Here’s a point for debate. Who talks more, men or women?

At work? Definitely the men I work with. They don’t shut up. At least compared to me, but I personally think I’m very quiet (for a woman?) One man, in fact, is known for taking an agenda topic scheduled for a 10 minute overview and spending 15 minutes simply taking about WHY his team can’t possibly be held accountable for delivering. Remember that I work in financial services? Remember that the Federal-freaking government keeps a close eye on what we do with your money and personal information? Remember that reporting on these types of things is what keeps us out of jail? Well, his team either a) knows better or b) are way too busy to worrry about these things. (Sorry, got off topic there)

Aaaannnyyyywaaayyyyy - After his 15 minute diatribe, he starts over at the beginning. Seriously. Maybe you know someone like this? Feels like you can’t possibly have understood the level of intelligence at which they were speaking, so they have to repeat it, all over again in 3rd grade terms?

Because….you….know…..we…..are…..so…..important….that…..we….have….to….waste….your….
time….making….sure…..you….understand….our…..words.

At home? Shortman started talking when he was 20 months old and hasn’t shut up yet - 169 months later. He lost his first baby tooth when he was 4. I told the dentist he must have shaken it loose with the constant. talking. about. nothing. His first geekiness showed through when he insisted, before anything else got installed, that he had to have TeamSpeak and his microphone set up on the new computer. He even talks, coherently - and generally about baseball - in his sleep, dammit.

Of course, considering Mr. Hot and I aren’t speaking right now, it’s a tie on the marriage-front. The reason we’re not talking isn’t really the important part of the topic. The fact is, we’re both about as stubborn as can be, and when one says “That’s it, I’m not talking to you”, the other takes it as a personal challenge to last even longer. Sometimes, in fact, I enjoy the silence - it’s better than the smart-ass shit that I get when my own mouth moves too fast for my brain. (Okay, I can admit that it does happen from time to time.)

Really though. 16,000 words. How many of those have 4 letters? What’s the difference between those of us who work outside the home vs. stay-at-home moms? I know that some of you are authors. Give us an idea about what 16,000 words means anyway. How many words to you think you speak in a given 24 hour period. Give me some background - at home vs. work? Are you male or female? Married or single?

—- There’s 478 words in this post. Man, I guess I may have to talk to Mr. Hot today to get to my quota. Or not. —-