Cool

 "Mom, what are those huge boxes on the front porch?"  Little Girl had just walked into the house.

Since i didn't know there were boxes out there, i had no clue.

Upon inspection, the boxes had come from Amazon, and were addressed to me.  This was odd and a bit distressing, as i had not, to my knowledge, ordered anything.

My first thought was that Sweetie had ordered something for work, and had it delivered to the house.  This would be odd, though, as he insists items ordered shipped to a business are handled much faster, and so he usually has everything delivered there, even personal stuff.

Since he was out for the evening, with his phone off (he always turns it off for choir practice or band practice, and i don't blame him), there was no way to call and ask him, i would have to wait until he got home.

My next thought was ID theft, but that made no sense at all.  If i'm a thief, and i want to order merchandise for myself and make someone else pay, i certainly wouldn't order it sent to that person.

A quick check of my Amazon account showed no activity, and my checking account had no debits i couldn't place.

Meanwhile, Little Girl had ripped into the boxes and found...ice chests.

To be specific, two very nice ice chests, large ones, with wheels, one of which claimed it could keep stuff cold for up to 5 days (under ideal circumstances, of course).

Okay, i ordered, as #2 Son and Bigger Girl joined me on the porch, we aren't touching this stuff until i am sure it's not for your father's work.

"Then can we use these big boxes as kitten boxes?" Bigger Girl asked.

Funny, when they were kids, they wanted boxes to play in.  Now we use them to raise bottle feed kittens.  It seems we spend our whole lives looking for the perfect boxes for things, but i digress.

When Sweetie came home, he professed no knowledge of the items in question, so i gently took one out of its box.  No order slip.  Ah, there it was, in the other box.

Finally, an answer.

When i was entertaining guests last month, we needed ice chests.  And i do have them, Styrofoam ones that my father brings and leaves here, and which i have to hide to keep the cats from sharpening their claws on them.  We used them, and they did get knocked around a bit, and aren't the easiest in the world to load, unload, or use.

It seems my guests, bless them, bought and had shipped directly two me these two beauties, which i will be using, i am sure, for years to come.

So a special thanks is due to Ninja, Script, Grace, Eagle, CanDo, Dayeanu, DiDreaming, and WSS.

And yes, i will hide them from #2 Son to prevent their use down at the creek for holding fish or snakes, or for transporting food down there for a day of adventure, even if i have to sleep on top of them to keep his mitts off of them.

Let him use Styrofoam.


Today is:

Albuquerque International Balloon Festival -- Albuquerque, NM, US (Blaze A Trail for 9 days of fun)

Apple Butter Festival -- Berkeley Springs, WV, US (simmering spicy apple butter in copper kettles in the town square, plus lots more; through tomorrow)

Armed Forces Day -- Egypt

Chowderfest -- Mystic Seaport, CT, US (festival of New England Chowders; through Monday)

Earthquake Remembrance Day -- Turkmenistan

Fell's Point Fun Festival -- Baltimore, MD, US (two day festival in Baltimore's original seaport)

Festival of the Other Five Toes -- Fairy Calendar

Harvest Celebration -- Billings Farm, Woodstock, VT, US ('tis the season, especially for apple cider and lots of pumpkins; through tomorrow)

Inter-American Water Day

International Frugal Fun Day -- created by Shel Horowitz, author of The Penny-Pinching Hedonist

Issaquah Salmon Days Festival -- Issaquah, WA, US (celebrates the return of the spawning salmon to the hatchery; through tomorrow)

Ivy Day -- Ireland (death anniversary of Irish nationalist leader and Home Rule advocate Charles Stewart Parnell)

Johnny Appleseed Days -- Lake City, MN, US (two days of apples and fun)

Knox County Scenic Drive -- Knx County, IL, US (drive through up to 100 miles of scenic rural Spoon River Valley, with attractions at every stop; this weekend and next)

Mad Hatter Day -- US (second crazy day in the year, to balance April Fool's Day, and based on the 10/6 on the Mad Hatter's hat in Tenniel's drawing; in English-speaking countries where the day preceeds the month in notation, it is celebrated on June 10)

Morro Bay Harbor Festival -- Morro Bay, CA, US (a working waterfront at play; through tomorrow)

Naha Festival -- Okinawa, Japan (tug-of-war involving a 27 ton rope)

National Apple Harvest Festival -- Gettysburg, PA, US (this weekend and next)

National German-American Day -- US (anniversary of the disembarking of the first German immigrants to Pennsylvania in 1683)
     German Pioneer Day -- Pennsylvania

National Noodle Day

Oyster Festival -- Chincoteague Island, VA, US (oysters served almost every way imaginable, all you can eat!)

St. Faith's Day (Patron of pilgrims, prisoners, soldiers)

St. Bruno's Day (Founder of the Carthusian Monks; Patron against demonic possession)

Tishreen Liberation War Day -- Syria

Vermont Apple Festival -- Springfield, VT, US (family fun; through tomorrow)

Woofstock -- Wichita, KS, US (celebrate peace, love and pets; bring your pup and participate as all proceeds go to the Kansas Humane Society)

World Card Making Day -- Paper Crafts Magazine suggests you have fun and make a card today


Anniversaries Today:

American Library Association founded in 1876


Birthdays Today:

Elisabeth Shue, 1963
Britt Ekland, 1942
Thor Heyerdahl, 1912
Carole Lombard, 1908
Le Corbusier, 1887
George Westinghouse, 1846
Jenny Lind, 1820


Today in History:

The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman Republic army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus in the Battle of Arausio, BC105
Founding of Germantown, Pennsylvania by 13 Mennonite families from Germany, 1683
The Americans and French begin the siege of Cornwallis at Yorktown, which becomes the last battle of the American Revolutionary War, 1781
Benjamin Hanks patents a self-winding clock, 1783
Louis XVI accedes to the demands of the women of Paris and returns to that city, 1789
Great Fire of Newcastle and Gateshead begins shortly after midnight, leads to 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries, 1854
The American Chess Association is organized and holds the first major US chess tournament, in NYC, 1857
The American Library Association is organized in Philadelphia, 1876
Thomas Edison shows his first motion picture, 1889
Nabisco Foods debuts its Cream of Wheat, 1893
Beatrix Van Rijk becomes the first licensed Dutch woman pilot, 1911
Opening of The Jazz Singer, the first prominent talking movie, 1927
Egypt launches a coordinated attack against Israel to reclaim land lost in the Six Day War, 1973
Massacre of students gathering at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand to protest the return of ex-dictator Thanom, 1976
Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit the White House, 1979
President of Egypt, Anwar al-Sadat is assassinated, 1981
51 Pegasi is discovered to be the first major star apart from the Sun to have a planet (and extrasolar planet) orbiting around it, 1995
Jason Lewis completes the first human-powered circumnavigation of the globe, 2007