Brrrrr Mama!

Brrrrr mama! Yes, that's what I said. Somewhere, somehow, over the years, that has become my way of expressing how cold I think it is inside or outside. I don't know why I can't simply say "Gee, it's chilly today." Apparently, I feel that doesn't succinctly describe just "how cold" I feel.

I am a person that loves to use nicknames and make up phrases. It's not something that I consciously do, it just happens. It's almost like I have so much crap stuffed into my brain that words from one compartment are spilling out and hooking up with words from another.

For instance, my first cat that I adopted when I lived in New York City was named Brie (like the cheese!). I came to call her Boo-Boo Kitty. Our current cat, Stanley, is affectionately known by me as Knuckle Bunny. For some reason, I would NEVER call Stanley Boo-Boo Kitty. Why a Knuckle Bunny can't be a Boo-Boo Kitty, I don't know. After all, they are both cats. But it just doesn't work like that.

Over the years I have also been know to refer to my nieces as Clare-Bear, Kendie-Koo and Jylie Vanilli for as long as I can remember. Cameron is known as Cam-cam, the Camster, and Cameroon and Alex is AJ (for Alexander Jefferson) or Alexio. Ed is forever "little Eddie" or Mr. Ed (poor thing, he'll never live that one down). My friend Chuck is better known as Chuckles (because he makes me chuckle). I once had a neighbor who, unbeknownst to him, was "doofus" because, frankly he was one. And then there was the guy I worked with who's initials were P.U. and if you think I didn't call him "Peeee Yewww" on a regular basis, then you don't know me very well.

But, you know, it's not just me. We all like to use nicknames and make up phrases. I think that's how we express our emotions and affections (or lack of affection) and it shows what our comfort level is with one another. That's why Chuckles and his wife Cindy sometimes refer to me as "Becky." Not many people, other than my family and high school friends are allowed to do that. And my Aunt Mary (and only Aunt Mary) is allowed to send e-mails and birthday cards addressed to me as "Becky Wecky" (try it and see what happens). My sister used to call her son, Russell, "peanut" when he was a baby. He's more like "Mr. Peanut" now seeing as how he will be turning 20 this year and towers over her in height.

In 47 years of life I have never, never, never heard my parents call each other by their first names. As a matter of fact, when I was in kindergarten and we were learning about our families I wrote down that my mom and dad's first names were "Honey" and "Honey" because that's the only way I've ever heard them refer to each other. Hon, honey, or dear. Even when they are having a disagreement.

Even Ed has his favorites, like when he refers to watching his favorite show "24" as "Bauer Hour," because Jack Bauer is Keifer Sutherland's name in the show. To him, Cameron is lovingly known as C-Dog, and he used to call his dad "Johnny" just for kicks.

And so it goes. I will continue to use my favorite phrase "brrrrr mama" multiple times over the next few days since the temperatures will be dipping below zero. In fact, if I had the resources, I'd be copyrighting it and heading to Washington D.C. next week to sell it on T-shirts that would say "Brrrrr mama, President Obama, it's cold out here!" as inauguration souvenirs to which he would probably reply "Lady, you're a knuckle bunny."