Trade Deadline Day

Justin texted me at 2 o'clock today: "Manny just got traded to the dodgers for jason bay."

Hmmm.
Three weeks ago, Justin and I were drunk on an airplane hanging over Salt Lake. We were deep into missing most of the Home Run Derby. And I tried to bitch about Pujols. Except I said "Poo-joels." Yes, I've always lived in California. Yes, I took four years of Spanish. Yes, I hard j'd it.

The point is this: is it merely BECAUSE I've talked about baseball that Justin thinks I know anything? Does getting the bartender to turn on the Derby at the airport bar make him think I understand trades? I'm not even totally sure "Manny" means Ramirez! I'm pretty sure! But I wouldn't bet more than a drink on it!

If I was a boy, I think Justin would have mined my knowledge so quickly and thoroughly - in one of those deft boybanters that spars and jokes as much as it really communicates - that he would know by now I'm still little more than a dilettante. Is that the difference? Is it the boy-girl thing that's making him not see my dearth of real knowledge? Did I pick out the right 10 codewords? Hmmmmm.

He said he was going to call me Poojoels from now on, but I haven't heard it once.