June 28, 2009

bubbles, middle aged men, and turquoise nipple tassels

At my day camp, all of the staff members ditch their real names for the summer and adopt a chosen “camp name.” During the application and interview process, I always caution new employees to CHOOSE THEIR FUCKING NAME CAREFULLY, because they’re going to be stuck with it for the entirety of their camp lives.

My nickname, Bubbles, is one that I picked on a whim- I think because I was chewing an enormous wad of bubblegum at the time, and although I like that it’s cute and spunky, there’s also the small issue of it sounding like I’m a dirty, dirty stripper who molests lollipops while wearing pigtails and turquoise nipple tassels.

The problem here, in addition to the fact that I actually do love lollipops and wear pigtails all the damn time (no comment on the nipple tassels), is that I often see campers outside of camp- at the grocery store, at dinner, at the mall, and they think it’s incredibly fun to yell “HEEYYYYY BUBBLES!!!” from really, ridiculously far away. Which is when unsuspecting strangers turn around and look at me with eyes that are all “that’s not an appropriate nickname when you work with kids,” and I’m like, “your FACE isn’t appropriate for kids.”

And on top of the rampant public screaming, my nickname also gets me chatted up by strangers while running errands after camp.  My first mistake, clearly, was printing “Bubbles” on the back of my staff shirt, because I’ll be at Costco, buying $400 worth of chocolate syrup and whipped cream for Messy Games Day and some guy in line is all, “Sooo, Bubbles, that’s quite a lot of whipped cream for one person.” And I’m like, “IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?” And he’s all, “looks like it’ll be quite a party.” And I’m like, “get your mind out of the fucking gutter.” And he’s all, “you’re just missing the cherry on top.” And I’m like, “Okay, first of all? You’re in your mid-forties, STOP SHOPPING AT ABERCROMBIE. And secondly, don’t your kids go to my camp? So maybe you could stop being a sleazy mcdoucherson for like, six fucking seconds.”

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{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Peter June 28, 2009 at 4:34 pm

Is there a way NOT to molest lollipops?

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2 Paula June 28, 2009 at 5:05 pm

it's a shame that a name can have so many connotations all at once . . . for the record, I like "Bubbles" though!

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3 Ashley June 28, 2009 at 5:36 pm

But "Bubbles" is cute! I guess it all depends on what the other camp names are like.

Hooray for creepy middle-aged men D:

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4 Jamie June 28, 2009 at 5:54 pm

Oh Nicole. I love you.

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5 Matt June 28, 2009 at 5:59 pm

there's nothing wrong with molesting lolipops

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6 sarah marie p June 28, 2009 at 6:36 pm

Oh man, this is awesome! Love it.
Dang, I just remembered Michael Jackson's pet monkey was named Bubbles. How topical! I wonder if Bubbles the monkey liked lollipops?

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7 Amy June 28, 2009 at 7:43 pm

I was a camp counselor, and my name was Micro, a la Micro Machine because I'm short and apparently, energetic. Oh, and I do talk fast. Anyways, there's nothing like being away from camp and having someone scream that name.

Thankfully for me, mine doesn't have so many um, "meanings." Hee hee.

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8 Marilyn Stripper June 28, 2009 at 1:40 pm

Stop Bubble Gun is ideal for the children’s party and produces much beautiful bubbles. Marilyn Stripper

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9 Lindsay June 28, 2009 at 8:44 pm

I'm really waiting for the day that one of your posts does not have me laughing so hard it hurts. And hey, wasn't Bubbles one of the Powerpuff Girls?? Not quite as dirty when you recall that…

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10 Jamie June 28, 2009 at 10:17 pm

This dude was 40 and wearing shit from Abercrombie?

Come on, BROOO, you can't get ANY douchier than wearing A&F in your 20's, but in your 40's?

That's just so totally sad.

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11 thatShortChick June 28, 2009 at 10:45 pm

um, "your face isn't appropriate for kids" is TOTALLY going to be my new saying now.

thank you.

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12 Bridget June 28, 2009 at 10:47 pm

Sleazy mcdoucherson? I love it!

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13 Nora June 28, 2009 at 11:09 pm

Aw…man! I wanna play at camp with lollipops and pigtails (wait a minute – my hair is too short) and cute nicknames too! Never mind the whole porn consortium. They're all just jealous you get to play with chocolate sauce.

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14 abby June 28, 2009 at 11:25 pm

Joys of being a teacher/camp counselor… I love running into students. Especially when I go to WalMart, just for milk, after a run in teeny bootie shorts and one of my 17 year old male students yells HEY! That's my English teacher! to his Mom… and I am forced to hide behind fat guy holding beer at Register Eight. Good times. :)

Anyway, I like Bubbles. It sounds versatile.

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15 Matt June 29, 2009 at 2:01 am

Bubbles, huh?

Perfect.

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16 Jessica June 29, 2009 at 4:05 am

One of my good friends from college was nicknamed Bubbles. She liked being called that outside of school but her boyfriend didn't. What happens at camp stays at camp :)

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17 Elly June 29, 2009 at 7:01 am

Hahaha, awesome. Yeah, the conversation with guy-o-sleaze was gross, but it makes for a fairly amusing post :)

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18 Jess June 29, 2009 at 2:58 pm

OK, everything that you're like during all these conversations? Hysterical. Especially "your FACE isn't appropriate for kids." What? I'm juvenile, it's OK.

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19 Lacey Bean June 29, 2009 at 3:19 pm

Any comeback with YOUR FACE is always the best. And I like Bubbles. But mainly for the PowerPuff Girls reference. Because I'm still 5.

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20 LilySpeak June 29, 2009 at 4:02 pm

I got a rather unfortunate nickname from my softball team that is a nod to a sex move that involves punching a girl in the back of her head while doing her from behind simply. Minds out of the gutters folks, this resulted simply because my first name has like THREE of the same letters and same number of syllables as the word "donkey." Now when I leave work for softball, with PUNCH on my back, they ask me why that's my nickname.

"Uhh… cuz I'm a fighter?"

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21 LilySpeak June 29, 2009 at 4:02 pm

I got a rather unfortunate nickname from my softball team that is a nod to a sex move that involves punching a girl in the back of her head while doing her from behind. Minds out of the gutters folks, this resulted simply because my first name has like THREE of the same letters and same number of syllables as the word "donkey." Now when I leave work for softball, with PUNCH on my back, they ask me why that's my nickname.

"Uhh… cuz I'm a fighter?"

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22 ashley.star June 29, 2009 at 5:58 pm

There is a sex move that involves punching a girl in her head!?

Wow.

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23 ashley.star June 29, 2009 at 5:59 pm

Nicole, you are funny and make me want to work at a camp.

Amen.

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24 Nora June 29, 2009 at 6:02 pm

I would have thought that Bubbles is because you have such a bubbly, happy personality but leave it up to gross old men to take it the wrong way.

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25 Random Musings June 29, 2009 at 7:20 pm

If he was wearing flip flops too I would barf.

I like bubbles.. it suits you!

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26 Kait June 29, 2009 at 7:48 pm

haha LOVE this…. ^_^

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27 kaitlyn June 29, 2009 at 8:39 pm

do you work at a girl scout camp?? i worked for a girl scout summer day camp for two years, (and was a GS all my freakin' life!), and we chose "camp names" too. Mine was Duchess, because I figured The Queen would just be wayyyy to pretentious. =P

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28 Shaba June 29, 2009 at 9:45 pm

My best friend was Athena at GS camp.

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29 katelin June 29, 2009 at 10:37 pm

haha yeah my first thought was definitely bubbles from 'zack and miri make a porno.' oh i can't wait for more bubbles stories to come.

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30 gemma June 30, 2009 at 12:38 am

OMG we did camp names tooooooooooooo! it's best thing ever! SO MUCH fun…lol I would forget fellow staff members' real names. my camp name was otami. i literally picked it because we passed by a street name that had that and I was all, yeah that works. otami it is!

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31 MinD June 30, 2009 at 2:47 pm

Is there really any cute-ish nickname that couldn't be taken dirty? 'Cause I'm thinking someone could put a spin on just about anything.

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32 Josef June 30, 2009 at 3:58 pm

I agree. I always say the English language is so corruptible even innocent movie titles can sound dirty…"The Hunt for Red October", "Free Willy", "The Firm", etc.

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33 Josef June 30, 2009 at 3:57 pm

You already have me saying eleventy….am I to start saying sleazy mcdoucherson, too?

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34 Lisa July 1, 2009 at 12:21 am

Oh, Bubbles. These men really are dying to talk to you, and sadly, it is the best they can do. and I love the name, I do. It suits you.

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35 SassyGirl July 3, 2009 at 4:42 pm

I don't even see how you could be accosted by a pervy old man at Costco for a name like Bubbles. I mean, Candy, maybe, but Bubbles?
My "camp name" was Garberator.
Yeah we didn't get to choose our own. It was awful.

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36 camels & chocolate July 4, 2009 at 2:36 pm

I like Bubbles. I think it's fitting for you–you ARE spunky and cute!

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37 urbanvox July 6, 2009 at 9:28 am

sooooo… bubbles… how you doin'!?!?!!?
LOL

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