The Name Game

T Bone Burnett's name really got me going.

Had some time waiting with Figgy for an appointment today, and brought my brand-new, limited edition Moleskine Notebook 1 of 4 in the Woodstock series--the one with a peace sign on the black cover. I love it. [H. is a member at Barnes & Noble, so 10 percent off--$16.15 vs. $17.95.] In the front, I've been jotting down splurges, to keep track of spending--everything from pizza and white tulips for Dad to a mocha @ Whole Foods. In the back, I'm tracking my assignments and income for the year, which I am happy to report looks very promising so far.

But I also doodled some names, after hearing T Bone Burnett on the car radio again today. Some make me smile, some take me places. As a writer [and a reader], names are great fun.

Winging it
Surnames from nature:

• Brenda Wing, my kindergarten pal from right down the road.
• Marjorie Sparrow, owner of my favorite coffee and chocolate place anywhere [Hot Chocolate Sparrow, Cape Cod].
• Lois Hare, in production department at my first real job [Woman's Day Magazine].
• Kai Bird, an author and historian, but an editor at The Nation and friend of my journalism professor when I interned there one college summer.
• Mary Snow, my friend Madonna's college friend, who is a skilled and glamorous CNN correspondent. [I think I met Mary at Madonna's baby shower.]
• Cathy Bugman, reporter on The Daily Targum at Rutgers.
• Peter Sandman, one of my favorite journalism professors.

Alliteration

These have always charmed me:

• Candy Collins, a classmate at Douglass College. She was so pretty, preppy and smart--not afraid to speak out in class, which inspired me to be brave about it, too. She was also nice. We weren't really friends, but I've never forgotten her name. I think I wanted to be her for a few brief moments.
• Carolyn Kitch, a fair blonde, brilliant associate editor at Good Housekeeping. We were peers. I think Carolyn teaches journalism now.

Unforgettables

True favorites:

• T.V. Brand. This was the name of a dentist in Dumont, whose plaque hung at his office on the corner of New Milford and Washington avenues. Dad always loved to point that out.
• Angel and Moose. These are sweet neighbors who live one block over from us. I love the pairing of their names.
• "Stormin' Norman" Fink. Beloved cross-country coach at DHS for years and years and years.
• Merry Christmas.  I did come across a woman with that name, but now don't remember where.
• Rite & Bob. My parents' old friends, who retired to the Cape decades ago--and who rented my parents their small cottage on the Cape when we were kids. Rite's real name is Marguerite. I like her nickname.
• Salt & Pepper. No, not really. But sometimes I have a mental block remembering names, and Sally, a friend/neighbor, told me to think of salt and pepper to remember her and her husband, Peter. It worked! 

Do you have any good ones? I'd love to know. Good night.

Here's the Moleskine notebook that truly inspires you to write;
search Woodstock on www.moleskine.com.