Another week living the pandemic dream, and here we are, back at the bar trying to work our conversation around the challenge from our good neighbor to the north, Linda G. Hill. This week, for the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt, she has given us:
“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘-tion.’ Find a word that ends with ‘tion.’ Bonus points if you start your post with it. Have fun!”
For reasons of bonus-point-compliance, I’m keeping the “if we were having a beer” pleasantries out of the post.
“An-shun, is there a D Anshun here?”
“Um, Brad, that’s ‘An-ton’ and yes, I think I’m here.”
“Oh, I guess I never knew your last name, Dan.”
“Well, we’ve been on a first name or nickname basis for a long time. What’s up with calling me out. Did I win a prize?”
“Actually, Dan, you did!”
“Seriously? What…how did I win anything?”
“You filled out a survey about the service you received here last week, and your name was the one randomly drawn. By the way, you said you received excellent service – thank you very much.”
“Uh, Skippy…”
“Yes, David.”
“Last week. That would have been Cheryl providing the excellent service. Now, what did Dan win?”
“It says your, I mean his party’s first round of drinks is on the house.”
“That’s great news, because today’s my day to buy.”
“Whoa, David. I think I’ll switch weeks with you. You can pick up the next two weeks.”
“I guess that’s fair, Dan. Cheers.”
“Uh, Dan, there’s just one problem.”
“What’s that, Brad?”
“It doesn’t include John Howell’s Bourbon.”
“Fine. Next round, pour him a Four Roses.”
“Wait a minute, can’t we just take the Four Roses price off the John Howell’s?”
“I’ll have to check with Donny.”
“Do that, and make sure Dan’s imported beer is included.”
“Oh, that’s a good point. I’ll be back.”
“So, it’s your not-so-lucky lucky day, Mister Anshun.”
“Not if I have to drink Bud Light, and really, it’s Anton.”
“But why, Dan? I mean it is spelled A-N-T-I-O-N.”
“It just is. The people at Ellis Island wrote it down that way, but we’ve always pronounced it as if the ‘I’ is silent.”
“Your whole family?”
“No, our little branch of the family tree. Others pronounce it as if the ‘O’ is silent.”
“An-Tin?”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t you all get together and decide once and for all how to pronounce it?”
“Are you kidding, David? Our whole family couldn’t agree on which way is up.”
“I see. Are you in the majority with the silent ‘I’ ?”
“Who knows, and who cares? Besides, it wouldn’t matter.”
“Why not.”
“Because of people like Skippy. All through school, college and my career, everyone mispronounced my last name.”
“Do you correct them, Dan?”
“Sometimes, sometimes, it isn’t worth it.”
“I remember your telling me about your poetry professor calling you Mr. Anty-on. It seems you didn’t correct her, but if I recall, you were sucking up to her.”
“Maybe a little.”
“OK, guys, I have good news. Donny says that since you’re not just splurging because it’s free, your Corona and you John Howell’s special are on us.”
“That is good news, Skippy. Now, how about another round, and I think Dan said something about ordering wings.”
“I don’t recall saying anything about wings, David. I was thinking about having a bowl of chowder.”
“Chowder goes great with wings, Dan.”
“Skippy, that is the lamest attempt at sales I’ve ever heard, but fine. I’ll have an order of chowder. When – now pay attention – when the chowder is up, put the order in for wings.”
“No problem.”
“Five dollars says the wings and the chowder arrive at the same time, Dan.”
“I’m not taking that bet, David.”
“Come on, what’s a day at the bar without a little action?”
“I don’t bet on things as a rule, and betting on Skippy to get an order right would be a fool’s bet.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying, Dan. I got two free glasses of bourbon and some wings, I thought I’d top it of with five bucks in my pocket.
“Not today, my friend.”
“OK guys, here are the wings, and Dan, here’s your chowder. Will there be anything else?”
“Skippy…”
“Yes David.”
“Take the ranch dressing away. Bring me a cup of blue cheese and bring Dan a cup of Parmesan peppercorn.”
“No problem.”
“That’s it.”
“What’s it, Dan?”
“From now on, he’s Skippy to me.”
“Welcome aboard my young friend.”
No Facilities 
I’d like to see this name decision family convention. 😂😂
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Oh, that would not be a pretty sight. You can go in my place.
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Haha! I’m counting on it being not-pretty. Where would would all the fun be if it was!? 😂
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Depending on how people pronounce it, there’s a lot in a name! Our last name gets brutalized by most people, even after they’ve been corrected. Sigh…..
Love the pudgy fellow in Snoopy’s house. Maybe Snoopy is subletting! Poor MuMu, she looks so sad.
Amazon sure doesn’t do anything small, do they?! On the up side, they will employ a lot of people.
Much cooler temperatures this weekend. Everything here covered in frost. Brrrr. Fall is definitely around the corner.
Ginger
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I’m not sure if Snoopy is letting this out on AirB&B or what’s going on. All I know is I’m not making that hole bigger 😏
Maddie knows it’s Saturday and is already nudging me toward the door (no buses today). I think I’ll enjoy the cold.
My fear with the warehouse is that they’ll abandon it after the tax breaks expire. We’ll have to wait and see. That’s a big dirt pile.
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You just can’t beat a good chowder. Wish our local pub served it.
Love the last bird shot, also love the fact I can see my bunnies again. Thanks for that!
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Your bunnies are getting scarce, but whenever I see one, I’ll find a place for it. The chowder at this bar is really good.
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And I appreciate every sighting!
😊
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I never realized you’d have so much trouble having your name pronounced correctly!
I wonder what kind of ruckus will go on if that cute little bird is still around when Snoopy comes back. You’ll have to keep an eye out.
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We generally ignore it, GP. It’s too hard to correct. I had coworkers who I had worked with for 30 years mispronounce it when they introduced me.
I think I need to have a second birdhouse ready for when Snoopy returns.
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Good plan!
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I think we could fill an entire ‘group’ with people who have names that are mispronounced or misspelled. :-) The chowder would be perfect because it’s 38 this morning and 28 a bit north of us. Hope Maddie enjoys the cooler weather.
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Thanks Judy. It was 38 when Maddie and I left got our walk. We did the long loop around the big park. She was very very happy.
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I admit I’m one of those people who can’t get past the ‘I’ in Antion. Mentally I keep thinking Anty-on even though I know better. I do have the pronunciation of “Dan” nailed down though. Hope that counts in my favour 😉
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Hahaha. That’s the name that’s used the most, so I’m good. Thanks for working on that.
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Ha! Amazon Range, Mt. Bezos… Dan you slay me. At least there will be cranes to photograph. I actually wish people would pronounce my name the way it’s spelled. They’d get it right then. As you say, it’s not worth it. Until they pronounce it as Gwenevere… How they manage to get there is so incomprehensible, that I have to take them down. LOL. Hugs on the wing.
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I can only imagine your name giving people trouble. It seems straight forward enough, but it’s a lot of letters. But Gwenevere? Yeah, what’s wrong here? I’m waiting to see Mt. Bezos covered in snow. It’s going to look like we live near the Alps. Hugs, Teagan…(R. Gen-e-viene, he says quietly).
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I gave up on my name being pronounced properly and hope others excuse me for my mispronunciations. I’m one of the worst! I loved your final photo especially. ♥
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Thanks Gwen – is it “plain” or ‘plan” ‘O’ ?
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You and I have the same issue with last name pronunciation. I’ve heard geese, gise, gizee, etc. I have to tell people it rhymes with sleazy and then they get it. And, yes, I mispronounced your name in my head for a long time until I was corrected (I think in another post).
That darn Skippy! I don’t know why the bar keeps him on other than to serve as your Saturday muse.
Happy Saturday, Dan. Give all of the furry kids a few skritches from me and thanks for the Mt. Bezos laugh.
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Well I’ve been mispronouncing your name forever. I can remember that method (sorry).
Skippy had his fan base. If I don’t put him behind the bar every now and then, people complain. Who knew?
All the M-girls are sleeping in a warm spot. It was 38 when Maddie and I left for our walk today. I worked outside in long jeans, a flannel shirt and a vest. M as justSayin d sad are you feed Gibbs & Ziva before those long bike rides.
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No worries on the name…now we both have the pronunciation correct.
Tell the M-girls that Gibbs and Ziva never want for food even though they act like I starve them. I’m sure they know that drill.
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My eyes are failing obviously, because I somehow overlooked the “i” in your name! I had to doublecheck your avatar to see if it was there! All to say, I’ve always thought the name was pronounced Anton.
Enjoy your weekend.
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And you’ve always been right 🙂
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This is what happens when the regular help takes a day off. 😏LOL. Great photos, Dan but I don’t see any snak…🤭
Did you read about that crane that fell across the bridge in Pensicola during hurricane Sally? They really got hit hard there. Being from Louisiana I have seen and heard many botches of names. Even ones you would not suspect. Like my good friend who went from one difficult French name to another. Cambre to Calmes. On our side of the river is is Calm-ees. On the other it is Calm. I won’t go into her maiden name. I did wonder at first if the ‘i’ in your name was silent. One last question though. Is there an emphasis on the ‘t’. ? We can’t even talk about Scandinavian names. Just toss out all but three consonants and you’re good to go! 😀
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I can only imagine names in Louisiana, Cheryl. If I had my way, my name would be pronounced “an ’ton” – but, I respond to anything close.
I didn’t see the crane that fell. That’s scary. We heard that Sally was mostly rain but I guess there was a bunch of wind.
I love that pronunciation changes across the river.
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Chowder. That sounds very good.
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It is, John. Snd the colder it get, the better it is.
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I really enjoyed my time at the bar this morning. With a last name spelled phonetically I never have any mispronunciations. I think Skippy will now and forever be Skippy to all of us. LOL. The gallery is absolutely fabulous. It makes me miss our rabbit. Texas Pete has not been around in the last several weeks. And that bird in the house picture should be framed. So good!
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Skippy will never be Brad again. It confuses new readers, so I needed to move us to consensus. He’s hopeless.
If that bird sticks around, well have to give him a name. I wouldn’t poke gun at him, but maybe I’ll make him a house with a bigger door.
I hope you’re having a nice weekend.
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I have been mentally mispronouncing your last name for years, Dan. Who knew? I will try to do better now. I had to click on the shot of the giant crane. I was certain that you had decided on yet another improvement to your shed, but apparently it is not in your yard.
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Hahaha. No, not in my yard, Mike. I do love watching them, but the transformation from farmland to warehouse is always sad.
However you pronounce it, I’ll respond.
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I’ve wanted to ask how you pronounce your last name for a wihile. So it’s silent I? Gotcha!
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There you go, John.
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Another Amazon warehouse. That means they have Nexus in CT now? Maybe they always have. Love the photo of the bird in the birdhouse. That is a tight fit. Looks a little like a Carolina wren. Making a decent bowl of clam chowder is an art. Like the perfect lobster roll. Great visit to the bar. When is Teagan joining you? (Nice of Linda to design such a well-suited prompt for you.)
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Amazon has another warehouse about five miles from this one, but this is less than two miles from the airport.
If that guy hangs around, I might make him a house with a bigger door. It might have been temporary, we’re in the midst of a cold snap.
Teagan will be here when she pushes “publish” on “Hullaba Lulu” – I can’t wait.
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I LOVE a good clam chowder!I have always pronounced your name Dan. Hahaha. couldn’t resist. I too have always pronounced your last name Anton. No reason. With my name, most pronounce it correctly they just can’t spell it. I spell it out and they correct me!!! How easy is Read? Nope I get Reid, Reed. and occasionally Reade. Yep, animals are easier to deal with. Hi Maddie!
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I’m laughing because people have corrected me, too. I mean, it’s MY name!
Animals are so much easier. I think I saw that somewhere this week 😏
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I loved the chowder photo, Dan. That bird in Snoopys house was a hoot too. So happy to see Faith away from that pole. Is that place really named Texxas? The Amazon warehouse is something. I swear in the end there will be one seller, Amazon. Thanks for a super post. Glad to see you joined David in the Skippy label.
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Sorry, John, it’s a typo. It’s Tunxis Grill, and they make excellent chowder.
I needed to get Skippy established as the only name. Brad/Skippy was confusing too many readers. Ironically some people think Skippy is real but they thought I made you up 🙂
Amazon will be here for 10 years. They have a 7-year tax break with an option for 3 more. Once they have to pay taxes, they’ll split.
I’m not sure if Snoopy is doing an AirB&B until February.
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Hahahaha. All good responses. Thanks, Dan
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It was fun.
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Weird. I’ve been pronouncing your name (in my head) correctly for years BUT I’ve been seeing it incorrectly. I always read it as Anton. This is the first time I realized that you spell it Antion. The brain is mysterious (or, at least mine is just nuts).
The chowder looks yummy! It will be several weeks before it’s soup season around here.
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However it works, it works, Janis. These guys serve chowder all year long. For some reason, I actually like it on a hot day, as long as I’m inside where it’s cool.
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Ah, yes. The silent “i”. It took me a little while to adapt, Dan, after years of thinking it was “Ant-e-on”, but I made the switch a while back, and now I’m set. Glad to see all the animals, domestic and otherwise, are doing well!
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We get “Ant-e-on” fairly often, Paul. I think I learned how our last name was pronounced during those times when my mother called me by my full name – you know you’re in trouble when that happens. Everyone enjoyed a nice cool day here today.
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Oh, yes. Full name is trouble!
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Mt Bezos of the Amazon Range. You crack me up!
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:-)
It’s a big pile of dirt.
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It doesn’t matter what your last name is, someone will get it wrong. My maiden name was Mckee and I was often called McGoo, McGee or Muckee.
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Ha! That’s crazy. I guess you’re right.
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The Amazon Warehouse looks huge…..
I remember having the “i” in my mental pronunciation….that’s when I would visualize the spelling when thinking about the way to pronounce it mentally. When I didn’t visualize the spelling I always put the “i” silent. Go figure the weird ways of my mind!! :)
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It’s going to be a huge warehouse, Kirt. It was sad to see them strip away all the farmland. I’m not sure what they will be doing with that. I’m kind of hoping that it’s here through the winter. It would be good to get some pictures of the Amazon Range covered in snow. I struggle imagining how to say pronounce some names. It usually doesn’t matter on blogs.
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I’m looking forward to seeing skiing pictures on your new local mountain range!!
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Hahaha. I’m sure someone will try, Kirt.
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I was rooting for Skippy to get the order right…sigh. Not this week.
The light on Maddie and her cot was lovely.
That warehouse is going to be huge!
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Skippy is hopeless, sorry. Im hoping to see the mountains of dirt covered in snow in a few months.
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Thanks for letting us know how to pronounce your name. I can relate to letting people mispronounce it. Macco was said like Mako or Mack-o. Before my high school graduation, I made it a point to tell the principal, it rhymes with taco. That did the trick. I hope Amazon at least plants some good sized trees when they’re done.
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If the town buys the trees, Amazon might plant them. So far, it seems to be all about money.
Good idea with the instructions.
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Haha, Dan, this really made me laugh. Do you have any idea how wrong people get my name? I’ve been Roddie, Ronnie, Robear, Rebecca, Roberto, Robin [very common] and recently, Rosie. I went to the hair dresser for the first time in six months and a lady came up to me and said “Are you Rosie?” Of course, I’m not Rosie, but it turned out the receptionist wrote me in as Rosie and not Robbie so they couldn’t find my file. I also get called Mr Cheadle. Several times at work, I’ve received the “man” gift. I’m not complaining, I’d rather have Johnny Walker Black Label whiskey than some daft girly thing.
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Haha – I’d go with the “man” gift as well. I would never have guessed people could mess up Roberta or Robbie. I guess we don’t pay much attention or fully process what we hear. I’m glad you enjoyed this.
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I’ve got one last Rose of Sharon that I must get today, Dan. And how awesome you know your history from Ellis Island. I’m impressed. LOVED your gallery ….. so many pictures!! I’ve yet to pick up either one of my cameras since our Cookie left us. I know what I have to do and that is even if I don’t feel like it, pick them up and use them. And then I’ll thank me. Sorry to hear about the Amazon mountains. Hoping they at the very least plant trees.
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I’m sure when you pick that camera back up, Amy, the results will be wonderful.
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I picked them up today, Dan. And in that park several miracles happened. All I have to do is close my eyes right now and return to this park. Sighing ……. I will be writing about today believe me!
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:-)
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Great post Dan. Love that you named the bird Snoopy and I can’t wait to see what happens when Snoopy returns in February to find a squatter in her/his home! Yikes! As for the mispronouncing of last names, my name has been difficult for many people over the years and though I haven’t quite thrown in the towel, I only correct people who wish to know how to say my full name or when they annoy me and I want to correct them (ie telemarketers). LOL
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We called her Snoopy because she loves to sit on top of the birdhouse. She has hatched a couple of babies in there over the years. She won’t be happy. Last year, she chased a blue jay away from the house when she had little ones inside.
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Hahaha! Skippy it is, all the way. This was fun, Dan. Thanks for a great post… except the Amazon warehouse. Sigh!
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I’m glad you enjoyed it, Jennie. It’s sad to see farmland get turned into warehouses.
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It really is, Dan. Skippy would see all the progress. 🙂
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Haha – true.
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I sure hope Snoopy does not mind – and that bird in the cute little house was not the kind of photo we see everyday – so it was a top one from this post – and nice take on tion and shun
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I may have to add a second house in the yard. Perhaps one with a slightly bigger door 😏
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:)
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also, Dan – I ahem the post set to go out Monday (tomorrow) and guess what – this month is an anniversary of when we connected – just for fun I looked at our first comment chat and it was 9/22 (on my blog) – and I have seen Farnk Angle do that with his readers so I was just curious.
So the timing of the interview post was spot on!
I decided to not use any of your photos and will instead just add links –
have a great night and be in touch tomorrow
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Thanks Yvette. That’s perfect timing.
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so glad
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My last name is Bethea. It’s never pronounced right. If I corrected people, I’d never get anything done. I am just glad if people don’t say Bertha.
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Its usually not worth the effort to correct them.
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We have a Mt Bezos here in Indy, too. Prolly can see it from the moon.
Even I know you want parmesan peppercorn.
My name gets butchered all the time, too. Last week I received a work email from a woman I’ve known professionally for years and it began with MR. MOTTEM. I felt sad.
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Oh no. That’s just not right.
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