Friday gossip, bum smacks & football

I shared gossip today.

Normally I really do try and stay out of gossip.  Ok even as I’m typing that I know that’s not true, I’m human and a girl so I really do love hearing the inside scoop.

What I’ve realised over the years is that people love to tell me things.  They really love to confide in me.

When I was young my Mom used to be the person I told all my friends secret details to.  But as she’s not here any more and I’m older I don’t always need someone to tell but I admit that my Dad hears more and more of the details about my friends lives than he ever has before.  I always know I’ve got Dad intrigued in a good story when just after I’ve shared the juicy part of the story with him I pause and I wait for him to say “Is that right?”.  He always says it and I know when he’s going to say it and I love it!  Perhaps that’s a little sick of me.

Dad is not so good at sharing gossip with me though.  He forgets most of the things that people tell him and his hearing is not so good so often people tell him things and he can’t hear them anyway.  He did call me the other day and I got excited but it was only to ask me where the stapler was.  Yes, he called me from Australia to ask if I knew where his stapler was.  The sad thing was one of my suggestions was correct.

I’m also bad at asking questions when others wouldn’t.  I LOVE to know details about people.  And not to just know but because I’m honestly intrigued about peoples lives and their stories.

My ex-boss was fantastic.  I would have hilarious conversations with him.  He would always tell me a little bit too much of the confidential work details, just enough for me to try and read between the lines and figure out what might be happening.

One day I sat with him and peppered him with questions about his past, what happened in his relationships, what went wrong.  And he answered it all.  And at the end of it he said “Shannan, if it sounds suss, it’s suss”.  That coming from a man who is on his 3rd marriage ... I trust what he says.

The girls I worked with were surprised that he would share some of his personal information with me.  But I loved that about him.  Unfortunately he left where I work and I don’t get to see him every day.  I miss seeing him, I miss his pink shirts and I miss his funny Dad jokes and his advice of not to become an ex-wife (no problem there!).

But I once went out on a date with a guy who told me that you can’t just ask a guy questions, that they hate that.  Well how the hell are you meant to find out anything about each other?  “It’s meant to flow” he said ... So I just let the beer flow and the alcohol did the talking.  I guess it went well.

It’s been a good day today.  Obviously being Friday is a good start, then the gossip helped.  I blew a kiss to a co-worker to help him feel better (which I’m certain has helped him) and I patted two girls on the bottom.  Ahhh, I haven’t explained my obsession with the bum smack.  I don’t know when it started, actually I do.  It started at a job I worked in 2003 and has continued on and off over the years.  I really am quite fond of a bit of a bum smack, just for encouragement and to be a bit sassy.  The girls at work seem to really appreciate it - either that or they’re all lodging formal sexual harassment cases with the HR department.  But I always say if you’re going to go out you might as well go out with a bang (or a bum smack).

I’m heading to the mountains for a day trip tomorrow, I’m hoping to test out my new camera and hopefully get some pics of snow and gorgeousness.  I’m also going to try snowshoeing for the first time (snowshoeing = tennis rackets on feet) and then there’s the Super Bowl on Sunday.

I know absolutely NOTHING about American football but when I received the invitation and the event was being held at a pub, well that was enough for me to RSVP a big fat YES.  Perhaps I’ll learn something about gridiron (is that the word?) but I highly doubt it.  Anyway, I have chosen the team to barrack for.  It’s between Baltimore and San Francisco.  I’m going with SF for 2 reasons.  1, I have been to SF and not to Baltimore and 2, I live on the West Coast and SF is on the west coast.  They’re 2 very well educated decisions for a winner.  Much like picking the Melbourne Cup winner by the colour of their silks.