The Lingo

I'm sure most jobs have an insider's lingo, words that mean things in that place that they either don't mean other places or would never be considered other places. Leisure Arts is like that. (And, no, this isn't really a crafty post but I needed inspiration because this posting every day thing is harder than it sounded about 26 days ago. And yes, I'm going to ramble as one thought leads to another. So there.)

As I was driving into work this morning, I passed a mini-van with a vanity plate GBPCKRS. If you're like me, you have trouble deciphering these occasionally. This one, I blame on 2 things. 1. Green Bay Packers fans around here aren't that common. If it had some combination relating to the Razorbacks, Hogs, or even Woo Pig Sooie, that would have been easy. 2. I got hung up on GBP, which around here is an abbreviation that we use for a licensing company that we work with. "GBP" is universally known around here and the non-LA people go "shrug". I get that. Just like I get other unique Leisure Arts things like just "knowing" certain DMC colors. I overheard 2 people talking about backstitch colors. One said, "Well, let's just see if 415 is grey." And I had to resist the urge to nod my head in a superior, knowing manner because, well, yes, it is. How many years has it been since I worked on cross stitch or even held DMC floss in my hand? Some things you just don't forget. And if you don't cross stitch, again you "shrug".

I also know what it means when I tell people, "I work in publishing." I usually just let them go on thinking it, too, because it's either way more exciting than what I actually do or they think we sit around knitting all day. We don't. I had someone ask me about my week at work. I can't remember my answer that well because it was one of those weeks that I really just wanted to forget. Forever. I must have said something along those lines because he said, "What? Were you attacking each other with knitting needles? Choking each other with yarn?" Uh, no, but...really, what do you say to that? Of course, he's a teacher in an "alternative" school, so violence probably seems appropriate.

So I guess it's just a good thing that we're friends around this place as well as co-workers. There just aren't that many people who understand what we do. One accountant can probably go to another accountant and talk about the rigors of year-ends and closing the books. Not too many people understand when I talk about getting a concept out late, photography in late and the model has a funny look on her face so we just have to reshoot, copy to be rewritten that was supposed to be ready to print, and a printer date that's been bumped up to ship to meet some customer's reset. Around here, they understand, Unfortunately, they're probably on the same train so sympathy can be a little hard to find.