You know that someone knows you well when you suddenly get a message that parrots something you write from time to time. Something that you don’t realize is a habit, even, until it’s brought to your attention thusly. For reasons that escape even me, I’m a big fan of using the equals sign when I write text messages or Twitter posts. They’re always so useful, they come in handy in so many ways, and they just mean so much.

I didn’t realize how often I use them, however, until I got the following in a text message today from Robert:

“Fish, garlic bread, mac & cheese = heaven!”

Just as my conclusion that Finch’s bassist is gay does, Robert even nailed my little equation structure. Now I can’t decide whether this little habit of mine is charming, or else boring and predictable. I’m hoping it’s the former.

*Not to mention nerdy.

When you work in the field I do (interpreting; not speech), there’s almost no such thing as too much information. Tonight, I was reminded once again just how much I love my job. I love it because random words like ‘phallic’ pop up from time to time, and invariably, I wind up getting into a huge discussion of what, exactly, the word means.

Phil: Phallic relates to the penis.
Coworker: Not exclusively. It can be related to the vagina.
Phil: Since when? A phallus is a penis.
Coworker: But it can be feminine.
Phil: It’s a penis!
Coworker: …
Phil: It’s a penis.

As it turns out, we were both right. According to Merriam-Websiter online, ‘phallic’ can be relating to or being the stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory that follows the anal stage and during which a child becomes interested in his or her own sexual organs. But a ‘phallus’ is still a dick.

I have an interesting threshold for things I find terrifying or disgusting. For instance, when I arrived home Saturday night after being out for dinner, I noticed a grotesque-looking arachnid. It had a big black body and four giant, hairy-looking legs. The fact that it was hanging out right where I wanted to put my foot on the stairs made its menace that much more impressive.

While my first reaction upon seeing the beast was to sprint away as fast as possible, the fact that it wasn’t indoors somehow reduced the overall threat. Hence, I stood over it and stared, deer-in-headlights style, fascinated.

Since the camera on my phone proved useless to take a picture thanks to its lack of flash, I headed inside and snagged my digital camera. Bravely, I returned to the infamous stair in the hopes that a good clear picture would reveal the true nature of the creature. I was hoping it was a tarantula, or maybe a vinegaroon.

My incredible 8.1 megapixel camera, with the bonus of me standing directly above the monster, took a great picture. Only when I zoomed in on said picture, the face smiling back at me was not that of a toothy arthropod, but rather of a cricket. Next to a dead and curled up cockroach. What the fuck. All that adrenaline, over a stupid chirping insect? There I was, thinking that my life was hanging in the balance, and instead of it being a venomous and therefore dangerous thing, the worst it would do would to chew some upholstery.

Unfortunately, my pictures did not even begin to capture the initial sense of creepiness I felt. If you happen to be more savvy when it comes to digital photography than I am (and I suspect you are), tips will be much appreciated. I was so disappointed that it was a damn cricket that I didn’t even try to go for a cool shadow picture to try to capture it. Lame.

My temperature is now solidly above 98.6. I have a fever. Of Olympic proportions. A mere month from now, the 2008 Olympics will begin in Beijing. Even four years ago, I didn’t realize the Olympics were even happening until they were more than half-way over.

Not so this year. Here I am, practically counting down the days until they begin, because I fully intend to at least try following a few favorite events. I’m currently lacking a television, but fortunately, technology is fabulous. There’s an amazing website called www.nbcolympics.com. I say that it’s amazing because it has videos* posted from pretty much every event imaginable.

The two events I’m following closely: swimming and diving. I follow these two mostly because I grew up swimming on a local summer league my whole life. Which you can take to mean that they’re pretty much the only two events that I really understand. As in, it’s not work for me to follow it. Sure, I marvel at how well the commentators notice the subtleties of those damn entries from the dives WHILE the dive is happening, but I suppose since I’m not one of the guys doing the talking, it doesn’t much matter.

*I’m staunchly anti- anything Microsoft. Especially if the words “media” and “player” are followed by the “microsoft.” But, I do have to give them props for a plug-in called Silverlight, which works ten million times better than Media Player ever did. So, much as I hate to admit it, kudos to the big MS for that one.