnome sky" looks like
• It looks like colored tissue paper wadded up and stapled to a wall
• This is not scientificly proven
• I spent approximately 20 minutes lodged behind a desk, sitting on a milk crate (because I'm short), with sock puppets on my hands, performing a puppet show with the children's minister.
• We had to literally slide on our stomachs to get under the desk. The one day I didn't wear jeans this week.
• Were there kids present? No.
• This is on film. Well, the puppet show is, not the sliding under a desk part.
• I went to a website training seminar all day on Thursday
• It was dumbed-down for church secretaries, so I understood everything.
• except the conversation between the media minister/graphic designer next to me
• I think they were making fun of my mac
• The seminar wasn't boring. 
• I actually enjoyed learning all the cool stuff we can do with our website
• I realized that if I actually did all of this cool stuff, I would have no time left in my work week to write scripts for sermons and put on puppet shows in the choir storage closet.
• All of this somehow falls under the "other tasks as assigned" category on my job description.
• This is the fourth blog post this week. 
• crazy.
• don't get used to it.
• most viewed post in one day ever on my blog? Things I've Learned Being Friends with Boys

So there you have it--the last seven days in my life.
How was your week? Anything exciting/interesting/completely mundane happen?

other people's weddings

"Oh," she thought,"How horrible it is that people have to grow up--and marry--and change!" 

--Anne of the Island

It's a running joke between me and even mere acquaintances: "What did you do this weekend, go to another wedding?"

This weekend, the answer was yes.

Between shoes, dresses, gifts, bachelorette parties, showers, and gas to get all these places, I have spent an estimated $800 on other people's weddings this year. 

Crazy.

None of those above statements are complaints (except maybe the first one, but Anne said that, not me), just a statement of facts.

I love my friends. I love that they have found love. I love being a part of their big day. [And I hope that someday, they'll get a chance to return the favor :-)] Also, I just love weddings.

I think I have been to my last wedding in 2010, but I already have at least two penciled in for 2011. Bring it on.

Happy Cliché Day!

Today, I have been informed via Twitter (How would I know anything without Twitter? Really.), is National Cliché Day. Luckily, a post about cliches has been brewing for quite a time in my busy mind. The reason for the prolonged stewing is mainly because it took me this long to figure out how to put the accent mark in cliché (and I didn't really apply myself to it; generally, I'm a quick learner). So, let's go at it, this cliché rant--because this will be a rant.


I am not going to rant about how we should stop using clichés. Oh, no. While I have mentioned before that I dislike clichés, it is not because of the clichés themselves (with the exception of "this side of the grave", which makes me shudder and, strangely enough, isn't typically used in a morbid way), it is because they have become clichés. How sad that such colorful expressions become so common that they are no longer original. The whole reason they are clichés is because they were worth repeating--thousands upon millions of times.


This avoidance (like the plague) of clichés carries over to other things, too. A style can become clichéd. Quotes are clichéd. [Mark Twain, C. S. Lewis, anyone?] Bible verses are clichéd. [And this is the saddest of all, in my opinion. Take Jeremiah 29:11. It's a beautiful promise, but it's been printed on approximately 90% of all religious graduation cards out there. It has become so overused, that I never really paid any attention to it until I had to teach it to 5th and 6th graders every week for 10 weeks one summer. It's lovely--one of my favorites for sure.]


The Southern folk are fond of their colorful expressions. We don't just say, "Give me an estimate," we ask for a "ballpark figure." My grandmother didn't just say, "She wasn't very pretty," she said, "When God was passing out good looks, she must have been asleep. Bless her heart." We say someone is "stubburn as a mule," "quiet as a mouse," and "sly as a fox." I love it. Sadly, though, many of these have become clichés.


Maybe we should just continue to churn out some new creative ways of saying things. I agree; we should. But why can't we say "there's an elephant in the room" when that is the most perfect way of saying there is something unavoidable, which should be addressed? Elephants are definitely unavoidable in the middle of the room, and really should be addressed--I mean, why is there an elephant inside?


Basically, I both love and dislike clichés. I want to be able to make cliches--write or say stuff that is worth repeating--and use clichés that are already worth repeating. There's my rant--my two cents, if you will.


So, have a happy cliché day. In fact, I hope you are tickled pink, happy as a clam (or a lark or a pig in the mud) by today and all its clichés!

indecisive

I am indecisive. I have known this for years. I do not enjoy making decisions at all. In fact, I often request of people, and of God, "Please don't make me make the decision." I take forever deciding most things. Literally, for every decision I have to make in the morning, I tack on 5 minutes to my getting-ready time. I base whether or not I can hit "snooze" the second time on whether or not I have already determined my lunch plan for the day.

The last three years of my life have been one huge indecisive moment. It's easy to see. My conversations, with family, friends, and God, are always opposing the last conversation I had. I'll declare one day that I'm going to do XYZ and the very next day, or two days later, I'll say that XYZ is not at all my plan; ABC is my new life goal.

It's exhausting and frustrating not being able to decide. I would like to be decisive. Why can't I just make a decision?

The reason is because I'm afraid. I'm afraid I'll make the wrong decision. I'm afraid people will be mad about the decision I do make. I'm afraid I will regret the decision.

Those aren't crazyweird fears like being afraid of grape jelly or butterflies; they're normal fears. But Jesus tells us not to be afraid. (Somewhere, I have written down how many times he tells us not to be afraid, but I can't find that scrap of paper/corner of a bulletin. Also, Google wasn't super helpful with the search. He said it a lot, though.)

[To be completely honest, I'm not sure exactly where I was going with all of that. I think this is really just a precursor to a heart-on-the-table post that will happen as soon as I figure out a way to make the 5+ pages of a stream-of-consciousness email to a dear friend coherent and post-able.]

a few small things

--I have to write a paper for one of my classes--the first real paper of my master's degree--and I still have a lot to read before I can begin. Then three things:

1. I cancelled going to dinner with some lovely friends to a fantastic restaurant.
2. My co-worker came in with a free ticket to Carrie Underwood's concert tonight. I mean, seriously? And I had to say no.
3. I was invited to Bible study with some other good friends.

Sometimes, I hate being responsible.

--Today, I saw a short video of a CD "listening party." While I admit I would feel pretty cool to be invited to attend such an event, I hope I never am. Everyone was just sitting there, on some couches, staring at each other (well, the ground, mostly), listening to a guy's CD. Awkward. I assume said guy was there as well, making it doubly awkward for him--listening to himself sing with all his friends. I guess it's a music thing I wouldn't understand.

--A lady that called today told me I needed to change my title (Administrative Assistant) since we don't have an Administrator. I told her no.

--I definitely laid my heart out twice in the last two days to a friend living 2,016 miles away via email. She's probably questioning the possibility of continuing our friendship.

--I am in current need of a travel. I haven't been anywhere in forever. (Blytheville, AR does not count.)

Queue

I was thinking on my drive home last night about the word queue. I honestly don't know how I got to thinking of that word, but I did. I decided that I really like the word queue. I mean, is there another word in the English language that uses five letters, four of which are vowels, in order to express one letter (Q)? Maybe, but I can't think of one. Why make it so completely complicated? I have to be honest, I wasn't even 100% sure of the pronunciation of the word queue until I went to England.
(and here's where I become one of those annoying people who's travelled to a country and is now an expert [but I did actually live there for 3 months]. I'm not expert, but I do know this:)
The British queue up for everything. They don't say line. It was never, "Are you in line?" No, it was "Is this the queue?" They queue up, they are queueing up, they are in queue, they queued up. Lovely people.
Lovely word. [It's also kind of fun to type. queue queue queue. Okay, I'm done.]

shepherds and sheep songs

A Couple of Things I Thought I Learned in Sunday School

My first Bible, well the first one I ever really read, was a pink Precious Moments version. I liked the pictures--those tear-drop eyed, big-headed kids that always seemed a little sad. Mine was the King James Version (because that is the easiest version for a girl of 6 to understand?). I remember this because of one "precious moment" in particular, when I was called upon to read some verses out loud in 2nd grade Sunday School. I stopped short when I saw a certain word. I knew it meant donkey, but it didn't say donkey, if you catch my drift. I began to turn red and shift uncomfortably in my child-sized chair. Was I allowed to cuss if it was written in the Bible? I knew the rules on Hell/hell (the place--okay; any other context--not okay; replace with heck if unsure) but this had not come up before. Could I lie about what the Bible said? After about a 20 second pause, I read it as it was written, amid snickers from the boys.

Anyway, also in 2nd grade, I was required to memorize the 23rd Psalm for school. I memorized my pink, Precious Moments, KJV version. The first verse (in the KJV, and several other versions) reads: "The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want." Since this was before I completely understood the semicolon, this verse always confused me. Why would we not want the Lord, our Shepherd? Furthermore, why were we always quoting this verse about not wanting God? It wasn't until much later in life that I put two and two together and realized that it meant "Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I will never be in want." (my paraphrase).

On a somewhat related note, I always thought that "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus," the invitation hymn of choice (on alternate Sundays: "Just As I Am"), was about sheep. I guess I only paid attention to the part about "No turning ba-a-a-ack." See: ba-a-a-ack? Kind of like "ba-a-a," like the noise a sheep makes? I suppose I was daydreaming during the other portions of the song? Probably thinking about sheep.

Starbucks Engineering

Last Thursday, when I stopped by Starbucks for my once-a-week indulgence, the barista knew my order. I was shocked, mainly because I was in the drive-thru and he saw me through the little camera in the speaker, with my sunglasses on, and still knew my order (normally I go inside), but also because it's Starbucks. They see lots of people every day and I only go once a week. But, I do have a weird order (green tea latte), so I guess that helps. Anyway, all this reminded me of an article I read, and wrote about, once in college.

As I was glancing through the Wall Street Journal (thanks to some program designed for college students to know what's going on the world, we get WSJ for free), I noticed an article about Starbucks. Since I drink Starbucks coffee, and since I had nothing else to do while waiting on my food, I decided to read the article. It turns out they are making efforts to get people in and out of Starbucks faster, or at least get them their coffee faster. As of now, the average Starbucks customer has to wait about 3 minutes from the time they step into the store until their coffee is ready. Ridiculous.

So, in order to remedy this problem of taking so long, Starbucks has hired engineers to help shave off a few seconds. These engineers are very intelligent people. They figured out a way to make the ice-scooper bigger so that the employees would only have to make a scooping motion once when filling a Venti frap, instead of twice. They called these new-and-improved scoops "volumetric ice scoops." The first big scoop model did not work out as planned; the handle broke off. Luckily, the oh-so-intelligent Starbucks engineers were ready to create a newer scoop, this time with a stronger handle. The new scoops shaved 14 seconds off the preparation time. While the article does not say, I'm sure this improved their sales tremendously.
Another attempt at making things faster for coffee drinkers was the addition of "floaters" to take orders while customers are still in line. Even though floaters cost Starbucks money, they subtracted 20 seconds to service time. Other efforts were new espresso machines, taking off 24 seconds from the time it takes to make a latte.

For those who claim that Starbucks is too expensive, I would like for them to take a moment to think about what they are paying for. Other coffee places probably do not have engineers, floaters, and new espresso machines to make their coffee 58 seconds faster. In those 58 seconds you could do so many things, like find a seat, leave the restaurant, or, if you're quick enough, start your car. And can we really put a price on time?

Imaginations

I think...
people with over-active imaginations...

are often more fun.
can sit and just do nothing for hours.
never really sit and just do nothing.
get caught often staring into space (oh, the worlds created, battles fought, and conversations had in that space!).
always somewhat believe in the existence of fairies...and monsters...and mermaids...and buried treasure.
are artists.
are dreamers.
sometimes get a little disappointed in reality.

Missing

Do you ever have moments when you suddenly miss something/one/place? Maybe you haven't thought about it/them in days, weeks, months, years, but suddenly, you soverymuch wish they were with you, you were there, you could see it.

Tonight, I saw an advertisement for a job in London and my immediate thought was how much I miss England. I really love that place.

Though not as strange or sudden, I have been missing camp a little lately. It is to be expected, I suppose. I'm not beside myself like I (over-dramatically) thought I'd be, but I miss it at little moments. Mostly, I miss the team. That's probably wrong to say; I should say that I miss the kids or the Bible Study or the worship. And I do. But, mostly, I miss the team. I love, love being a part of a team.

I have also been missing my friends. At least, the ones that aren't here. My best is about to be married, and I'm already missing our friendship sans-husbands. Another friend is at camp. Several have moved out of town and state. Some are Californians, currently traveling the globe. A few old friends are here, but we don't see each other much and when we do, it is, ever so tragically, not the same as it used to be, so I miss them too.

I miss college and its simplicity, its community, its focus.

I like missing things. Sure, it's a little melancholy and sad, but it means that I have things to miss. It means that some things/people/places meant, and still mean, a lot to me. And that's just wonderful.

Summer and Engagements

--I find that when I learn of a friend getting engaged these days (usually via facebook), I start singing "Another One Bites the Dust" in my head.

--It has been so hot here in Nashville. Like, break-a-sweat-walking-to-your-car hot. Oh, summer.

--This is my first "real-life" summer. I feel an immense pressure to do something wonderful, fun, and adventurous. So far, I feel I have failed. I have had fun, but nothing adventurous.

--My best friend is getting married in 24 days. Which, conveniently, brings me back to my first point.

"Every time a couple gets married, two single people die." --Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation

Some things you may assume about me by looking at (and in) my car

And whether or not those assumptions are correct

Sometimes I walk by cars and see something inside, or a bumper sticker or something, and try to figure out who the person is that drives the car. It's a fun little game. Then I thought, what do people think about me when they see my car.

1. I'm not rich

Correct. I am not rich. I drive a '97 Honda Civic and that was actually a recent upgrade from my '92 Civic.

2. I'm not a neat-freak

Correct. I often eat breakfast in my car. Therefore, crumbs. Sorry.

3. I am a girl

Correct. The 38 hair accessories in the middle console may have been a big clue.

4. I have children

Incorrect. I only teach them in Sunday School. I keep the curriculum in the car, in case I need to kill time between two activities.

5. I am a Christian

Correct. I have the SS curriculum, the compact Bible, and the various church bulletins in the back seat to prove it. In the front seat is Donald Miller's latest--for slow drive-through situations.

6. I am getting married

Incorrect. The "Congratulations on Your Marriage" gift bag filled with bows in my backseat is because I'm Maid of Honor for a wedding in July, and apparently, I'm supposed to make the bow bouquet for the rehearsal. The bag of bows will remain in my backseat until approximately 2 days before the wedding.

7. I am athletic

I'll give you credit either way on this one. I am not a talented athlete, but I do like to play (some) sports. The cleats in my backseat floor board are from Ultimate Frisbee. I leave them in there so I don't forget. I've never tried, but I'm thinking it would be pretty difficult to play Ultimate in flip-flops.

If the trunk of my car was also revealed to you, my athleticism would be more difficult to argue away. I keep a football, flag football flags, a soccer ball, and a frisbee in there. You just never know when you may need them.

[Once, I opened up the trunk of my car so my friend Mary could put her luggage in. She looked at all the sporting goods and asked me why I didn't have a boyfriend. I told her "Hey, wanna see what's in my trunk?" was not a pick-up line that properly conveyed my intentions.]

8. I have a boyfriend or kid named Kyle Maxson who left his hat in my backseat

Incorrect. The hat is from Goodwill, given to me for Ultimate team unity or something. I have no idea who this Maxson kid is. Thanks for the hat, though, Kyle .

9. I am often cold

Correct. I have been known to turn on the portable heater in my office on 90 degree days. So, I keep a sweater or jacket in my car, even in TN in the summer. I wasn't always like this. I'm not sure what happened.

10. I leave trash lying around

Incorrect. That is not trash. See? This scrap of paper has directions to the frisbee fields. This one has a list of things I need to do before next week. This post-it contains a quote I like. And this little torn-off bit of notebook paper has an idea for a book written on it. Not trash at all.

Risks

Sometimes, you have to take risks in life. Like, even though you know it's possible to get sick from eating raw eggs, it's still a good idea to eat raw brownie batter, even with the eggs. And chocolate chip cookie dough, too.

That's just a risk you have to be willing to make.

What about a falafel?

The following conversation happened at work the other day:

C: Do you like euros?

H: Euros?

C: Yeah, do you like euros?

H: Sure, I like European currency.

C: No, euros.

There's a pause as we all look to C for clarification. He provides none.

E: Oh, gearos!

J: Oh, guyros!

H: Heh, I've always called them jeeros.

C: They're euros, man.

H: I don't know, I've never tried one.

C: I think you'd like it.

In case you couldn't tell, the food in question was a gyro.

I'm unsure if this pronunciation problem is limited to the southern U. S., but I can say that almost everyone I've run into has heard from someone who "actually lived in Greece" that the way they pronounce it is, in fact, the right way. Even if the other pronunciation in question was also said to be the correct way, by someone who "actually is Greek."

Which leads me to wonder: urban legend, or are the Greeks playing an elaborate prank on us?