What do you want to be?

"Mom, your daughter wants to go ghost hunting and punch a ghost in the face!" Bigger Girl came into the room yelling.

From the other room i heard Little Girl yelling, "It'll work, I know it'll work!" as she ran toward us, laughing.

As i laughed at their fun, i asked Little Girl if she wanted to be a ghost hunter someday.

"Well, I'm not sure," she said.  "More likely, a tattoo artist, but I could hunt ghosts on the side!"

"I know what I want to be doing, at least for the next couple of years," Bigger Girl said.  "Once I'm done with all of my math enough to start taking science courses, I'm going to be preparing to spend time in the Peace Corps.  I'm going to Africa, one way or another.

"After all, mom, you went to Europe, I want to go to Africa.  Europe is too...weird for me."

After a deep breath, i decided to let that comment slide.  She happens to be rather "unique" herself.

"And I'm going to get my degrees, too," Bigger Girl went on.  "The Associates, then Peace Corps, then come back and get the Bachelor's."

Well, i'm glad you are so clear on that, i told her.  Hope you don't run into too much bureaucracy while doing all of this, i added.

Meanwhile, i have run into bureaucracy at every turn just trying to get Little Girl into the regular school system here for a simple high school diploma.  They are fighting me tooth and claw on everything, including accepting the high school work she has already done, because it was at a private school in the next parish over.  That's not supposed to make a difference, but they are wanting to make her take all kinds of tests anyway.

Don't even get me started about what it will take to get her into the art program she wants.  That's a separate issue, and even now i can't get them to tell me anything,  Yet somehow, with no lists, no information, and no clue what type of uniform they require and from where, i'm supposed to have all her school supplies by next Monday.

Bigger Girl interrupted my thoughts on all this to say, "Yes, and I paid my tuition today!  This semester is all me paying for it.  My next two paychecks will cover my books, but tuition is done!  And after that, I can use more of the money Grandpa set aside for each of us.  But I wanted him to know I could at least do some of this myself."

He's going to be very proud of you, i told her.  Now please don't let me forget to pick up the cat food tonight -- Misha and Collins are having their surgery tomorrow so they can do up for adoption on Friday.

"Well, that tells me what they aren't going to ever be -- fathers!" Little Girl had the last word.



Today is:

Anjin Matsuri -- Ito City, Japan (commemorations William Adams (1564-1620), a naturalized British shipwright, called "Anjin Miura" in Japan, a great contributor to the early development of Japanese ship-building industry; through the 10th)

BaBa Day -- Taiwan (ba ba is Mandarin for both "father" and "8-8")

Bonza Bottler Day

Edinburgh International Festival -- Edinburgh, Scotland (one of the world's most exciting venues for opera, dance, theater, classical music and the visual arts; through Sept. 1)

Edmonton Folk Music Festival -- Gallagher Park, Edmonton, AB, Canada (folk music of all kinds and fun for the whole family; through Sunday)

Eid al Fitr -- Islam (celebration of the end of Ramadan; began sundown yesterday, runs through sundown on the 11th, although local dating and official government observances may vary)

Festival for Venus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (sunset to sunset)

Finest Fairy Finals -- Fairy Calendar (Do only the finest fairies take finals? How do the others get a final grade? :D )

Fourteen Holy Helpers' Day (Patrons against diseases)

Great River Tug Fest -- Port Byron, IL, and LeClaire, IA, US (the only tug-of-war across the Mighty Mississippi; festival through Saturday)

Happiness Happens Day -- sponsored by the Secret Society of Happy People, to encourage sharing happiness and discourage parade raining; on the anniversary of their founding in 1997www.sohp.com

Hope Watermelon Festival -- Hope, AK, US (if you've never had Hope watermelons, you've missed the best!  Through Saturday)

Hot August Nights -- Reno, NV, US (celebrate cars and music of the 50's and 60's; through Saturday)

Jersey Battle of Flowers -- Jersey, Channel Islands, UK (two days of floats and family fun)

Kranti Diwas -- Mumbai (former Bombay), India (a/k/a Freedom Day or Quit India Day; anniversary of Gandhi's Quit India speech to the British authorities in 1942)

"Li'l" Margaret's Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival -- Leonardtown, MD, US (bluegrass music, crafts, old time tractors and cars, and home-cooked meals; bring a lawn chair!  through Saturday)

Namesday of the Queen -- Sweden (Queen Sylvia; an official Flag Day)

National Frozen Custard Day

National Hobo Convention -- Britt, IA (held each year since 1900, gathering for migrant workers who are proud to call themselves "hobos" and make a living through working where they choose and travelling where they want; through Sunday)

Odie Day -- Garfield's pal Odie, who first appeared in the strip on this day in 1978

Skowhegan State Fair -- Skowhegan, ME (since 1818, ten days of grand fun; through the 17th)

Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, and i love the stuff but can't grow plants to save my life, i'll leave the porch light on for you if you will bring me some!

St. Cyriacus' Day (Patron of the eyes; Altidona, Italy; against diabolical possession, eye disease, and temptations, especially temptations at the time of death)

St. Dominic's Day (Founder of the Dominican Order[Friars]; Patron of astronomers and astronomy, falsely accused people, scientists; Batanes-Babuyanes, Philippines; Bayombong, Philippines; Dominican Republic; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Santo Domingo Indian Pueblo; Valletta, Malta)

St. Mary MacKillop's Day (First native-born Australian saint; Patron of Australia; Wagga Wagga, Australia)

The Date To Create -- can't find anything on this one, just listed at a couple of sites, but go have fun creating something!

Wakulima ya Nane Nane -- Tanzania (Peasants' Day/Farmers' Day)


Birthdays Today:

Keith Carradine, 1949
Connie Stevens, 1938
Dustin Hoffman, 1937
Mel Tillis, 1932
Esther Williams, 1923
Rory Calhoun, 1922
Dino De Laurentis, 1919
Matthew Henson, 1866
Emperor Horikawa of Japan, 1079


Today in History:

The Romans destroy the Tower of Antonia, 70
Otto I (The Great) crowned German king, 936
Vijayanagara Empire is rebegun with the crowning of emperor Krishnadeva Raya, 1509
The cornerstone for Tycho Brahe's Uraniborg observatory is laid on Hven, 1576
John Davis enters Cumberland Sound in search of the Northwest Passage, 1585
The first known ascent (indoors) of a hot-air ballon by Bartolomeu de Gusamao, 1709
Jacques Balmat and Dr Michel-Gabriel Paccard become the first to ascend Mont Blanc, 1786
Metal bullet cartridges are patented by Smith and Wesson, 1854
Mimeograph is patented by Thomas Edison, 1876
Wilbur Wright makes the brother's first public flight, at a racecourse in Le Mans, France, 1908
The millionth patent is filed in the United States Patent Office by Francis Holton for a tubeless vehicle tire, 1911
The German airship Graf Zeppelin begins a round-the-world flight, 1929
The United Nations Charter is signed by the United States, the 3rd nation to join, 1945
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is founded by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, 1967
Richard Nixon announces his resignation as President of the United States, effective the next day, 1974
The lights go on at Wrigley Field for the first time, making it the last staduim in the majors to host a night game (which was subsequently rained out!), 1988
Iraq occupies and annexes Kuwait, leading to the Gulf War to liberate Kuwait within a couple of weeks, 1990
Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley is raised to the surface after 136 years on the ocean floor, 2000