Leisure at the Lake Adventure: Home Again, Jiggety Jog

Ninja and i took Wednesday morning easy.  The previous day had been about 19 hours on the road (we stopped more often than i'm used to), and while i woke a bit later than i usually would at home, i did wake well before our agreed upon time, took my shower, dressed, and went downstairs for coffee.

Ninja also got a shower and did all of her morning necessities, and i was glad for the down time.  We got on the road for the several hours of driving back to my house by midmorning, which was plenty good enough for me.

On the way out of town, we stopped to get her more bottled iced tea for the road, and since i had only gotten an apple and two bananas from the breakfast offered at the hotel, i bought some sunflower seeds so i wouldn't get an upset stomach from only having fruit for my meal.  (My usual breakfast is fruit and either avocado, seeds, or nut butter, but none of those are going to be on a hotel breakfast bar that is waffles and cereal and pastries, with a nod toward health with a few lonely pieces of fruit available.)

She drove first, because we both knew that the closer we got to my area, the easier it would be for me to bring us through the nutty traffic we have.  That actually worked out well, as i drove a lot so she could rest.  After all, by the end of Wednesday, i would be home, but she would be checking into a hotel so she could drive back home to Dallas the day after.

We stopped only to eat and gas up, and i got home at around 9pm (if i'm remembering correctly, which i'm still so tired i may not be).  Going into the house, i noted we were totally out of cat food, almost out of kitten food, almost out of formula, the litter boxes hadn't been tended, the A/C hadn't been tended, and the first time i got out of the car my lungs took a moment to switch back over to gill function so i could breathe our wet air.  As one lady i know who used to live here but moved to Florida says, when she comes back to visit that first breath of water saturated air you get around here when you get off a plane or out of a car is always a shock.

Also, i got back in to find out that #1 Son had gone to Kansas in my Jalopy, and had taken #2 Son with him.  Turns out, they needed the bigger vehicle, but as we weren't sure when they would be back, between trying to unpack the bit of remaining cold food and working to answer the questions that were coming thick and fast from the family, i also told Sweetie i would drive him to work in the morning if the car wasn't back, so i could get to my doctor's appointment.

It turned out i didn't need to do that.  The boys apparently knew when i would be back, and got in late.  #2 Son even remembered to pull the garbage and recycling cans to the curb.  Turned out, when i looked the next morning, that the garbage can was empty, and i had to take the bags out myself, but i'll give him an "A" for effort.

Thursday was spend getting the overdue oil change for Jalopy, buying cat food for our cats, getting formula and kitten food from the shelter, going to the doctor, preparing to leave town Friday for Grandpa's big night, and attempting to find my kitchen under the wreckage.

Yes, today we are leaving town again.  We will pick Little Girl up from school and head straight for N'Awlins, to a fancy hotel for a fancy dress up dinner and an award banquet for Dr. Born Organized Clean, a/k/a Grandpa, that he's being given for founding the free medical clinics in Nicaragua.  His dream was always to get to a point in his life where he could retire and practice medicine for free, for the neediest of people, and he did.  That's worth a fancy dress up evening, and i think we will have a grand time tonight.

Today is:

Bayfest Mobile -- Mobile, AL, US (world class musical entertainment and fun, with thousands of dollars earned going toward giving young people musical scholarships; through Sunday)

Buttering-Up Final -- Fairy Calendar

Come and Take It Festival -- Gonzales, TX, US (celebrating the cry of Texans fighting for independence when the Mexican military demanded a cannon be returned; through Sunday)

Festival of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Golf Lovers' Day -- internet generated, enjoy if you love golf (i'm one of those who can't see the point of chasing a white ball over hills while wearing funny clothes)

Hull Fair -- Hull, England (a fair that dates back over 700 years, now one of the countries largest traveling funfairs; through the 12th)

Ieiunium Cereris -- Ancient Roman Calendar (fast for the goddess Ceres)

Improve Your Office Day -- and water that plant while you are at it!

Independence Day -- Lesotho(1966)

International Toot Your Flute Day -- an internet generated day for shameless self promotion

Kanelbullens Dag -- Sweden (cinnamon roll day)

Kentucky Apple Festival -- Paintsville, KY (apples, music, arts and crafts, antique cars, rides, food, and fun; through tomorrow)

Lee's National Denim Day -- US (but i'm sure they want this one celebrated anywhere jeans are sold and worn!)

National Diversity Day -- US (vow tolerance, embrace how differences make the world a better place)

National Storytelling Festival -- Jonesborough, TN, US (a three-day celebration of storytellers, stories, and oral tradition from around the country and around the world, all in Tennessee's oldest town)

National Taco Day

Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival -- Nihonmatsu, Japan (one of Japan's 3 largest lantern festivals; through the 6th)

Ozark Fall Farmfest -- Springfield, MO, US (largest agricultural trade show in the Ozarks; through Sunday)

Peace and National Reconciliation Day -- Mozambique

Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan -- Beginning of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, Hebrew Year 5774

Springs Folk Festival -- Springs, PA, US (Amish crafts and food at the height of fall foliage; through tomorrow)

St. Francis of Assisi's Day (Patron of animal welfare societies, animals, birds, ecologists, ecology, environment and environmentalists, families, lace makers/lace workers, merchants, needle workers, peace, tapestry workers, zoos; Italy, especially Assisi, as well as several other cities around the world; against dying alone, fire)

St. Petronius' Day (Patron of Bologna, Italy)

Swappin' Meetin' -- Cumberland, KY, US (through tomorrow; celebrating the rich heritage of mountain people)

10-4 Day (C.B. 'ers) -- fourth day of the tenth month, ten-four, good buddy, etc.

Tennessee Valley Old-Time Fiddlers Convention -- Athens, AL, US (200 contestants, 18 catagories, all crammed into two music filled days; if you love old time fiddle music, this is the place for you)

Tewa Deer Dance -- Tewa Native Americans (celebrating the cosmic duality of the feminine and masculine, and honoring male and female ancestors; through the 7th)

Vodka Day -- internet generated and unsponsored, be careful with this one

World Animal Day -- International (information here)

World Smile Day -- do one act of kindness, help one person smile, in honor of Harvey Ball, who created the Smiley facehttp://www.worldsmileday.com/
     some sites tag this as Send A Smile Day, or have it on different days

World Space Week begins -- International


Anniversaries Today

The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, 1957
The Soviet Union launches Luna 3, 1959 (first satellite to photograph the moon's distant side)



Birthdays Today:

Rachael Leigh Cook, 1979
Alicia Silverstone, 1976
Christoph Waltz, 1956
Susan Sarandon, 1946
Anne Rice, 1941
Jackie Collins, 1937
Alvin Toffler, 1928
Charlton Heston, 1924
Buster Keaton, 1895
Damon Runyon, 1884
Rutherford B. Hayes, 1822
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, 1807


Debuting/Premiering Today

The Alvin Show, 1961
Leave It To Beaver, 1957
Snoopy, in the Peanuts Comic strip, 1950
Dick Tracy, 1931



Today in History:

One of the largest naval battles in history, the Battle of Lake Poyang, ends when the Chinese rebel forces of Zhu Yuanzhang defeat Chen Youliang, 1363
The first full English translation of the Bible, sometimes called the Matthew Bible, which contained the work of translators William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale, is printed in Switzerland, 1537
Pope Gregory XIII's calendar adjustment that bears his name takes effect, with tomorrow being not Oct. 5, but Oct. 15, 1582
Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts drafts its first code of law, 1636
Peter Stuyvesant establishes America's first volunteer fire department, 1648
Christian Huygens patents the pocket watch, 1675
The state of Belgium is created after separation from the Netherlands, 1830
The New Orleans Tribune becomes the first black daily newspaper, 1864
The Orient Express, linking Turkey to Europe by rail, makes its first run, 1883
Norman Rockwell's Willie Gillis character debuts on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, 1941
The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty is opened for signature, 1991
The Rome General Peace Accords ends a 16 year civil war in Mozambique, 1992
NATO confirms invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, 2001
SpaceShipOne wins Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight, by being the first private craft to fly into space, 2004