Nicknames. This is potentially interesting. Probably not for my post, but it has potential. Here’s the thing, if I have any really good nicknames, nobody says them in earshot of me. So, come on, you can let the cat out of the bag. What nicknames do I have?

You’re not going to say? Okay. That means you have to endure the names I know.

Jean, Jean the Dancing Machine. This is pure rhyme, because I don’t dance, by machine or any other way.

Briefly, during 8th grade basketball, I had Joe Cool for a nickname. I doubt there was any likeness, but I loved Snoopy’s Joe Cool character.

While in Iceland (1987-88) I picked up two nicknames my boss was willing to share with me:

Idi-A-Jean

Mrs. Bates

I really have no idea. The first says something about my disposition,maybe? Or, perhaps my dictatorial style? The second was a reference to Norman Bates’ mother. We had a very cramped office — perhaps 8′ x 12′? In that office, we had two desks, a workbench, a bookcase, various tools, a computer workstation, and various chairs and stools to accommodate seven people. Oh, yes, and a coat rack, which invariably had a chair under it. I usually sat there, with my head lost among the coats. Presumably, this reminded my boss of the late Mrs. Bates. I liked both those nicknames, by the way.

If there are any other nicknames, they escape my memory for now. Last chance — what nicknames do you recall for me?