I'm not going to assume.
Today, Little Girl is scheduled to have the pins removed from her arm.
If all goes well, we can give her a good shower today, too. It's hard to sponge bathe this long and stay really clean.
Today is
Feast of the Visitation of Mary
Memorial Day (observed)
National Macaroon Day
Prayer for Peace Memorial Day
Royal Brunei Malay Regiment Day, Brunei
Save Your Hearing Day
Speak in Complete Sentences Day
St. Petronilla's Day
Union Day, South Africa
What You Think Upon Grows Day
World No Tobacco Day
Birthdays Today:
Jonathan Tucker, 1982
Colin Farrell, 1976
Brooke Shields, 1965
Lea Thompson, 1961
Gregory Harrison, 1950
John Bonham, 1948
Sharon Gless, 1943
Joe Namath, 1943
Johnny Paycheck, 1941
Peter Yarrow, 1938
Clint Eastwood, 1930
Denholm Elliott, 1922
Don Ameche, 1908
Norman Vincent Peale, 1898
Fred Allen, 1894
Walt Whitman, 1819
Today in History:
Rameses II (The Great) becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, BC1279
Rome captures the first wall of the city of Jerusalem, 70
A devastating earthquake strikes Antioch, Turkey, killing 250,000, 526
Mongol armies of Genghis Khan led by Subutai defeat Kievan Rus and Cumans, 1223
Citing poor eyesight, Samuel Pepys records the last event in his diary, 1669
The Province of Pennsylvania bans all theater productions, 1759
Dr James Moore of the UK wins the first recorded bicycle race, a 2k velocipede race at Parc de St Cloud, Paris, 1868
Dr. John Harvey Kellogg patents corn flakes, 1884
The Union of South Africa (predecessor of the Republic of South Africa) is created, 1910
A 7.1 magnitude Earthquake destroys Quetta in modern-day Pakistan, 1931
The Ancash earthquake causes a landslide that buries the town of Yungay, Peru, 1970
In accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 1968, observation of Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday in May for the first time, rather than on the traditional Memorial Day of May 30, 1971
Athena 98.4 FM, the first legal private radio station in Greece, starts broadcasting, 1987
Another busy Sunday.
I think we are all ready for vacation.
Today is
All Saints -- Orthodox Christians
Feast Day of St. Joan of Arc (patron of France)
Frigg's Day -- Ancient Nordic Calendar (queen of heaven)
Heirloom Seed Day
Hug Your Cat Day
Indianapolis 500
Loomis Day
National Day, Croatia
Memorial Day (traditional)
My Bucket's Got a Hole In It Day
National Mint Julep Day
Trinity Sunday -- Christian
Water a Flower Day
Anniversaries Today:
Henry VIII marries Jane Seymore, 1536
Birthdays Today:
Wynonna Judd, 1964
Tom Morello, 1964
Meredith MacRae, 1945
Michael J. Pollard, 1939
Keir Dullea, 1936
Benny Goodman, 1909
Mel Blanc, 1908
Peter Carl Fabergé, 1846
Today in History:
19-year-old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal, 1431
In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal of finding gold, 1539
John Francis attempts to murder Queen Victoria, 1842
Westminster's Big Ben rang for the first time in London, 1859
Decoration Day (the predecessor of the modern "Memorial Day") is observed in the United States for the first time, 1868
New York City's Gilmores Garden is renamed Madison Square Garden by William Henry Vanderbilt and is opened to the public, 1879
The Treaty of London, 1913, ends the First Balkan War and Albania becomes an independent nation, 1913
In China protests erupt against the Great Powers infringing on Chinese sovereignty, 1925
A dike along the flooding Columbia River breaks, obliterating Vanport, Oregon within minutes, 1948
The Auckland Harbour Bridge, crossing the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, is officially opened, 1959
At the Ascot Park in Gardena, California, daredevil Evel Knievel jumps his motorcycle over 16 cars lined up in a row, 1967
I've tackled the coat closet, and lived to tell the tale.
My bathroom is dejunked, with the exception of a couple of Sweetie's items. (Isn't it interesting how their stuff is "junk", but ours isn't?)
Next up, the kid bathroom and laundry room. My dungeon. Yikes. Be brave. It has to be done.
Today is
Ambarvailia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (purification festival to Ceres)
Ascension of Baha'u'llah -- Baha'i
End of the Middle Ages Day
International Jazz Day
Julia Pierpont Day
National Coq Au Vin Day
Restoration Day
Royal Oak Apple Day, UK (celebrates the restoration of the monarchy)
St. Bona's Day
UN Peacekeepers Day
Anniversaries Today:
Rhode Island becomes the 13th US State, 1790
Wisconsin becomes the 30th US State, 1848
Birthdays Today:
Noel Gallagher, 1967
Melissa Etheridge, 1961
Adrian Paul, 1959
Annette Bening, 1958
LaToya Jackson, 1956
Danny Elfman, 1953
Anthony Geary, 1947
Al Unser, 1939
Paul Erlich, 1932
John F. Kennedy, 1917
Tenzing Norgay, 1914
T.H. White, 1906
Bob Hope, 1903
G.K. Chesterton, 1874
Patrick Henry, 1736
Today in History:
Ottoman armies under Sultan Mehmed II Fatih capture Constantinople after a siege, ending the Byzantine Empire, 1453
Charles II (on his birthday) is restored to the throne of Great Britain, 1660
Treaty of Middle Plantation establishes peace between the Virginia colonists and the local Natives, 1677
The right of Canadians to keep Indian slaves is upheld at Quebec City, 1733
In Patrick Henry's historic speech against the Stamp Act, he answers a cry of "Treason!" with, "If this be treason, make the most of it!" 1765
Present constitution of Switzerland takes effect, 1874
Chemist John Pemberton places his first advertisement for Coca-Cola, the ad appearing in the Atlanta Journal, 1886
Igor Stravinsky's ballet score The Rite of Spring receives its premiere performance in Paris, provoking a riot, 1913
Ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sinks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence with the loss of 1,024 lives, 1914
Bing Crosby, the Ken Darby Singers and the John Scott Trotter Orchestra record Irving Berlin's "White Christmas", the best-selling Christmas single in history, for Decca Records in Los Angeles, 1942
Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, 1953
First of the annual Bilderberg conferences, 1954
Amputee Steve Fonyo completes cross-Canada marathon at Victoria, British Columbia, after 14 months, 1985
Space Shuttle Discovery completes the first docking with the International Space Station, 1999
#2 Son, a/k/a The Midnight Chef, has struck again.
I came down this morning to the smell of spices, batter in every nook and cranny of the sink faucets, the mini loaf pan put away greasy, and all of the batter crusted implements stuffed into the dishwasher, even the ones that don't fit without blocking the sprayer arms.
At least he tried.
My kitchen also smells wonderful. Now I need to put nutmeg on my grocery list.
Home baked banana bread, anyone?
Today is
Amnesty International Day
Day of Pin-Hiding and Button-Losing -- Fairy Calendar
Feast of Zerowork
National Day, Azerbaijan
National Hamburger Day
Sierra Club Day
Slugs Return From Capistrano Day
St. Bernard of Montjoux's Day (patron of mountain climbers, skiers)
Whale Day
Birthdays Today:
Joseph Cross, 1986
Jesse Bradford, 1979
Sicily Yoder, 1969
Kylie Minogue, 1968
Glen Rice, 1967
John Fogerty, 1945
Rudolph Guiliani, 1944
Gladys Knight, 1944
The Dionne Quintuplets, 1934
Carroll Baker, 1931
Ian Fleming, 1908
Jim Thorpe, 1888
Today in History:
A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse;this leads to a truce and becomes one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated, BC585
James IV of Scotland and Margaret Tudor are married according to a Papal Bull by Pope Alexander VI and a Treaty of Everlasting Peace between Scotland and England is signed (peace lasted ten years), 1503
The Spanish Armada, with 130 ships and 30,000 men, sets sail from Lisbon heading for the English Channel (it will takes until May 30 for all of the ships to leave port), 1588
In the first engagement of the French and Indian War, Virginia militia under 22-year-old Lieutenant Colonel George Washington defeat a French reconnaissance party, 1754
Big Ben is drawn on a carriage pulled by 16 horses from Whitechapel Bell Foundry to the Palace of Westminster, 1859
In the Russo-Japanese War, the Battle of Tsushima ends with the destruction of the Russian Baltic Fleet by the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1905
John B Gruelle patents Raggedy Ann doll, 1915
The US Attorney General says it is legal for women to wear trousers, 1923
The first all color talking picture, "On With the Show", is shown in NYC, 1929
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, is officially opened, 1937
Neville Chamberlain becomes British Prime Minister, 1937
The women of Greece are given the right to vote, 1952
Eritrea and Monaco join the United Nations, 1993
Major Announcement:
#1 Son is going to get a haircut today. His first since August 2008.
I wonder if anyone will recognize him.
Today is
Body Painting Arts Festival
Buddha Day - Visakha Puja -- Buddhist
Buttercup Day
Cellophane Tape Day
Children's Day, Nigeria
Full Flower Moon/Full Corn Planting Moon/Milk Moon
Hay-on-Wye Festival of Literature, Wales (through June 6)
National Grape Popsicle Day
Sun Screen Day
Throw the B*st@rds Out Day
Birthdays Today:
Joseph Fiennes, 1970
Jeremy Mayfield, 1969
Todd Bridges, 1965
Adam Carolla, 1964
Louis Gossett, Jr., 1936
Ramsey Lewis, 1935
Henry Kissinger, 1923
Christopher Lee, 1922
Sam Snead, 1912
Hubert H. Humphrey, 1911
Vincent Price, 1911
Dolores Hope, 1909
Dashiell Hammett, 1894
Isadora Duncan, 1878
Wild Bill Hickock, 1837
Julia Ward Howe, 1819
Amelia Bloomer, 1818
Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1794
Today in History:
Habeaus Corpus Act, codifying how the writ of habeaus corpus is to be used, passes in UK, 1679
Peter the Great founds St. Petersburg, 1703
In Bolivia, the Battle of La Coronilla, in which the women from Cochabamba fight against the Spanish army, 1812
Bubonic plague breaks out in San Francisco, California, 1907
The Walt Disney Company releases the cartoon The Three Little Pigs, with its hit song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?", 1933
The NC-4 aircraft arrives in Lisbon after completing the first transatlantic flight, 1919
Toronto's CHUM-AM, (1050 kHz) becomes Canada's first radio station to broadcast only top 40 Rock n' Roll music format, 1957
Australians vote in favor of a constitutional referendum granting the Australian government the power to make laws to benefit Indigenous Australians and to count them in the national census, 1967
"Hey, mom, Baskin Robbins has dollar scoops on Tuesday! Milt's mom will take us!" #2 Son was so excited.
"Sure, go ahead," I told him as he showed me his $2.
"Wow," Bigger Girl commented. "It really is cheaper to eat badly and get fat, isn't it?"
The number of calories consumed by the average person living in the US increased by almost 1,000 between 1960 and 2000. Almost 90% of that increase was in calories from sugar, processed white flour, and cheap processed oils. Those are also the cheapest foods per calorie.
This doesn't even address the experiment that showed, for rats at least, that it is easier to become addicted to white sugar than to cocaine.
I make sure my kids eat fruits and veggies and whole grains and and and ...
Not every parent does.
Does our society stand a chance?
Today is
Georgia Independence Restoration Day
Grey Day
Independence Day, Guyana
National Blueberry Cheesecake Day
National Death Busters Day
National Heroes Day, Turks and Caicos Islands
National Senior Health and Fitness Day
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianole Day, Hawai'i
Sally Ride Day
Scripps National Spelling Bee, today and tomorrow
St. Augustine of Canterbury's Day (patron of England)
St. Leonard's Day
St. Philip Neri's Day (patron of Rome)
St. Quadratus' Day
Anniversaries Today:
Boston University is founded by the Massachusetts legislature, 1869
Birthdays Today:
Helena Bonham Carter, 1966
Lenny Kravitz, 1964
Sally Ride, 1951
Pam Grier, 1949
Philip Michael Thomas, 1949
Hank Williams, Jr., 1949
Stevie Nicks, 1948
Brent Musburger, 1939
Miles Davis, 1926
James Arness, 1923
Peggy Lee, 1920
Jay Silverheels, 1919
Frankie Manning, 1914
Peter Cushing, 1913
Robert Morley, 1908
John Wayne, 1907
Dorothea Lange, 1895
Al Jolson, 1886
Today in History:
Armenian rebels battle the Sassanid empire and win the right to openly practice Christianity, 451
An earthquake strikes Kamakura, Japan, killing about 30,000, 1293
Geneva expels John Calvin and his followers from the city, 1538
Alse Young becomes the first person executed as a witch in the American colonies, 1647
Lewis and Clark first see the Rocky Mountains, 1805
The Indian Removal Act is passed by the U.S. Congress, 1830
Dred Scott is emancipated by the Blow family, his original owners, 1857
The impeachment trial of U.S. President Andrew Johnson ends with Johnson being found not guilty by one vote, 1868
Nicholas II becomes Tsar of Russia, 1894
Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 1896
The first major commercial oil strike in the Middle East is made, 1908
The world's longest-lasting tornado, lasting for over 7 hours and traveling 293 miles, strikes Mattoon, Illinois, 1917
British Guiana gains independence, becoming Guyana, 1966
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Japan, triggering a tsunami that kills at least 104 people, injures thousands. Many people go missing and thousands of buildings are destroyed, 1983
The European Community adopts the European flag, 1986
Sherpa Lakpa Gelu climbs Mount Everest in 10 hours 56 minutes, 2003
The May 2006 Java earthquake kills over 5,700 people, leaves 200,000 homeless, 2006
The retired repair guy could not check one thing in the A/C unit. He doesn't own the piece of equipment needed to test capacitors.
It was a capacitor. The repair guy was running over an hour late due to his first job of the day -- working in an attic that was already 125F/51C when he got there at 8am. That would make me late, too. Late to my own funeral.
While he was out there working, he got a call on his mobile phone and kept calling the person "Sweetie." I asked him after the call if his "Sweetie" wanted him home, as it was after 5pm when he got here. He answered, "Oh, not that kind of sweetie. I have several of those, so if one is mad at me, it won't matter, I'll have at least one that isn't."
Also, yesterday I picked up 6 more bottle feeds, and had two just at weaning age dropped off here. We are up to 18 foster kittens. A personal record I hope to never match or beat again.
Today is
African Freedom Day
Bath Festival, UK
Cookie Monster's Birthday
Elf Fest, Lothlorien (near Needmore, Indiana) -- through the31st
Independence Day, Jordan
National Missing Children's Day
National Wine Day
Nerd Pride/Geek Pride Day
St. Aldhelm's Day
St. Bede the Venerable's Day
St. Gregory VII's Day
Tap Dance Day
Birthdays Today:
Lauryn Hill, 1975
Anne Heche, 1969
Stacy London, 1969
Mike Myers, 1963
Connie Sellecca, 1955
Frank Oz, 1944
Leslie Uggams, 1943
Ian McKellen, 1939
Tom T. Hall, 1936
Beverly Sills, 1929
Robert Ludlum, 1927
Jeanne Crain, 1925
Claude Akins, 1918
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, 1878
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803
Today in History:
Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo, Spain back from the Moors, 1085
Henry the Navigator is appointed governor of the Order of Christ, 1420
The Diet of Worms ends when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw, 1521
Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector of England following the restoration of the Long Parliament, beginning a second brief period of the republican government called the Commonwealth of England, 1659
Jews are expelled from Warsaw by Marshall Mniszek, 1784
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, delegates convene a Constitutional Convention to write a new Constitution for the United States, 1787
In the May Revolution, citizens of Buenos Aires expel the Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros during the Semana de Mayo, 1810
The Patriots of Lower Canada (Quebec) rebel against the British for freedom, 1837
The first telegraphed news dispatch is published in Baltimore Patriot, 1844
Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore opens at the Opera Comique in London, 1878
The Republic of Formosa is formed, with Tang Ching-sung as the president, 1895
John T. Scopes is indicted for teaching Charles Darwin's theory of evolution in Tennessee, 1925
Henry Ford stops production of the Model T to begin the Model A, 1927
Jesse Owens of Ohio State University breaks five world records and ties a sixth at the Big Ten Conference Track and Field Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1935
The first ascent of Kangchenjunga (8,586 m.), the third highest mountain in the world, by a British expedition, 1955
In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Organisation of African Unity is established, 1963
32-year-old Erik Weihenmayer, of Boulder, Colorado, becomes the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, 2001
Louisiana. Where everything can be turned into a sport.
Football.
Politics.
Sweating.
Oh, well.
Today is
Bermuda Day
Brother's Day
Commonwealth Day, Belize
Day for the Naming of Rocks and Planets -- Fairy Calendar
Education Day, Bermuda
Empire Day
Feast of Hermes Trismegistus (thrice-blessed Hermes, patron of alchemy)
Independence Day, Eritrea
La Fete des Saintes Maries, France (gypsy festival)
Morse Code Day
Mothers Festival -- Celtic Calendar
National Escargot Day
St. Cyril's Day
St. Sara's Day
Birthdays Today:
Billy Gilman, 1988
Joe Dumars, 1963
Rosanne Cash, 1955
Priscilla Presley, 1945
Patti LaBelle, 1944
Gary Burghoff, 1943
Bob Dylan, 1941
Tommy Chong, 1938
"Engineer Bill" Stulla, 1911
Lillian Moller Gilbreth, 1878
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, 1819
Abraham Geiger, 1810
Gabriel Fahrenheit, 1686
Today in History:
The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt, 1218
Peter Minuit buys Manhattan, 1626
The English Parliament passes the Act of Toleration protecting Protestants; Roman Catholics are intentionally excluded, 1689
John Wesley is converted, essentially launching the Methodist movement; the day is celebrated annually by Methodists as Aldersgate Day, 1738
Antonio José de Sucre secures the independence of the Presidency of Quito, 1822
"Mary Had a Little Lamb" by Sarah Josepha Hale is published, 1830
The first passenger rail service in US, from Baltimore to Elliots Mill, Maryland, begins, 1830
Samuel FB Morse taps out the first telegraph message, "What hath God wrought", 1844
The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction, 1883
The United Kingdom annexes the Orange Free State, 1900
Amy Johnson lands in Darwin, Northern Territory, becoming the first woman to fly from England to Australia (she left on May 5 for the 11,000 mile flight), 1930
Igor Sikorsky performs the first successful single-rotor helicopter flight, 1940
Eritrea gains its independence from Ethiopia, 1991
15-year-old Sherpa Temba Tsheri becomes the youngest person to climb to the top of Mount Everest, 2001
We have a home warranty, so our broken A/C should be covered.
The problem is they don't send people out on weekends. On Monday, the contracted service provider will call and schedule and appointment to look at it.
Meanwhile, the cats lie around, seeking cool spots that are not to be found.
Brother-in-law's downstairs apartment neighbor used to be an A/C repair guy. He no longer has a business, and is on disability. For $20, he came over and tested out the unit. He says the outdoor portion of the unit is gone.
There are 3 choices of repairs he sees. It is possible that by replacing one cheap part, it could go for another month or so. By replacing a second, more expensive and more complicated part, it could last a year or so, maybe. He thinks the whole thing is shot and needs to simply be totally replaced.
Of course, the verdict lies with the insurance company and the service provider and what they work out. No matter what repair, we only pay our deductible. I hope they don't decide to go cheap, and then we end up calling them in another month and shelling out another deductible.
Brother-in-law, The Mouth, who eats us out of house and home every Sunday, has decided not to eat with us today. He does not do no A/C.
Today is
Declaration of the Bab -- Baha'i
Linnaeus Day, Sweden
Lucky Penny Day
National Taffy Day
Neighbor Day
Pentecost/WhitSunday -- All Christians
Rosalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (rose festival)
Vulcan's Day -- Ancient Roman Calendar
World Crohn's and Colitis Day
World Turtle Day
Anniversaries Today:
South Carolina becomes the 8th US state, 1788
Birthdays Today:
Kelly Monaco, 1976
Ken Jennings, 1974
Jewel, 1974
Mitch Albom, 1958
Drew Carey, 1958
Marvin Hagler, 1952
Joan Collins, 1933
Rosemary Clooney, 1928
Helen O'Connell, 1920
Scatman Crothers, 1910
Artie Shaw, 1910
Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., 1883
Carolus Linnaeus, 1707
Emperor Qinzong of China, 1100
Today in History:
Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne, 1430
The marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void, 1533
The Netherlands declare their independence from Spain, 1568
The Second Defenestration of Prague precipitates the Thirty Years' War, 1618
After being convicted of piracy and of murdering William Moore, Captain William Kidd is hanged in London, 1701
Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals, 1785
Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned King of Italy, 1805
South American independence leader Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, 1813
The Báb announces his revelation, founding Bábism (the Baha'i Faith), 1844
Organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Battle Creek, Michigan, 1863
The Canadian Parliament establishes the North West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 1873
The fist transcontinental train arrives in Vancouver, BC, 1887
The first talking cartoon of Mickey Mouse, "The Karnival Kid", is released, 1929
American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed by police and killed in Black Lake, Louisiana, 1934
Tibetans sign the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet with the People's Republic of China, 1951
Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion announces that Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann had been captured, 1960
The first version of the Java programming language is released, 1995
The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with 75% voting yes, 1998
The fastest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka opens at Six Flags Great Adventure, 2005
Alaskan stratovolcano Mount Cleveland erupts, 2006
Yesterday we had to leave some of our work undone until Sunday morning, as the A/C repairman was tramping in and out of the buildings. Our church has had trouble with the units since we started attending there 5 years ago.
We will have to finish cleaning the Sunday school building early Sunday morning, which will work out.
Then, late yesterday afternoon, our A/C here at home went out.
Today will be 93F (36C).
Help.
Today is
Buy a Musical Instrument Day
International Day for Biological Diversity
Kallemooi, Holland (Fishermen of the North welcome spring)
Luilak, Holland (Lazy bones day, celebrated in the west)
National Holiday, Yemen
National Maritime Day
National Vanilla Pudding Day
National Wig Out Day
St. Julia's Day (patron of Corsica, Portugal)
St. Rita of Cascia's Day/La Abodada de Impossibles (patron of desperate cases; against bleeding, infertility, loneliness, tumors, unhappy marriages)
Sovereignty and Thanksgiving Day, Haiti
Toad-Pinching Day (Pixie) -- Fairy Calendar
Birthdays Today:
Apollo Anton Ohno, 1982
Ginnifer Goodwin, 1978
Morrissey, 1959
Paul Winfield, 1941
Richard Benjamin, 1938
Susan Strasberg, 1938
Peter Nero, 1934
Sir Laurence Olivier, 1907
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1859
Mary Cassatt, 1844
Richard Wagner, 1813
Today in History:
The Macedonian army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus, BC334
The Hash-shashin (Assassins) attempt to murder Saladin near Aleppo, 1176
Pope Gregory XI issues five papal bulls to denounce the doctrines of English theologian John Wycliffe, 1377
Richard, Duke of York, defeats and captures King Henry VI of England, 1455
A grand jury indicts former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr on a charge of treason, 1807
On the second and last day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling (near Vienna), Napoleon is repelled by an enemy army for the first time, 1809
The SS Savannah leaves port at Savannah, Georgia, United States, on a voyage to become the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean; the ship arrived at Liverpool, England on June 20, 1819
HMS Beagle departs on its first voyage, 1826
The transporting of British convicts to the New South Wales colony is abolished, 1840
Farmers Lester Howe and Henry Wetsel discover Howe Caverns, 1842
The Blackwall Tunnel under the River Thames is officially opened, 1897
The Wright brothers are granted U.S. patent number 821,393 for their "Flying-Machine", 1906
Lassen Peak erupts with a powerful force, and is the only mountain other than Mount St. Helens to erupt in the continental US during the 20th century, 1915
The most powerful earthquake ever documented, the Great Chilean Quake, measures 9.5 and strikes southern Chile, 1960
The nuclear-powered submarine the USS Scorpion sinks with 99 men aboard 400 miles southwest of the Azores, 1968
Ceylon adopts a new constitution, thus becoming a Republic, changes its name to Sri Lanka, and joins the Commonwealth of Nations, 1972
Namco releases the highly influential arcade game Pac-Man, 1980
Microsoft releases the Windows 3.0 operating system, 1990
Johnny Carson retires from The Tonight Show after 30 years, 1990
Work beckons.
The bathroom purge went well yesterday. I got rid of stuff from under the cabinets, including an expired pregnancy test purchased when one of Bigger Girl's friends had a scare a couple of years ago. It was the second of a double test pack, and turned out to be unneeded.
I remember the days when I needed the things. Now, I am glad to simply wait for grandkids. And as I tell my children, no grandkids until a minimum of 9 months and 10 minutes after the wedding, please. :)
Today is
American Red Cross Founder's Day
Anastenarides Feast, Greece (feast to St. Constantine and St. Helen)
Birthday of the Goddess of Midwifery, China
Birthday of Lord Buddha, Asia except Japan
I Need A Patch For That Day
International Virtual Assistants Day
National Bike to Work Day
National Defense Transportation Day
National Memo Day
National Strawberries and Cream Day
National Waiters and Waitresses Day
Navy Day, Chile
Rhubarb Festival, Intercourse, Pennsylvania -- come on out and enjoy the music, games, rhubarb-inspired foods, and lots of family fun, including the Rhubarb Race Car Derby and best pie contest!
St. Andrew Bobola's Day
St. Constantine's Day (patron of Greece)
St. Helen's Day (patroness of Greece)
Birthdays Today:
Sarah Ramos, 1991
Ashlie Brillault, 1987
Lisa Edelstein, 1966
Mr. T, 1952
Peggy Cass, 1924
Raymond Burr, 1917
Dennis Day, 1917
Harold Robbins, 1916
Fats Waller, 1904
Alexander Pope, 1688
Today in History:
Syracuse, Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily, 878
The island of Saint Helena is discovered by the Portuguese navigator João da Nova, 1502
The nobility elect John Sobieski King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1674
The Order of St. Alexander Nevsky is instituted in Russia by the empress Catherine I; it would later be discontinued and then reinstated by the Soviet government in 1942 as the Order of Alexander Nevsky, 1725
Mary Campbell is abducted from her home in Pennsylvania by Lenape during the French and Indian War, 1758
Slavery is abolished in Colombia, South America, 1851
Russia declares an end to the Russian-Circassian War and many Circassians are forced into exile, 1864
French troops invade the Paris Commune and engage its residents in street fighting, 1871
The American Red Cross is established by Clara Barton, 1881
The Manchester Ship Canal in England is officially opened by Queen Victoria, 1894
Charles Lindbergh touches down at Le Bourget Field in Paris, completing the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, 1927
Bad weather forces Amelia Earhart to land in a pasture in Derry, Northern Ireland, and she thereby becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, 1932
Oskaloosa, Iowa, becomes the first municipality in the United States to fingerprint all of its citizens, 1934
A Soviet station becomes the first scientific research settlement to operate on the drift ice of the Arctic Ocean, 1937
The National War Memorial in Canada is unveiled by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in Ottawa, 1939
Physicist Louis Slotin is fatally irradiated in a criticality incident during an experiment with the Demon core at Los Alamos National Laboratory, 1946
The opening of the Ninth Street Show, otherwise known as the 9th Street Art Exhibition – a gathering of a number of notable artists, and the stepping-out of the post war New York avant-garde, collectively know as the New York School, 1951
Michelangelo's Pietà in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is damaged by a vandal, 1972
Democratic Republic of Yemen and North Yemen agree to a unity, merging into Republic of Yemen, 1990
The Ethiopian Civil War ends, 1991
Suharto, Indonesian president of 32 years, resigns, 1998
The clipper Cutty Sark is badly damaged by fire in London, England, 2007
Three inches.
That's how much rain part of our town got in just 5 minutes yesterday.
Yes, that is correct. Five minutes. Three inches.
Traffic was a nightmare. I'm so glad my nightmare was the relatively easy coat closet clean out, not having to drive downtown where the streets were closed.
So, I didn't get lost in the closet. We now only have the coats we will use next year in there, along with the cat carrier and cat food. We have to close the food in the closet to keep the cats from helping themselves (they can open any container). I also have a small box of "need in a hurry" gifts with bags. That should cut down on the last minute scramble.
Yesterday the closet. Today, the bathrooms.
Today is
Be a Millionaire Day - now we all can go for that
Constitution Day, Cameroon
Eliza Doolittle Day
Lafayette Day, Massachusetts
Maritime Day
National Quiche Lorraine Day
Pick Strawberries Day
Weights and Measures Day
Birthdays Today:
Tony Stewart, 1971
Bronson Pinchot, 1959
David Paterson, 1954
Cher, 1946
Joe Cocker, 1944
Stan Mikita, 1940
Anthony Zerbe, 1936
George Gobel, 1919
Jimmy Stewart, 1908
William Fargo, 1818
John Stuart Mill, 1806
Honore de Balzac, 1799
Dolley Madison, 1768
Today in History:
The first Ecumenical Council in the Christian Church, the Council of Nicea, opens, 325
An earthquake kills about 300,000 people in Syria and Antiochia, 526
An earthquake strikes Kamakura Japan, 30,000 killed, 1293
John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship Matthew looking for a route to the west, 1497
Cartographer Abraham Ortelius issues the first modern atlas, 1570
Shakespeare's Sonnets are first published in London, 1609
Napoleon Bonaparte reinstates slavery in the French colonies, revoking its abolition in the French Revolution, 1802
Otto is named the first modern king of Greece, 1835
HMS Erebus and HMS Terror with 134 men under John Franklin sail from the River Thames in England, beginning a disastrous expedition to find the Northwest Passage in which all hands are lost, 1845
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act into law, 1862
Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets, 1873
The Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy is formed, 1882
Krakatoa begins to erupt (the volcano's final and most notable explosion will occur on August 26), 1883
The first public display of Thomas Edison's prototype kinetoscope, 1891
Cuba gains independence from the United States, 1902
The Saturday Evening Post publishes its first cover with a Norman Rockwell painting ("Boy with Baby Carriage"), 1916
Montreal, Quebec radio station XWA broadcasts the first regularly scheduled radio programming in North America, 1920
By the Treaty of Jedda, the United Kingdom recognizes the sovereignty of King Ibn Saud in the Kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd, which later merge to become the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1927
At 07:52 Charles Lindbergh takes off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, on the world's first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, 1927
Amelia Earhart takes off from Newfoundland to begin the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean by a female pilot, 1932
In a referendum in Quebec, the population rejects by a 60% vote the proposal from its government to move towards independence from Canada, 1980
First publications of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal Science by Luc Montagnier and Robert Gallo individually, 1983
The Chinese authorities declare martial law in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations, setting the scene for the Tiananmen Square massacre, 1989
In a second referendum in Quebec, the population rejects by a slight majority the proposal from its government to move towards independence from Canada, 1995
The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and 3 years of provisional UN administration (Portugal itself is the former colonizer of East Timor until 1976), 2002
To get all of the winter stuff that is lying around into the hall closet.
I'm going in, wish me luck. If you don't hear from me tomorrow, send in a rescue crew.
Today is
Boy's Club Day
Flag Day of the Army, Finland
Internation Chicken Flying Meet
Kirkland's Warbler Day
May Ray Day
National Devil's Food Cake Day
National Employee Health and Fitness Day
National Pike Festival
New England's Dark Day
Orphan Day, Spain
Shavuot -- Jewish, through the 20th
St. Dunstan's Day
St. Peter Celestine's Day
St. Pudentiana's Day (patron of Philippines)
Turn Beauty Inside Out Day
Youth and Sports Day, Turkey
Birthdays Today:
Rachel Appleton, 1992
Jordon Pruitt, 1991
Kevin Garnett, 1976
Kyle Eastwood, 1968
Grace Jones, 1952
Joey Ramone, 1951
Andre the Giant, 1946
Pete Townshend, 1945
Nora Ephron, 1941
James Fox, 1939
Malcolm X, 1925
Ho Chi Minh, 1890
Nancy Astor, 1879
Johns Hopkins, 1762
Today in History:
Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America, 1535
Anne Boleyn is beheaded, 1536
Queen Elizabeth I orders the arrest of Mary, Queen of Scots, 1568
French forces under the duc d'Enghien decisively defeat Spanish forces at the Battle of Rocroi, marking the symbolic end of Spain as a dominant land power, 1643
The Long Parliament declares England a Commonwealth, and England remains a republic for the next 11 years, 1649
King George II of Great Britain grants the Ohio Company a charter of land around the forks of the Ohio River, 1749
A combination of thick smoke and heavy cloud cover causes complete darkness to fall on Eastern Canada and the New England area of the United States at 10:30 A.M, 1780
Napoleon Bonaparte founds the Légion d'Honneur, 1802
Mexico ratifies the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo thus ending the Mexican-American War and ceding California, Nevada, Utah and parts of four other modern-day U.S. states to the United States for $15 million USD, 1848
Jan Matzeliger begins the first mechanized shoe production, 1885
Oscar Wilde is released from Reading Gaol, 1897
White women win the right to vote in South Africa, 1930
Churchill and Roosevelt set May 1, 1944 as their goal date for D-Day (it had to be delayed over a month because of weather), 1943
The Soviet Venera 1 becomes the first man-made object to fly-by another planet by passing Venus, 1961
Croatians vote for independence, 1991
Bigger Girl has her job set up for the summer. When we get back from the annual trek to Florida with the grandparents, she will be working with the research horses at the local university.
Granted she will probably just be shoveling horse manure from the stables, but she doesn't care. As long as she is working with horses, she will be happy doing anything.
She already plans to save up her money for a trip to Disney World without her siblings. She just may pull it off, too.
Today is
Apollon Day -- Ancient Roman Calendar (god of music, poetry, sunlight)
Black Watch Day
Flag Day, Haiti
International Museum Day
Iris Festival
Moonbeam Hopping Gala -- Fairy Calendar
National Cheese Souffle Day
National Tenant's Day
No Dirty Dishes Day
Rooster Day
St. Eric's Day (patron of Sweden)
St. Theodotus' Day
Visit Your Relatives Day
World Goodwill Day
Anniversaries Today:
Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine, 1152
Birthdays Today:
Tina Fey, 1970
Chow Yun-Fat, 1955
Rick Wakeman, 1954
George Strait, 1952
Reggie Jackson, 1946
Brooks Robinson, 1937
Dwayne Hickman, 1934
Robert Morse, 1931
Pernell Robers, 1930
Pope John Paul II, 1920
Margot Fonteyn, 1919
Perry Como, 1912
Frank Capra, 1897
Omar Khayyam, 1048
Today in History:
Crusaders massacre Jews of Worm, 1096
The Principality of Antioch, a crusader state, falls to the Mamluk Sultan Baibars in the Battle of Antioch, 1268
Vasco da Gama reaches the port of Calicut, India, 1498
Playwright Thomas Kyd's accusations of heresy (under torture) lead to an arrest warrant for Christopher Marlowe, 1593
John Winthrop takes the oath of office and becomes the first Governor of Massachusetts, 1631
Rhode Island passes North America's first anti-slavery law, 1652
Fire destroys a large part of Montreal, Quebec, 1765
The first United Empire Loyalists reach Parrtown, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada after leaving the United States, 1783
Napoleon Bonaparte is proclaimed Emperor of the French by the French Senate, 1804
The destruction of Saturdays forever after: Edwin Budding of England signs an agreement for manufacture of his invention, lawn mower, 1830
The Disruption in Edinburgh of the Free Church of Scotland from the Church of Scotland, 1843
The United States Supreme Court rules in Plessy v. Ferguson that separate but equal is constitutional, 1896
A mass panic on Khodynka Field in Moscow during the festivities of the coronation of Russian Tsar Nicholas II results in the deaths of 1,389 people, 1896
Bram Stoker's Dracula is published, 1897
The Earth passes through the tail of Comet Halley, 1910
Jackie Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier, 1953
Under project Smiling Buddha, India successfully detonates its first nuclear weapon, 1974
Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, United States, killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage, 1980
In France, a modified TGV train achieves a new rail world speed record of 515.3km/h (357.2 mph), 1990
How did it get to be Monday again?
I completely forgot that it was a different day, and that I didn't have a post pre-written.
I think I need a vacation, I'm losing what little is left of my mind.
Today is
Constitution Day, Norway
Dea Dia Festival -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of growth)
Discovery Day, Cayman Islands
Las Piedras Day, Uruguay
National Cherry Cobbler Day
National Playday for Health
Pack Rat Day
St. Robert Bellarmine's Day
Victoria Day, Canada
World Hypertension Day
World Information Society Day
World Telecommunications Day
Birthdays Today:
Tahj Mowry, 1987
Drew Roy, 1986
Andrea Corr, 1974
Jordan Knight, 1970
Enya, 1961
Sugar Ray Leonard, 1956
Bob Saget, 1956
Bill Paxton, 1955
Dennis Hopper, 1936
Maureen O'Sullivan, 1911
Edward Jenner, 1749
Today in History:
Italian Jesuit Niccolo Zucchi becomes the first to see 2 belts on Jupiter's surface, 1630
Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve founds the Ville Marie de Montréal, 1642
Frontenac becomes governor of New France (Canada), 1672
England passes the Molasses Act, putting high tariffs on rum & molasses imported to the colonies from a country other than British possessions, 1733
The US Continental Congress bans trade with Canada, 1775
The New York Stock Exchange is founded, 1792
John Hawkins & Richard French patent the Reaping Machine, 1803
Napoleon I of France orders the annexation of the Papal States to the French Empire, 1809
Occupation of Monaco changes from French to Austrian, 1814
Antoine Joseph Sax patents the saxophone, 1846
Aristides wins the first Kentucky Derby, 1875
Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais discovers the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer, 1902
The Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers play in the first-ever televised sporting event, a collegiate baseball game in New York City, 1939
The United States Supreme Court hands down a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, 1954
Soviet Venera 6 begins its descent into the atmosphere of Venus, sending back atmospheric data before being crushed by pressure, 1969
Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path attacks a polling location in the town of Chuschi, Ayacucho, starting the Internal conflict in Peru, 1980
After 18 years as the mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac takes office as President of France, 1995
No, we haven't had as much rain as the victims of the flooding in Tennessee. Yes, it could be worse. The problem I have is that rain is depressing and scary. It reminds me of days and nights spent bailing out this house over the years. It reminds me that this place will have to be torn down because of all the damage rain has done over the years. It reminds me that we will lose all that we have had to put into it eventually.
Rain is a downer for me, and I have had enough of it.
Today is
Biographer's Day
Love a Tree Day
NASCAR Day
National Sea Monkey Day
St. Brendan's Voyage Day (St. Brendan the Voyager, patron of sailors and Ireland)
St. Honoratus' Day
St. John of Nepomuk's Day (patron of bridges, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia)
Wear Purple for Peace Day
Anniversaries Today:
Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France, marries Marie Antoinette, 1770
Edgar Allen Poe marries his cousin Virginia Clemm, 1836
Birthdays Today:
Megan Fox, 1986
Jim Sturgess, 1981
Tori Spelling, 1973
David Boreanaz, 1971
Gabriela Sabatini, 1970
Tracey Gold, 1969
Janet Jackson, 1966
Olga Korbut, 1955
Debra Winger, 1955
Pierce Brosnan, 1953
Bob Edwards, 1947
Liberace, 1919
Woody Herman, 1913
Henry Fonda, 1905
William Seward, 1801
Today in History:
The Florentines drive out the Medici for a second time and Florence is re-established as a republic, 1527
Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England, 1532
Samuel Johnson meets his future biographer, James Boswell, in London, 1763
Denmark abolishes slave trade, 1792
The first major wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest sets out on the Oregon Trail, 1843
Charles Elmer Hires invents root beer, 1866
A naval Curtiss aircraft NC-4 commanded by Albert Cushing Read leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, for Lisbon via the Azores on the first transatlantic flight, 1919
Pope Benedict XV canonizes Joan of Arc, 1920
Chaim Weizmann is elected the first President of Israel, 1948
The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Heathrow Airport in London, operated by El Al Israel Airlines, 1951
Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser, at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California, 1960
China's Cultural Revolution begins, 1966
India annexes Sikkim after the mountain state holds a referendum in which the popular vote is in favour of merging with India, 1975
Junko Tabei becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, 1975
Kuwait permits women's suffrage in a 35-23 National Assembly vote, 2005
Yesterday, when changing Little Girl's bandages, I realized the area around her pins is looking the tiniest bit red, and she is cringing more when I clean it. That is the early sign of infection I didn't want to see.
I called the doctor's office, and his nurse called him, and he called in a prescription. End of story, right?
Well, not in my house, of course. Sweetie went to get the script, and when I read it I realized he had prescribed a cephalosporin. She and Sweetie are both allergic to those.
Of course, by this time, the doctor's office is closed for the weekend, and they have a strict policy of not calling in prescriptions outside of office hours.
I called anyway, and begged the lady at the doctor's exchange to get me in touch with the doctor on call anyway. She did, and when he heard the situation, he made an exception and called in a form of penicillin instead.
So, a second trip to the pharmacy, and we are good to go. She is complaining because the pills are so huge, and she has to have 3 a day, but I'd rather that than the alternative of a raging infection.
As for the script we couldn't use, they have a program here in town that uses them. It has already been donated to that, and someone who can't afford the med will get treated.
Today is
Armed Forces Day
Cold Sophie's Day (5th Ice Saint)
Do Dah Day, Birmingham, Alabama
Feast of Maia and Mercury -- Ancient Roman Calendar
Feast of St. John Baptiste de la Salle
International Day of Families
National Chocolate Chip Day
National Pizza Party Day
National Safety Dose Day
Never Turn Your Back on the Ocean Day
Nylon Stockings Day
Police Officer/Peace Officer Memorial Day
Preakness Stakes
St. Dympna's Day (patron of the insane, asylums, mental health workers; against epilepsy, insanity, sleepwalking)
St. Hallvard's Day (patron of Oslo; defending innocence)
St. Isidore's Day (patron of farmers, farm workers, ranchers, Madrid)
Straw Hat Day
Anniversaries Today:
Mary, Queen of Scots, marries James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, 1567
Birthdays Today:
Jamie-Lynn Sigler, 1981
David Krumholtz, 1978
David Charvet, 1972
Emmit Smith, 1969
George Brett, 1953
Madeleine Albright, 1937
Trini Lopez, 1937
Anna Maria Alberghetti, 1936
Jasper Johns, 1930
Eddy Arnold, 1918
James Mason, 1909
Joseph Cotten, 1905
Abraham Zapruder, 1905
Katherine Anne Porter, 1890
Pierre Curie, 1859
L. Frank Baum, 1856
Today in History:
Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, is sentenced to death, 1536
Bartholomew Gosnold becomes the first European to see Cape Cod, 1602
Johannes Kepler confirms his discovery of the third law of planetary motion, 1618
James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world's first machine gun, 1718
The Seven Years' War begins when Great Britain declares war on France, 1756
Diego Marín Aguilera flies a glider for "about 360 meters", at a height of 5-6 meters, during one of the first attempted flights, 1793
George III survives two assassination attempts in one day, 1800
Opening of the first private mental health hospital in the United States, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason (now Friends Hospital) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1817
Francis Baily observes "Baily's beads" during an annular eclipse, 1836
Rama IV is crowned King of Thailand (The King and I), 1851
Opening of the present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, 1858
Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman's Suffrage Association, 1869
Las Vegas, Nevada, is founded, 1905
The United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be broken up, 1911
The Winnipeg General Strike begins; by 11:00 a.m., almost the whole working population of Winnipeg, Manitoba had walked off the job, 1919
In an attempted coup d'état, the Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi is killed, 1932
The Moscow Metro is opened to public, 1935
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3, 1958
President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington the first female United States Army Generals, 1970
Edith Cresson becomes France's first female prime minister, 1991
And in other news, all 10 foster kittens now have ringworm. Just when I think we have it under control, they break out in new spots.
On the radio today, there was a discussion about funny things that kids say. A teacher named Ruth was telling about how she is overweight, and one of her students asked if she was pregnant. She is single and not expecting, and the question got her thinking about whether she is exercising, eating right, and being a good role model for the children she is with every day.
She has since then lost about 30 pounds, and yesterday a little girl walked up to her, gently poked her stomach and said, "Miss Ruth, you are almost skinny!" She smiled and told the child, "Thank you, that was almost a compliment!"
My similar moment came years ago, and I laugh about it with my kids often. We were on vacation with my parents, and I had chosen to have a dessert one night while we were out. #2 Son, who was 7 at the time, came out with, "Mom, you shouldn't eat that, your gonna get fat!" My sweet Little Girl, then only 5, immediately came to my defense with, "My mommy's not fat, she's just old!"
Today is
Crazy Day
Dance Like a Chicken Day
Help Clean Up Your Street Day
Independence Day, Paraguay
Kamuzu Day, Malawi
National Buttermilk Biscuit Day
Stars and Stripes Forever Day
St. Bonifatius' Day (4th Ice Saint)
St. Matthias' Day (patron against alcoholism)
Underground America Day
Birthdays Today:
Miranda Cosgrove, 1993
Dan Auerbach, 1979
Martine McCutdcheon, 1976
Cate Blanchett, 1969
Danny Wood, 1969
Jose Da Silveira, 1965
Tim Roth, 1961
David Byrne, 1952
Robert Zemechis, 1951
George Lucas, 1944
Jack Bruce, 1943
Bobby Darin, 1936
Laszlo Kovacs, 1933
Otto Klemperer, 1885
Thomas Gainsborough, 1727
Today in History:
Jamestown, Virginia is settled as an English colony, 1607
Edward Jenner administers the first smallpox vaccination, 1796
The Lewis and Clark expedition sets out, 1804
Paraguay gains independence from Spain, 1811
The first edition of the London Illustrated Times is published, 1842
Gail Borden patents her process for condensed milk, 1853
Vaseline, the first petroleum jelly, is marketed, 1878
Lina Medina becomes the world's youngest confirmed mother in medical history at the age of five, 1939
Israel is declared to be an independent state and a provisional government is established; immediately after the declaration, Israel is attacked by the neighboring Arab states, triggering the 1948
Arab-Israeli War, 1948
Kuwait joins the United Nations, 1963
Skylab, the United States' first space station, is launched, 1973
"You!?!"
Little Girl was incredulous and flabbergasted.
"You are going to be changing the bandages over my pins?" Five days post surgery we are at the doctor's office to get the bandage changed and for me to see how it is done.
"Well, who do you think will do it? Do you want to come back to the doctor's office every day for this instead?"
"No, but YOU?"
"It's not that hard. What, you think I can't? Who do you think changed A's bandages after he had surgery for the dog attack? His mom had a hard time with it, and he cried and begged her to get me, so I went over there a couple of times a day and changed his bandages until he got comfortable with her doing it. This is not going to be anywhere near as bad as the severe damage he had. I can change bandages, kid."
Our kids sometimes have so little faith in us. I wonder why.
She seems to be healing nicely, and no signs of infection around the pin site.
Today is
Ascension of Christ -- Christian
Druid Day
Fairy King and Queen Jumping Competition -- Fairy Calendar
Frog Jumping Jubilee Day (Calaveras County -- through the 16th)
Leprechaun Day
National Apple Pie Day
Root Canal Appreciation Day (No! I draw the line here!)
St. Servatus' Day (3rd Ice Saint, patron against rats, vermin, foot troubles)
Birthday Today:
Debby Ryan, 1993
Robert Pattinson, 1986
Samantha Morton, 1977
Darius Rucker, 1966
Stephen Colbert, 1964
Dennis Rodman, 1961
Stevie Wonder, 1950
Ritchie Valens, 1941
Harvey Keitel, 1939
Beatrice Arthur, 1923
Joe Louis, 1914
Arthur Sullivan, 1842
Maria Theresa, 1717
Today in History:
The forces of Mary, Queen of Scots, are defeated by a confederacy of Scottish Protestants under James Stewart, Earl of Moray, her half-brother, 1568
A major earthquake in Santiago, Chile, kills 1/3 of the population, 1643
Captain Arthur Phillip leaves Portsmouth, England with eleven ships full of convicts (First Fleet) to establish a penal colony in Australia, 1787
Ecuador gains its independence from Gran Colombia, 1830
The first performance of Finland's national anthem, 1848
Queen Victoria declares Britain neutral in the US Civil War, 1861
The Great Comet of 1861 is discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales, Australia, 1861
Thomas Edison performs the first test of his electric railway, 1880
The Royal Flying Corps (now the Royal Air Force) is established in the United Kingdom, 1912
Igor Sikorsky becomes the first man to pilot a four-engine aircraft, 1913
The first commercial FM radio station in the United States (WDRC-FM) is launched in Bloomfield, Connecticut, 1939
Winston Churchill makes his "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" speech to the House of Commons, 1940
The trade mark Velcro is registered, 1958
The Free Speech Movement is born at UC Berkeley, 1960
Dr. Zakir Hussain becomes the third President of India and the first Muslim President of Indian Union, 1967
Large groups of students occupy Tiananmen Square and begin a hunger strike, 1989
"Mom, for a minute there I thought Tailless was lost. Then I realized I accidentally put her in the dirty clothes bin. She was hiding in a towel I threw in."
Never a dull moment when the kittens hide in the dirty clothes piles. I've had them squeak at me when I picked up clothes to take downstairs. Nothing like laundry piles that squeak at you.
Bud continues to be an ear sucker. #2 Son has trained him to come to his name and just generally spoiled him. Forrest wants to be held all of the time. She will make a great lap cat for someone who is home a lot and can sit and pet her.
The adult cats are in sneak attack mode, trying to scarf kitten chow every time they can get away with it. Hope, the sausage on legs, is especially bad about it.
Pets are not quite reliably potty trained 2 year olds sometimes.
Today is
Donate a Day's Wages to Charity Day
Fatigue Syndrome Day
Garland Day
International Nurses Day
Limerick Day
National Hospital Day
National Mushroom Festival
National Nutty Fudge Day
National Night Shift Workers Day
National Receptionist Day
National Windmill Day
Nonsense Day
Olde May Day
School Nurses Day
St. Francis Patrizi's Day (patron of reconciliations)
St. Nereus and Achilleus' Day
St. Pancras' Day (2nd Ice Saint; patron of children, oaths, treaties)
St. Tammany's Day (patron of democracy)
Woodmen Ranger's Day
Anniversaries Today:
Richard I (Lionheart) of England marries Berengaria of Navarre, 1191
Jagiellonian University is fouded in Krakow, Poland (oldest in Poland), 1364
National University of San Marcos is founded in Lima, Peru (oldest in the Americas), 1551
Maria Theresa of Austria is crowned King of Bohemia, 1743
Coronation of George VI, 1937
Birthdays Today:
Jason Biggs, 1978
Kim Fields, 1969
Tony Hawk, 1968
Stephen Baldwin, 1966
Emilio Estevez, 1962
Ving Rhames, 1961
Steve Winwood, 1948
George Carlin, 1937
Tom Snyder, 1936
Burt Bacharach, 1929
Yogi Berra, 1925
Mary Kay Ash, 1918
Katharine Hepburn, 1907
Florence Nightingale, 1820
Today in History:
Antipope Nicholas V, a claimant to the papacy, is consecrated in Rome, 1328
Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief of to the Rathore clan, founds Jodhpur, India, 1459
Philip Lenzi places the first ice cream advertisement, in the NY Gazette, 1777
Society of St Tammany is formed by Revolutionary War soldiers; it later becomes an infamous group of NYC political bosses, 1789
The Manitoba Act is given the Royal Assent, paving the way for Manitoba to become a province of Canada on July 15, 1870
Tunisia becomes a French protectorate, 1881
In the North-West Rebellion, the four-day Battle of Batoche, pitting rebel Métis against the Canadian government, comes to an end with a decisive rebel defeat, 1885
Ten weeks after his abduction, the infant son of Charles Lindbergh is found dead in Hopewell, New Jersey, 1932
Konrad Zuse presents the Z3, the world's first working programmable, fully automatic computer, in Berlin, 1941
West Germany and Israel establish diplomatic relations, 1965
The cat rescue shelter needs a substitute again this morning. I've bribed #2 Son with breakfast out to get him to come along -- he is just not a morning person.
They think the ringworm is clear up there except for Princess. Around here, the kittens are pulling the usual "just when you think it has cleared up, they break out in another spot" trick.
Forrest is still sneezing, so I will also call this morning for an appointment.
Today is
Eat What You Want Day (Only two days after No Diet Day? What's the big idea, putting all the cheat days together?)
Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
International Strange Music Day
National Mocha Torte Day
St. Gengulf's Day (patron against unhappy marriages)
St. Mamertus' Day (first of the Ice Saints)
St. Philip's Day
Twilight Zone Day
Anniversaries Today:
Minnesota becomes the 32nd US state, 1858
Birthdays Today:
Corey Monteith, 1982
Natasha Richardson, 1963
Mort Sahl, 1927
Foster Brooks, 1912
Phil Silvers, 1911
Salvador Dali, 1904
Martha Graham, 1894
Irving Berlin, 1888
Today in History:
Constantinople becomes the capital of the Roman Empire and is also called Nova Roma and Byzantium, 330
Peter Stuyvesant arrives in New Amsterdam, 1647
Captain Robert Gray becomes the first documented European to sail into the Columbia River, 1792
The waltz is introduced into English ballrooms, and becomes popular in spite of being called "riotous and indecent," 1812
William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth lead an expedition westwards from Sydney, opening the interior of Australia for settlement, 1813
Indian rebels seize Delhi from the British, 1857
Luxembourg gains its independence, 1867
U.S. Congress establishes Glacier National Park in Montana, 1910
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded, 1927
Siam officially changes its name to Thailand for the second time, 1949
The first contraceptive pill is made available on the market, 1960
In New York City, more than 170 countries decide to extend the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty indefinitely and without conditions, 1995
Eight people die on Mount Everest during summit attempts, 1996
IBM Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format, 1997
Things continue as usual around here.
Little Girl goes in to get her bandages changed today.
The kittens are all pretty well weaned to drinking from a bowl and eating dry food.
The ringworm seems to be clearing up.
My mother was happy with her gifts yesterday.
No rain in the forecast, and the temperatures are very moderate, especially in the mornings, so I can walk outside if I do it early.
Five days to file brother-in-law's state taxes.
Just the usual.
Today is
Clean up Your Room Day
Golden Spike Day
Human Kindness Day
Lupus Awareness Day
National Shrimp Day
National Tourist Appreciation Day
St. Cathal's Day (patron against drought, storms, and hernias)
St. Isidore's Day
St. Job's Day (patron against depression and ulcers)
Trust Your Intuition Day
Windmill Day
Birthdays Today:
Kenan Thompson, 1978
Amanda Borden, 1977
Paul "Bono" Hewson, 1960
Phil and Steve Mahre, 1957
Donovan, 1946
Judith Jamison, 1943
Gary Owens, 1936
Pat Summerall, 1930
Nancy Walker, 1922
David O. Selznick, 1902
Fred Astaire, 1899
Max Steiner, 1888
Emperor Fushimi of Japan, 1265
Emperor Claudius, 213
Today in History:
Vienna's church orders all Jews to wear a distinctive garb, 1267
Scottish nobles recognize authority of English king Edward I, 1291
Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves on a voyage to the New World, 1497
Christopher Columbus "discovers" the Cayman Islands, 1503
Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland, 1534
Scottish Protestants under John Knox uprise against queen-mother Mary, 1559
Benjamin Franklin first tests the lightning rod, 1752
New York City banks fail, and unemployment reaches record levels, 1837
In India, the first war of Independence begins, 1857
The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah (not Promontory Point, Utah) with the golden spike, 1869
Romania declares itself independent from Turkey, 1877
The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Nix v. Hedden that a tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit, under the Tariff Act of 1883, 1893
The first Mother's Day is observed, 1893
J. Edgar Hoover is appointed Director of the FBI, 1924
First successful launch of a V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground, 1946
Bill Haley & His Comets release "Rock Around the Clock", the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts, 1954
The nuclear submarine USS Triton completes Operation Sandblast, the first underwater circumnavigation of the earth, 1960
The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing, 1979
François Mitterrand becomes the first Socialist President of France in the French 5th republic, 1981
Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president, 1994
The gray skies didn't bode well, and indeed it was drizzling when I left the house to go to the store. I only needed bananas and another fruit, whatever was cheap, to round out what I had packed to eat while out on my runs. It takes too much time to stop and eat when you are out and time is of the essence.
They had asked me to be there at 8AM, and I decided to aim to be there at 7:30. I actually pulled in to the lot at 7:23, and I'm glad I did because the joint was already jumping. Several drivers who had been able to make it the day before were there already and on the list. Suzie was even loading up. I signed in and watched her work.
Suzie has been delivering flowers for years. She knows every trick and is happy to share her tips. Old newspaper in invaluable for taking up space so that items don't shift. Make sure you have a clipboard. Don't forget your map, reading glasses, and even binoculars for those roadways where the signs are so far across the intersection you can't see them or house numbers too small to read from the street. A flashlight if you are going to deliver all day and into the night.
She reminded me to load from the back of my list to the front, so I wouldn't have to pull arrangements over each other, because then they can break. "Grab your door tags, keep Rick's number handy so you can call if you need to, and call the people while on the way to that delivery so they can be expecting you. Always go to the back door first, especially if there are cobwebs on the front door. Don't pull into the driveway unless you aren't allowed to park on the street, or if you will have to go back out the way you came in." Suzie is my kind of lady, smart and a go getter. Never lets the grass grow under her feet. Makes sure she does the job right.
Even though there were a couple of people ahead of me, and I passed a few minutes talking to them, I got to go out very quickly because I was in a minivan. That meant I could take the longer runs that were coming out of the workroom. It was 8:06 when I pulled out of the parking lot to do the first 14 deliveries of my morning.
The first thing I noticed was that the directions were not much improved, in spite of their new computer with a big screen tv attached as a monitor. The program has changed, and one of the changes is that they start your directions at your first destination, leaving you to figure out how to get to the first delivery yourself. I asked about that street location, and found out it was across from a park I am familiar with. That made it easy.
What makes it not at all easy is the timing of the traffic lights in this town. There are intersections where you sit for almost 4 minutes by the clock so that just a very few cars can go by. You are almost ready to sacrifice your firstborn to get the light to change. Almost. Remember, I have teens, so I can say that. Teens are the reason some animals in the wild eat their young.
There was a slightly rocky start when I heard the sound of clinking after my first turn onto a major street. I stopped to rescue a couple of vases that had tipped slightly, and reset my boxes to keep it from happening again. Some drivers don't care if the flowers are damaged when they get there, but I'm not one of them. These people pay a pretty penny for the goods and deserve to get what they pay for.
After that, the first set went so smoothly I was in shock. Only at one place did I have to track down a neighbor to take the delivery. At the two other places where no one was home, the instructions were to leave them on the back porch anyway. All of the streets were, if not totally familiar, at least off of cross streets I knew. Some were streets I have friends on, or where friends used to live. It took almost 3 1/2 hours, mostly due to traffic and to having to track down 2 gravesites so I could put the flowers by headstones. When I got back, I jokingly asked if next time I have to go traipsing all over the cemetery I could get hazard pay.
About halfway through the first set, I remembered one of the most important rules: Go to the can before you head out. By the time I was done, I was so glad for a strong bladder. I didn't make the same mistake twice.
I got back from the first run and signed back in, turned in my delivery sheets, used the facilities and refilled my water bottle in the breakroom. By that time, they had another run of 14 ready for me, same general area as the first.
To my shock, the second set went even faster than the first. Again, everyone was home, or had left instructions to leave it on the back porch, or had a neighbor handy. The run was in a nice tight circle of the same areas where I was familiar with the major streets. I was back at the barn in just over two hours, again batting 1000.
When I started the morning, I wasn't sure if I wanted to do more than one morning and one early afternoon run. By the time I finished the second run, I knew I had at least one more in me. They had 6 more to the same general area! In fact, two of the deliveries this time were to next door neighbors of the people I had delivered to earlier. I was really getting to know those streets. On the one delivery where their instructions put me on the wrong side of the subdivision, I was able to figure out for myself where I should have gone in, and find the place anyway.
This time, I passed a gas station with a good price per gallon, and stopped there, too. Even with that, I was only out just over an hour and a half, and all deliveries were done.
Back at the barn, they asked if I could possibly do a run of 3. One of them was to a laundromat that has an address on one street, but faces another. Someone else hadn't been able to find it earlier. I know the laundromat. The other two were on streets I know, including across from one of the kid's favorite field trip spots. I was within spitting distance of my own house. I said that, sure, I could do that for them.
Again, 3 for 3. Back to turn in my sheet, and it was 5:30PM. That means 37 deliveries, no returns. Amazing.
This job can be fun. You get to see people smile. You get to see their dogs come running when you get to the door. You figure out parts of town you didn't know about, or learn more about the places you have just driven past before.
And my family only called 3 times while I was out!
Today is
Astronomy Day
Europe Day
Lemuria -- Ancient Roman Calendar (to get rid of the spirits of the malevolent dead)
Lost Sock Memorial Day
Mother's Day
Mothers At The Wall Day
National Bike to Work Day
National Butterscotch Brownie Day
National Holiday, Czech Republic
National Train Day
Rogation Sunday/Chrouchmas Sunday
Rural Life Sunday
Victory Day, Russia
Birthdays Today:
Rosario Dawson, 1979
Steve Yzerman, 1965
Tony Gwynn, 1960
Billy Joel, 1949
Candice Bergen, 1946
James L. Brooks, 1940
Albert Finney, 1936
Glenda Jackson, 1936
Mike Wallace, 1918
Howard Carter, 1873
J.M. Barrie, 1860
John Brown, 1800
Today in History:
The first battle recorded with what is considered historic accuracy and detail, the Battle of Megiddo between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Kadesh, BC1457
Christopher Columbus leaves Spain for his 4th and final voyage, 1502
Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal England's Crown Jewels from the Tower of London, 1671
British inventor Joseph Bramah patents a beer-pump handle, 1785
The city of Reno, Nevada, is founded, 1868
The Vienna stock market crash (Der Krach) heralds the Long Depression, 1873
The first horse-drawn bus makes its début in the city of Mumbai, 1874
Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show opens in London, 1887
The first horseless carriage show in London opens, featuring 10 models, 1896
The lawn mower is patented, 1899
Australia opens its first parliament in London, 1901
The steam locomotive City of Truro becomes the first steam engine in Europe to exceed 100mph, 1904
The Australian Parliament first convenes in Canberra, 1927
Edgar Bergen and Charley McCarthy take to the airwaves, becoming an overnight radio sensation, 1937
Sam and Friends, with Jim Hensen and his muppets, debuts, 1955
Today should be interesting.
I get to be a delivery driver for a local florist.
I did this a couple of years ago for Valentine's Day, and it is interesting. It pays by the delivery, so it keeps you moving.
Today is
Birth Mother's Day
Birthday of Lord Buddha, Japan date
Dog-Prodding Day for Gremlins -- Fairy Calendar
International Migratory Bird Day
Iris Day
Letter Carriers Food Drive Day
Mother Ocean Day
National Babysitters Day
National Coconut Cream Pie Day
National Miniature Golf Day
National Train Day
No Socks Day
Stay Up All Night Day (And be bleary-eyed for your mom tomorrow?)
Stork Day, Denmark
St. Wiro's Day (patron of Holland)
V-E Day
World Red Cross Day / World Red Crescent Day
World Fair Trade Day
Birthdays Today:
Enrique Iglesias, 1975
Robert M. Hensel, 1969
Melissa Gilbert, 1964
Toni Tennille, 1943
Peter Benchley, 1940
Rick Nelson, 1940
Don Rickles, 1926
Robert Johnson, 1911
Bishop Fulton Sheen, 1895
Harry S Truman, 1884
Today in History:
Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River and names it Río de Espíritu Santo, 1541
Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, is tried and guillotined by the Reign of Terror, 1794
Future US president Zachary Taylor defeats a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande in the first major battle of the Mexican-American war, 1846
At Gilmore's Gardens in New York City, the first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opens, 1877
In Martinique, Mount Pelée erupts, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people, 1902
In Rheims, France, German forces agree to an unconditional surrender, ending the war in Europe, 1945
The rollercoaster Revolution, the first steel coaster with a vertical loop, opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain, 1976
Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler make the first ascent of Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen, 1978
The World Health Organization announces the eradication of smallpox, 1980
The new Canadian War Museum opens, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of V-E Day, 2005
"Hey, mom, guess what!"
"I'm afraid to ask, son."
"You should be. Anyway, Miles' dad took us to Burger King, and guess what I ate?"
"What?"
"Well, I went up to the counter and said I would have their triple deluxe Whopper, and they all laughed. They said, 'Kid, don't you know that is a one pound burger, you can't eat that!' and I said, 'Yes, I can,' and the lady said, 'Kid, if you can eat the whole burger, and the large fries and drink the whole 32oz. drink that comes with it, I will take your picture and put it up on the wall!' "
Side note: This kid is about 5'6" and weighs all of 110lbs. He looks like a stick.
"So, what happened?"
"I did it!" His grin was huge. "She took my picture with her camera phone, and tomorrow we need to go over there and see my picture!"
"How can you eat that much, son?"
"Oh, that's nothing. When we go to Grandma and Grandpa's for the weekend, my favorite time is my midnight snack time. I eat a toaster waffle, a pop tart, a toaster strudel, a corn dog, a pizza lunchable, a few chicken nuggets, some pizza rolls, a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream, and leftovers from whatever we had for dinner if we had steak or crawfish."
I stand in awe. No wonder there is never anything to eat around here no matter how often I go shopping.
Today is
Beaufort Wind Force Scale Day
Child Care Provider Day
Children's Mental Health Awareness Day
Experience the Awesome Stomach-Churning Wonder of a Thrill Ride Day
Feast of St. Nicola (Bari, Italy's patron of orphans and pirates)
Helston Furry Dance, Cornwall
Homespun History Day
International Tuba Day
Military Spouses Day
National Roast Leg of Lamb Day
National Tourism Day
No Pants Day
O. Henry World Championship Pun Off
Space Day
St. John of Beverly's Day
St. Nicola's Day
World Asthma Day
Anniversaries Today:
Founding of Univerzita Karlova in Prague, the first university in Central Europe, 1348
Birthdays Today:
Owen Hart, 1965
Tim Russert, 1950
Johnny Unitas, 1933
Teresa Brewer, 1931
Darren McGavin, 1922
Eva Peron, 1919
Gary Cooper, 1901
Gabby Hayes, 1885
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1840
Johannes Brahms, 1833
Robert Browning, 1812
Today in History:
The dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople collapses, 558
Joan of Arc leads the final charge in the Battle of Orleans, 1429
Louis XIV of France inaugurates The Palace of Versailles, 1664
The city of New Orleans is founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, 1718
Jews are expelled from Ukraine by Empress Catherine I of Russia, 1727
Chief Pontiac begins the "Conspiracy of Pontiac" by attacking British forces at Fort Detroit, 1763
The world premier of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, 1824
The independence of Greece is recognized by the Treaty of London, 1832
Georgen Eastman patents the "Kodak Box Camera," 1888
In Saint Petersburg, Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrates to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society his invention, the Popov lightning detector — a primitive radio receiver, 1895
German submarine SM U-20 sinks RMS Lusitania, 1915
England lowers age of women voters from 30 to 21, 1928
Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded with around 20 employees, 1946
Canadian Patrick Morrow became the first person to climb each of the Seven Summits, 1986
The tomb of Herod the Great is discovered, 2007
Little Girl had a wonderful reaction to the Versed yesterday. It is also called the "I don't give a care" drug for a reason. It sent her into giggling spasms. She kept trying to lift her head, and laughing, and talking about being a bobble head.
The nurse just laughed along, saying that teens on this stuff are the most fun. The day before, she had been with a patient who kept talking, saying things like, "Today is Tuesday," and just laughing like he had said the most wittily brilliant thing. She said everyone else just had to laugh listening to him.
If only all medical care could be that much fun.
Talking about teens, why is it that, as soon as I get the dishwasher started, one of mine shows up with half a dozen more dirty items? Why is it they do not need my attention during the commercials, but only during the time when the radio host is speaking? (The same goes for husbands, too, of course.) Why is it they can operate any techno gadget on the planet, but can't operate a refrigerator door to close it?
And a general shout to the universe why -- why is it I run out of kitten formula the day before my shift at the shelter, necessitating an extra trip up there?
Today is
Beverage Day
Eyvind Kelve, Norse Calendar (pagan martyr)
Joseph Brackett Day -- Shakers
National Crepe Suzette Day
National Day of Prayer
National Day of Reason
National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
National Tourist Appreciation Day
National Nurses Day
No Diet Day
No Homework Day (So you can have time off to be with mom, right?)
Shepherd's and Herdsman's Day, Bulgaria
Tin Hau Festival, Hong Kong (celebration of the goddess Mazu)
Anniversaries Today:
Princess Margaret marries Anthony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey (the first televised royal wedding), 1960
Birthdays Today:
George Clooney, 1961
Tom Bergeron, 1955
Tony Blair, 1953
Bob Seger, 1945
Willie Mays, 1931
Orson Welles, 1915
Stewart Granger, 1913
Rudolph Valentino, 1895
Gaston Leroux, 1868
Sigmund Freud, 1856
Robert E. Peary, 1856
Maximilian Robespierre, 1758
Today in History:
Spanish and German Imperial troops sack Rome, which many consider the end of the Renaissance, 1527
Mogol emperor Babur defeats the Afghans and Bengals, 1529
Henry VIII orders that English Bibles be placed in every church, 1536
Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles, 1682
The first African-American Masonic Lodge (African # 459) forms Prince Hall, Boston, 1787
John Deere produces the first steel plow, 1833
James Gordon Bennett, Sr. publishes the first issue of the New York Herald, 1835
Dr John Gorrie patents a "refrigeration machine", 1851
Linus Yale patents the Yale lock, 1851
Chief Crazy Horse of the Oglala Sioux surrenders to United States troops in Nebraska, 1877
The Eiffel Tower is officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition in Paris, 1889
George V becomes King of the United Kingdom upon the death of his father, Edward VII, 1910
The German zeppelin Hindenburg catches fire and is destroyed, 1937
John Steinbeck is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Grapes of Wrath, 1940
Bob Hope performs his first USO show, 1941
Roger Bannister becomes the first person to run the mile in under four minutes, 1954
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and French President François Mitterrand officiate at the opening of the Channel Tunnel, 1994
Chaiten Volcano erupts in Chile, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,500 people, 2008
The surgery went well.
Little Girl now has two pins holding the bone in the right place to heal straight.
Pain-wise, she is back to where she was when it first happened, but once the surgical pain passes, it should feel much better.
I expect her to sleep most of the day, which is what she needs.
Today is
Bevrijdingsday (Liberation Day), Netherlands
Bonza Bottler Day
Cartoonists Day
Childhood Stroke Awareness Day
Cinco de Mayo
Fairy Ring Day -- Fairy Calendar
Great American Grump Out
International Midwives Day
Kodomo-no-hi, Japan (Children's Day)
National Chocolate Custard Day
National Hoagie Day
Occupational Safety and Health Professional's Day
Oyster Day
St. Judith's Day (patron of Prussia)
Totally Chipotle Day
World Environment Day
Birthdays Today:
Danielle Fishel, 1981
Tina Yothers, 1973
Brian Williams, 1959
Tammy Wynette, 1942
Pat Carroll, 1927
Ann B. Davis, 1926
Alice Faye, 1915
Tyrone Power, 1913
James Beard, 1903
Nelly Bly, 1864
John Batterson Stetson, 1830
Karl Marx, 1818
Soren Kierkegaard, 1813
Today in History:
Rebel barons begin a chain of events that leads to King John of England's eventual signing of the Magna Carta, 1215
Kublai Khan becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire, 1260
Jews are expelled from Speyer Germany, 1430
In France, the Estates-General convenes for the first time since 1614, 1789
Citizenship is denied to Jews of Canton of Aargau Switzerland, 1809
Mary Kies becomes the first woman issued a US patent, for a method of weaving, 1809
The American Bible Society organizes in NY, 1816
Emperor Napoleon I dies in exile on the island of Saint Helena, 1821
In Belgium, the first railway in continental Europe opens between Brussels and Mechelen, 1835
The American Medical Association forms in Philadelphia, 1847
Cinco de Mayo in Mexico: troops led by Ignacio Zaragoza halt a French invasion in the Battle of Puebla, 1862
The first train robbery in the US occurs in North Bend, Ohio, 1865
Sitting Bull leads his band of Lakota into Canada to avoid harassment by the United States Army, 1877
The Music Hall in New York City (later known as Carnegie Hall) has its grand opening and first public performance, with Tchaikovsky as the guest conductor, 1891
Cy Young pitches the first perfect game in modern baseball history, 1904
Coco Chanel introduces Chanel No. 5, 1921
John T. Scopes is arrested for teaching evolution in violation of Tennessee's Butler Act, 1925
West Germany gains full sovereignty, 1955
Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel into outer space, 1961
It's a good thing that I went to the doctor for my leg yesterday.
He said that I didn't crack any of those bones, and that the swelling will get worse over the next few weeks before it gets better. He also assured me that the blood clot is not the type that can break off and head to the heart or lung, the pain will subside, it will heal on its own in about 6 weeks, I am past the point where he is worried about the wound getting infected, and I am up to date on my tetanus shot.
This means I don't have to worry about me when Little Girl has surgery tomorrow to pin her broken arm.
It will be an outpatient procedure, and the removal is in office, so only one trip to the surgical center.
Another good thing -- no rain in the forecast for tomorrow. These things always seem so much worse in the rain.
Today is
Bird Day
Bona Dea -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of women's mysteries)
Dodenherdenking, Netherlands (Remembrance of those in the armed forces who have died in war or peacekeeping missions.)
Lobster Race & Oyster Festival
Memorial Day, Curacao
Midori no hi, Japan (Greenery Day)
Movie Day
National Candied Orange Peel Day
National Teachers Day (Tuesday of the first full week of May)
Relationship Renewal Day
Respect for Chickens Day
St. Florian's Day (patron of Poland, upper Austria, brewers, chimney sweeps, firefighters)
St. Gotthard's Day
Star Wars Day
Youth Day, China
Birthdays Today:
Randy Travis, 1959
Pia Zadora, 1956
George F. Will, 1941
Audrey Hepburn, 1929
Heloise Bowles Cruse, 1919
Bartolomeo Cristofori, 1655
Today in History:
Religious reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus are condemned as heretics at the Council of Constance, 1415
Peter Minuit becomes director-general of New Netherlands, 1626
A French manufacturer debuts the first folding umbrella, 1715
Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III, 1776
Napoleon arrives at Portoferraio on the island of Elba to begin his exile, 1814
The Haymarket Square Riot takes place in Chicago, 1886
The United States begins construction of the Panama Canal, 1904
The Royal Canadian Navy is created, 1910
May Fourth Movement: Student demonstrations take place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, protesting the Treaty of Versailles, 1919
Al Capone begins serving an eleven-year prison sentence for tax evasion, 1932
Ernest Hemingway is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea, 1953
An all-female Japanese team reaches the summit of Manaslu, becoming the first women to climb an 8,000-meter peak, 1974
Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1979
Another day, another blank brain.
My leg is hurting enough now that I will probably see the doctor myself today. This is what I get for falling off a ladder and not bothering to do anything until over two weeks later.
I also need to get my mom something for Mother's Day this weekend. We will make the usual pilgrimage to the homestead, then we will rush back home so Bigger Girl will be able to work and I will cook a big dinner for Brother-In-Law.
Ever feel like you are on a treadmill?
Today is
Accountant's Day
Be Kind To Your Student Counselor Day
Bent Wand-Straightening Day -- Fairy Calendar
Dia de la Cruz, Latin America
Garden Meditation Day
Keep Kids Alive! Drive 25 Day (20-25mph in school zones, please)
Lumpy Rug Day
May Day Bank Holiday, UK
Melanoma Monday
National Raspberry Popover Day
National Two Different Colored Shoes Day (Be careful with this one.)
Paranormal Day (I have enough trouble with normal, thank you.)
School Principal's Day
Semi-Pro Baseball Day
St. James the Lesser's Day (patron of the dying, hatters, Uruguay)
St. Phillip's Day (patron of Luxembourg, Uruguay)
World Press Freedom Day
Birthdays Today:
Christopher Cross, 1951
Mary Hopkin, 1950
Doug Henning, 1947
Frankie Valli, 1937
James Brown, 1933
Sugar Ray Robinson, 1921
Pete Seeger, 1919
Bing Crosby, 1903
Golda Meir, 1898
Niccolo Machiavelli, 1469
Today in History:
Christopher Columbus first sights Jamaica (Santiago), 1494
Francis Bacon is charged with bribery, 1621
A royal charter is granted for Connecticut, 1662
The last total solar eclipse to be observed from London for the next 900
years occurs as predicted by Edmund Halley; called Halley's eclipse as he predicted it to within 4 minutes accuracy and described its path to within 30km, 1715
The Constitution of May 3 (the first modern constitution in Europe) is proclaimed by the Sejm of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1791
Washington, D.C., is incorporated as a city, 1802
The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway is opened. It is the first steam hauled passenger railway to issue season tickets and include a tunnel, 1830
The Hudson's Bay Company gives up all claims to Vancouver Island, 1867
The Great Fire of 1901 in Jacksonville, Florida, destroys 1,700 buildings, 1901
Raja Harishchandra the first full-length Indian feature film is released, marking the beginning of the Indian film industry, 1913
Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind is awarded the Pulitzer Prize, 1937
The Anne Frank House opens in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1960
The first "spam" email is sent by a Digital Equipment Corporation marketing representative to every ARPANET address on the west coast of the United States, 1978
The strongest tornado ever recorded, one of 66 tornadoes recorded that day, with winds of up to 313mph, strikes Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1999
The sport of geocaching begins, with the first cache placed and the coordinates from a GPS posted on Usenet, 2000
New Hampshire's famous Old Man of the Mountain collapses, 2003
