It's that time of year again, folks -- time when many people will be ordering flowers for the ladies in their lives.  Wife, mother, grandmother, etc., you may be thinking of getting her a flower delivery for Mother's Day.

Please do those of us who are contract drivers, working for the florists on these big days, a huge favor and follow a few simple tips.

Order early.  Even order them to be delivered a day or two early.  That way, she will know you didn't just pick up the phone at the last minute, and you know you got them to her on time.

If she works and you want them delivered to her workplace, give us the name of the business as well as the address.  Knowing she is at 4788 Main Street is one thing, knowing she's at the Fidelity Bank Main Street branch is another, and the latter is much easier for us to figure out than trying to read little addresses on big buildings while dodging traffic.

As much as is in your power, if we are delivering to her workplace, let us know what time she gets off work so we will put this delivery earlier.  It's disappointing to you and us that you didn't tell us she gets off at 3pm, and i get there at 3:15 because they don't close until 10pm and i didn't know her hours.

Speaking of addresses, give us the whole thing.  That includes apartment numbers or suite numbers.  It also includes whether she is on Oak Street, Oak Drive, Oak Lane, Oak /Avenue, etc.  It makes a huge difference.

Please, if the delivery is coming to your house, make sure we can read your address easily from the street.

Give us a contact phone number that will actually be answered, please.  Yes, you want it to be a surprise.  Guess what?  If no one is home, or i can't find the house, or you live in a gated community i can't get into without permission, i need to call you or her for instructions on where to leave it, where the house is, or how to get in.  It's a worse surprise to not get them at all because no one was home, no one would answer any of the mobile numbers, and i can't actually get into the subdivision (yes, this has happened).

The more information you give us, and the earlier you do it, the more likely it will be that the woman in your life will get the flowers you want her to have.

Thank you, from the bottom of my frustrated-enough-fighting-traffic-that-i-don't-need-more-frustration-from-not-being-able-to-find-you heart.


Today is

Blow Bubbles for Your Cat Day -- internet generated entertainment urged for human and feline like

Child Care Provider Appreciation Day

Cormorant Fishing Festival -- Nagara River, Gifu, Japan (traditional fishing with trained cormorants is celebrated)

Eat What You Want Day

Electra Goat BBQ Cook Off & Craft Show -- Electra, TX, US (through the 13th)

Fairy Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Humands Founded -- Fairy Calendar

Holiday of the City of Miskolc -- Miskolc, Hungary

Lemuralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (second day)

Lilac Festival -- Rochester, NY, US (through the 20th)

Lokadagur -- Iceland (Final Day, festival to mark the end of the fishing season in the south-west of the country)

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

National Mocha Torte Day

National Technology Day -- India

Nisga'a Day -- Nisga'a (one of the First Nations of Canada)

Pitlochry Festival Theatre -- Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland (plays, concerts, exhibitions, tours and talks; through early November)

St. Gengulf's Day (Patron of knights, separated spouses, victims of adultery or unfaithfulness; against unhappy marriages)

St. Mamertus' Day (first of the Ice Saints)

Twilight Zone Day -- no, it didn't premier on this day, nor was Rod Serling born or died on this day; it's today on the internet for no particular reason

Witching Day -- Isle of Man (Mayday Eve based on the OS calendar, be careful of the spirits today)


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
Mercedes-Benz is formed by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz merging their two companies, 1924
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded, 1927
Siam officially changes its name to Thailand  for the second time, 1949
Israel joins the United Nations, 1949
In Baltimore, Maryland, the first heart-lung transplant takes place, 1987
In New York City, more than 170 countries decide to extend the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty indefinitely and without conditions, 1995
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