In which our heroine learns new vocabulary

With a nervous stomach and a disposition that wilted TGF's smile, I left this morning to see my client only barely hopeful that I would last more than about fifteen minutes in the same room with her. I had a plan, an escape route mapped, and a fortifying phone call with Greg on the drive over. Did I mention her school is a 42 minute drive from home, with no traffic? Luckily the school hours are a good match for free wheeling driving.

Armed with a plan I wavered as I arrived at the container classrooms, do I go to the office first or right to the "classroom". I voted for the brave course and saw "Matlock" at the door as I strode over. He informed me that Miss "SoS" (Spawn of Satan) was in the office after all. Apparently they had watch "Lord of the Flies" (eww!) to follow up the reading of the novel. Miss SoS was in no mood to stop watching television and begin on history studies. From here there is some disagreement about whether she shoved or threw a chair but the point is clear. Miss. SoS was bitching and complaining when I walked in the office. I basically ignored her and with the help of my new best friend at the school, the lovely and patient "Bethany", we three sat a table and actually had something resembling a conversation. I know. Clearly hell had a cold snap. We developed a schedule for this week and a contract. Miss SoS ended the session on a good note, leaving to go eat lunch. I took this as a cue to leave and not try anything further for the day.

Oh right, vocabulary lessons. During the conversation some words were dropped that I was unfamiliar with and simply played along, guessing somewhat accurately as to the specific meaning. Somehow this drug slang does not get sent to me in my daily e-mailing of A Word A Day, where I get words more like "flummery" or "bodacious" (go look them up, I can't do everything for you!) Once home I consulted the ultimate source of such knowledge - Urban Dictionary.

Until today I thought I understood all the meanings and shades of definition of the word "purple". I was so wrong. There is so much more than the colour of half my wardrobe and Tinky Winky - the gay icon. If you don't live in Northern California you might not come across this usage so consider your regionally broadened. Then there was "thizz" which I had initially heard as "fizz" which left me momentarily concerned about my buddy's blog. But no, it was thizz, as I discovered both by hearing the word more than once, and watching Miss SoS scribble it on paper. Essentially this part of the conversation left me feeling quite old.

So my dear readers if you have any arcane knowledge of teenage vocabulary especially for Northern California which seems to create it's own lingo as distinguished from anywhere else, please inform me. Thanks.