Shirley Ellis, The Name Game song 1964
In 1970, when I moved into the city, I introduced myself as 'Al' to every new person I met. The name Alan was my childhood name but I had decided that I needed to sound more manly. Later, when I moved to California in 1978 I reverted to Alan, because figured I was engaging in false advertising. Alan is a fine name and after meeting a few other Alan's over the years, I realized it actually sounded better to me. Now when I run into an old friend, and they call me Al, I know exactly during what period of my life I met them.
Lately Mark has not been happy with the name of our dog, Chandler. The name Chandler was given to him at the shelter when he was a puppy, and I was too lazy to rename him. I think Mark's problem is that there are too many syllables in the name, so over the last week he has been calling him, Opie. It actually is a cute name that definitely fits him, because he has that 'ginger' hair and those freckles all over his face. While I am not opposed to calling him Opie, there are a few problems with it. Like the fact that all the other dogs at the Bark Park might make fun of him and call him 'dopey Opie'. Another thing is the fact that all the training I have done over the last ten months is based on calling him Chandler, as in "Chandler sit!", or "Chandler come!". Of course on second thought, the fact is that when I actually say "Chandler come", he tends to act as if he has just been stricken with deafness, so I might as well just call him Opie. Besides, I never liked "Friends" anyway.
We have a cow named Britney Spears. Not that it has anything to do with your story, but I thought it, so I wrote it.
ReplyDeleteSo you're saying that there is more than one cow named Britney Spears?
ReplyDeleteOK, from now on I will call you Alice and the Mark will be called Markesa. Leave poor Chandler alone, he knows his name.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Dennis. Chandler fits him and he'll just be that much more confused if you change his name. You think he doesn't listen now-wait-he'll NEVER listen if you change it to Opie!!
ReplyDeleteEven though he answers to poopy head, big boy, and boo boo, I plan to keep on calling him Chandler. If Mark wants to call him Opie, fine. He doesn't listen to Mark anyway.
ReplyDeleteWe adopted a black lab/border collie mix named Midnight - Yuk what an awful name. We renamed him Jac - which was perfect short and to the point - but he answers to my nicnames for him - AJ, Apple Jacks, J, Jackson, Jbird, etc. Sometimes I think he just answers because I am speaking to him. Our other mutt is named Critter which fits him exactly.His kennel name was Punchy he was a street dog and that name was so wrong. He only answers when he is good and ready or if I have a treat in hand. I don't think it is their names so much as our voice and attitudes!
ReplyDeleteSo tell Mark to call him any darn thing he wants. And by the way, Alan fits you perfectly too! You are so much not an Al !
Love Ya!
Let's see if Chandler is Opie then Alan should be Aunt Bea.
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