Monday, January 14, 2008

I'm famous! It's the only explanation.

About this "Nora Bee" thing. My real for-real life name is Nora. I have never really had any nicknames, except for the cruel British schoolchildren (so deceptively cute and civilized in their sweet little uniforms. I know their secret.) who called me Nora Batty, the mean old lady, famous for her wrinkled stockings, on a British TV show called Last of the Summer Wine that I've never seen but was on in the early 80's when I was a schoolchild there myself.


Doubly cruel because being from another culture I didn't know who Nora Batty was and that it was probably an insult, triply cruel because I had a hard time understanding their taunting little accents to even figure out what they were calling me. Actually, now that I think about it, the Nora Batty year may have been the event that launched me into the haze of sure-I-must-be-missing-something that lasted until I was about 29. I'll have to think more about that.

Batty things aside, my middle name and my maiden name both start with B. Several friends used to call me Nora B (lovingly, unlike certain schoolyard URCHINS) and remember when email was the best outlet for one's skills at dashing off punchy little stories to make people smirk? (That was so 90's.) I often signed my little email story efforts as Nora Bee, especially when I lost one of the B's to take on my married name of H. Then I started a blog, and kept Nora Bee, etc etc.

But guess what came in the mail today? To me, B Nora. Think he knows about my blog?

I may be speaking prematurely here, but I think my ship may be in.

11 comments:

Melanie said...

Those little English punks, with their accents and knickers and BBC insults.

She She said...

Oh, those little Brits probably all have very bad teeth now (deservedly so). I think the mail is more of an imperative, as in Be Nora.

I think Nora is the most beautiful name in the world, obviously.

Kat said...

I have always LOVED the name Nora, so there!
Thank you for stopping at my blog and commenting. It is nice to "meet" you!

Mary Alice said...

I love the name Nora, there are two generations in our family that have that name. Go ahead B(e) Nora and ig-nora the rest of those nasty teasing school mates.

Nora said...

thanks for reading! i'm thrilled to a) have a new reader and b) add another blog to my list of daily reads. I like that we share a name, too (though truth: Nora is the later part of my full name :))

Vanessa said...

TOO funny! I love it and would take that as a sign to keep it up, Nora Bee! And I love the name Nora Bee, its sweet.

Mrs. G. said...

I'm pretty sure it was your name that drew me over here. Thin Man, anyone?

Claire B. said...

From Claire B to Nora Bee: work it, sister! I thought the snotty little Catholic kids were snarky--at least I could understand their insults.

Beth said...

Ah, childhood nicknames! Once it was discovered that my middle name was Hughes I was doomed. I became Baby Huey - that fat cartoon duck??? And I wasn't fat!

(Thanks for visiting my blog.)

Tania said...

If insurance companies are reading your blog, you may want to keep your fender-bender posts down to a minimum.

Lindy said...

Well, I for one like the Nora Bee handle : )

What do those Brits know? I mean, kidney pie for breakfast?? Honestly. ; )