Say it with me. Soooooo.....

Dear Oklahomans
CC: The Universe

Overall, you have made me feel at home in your state. I appreciate your friendliness and your plethora of Dollar Trees. However, there is one issue that remains unresolved between us, and it is driving me craaaaazy...

Please learn how to pronounce my name correctly. I am starting to believe that this is a practical joke played on me. I've heard you all say phone and home correctly, so what is so difficult about Sone-ya? I can accept you thinking it's SAWN-ya when you first read it (although I don't know why), but I don't understand why you immediately call me Sawn-ya RIGHT AFTER I introduce myself as Sone-ya. Furthermore, I can't wrap my head around how even after I politely correct your pronunciation of my name you still insist its Sawn-ya, as if my pronunciation is was an optional suggestion. No, really.....why do you do that?

For example, at my MSW graduation, when I handed one of you my name card and whispered, "it's SONE-ya". Did you say it right? Nope, you simply announced in the microphone "SAWN-ya Jo ..." You said Jo correctly....why not my name? WHY?

Hollywood does not seem to help at all. In State of Play, most of the characters pronounced the murder's victim's name as SONE-ya, yet Rachel McAdam's called the poor girl SAWN-ya throughout the entire show. And no one in the movie corrected her once! It was as though she was saying the same name as everyone else. Not cool, McAdams. Not cool...(or should I say Maac-Odams. How do ya like THEM apples?)

So in conclusion, I beg you to take the microscopic amount of effort to move the shape of your mouth into an "o" and call me by my actual name, please. If this behavior persists, you leave me no choice but to begin referring to your state as "AWk-la-HAWM-a".

Sincerely,
SONE-YA!

p.s. Thank you to those who do say it correctly. Keep up the good work!

It begins....

I start work tomorrow Not just a job- a CAREER! With benefits and paid time off and limited vacation days and a (modest) salary. The whole thing is making me feel so old.

I got the job offer back in mid-May. They set the start date to July 12th. Since then, it has been HEAVEN. I have read and listened to books, tried my hand at sewing, watched the entire series of Arrested Development, experimented with cooking, made hair bows and other crafts, and drove around town searching for goodies. Oh- AND went to Washington and Arizona. It's been so fantastic to have nearly two months all to myself- and it was even better not having to worry about the job during this time, knowing that one happily awaited me. Never once did I think, "I'm so bored. I want to start working again." I could have had another 6 months of this easily.

Now July 12th is only a few hours away. I am excited to begin a new journey in life as a child therapist, but I am also going to miss all the me time. Siiiiiiigh. Goodbye, me. Se you occasionally on Saturdays...