Out of Pocket

Friday came around, and my training partner was out of pocket. Speaking of out of pocket, did you know that southern idiom has been picked up my northerners. The only problem is they have given it a new meaning. This irritates me. We don't yet live in a country where you get your own version of the English language. Wait, maybe we do. We do live in a country where you get your own version or reality. Language is part of reality, so I stand (recline, actually) corrected. But it still irritates me. "Out of pocket" means someone is gone, he or she is not where he or she normally is. Use in a sentence: "Vicki is out of pocket today," meaning she is out of town, not where she normally is.

Now to many it means something like "weird." Use it a sentence: "Tell me the most out of pocket thing anyone has ever said to you."

STOP IT!!!!!

When I was in seminary and taking Hebrew, in class we had me (a true southerner who spoke genuine English), a guy from Pennsylvania (who married a girl from Mississippi), the professor who was a naturalized US citizen but from Japan, and a guy from somewhere in the Pacific. What a mix. We has some interesting conversations about language, especially idioms. "Out of pocket" was one of them. The yankee had never heard of it until he married the girl from Mississippi, I head it all my life, the professor knew it (he even knew "ge ya lee"), and the Pacific Islander didn't know what was happening.

But I digress.

Since Vicki was out of pocket Friday, I stayed in bed a bit longer than normal. I did go to the pool and did the best I could the best I would. Bear in mind that Friday has been our long, straight swim day. But we are tapering, and this is what I did:

  300 kick with fins

  1,650

  400 kick with fins

  4 X 25 breaststroke

  100 kick on back with fins

  300 backstroke

  total: 2,050 plus 800 yards of kicking

Yeah, that is a bit of a reduction. Too much. I usually find it difficult to push hard when I am alone. A few weeks ago, however, I did 16 X 100 alone. I was proud of myself that day. 

Back home, I mowed the front lawn and planted some flowers. For some reason, when that was done, it was time for Penny and me to go to dinner. We went to Crystal, and I got my usual: broiled chicken lives, bake potato (I get yams if they have them), and Greek salad. For only the second time in my life, I had to get a take out. Penny said, "You're losing it." 

I guess I am.

So, no Plate City. No running. No back yard mowing. No eating all my food. No people who know what "out of pocket means." Make it go away. All of this makes me feel like getting out of pocket today. I think I will. I'll tell you about that later.