Pen Me Your Name (PenName/Username)

Well, there used to be two parts to my name - it was always meme_barmymoo (and I still use that name for some things, like the email address I give if I'm likely to get a lot of junk mail). Meme came from an even older internet name which I just made up very fast using the rearranged digits of my phone number and the word "me" twice, but barmymoo has a more interesting story.

When I was about eleven, I was in an orchestra and we went on tour to Italy. I stayed in a room with two girls who were sisters. The younger was a couple of years older than me and the older was a few years older than that. I was quite hyper and childish, and one day the older girl said "You're in a barmy mood today". But I misheard her, and thought she had said "You're a barmy moo today". I liked it, so when I needed a new internet name I remembered that and used it. It's almost a decade later and I still think it's suitable! It's almost a second identity for me; even though Facebook has meant that the separation between my online and offline presences is much more blurred, I still consider barmymoo to be a distinct aspect of myself. I just wish people didn't misread it and assume I was a dairy farmer called Barry!