An interesting career path

I was home sick from work today.  The bad thing is I really was sick and stayed in bed all day.  I slept the entire time except when I went to get Sassy & The Bandit from school.  No writing on Chapter 9.  No interviews written up.  A total waste of a sick day if you ask me.

Yesterday, A slew of us from my husband’s family went to the horse races.  I know our little town hardly seems likely to be a horse racing mecca, and I’m not implying that it is.  But Rillito Park has a respectable history going back to the beginning of quarter horse racing in America.  The photo finish is a Rillito Park contribution as well as the American Quarter Horse Association – so it’s not famous like Santa Anna or Churchill Downs, but we’re not totally humiliated.  The stands are run down and there is nothing fancy about it – no one is showing up in chic hats or high heels – only that’s not true.  There were plenty of hoochie’s in absurdly high heels but they have a tendency to show up all over the place. 

This is not the point of this post.

I wonder how you get a job naming stuff.  Have you ever noticed the names assigned to nail polish colors, lipsticks, cans of paint and street names?  I’ve long wondered about it.  Paint at Home Depot, etc. are generally related to the actual color – they just sum up the name abit.  Nail polish and lipstick however – totally off the rails.  My long time favorite color of red is I’m Not Really A Waitress.  Now if I hadn’t just told you it was red, what would you have guessed it to be?  Diamond Shine, Princesses Rule, Sea Lily and Fiji are a random sampling of nail polishes from my drawer.  All pink except one – guess which name says purple?  Nope, Fiji.  Of course it does, silly.

But even better than naming colors is naming race horses.  This weekend, Queen of Hennessy raced against We Got Da Feva, Agent Dudly and Rainbow Reality. Thoughtibedawinit and Shaginitagain raced in the 3rd with Driving Rate Chrome.  Dashalongeasy Geisha was 7/2 odds.  My Honey won
$27.00 when Guasaveno and Sheza Dasher matched his ticket of Win and Place in the 6thrace.  What’s with the deal of naming a horse a sentence like Throwndirtinyoureyes who ran in the 8th? That just seems lazy don’t you think?

Anyway, I never see listings in the want ads for namers.  How do you list that on your resume? 

The Bandit, as I’m sure you can imagine, loved it.  I took the kids right down to the rail to watch as they thundered by.  It’s not quite as exhilarating as being by the fence when dragsters roar by, but the sheer power of a race horse is quite awe inspiring.

Nevertheless, I have hard enough time pondering a character’s name, striving to make it just right.  It would be fun to be random and silly once in a while.