Credit Risk

I learned a new phrase this week. "Credit Carding." Let me describe the circumstances that sparked the increase in my vocabulary.

We had the RA's over for dinner on Monday - I've been trying to do that once a month just so that they get a break from the campus and cafeteria and we have an opportunity for good bonding outside of the workplace. It's great mostly because we have an excellent group of RAs this year.

After dinner we gathered around the table and played a game of Scattegories. It was my first time and I've discovered that I like that game a lot.

Maggie gave up on the evening early on, but Mia was on the move throughout the night. She spent time telling stories, playing tag, and getting more daring as the evening wore on.

The kicker, however, was when she sailed by the table and noticed something peeping through the rungs on the chair. Apparently it was a treat just too tantalizing to resist - and she succumbed.

With a quick, exploratory dart of her little hand, she slid her fingers straight into the backside crevice exposed by an unfortunate combination of the forward-leaning posture and low-rise jeans of our dinner guest. Joe the Plumber would be proud.

I was on the opposite side of the table, so my perception of the event was characterized by a sudden, sharp jerk and a screech that shook the cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. Isaiah, who had a full view of the incident, said, "Oh! Mia! Don't do that!"

Mia, extremely startled by the reactions she received, wilted into Isaiah's arms, considered crying, and no longer made eye contact with anyone. She went to bed shortly thereafter.

Our guest tried to play it off and be polite. However, it appeared to me that they were feeling a bit startled and violated. It is obvious that hospitality is a remarkable gift of our family.

This occurrence, my friends, is the real-life definition of "credit carding." It has nothing to do with MasterCard or Visa and everything to do with anatomy.

I'm always happy to share my newly-learned factoids with my friends and family.