Cheers from the Pacific Northwest...

[Vulture]

Funny in that I thought I knew a little about tea...but then you start reading the threads on this site and find out that you really do only know a little about tea...a very little. It's a very rainy evening in the Northwest so I'm enveloping myself in all that I don't know by reading some fine posts along w/ my friend, white peony.

Just take one tea at a time and you will be fine!

[Geekgirl]

Howdy neighbor!

[Salsero]

Welcome.

[Trioxin]

So explain to us your screen name. I'm curious.

[swampdonkey]

Not too interesting a story as to the 'swampdonkey' moniker. Before starting grad school I took off for 18 months and traveled around the South Pacific, esp New Zealand and Australia. While in NZ, I stayed on rather large sheep and cattle ranch for a few weeks, working for room/board. I lived in the owners house and usually spent most days on the farm w/ him trying my hand at various jobs. John, the owner, was quiet and reserved most of the time, until something riled him, then he became animated and colorful. His nose also became more red. To him cows were stupid and this stupidity made for some amusing verbal abuses to spew forth from his mouth. I left that place w/ several vivid New Zealand sayings, one of which was 'swampdonkey'. I will note the he was the only one I heard use the term and others I asked later had not heard of it. Anywho, he used the word, along w/ an expletive or two either before or after and sometimes before and after, to describe the cow(s) when it was acting in a manner that caused him more work. For example, if a cow strayed from the herd when being moved to the milking shed, your ear might hear something like, "Bloody stupid swampdonkey git yer ass in line!!" Honestly, I hoped for mishaps because I found it exceedingly funny to hear John curse and carry on. Typing this has revived a number of stories from my time on that farm. Good times!

So, the word stuck and now I use it on forums and other places for a username.