Initials

My initials are downright trifling.

I started a contract with a company last week, and they set me up on their network and email systems. Their convention is first initial-last name, so mine should have been bschultz. Unfortunately, bschultz was already taken, so I got first initial-middle initial-last name. bmschultz.

For real, BMSchultz. That's the first knowledge of me that my new coworkers have. BM. And what if I end up working with some client or vendor and have to get them to send me a message? "Yeah, it's bmschultz at company.com." How embarrassing.

Obviously, I've never been able to initial anything without all three initials, lest someone assume that I'm inserting editorial opinion rather than my first and last initials.

You would think that I would do a better job at naming my own kid, but it turns out that his initials -- IBS -- are identical to a well used acronym for a disease where someone has diarrhea all the time. I didn't know that beforehand, but I can't honestly say that I gave it much consideration either. At any rate, once I give my next kid the name Philip Oscar Omar Paul Obama Osprey, then we'll have the market cornered on bowl movement initials.

Finally, here's an email that I received at the new address last week. This is the entire message, although I've hidden the name of the sender.

From: (name) Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 7:55 AM To: QA Subject: Next door Because there are termites swarming my office, I will be working from next door. (name)