He Calls This Fun

"Mom, I'm going to spend the night at Joe's." #2 Son breezed into the kitchen at a near trot and tried to pop back out toward his room almost as fast. Tried.

Joe, who lives out in French Settlement? i asked.

"Yep, right in the swamp. We're heading out there tonight."

Into the swamp at night? Why?

"Oh, the people who have a tv show about the swamps in Louisiana are from French Settlement. They know us, and they want us to come out with them tonight to help catch some reptiles for the show."

Son, you want to go spend the night crawling through the swamp catching reptiles?

"Yeah, isn't it cool? I'll make sure I shower there at Joe's house, too."

What are you looking for?

"Gators tonight mostly. Sometimes it's snakes, but tonight, it's gators."

You've done this before?

"Yeah, they know me, and they know I know what I'm doing."

Son, do they realize you are under 18?

"Well, yeah, of course they do. It's kind of obvious."

Shouldn't they ask your parent's permission?

"Nah, they know you're cool with it. And I don't get to be on the show or anything, I just spend the night out in the swamp with them and help them catch the gators."

He scooted into his room and out of his door before i could recover from the news.

Someday, after the raising of this one is over, and he has survived, i'm going to go ahead and have that nervous breakdown. It's something i think i've earned.


Today is

Aberdeen International Youth Festival -- Aberdeen, Scotland (talented youth from all areas of the performing arts gather from around the world, through Aug. 6)

Barbie-in-a-blender Day (I get why we do it to Barbie, but what did your blender do to deserve this? originally thought of by Freeculture.org, to defend our rights to comment on cultural icons, whether they are trademarked/copyrighted or not)

Day of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus -- Ancient Latvia; Roman Catholic Church

Iglesia Ni Cristo Day -- Philippines

Jose Celso Barbosa Day -- Puerto Rico

National Blunt Object Day -- this one is just weird

National Creme Brulee Day

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day

National Scotch Day

National Sleepy Head Day -- Finland

Over-The-Moon Night (Cows and Spoons) -- Fairy Calendar

St. Pantaleon's Day

Tai Festival -- Toyohama, Minamichita Town, Japan (fisherman's festival, through tomorrow)

Take Your (House) Plants For a Walk Day (some websites mistakenly call it take your pants for a walk day)

Victory Day -- North Korea

Walk on Stilts Day (at your own risk always!)

World Scout Jamboree -- Rinkaby, Sweden (through Aug. 7, involving Boy Scouts from every country)


Birthdays Today

Ashlyn Sanchez, 1996
Cheyenne Kimball, 1990
Alex Rodriguez, 1975
Triple H, 1969
Maureen McGovern, 1949
Peggy Fleming, 1948
Betty Thomas, 1947
Bobbie Gentry, 1944
Gary Gygax, 1938
Jerry Van Dyke, 1931
Norman Lear, 1922
Alexandre Dumas, fils, 1824
Queen Hatshepsut, BC1508


Today in History

Siward, Earl of Northumbria invades Scotland to support Malcolm Canmore against Macbeth of Scotland, who usurped the Scottish throne from Malcolm's father, King Duncan; Macbeth is defeated at Dunsinane, 1054
Jesuit priest Francis Xavier's ship reaches Japan, 1549
The English Parliament passes the second Navigation Act requiring that all goods bound for the American colonies have to be sent in English ships from English ports, 1663
A Royal Charter is granted to the Bank of England, 1694
The Russian Navy defeats the Swedes atthe Battle of Grengam, 1720
The first U.S. federal government agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, is established (later renamed Department of State), 1789
Robespierre is finally arrested, 1794
The Atlantic Cable is successfully completed, allowing transatlantic telegraph communication for the first time, 1866
Researchers at the University of Toronto led by biochemist Frederick Banting announce the discovery of the hormone insulin, 1921
The animated short A Wild Hare is released, introducing the character of Bugs Bunny, 1940
RMS Titanic, Inc. begins the first expedited salvaging of wreckage of the RMS Titanic, 1987