two things about my new job.

(1) My boss and I found some peculiar common ground this week in emotions.  We had a neat bonding moment this morning where we both used big but vague language and emitted half-confessions of what's "really" going on.  We didn't really say anything but we understood one another.

(1)b. Standing in the doorway trying to leave this afternoon, I was lingering because I was liasing between him and my sister as he was helpfully answering questions about fluorescent lighting and thermostats.  My phone's battery was dangerously low so I thought I could plug it in while I stood there a-texting.

"Do you have a socket down here?"

"A what?"

"A..... thing that you plug this into," I said, waving the adapter around as I scoured the entry way. "A... socket."

At the same time I supplied "socket" he asked, "An outlet?"

Because I had just been getting mini-lessons in how things work that I don't understand (but that are second-nature to him) and trying to relay them to my sister who would have more understanding than me but not perfect, I took his mild correction of my word choice as slightly snobbish.  (I knew it wasn't; he's incapable of snobbery.)

Immediately, my tongue was out, face was scrunched up and tone was borrowed from a sassy seven-year-old as I mimicked, "An owtleeet????" moving my head like I was taunting him.

As soon as I heard it I looked up horrified, adopting I didn't mean that posture and apologized profusely but laughing more and more. He had looked slightly surprised for a moment and then threw his head back in laughter.  He laughed more and more because he knew - like I knew - that the juvenile copycatting was a byproduct of a long, emotional week. 

(2) I've been talking to my boss so much over the past week and a bit that twice today I almost spoke with his speech impediment.  That's a new one.  I hope I don't do it in front of him because it'd be hard to convince him I wasn't making fun.  I liked it better when talking to my boss a lot meant some of my speech and most of my inner monologue had a Northern Irish accent.  I still can't say "ow" sounds like a Canadian.