Just across the highway from where we live, there was a grocery story, a MomAndPop Store. Mom and Pop started the first one over 50 years ago, several miles up the road from here. It went well, so they opened a second, also a good drive away.
Then, about 22 years ago, looking to expand to a third location, they came to this area. It was a great choice, except for one problem.
Mom and Pop owned the grounds and buildings and everything at the other two locations. Here, they would have to rent. It would only be about half the size of the other two stores, but that wasn't the main difficulty.
The main difficulty was that the Landlord was actually a Slum Lord.
The place didn't start out as a slum, of course. When Slum Lord bought it, it was still in great shape from the previous owner. Slum Lord, though, once he bought the place, didn't want to ever, under any circumstance, put another penny into it. After all, every penny of upkeep was a penny he didn't get in profit.
So the place went downhill. When i say downhill, i don't mean the area, which is working middle class. And i don't mean the stores located on the property, because they are really nice places. No, i mean things like the MomAndPop Store manager calling the Slum Lord to say the roof was leaking. Slum Lord would send his guys out, and then call back and tell the manager that there was no leak. The next morning, after the heavy rain continued all night, manager opened the doors of MomAndPop Store to find part of the roof had caved in and landed on the floor.
That kind of downhill and lack of maintenance. The place leaked, it looked as clean as they could get it but had a shabby appearance, the parking lot was nothing but potholes, and there was always something going wrong at either MomAndPop Store or one of the other stores on the property.
Slum Lord got tired of the complaints and wanted to cash out. He tried to sell a couple of times, but it always fell through. Something about a former dry cleaner located on the property and the soil needed to be decontaminated. Anyway, he kept trying.
A few months ago, he succeeded. A buyer was found. The buyer managed to renegotiate with every store on the property, except MomAndPop Store. The buyer is planning to fix what needs fixing, but if MomAndPop Store wanted to stay and expand this store to the size of the other two, the rent was going to be exorbitant.
The family had to say no, and MomAndPop Store is now closed, to be reopened in a new location a bit up the road. Closer than the other two, but not as convenient as this place.
It was a sad day when i bought my last few groceries there, and said good-bye temporarily to the people who work there. No, no one is losing his/her job. Mom and Pop taught their kids, who now run the outfit, how to treat people. Every employee will be working at one of the other two locations until the new place can open, then will move over there. All are guaranteed to continue to get the same number of hours and same benefits. They are a class act.
A few days later, i found myself in need of a few things that i always liked to get at MomAndPop Store. They had brands i liked and certain items i liked, and their produce is always fresh and high quality. They carry local items, and i like that a lot. So i decided, for the first time ever, to venture to one of the other stores.
The first thing i noted when i arrived was that there were no holes in the parking lot, so i didn't have to dodge to keep from jarring my teeth loose when hitting a crater the size of a kitchen sink anywhere.
The second thing i noted was the size of the place. It rivaled many of the smaller national chains in size!
Then i walked up to the front, and saw a sign that said, "Fresh sushi, made in house daily."
Sushi!!! Yowzers!!!
Walking through the door, i had to make sure i didn't let my jaw drop too far. Yes, they have sushi. And an area where you can sit and eat that, or the salads from the salad bar, or the hot plate breakfasts and lunches you can buy there. In the store that just closed, you could buy the salad or the hot plate of food, but you had to take it to go, there was no room to just enjoy it there.
The familiar coffee pots, with complimentary coffee, are there.
And so is a whole lot more. More organics. Lots of things that you would expect to see at a natural foods store. Things i never dreamed the MomAndPop Store would have. It reminded me more of shopping at one of the higher end national chains than in the dinky little store i was familiar with.
It turns out, this is how they wanted their third store to be, but they never had the room, and didn't dare put some of that stuff in, considering how Slum Lord let the place go.
The new place where they are going, they will have the room to make it just as nice as the first two stores, and i can hardly wait. Yes, i'll have to drive a bit further, but it's only just around the corner from the cat shelter, where i go regularly anyway.
And meanwhile, i'll be coming to this other location. It's worth it.
Today is
Back-to-Front Yad -- Fairy Calendar
Bannack Days-- Bannack, MT, US (through tomorrow; explore the territorial capital now turned ghost town and celebrate the pioneer spirit)
Bloomer Day -- anniversary of the opening day of the first US women's rights convention in 1848*
Canada's Parks Day -- Canada (showcasing Canada's beautiful parks and historic sites, it's worth traveling to a park near you!)
Celebration of the Horse -- Charlotte's Saddlery, Houston, TX, US (in honor of the human/equine bond; through tomorrow)
Festival of Honos -- Ancient Roman Calendar (personification of morality and honor)
Kokura Gion Taiko -- Yasaka Shrine, Fukuoka City, Japan (shrine festival that incorporates a taiko drumming competition with up to 100 teams; through the 21st)
La Festa del Redentore / Feast of the Redeemer -- Venice, Italy (procession of gondolas and other craft to commemorate the end of the epidemic of 1575; through tomorrow)
Liberation Day -- Nicaragua
Long Beach Island Festival of the Arts -- Loveladies, NJ, US (juried arts and crafts show, entertainment, food and more; through tomorrow)
Martyr's Day -- Myanmar
National Daiquiri Day
National Woodie Wagon Day -- pay homage today to this great American symbol of freedom and the casual lifestyle
Prince Lot Hula Festival -- Moanalua Gardens, Hawai'i
Route 66 Summerfest -- Albuquerque, NM, US (a free celebration)
Stick Out Your Tongue Day -- internet generated, do it just because it's fun
St. Justa's Day (Patron of potters; Seville, Spain)
Toss Away the "Could Haves" and "Should Haves" Day -- write down all the "could have" and "should have" things in your life, then toss them in the trash! Resolve from this day to live in the present, not the past.
Triple Play Day -- the first Major League unassisted triple play was made by Neal Ball on this day in 1909
Wrong Days in Wright, Minnesota -- in honor of "Wrong Way" Corrigan (through tomorrow)
*Amelia Bloomer's birth anniversary on May 27 is also called "Bloomer Day"
Anniversaries Today:
Frank Sinatra marries Mia Farrow, 1966
Isis marries Osiris (year unknown, ask the ancient Egyptians!)
Adonis marries Aphrodite (year unknown, ask the ancient Greeks!)
Birthdays Today:
Stephen Anthony Lawrence, 1990
Jared Padalecki, 1982
Topher Grace, 1978
Angela Griffin, 1976
Clea Lewis, 1965
Anthony Edwards, 1962
Campbell Scott, 1962
Brian May, 1947
Ilie Nastase, 1946
Vikki Carr, 1941
Arthur Rankin, Jr., 1924
George McGovern, 1922
Rosalyn Sussman Yalow, 1921
Eve Merriam, 1916
Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, 1904 (last direct descendent of Abraham Lincoln)
Max Fleischer, 1883
Charles Horace Mayo, 1865
Lizzie Borden, 1860
Edgar Degas, 1834
Samuel Colt, 1814
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"That's All Right"(Elvis' first single release), 1954
Today in History
A dragon more than 100 metres long was found dead on Yehwang Mountain in Henan province and was seen as a bad omen for Emperor Huan, who ignored it and died at age 35 (three years later); Xiang Kai, who had warned him of the omen, was released from the prison the emperor had placed him in, and lionised as a hero, BCE164
Moslem forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeated the Visigoths led by their king Roderic, 711
A hailstorm brings down the ceilings of the Papal Palace, Rome, 1500
Lady Jane Grey is replaced by Mary I of England as Queen of England after having that title for just nine days, 1553
Five women are hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692
Representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy sign the Nanfan Treaty, ceding a large territory north of the Ohio River to England, 1701
Australia's first recorded use of gaslight was commenced in a Sydney shop, 1826
The British Medical Association was founded as the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association by Sir Charles Hastings at a meeting in the Board Room of the Worcester Infirmary, 1832
The two day Women's Rights Convention opens in Seneca Falls, New York; "bloomers," named after developer Amelia Bloomer, are worn at this very early feminist convention, 1848
A meteorite with an estimated mass of 190 kg explodes over the town of Holbrook in Navajo County, Arizona causing approximately 16,000 pieces of debris to rain down on the town, 1912
Joe Walker flies a North American X-15 to a record altitude of 106,010 metres (347,800 feet) on X-15 Flight 90. Exceeding an altitude of 100 km, this flight qualifies as a human spaceflight under international convention, 1963
The Sandinista rebels overthrow the government of the Somoza family in Nicaragua, 1979
The first three-dimensional reconstruction of a human head in a CT is published, 1983
President Clinton announces his idea for a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in regards to gays in the US military, 1993
A Tel Aviv judges orders safe deposit boxes that contain manuscripts of Franz Kafka to be opened, 2010
A Pontifical Commission is established by Pope Francise to investigate current accounting practices and implement new strategies for greater fiscal transparency and fiscal responsibility among all Vatican office, 2013
"Good morning!"
The nice stock clerk that i say hello to each week when i go to the MomAndPop Store for milk and tortillas and the best tomatoes and other produce in the area greeted me with his usual smile, and i greeted him back.
Then he stopped me and said, "By the way, since you shop here every week, I thought you should know, we're moving!"
Moving? i asked.
"Yeah, the whole store is moving."
So, they aren't closing, and you won't lose your jobs, you will just be working in a new building? i continued.
"Yeah, everything's cool, we just gotta be outta here by July 31. That's our last day here. Then another store will be moving in"
Thanks for letting me know, and you know i'll follow you guys to your new location, i grinned.
"Heh, heh, I thought you would!" he responded with a huge grin.
This shouldn't have come as a surprise to me. Just over 50 years ago, when Mom and Pop started the MomAndPop Store, it was on property they owned. When they opened their second location, same thing. Then they opened the third store, but couldn't buy the building.
For over 40 years, they have rented from Mr. Slum Lord. The man would tell them that his people had come out and looked at the roof, and there was no leak, and the next day it would rain and part of the roof would fall in. That kind of Mr. Slum Lord. Someone who didn't care to keep up the property, just get more rent out of it.
About 6 months or so ago, there was talk of Mr. Slum Lord selling the property. This had been discussed over and over for years, and every sale had fallen through based on the fact that one of the stores in the strip mall style buildings is a dry cleaner, and when they opened years ago there was less environmental regulation, and so the ground near that part of the building always tested as requiring remediation work that potential buyers wouldn't do.
This potential buyer would do it, apparently, and the sale went through. The new owners have promised renovations, but have told Mom and Pop's kids, who still run the stores, that the rent will go up much more than they are willing to pay.
The end result was on the front page of the paper yesterday, thus the employee meeting the day before that to make the announcement of the move. They will reopen on August 1 in their new place, just a few miles up the road. Not as convenient for me, but i will get by there weekly anyway, as it's near the shelter.
The building will be renovated, and a different grocery, much more upscale, will be opening around Thanksgiving. No, i'm not impressed. Upscale usually equally pricier than i am willing to pay.
As for the other tenants of the other stores, including Dr. Bea, my veterinarian, i haven't heard.
All i know is, it will be worth stopping at MomAndPop Store's new location once a week while i'm at the shelter anyway, and if the new landlord repairs the parking lot here it will be a blessing, even if i'm only there for the vet or dollar store. Mr. Slum Lord let it get so bad that i've even been bruised when the shopping cart went into a pot hole and bucked back and hit my let.
Today is
Abolition Day -- Martinique
Bear Waking Day -- Norway (traditionally said to be the day the bears awaken from their hibernation, at least according to many sites)
Buy a Musical Instrument Day -- even just a kazoo, and have some fun making music; maybe if this one spreads around the world and enough of us do it, it will foster some harmony in our lives
Harvey Milk Day -- The Harvey Milk Foundation
Hay Festival of Literature -- Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales (largest annual festival of literature in a beautiful market town in the Black Mountains of the Welsh marches; through June 1)
Independence Day -- Montenegro
International Day for Biological Diversity -- UN
Kodiak Crab Festival -- Kodiak, AK, US (there's more than bears up here, you know! through Monday)
Memory Days -- Grayson, KY, US ("East and West Carter Working Together" is this year's theme, with a parade, art show, music, Firefighter's Dinner and more; through Sunday)
Mudbug Madness -- Shreveport, LA (festival of crawfish and Cajun heritage, arts, entertainment, and more; through Sunday)
National Maritime Day -- US (commemorating the first transoceanic voyage under steam power)
National Sovereignty Day -- Haiti
National Vanilla Pudding Day
St. Julia's Day (Patron of torture victims; Corsica, Portugal; Livorno, Italy)
St. Rita of Cascia's Day/La Abodada de Impossibles (Patron of desperate causes, difficult marriages, forgotten causes, illness, lost causes, parenthood, sick people, sterile people, victims of physical spousal abuse, widows, wounded people; against abuse, infertility, loneliness, sickness, sterility, wounds, unhappy marriages; Cascia, Italy; Dalayap, Philippines; Igbaras, Philippines)
Toad-Pinching Day -- Fairy Calendar (Pixies)
Toothpaste Tube Day -- the tube was invented on this day in 1892 by dentist Washington Wentworth Sheffield, who wanted to replace the unhygenic practice of dipping the brush into a jar of dental cream
Unity Day / National Day -- Republic of Yemen
World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest -- Peoria, IL, US (competition and festival of ragtime, honky-tonk and old-time music; through Monday)
World Goth Day -- get in touch with your own inner Goth
Birthdays Today:
Apollo Anton Ohno, 1982
Ginnifer Goodwin, 1978
A.J. Langer,1974
Naomi Campbell, 1970
Morrissey, 1959
George Best, 1946
Paul Winfield, 1941
Michael Sarrazin, 1940
Frank Converse, 1938
Richard Benjamin, 1938
Susan Strasberg, 1938
Garry Wills, 1934
Peter Nero, 1934
Charles Aznavour, 1924
Judith Crist, 1922
Sun Ra, 1914
Sir Laurence Olivier, 1907
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1859
Mary Cassatt, 1844
Richard Wagner, 1813
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood"(TV), 1967
"Paulus / St. Paul"(Oratorio, Mendelsshon Op. 36), 1836
Today in History:
The Macedonian army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus, BC334
The Hashshashin (Assassins) attempt to murder Saladin near Aleppo, 1176
Pope Gregory XI issues five papal bulls to denounce the doctrines of English theologian John Wycliffe, 1377
Richard, Duke of York, defeats and captures King Henry VI of England, 1455
A grand jury indicts former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr on a charge of treason, 1807
On the second and last day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling (near Vienna), Napoleon is repelled by an enemy army for the first time, 1809
The SS Savannah leaves port at Savannah, Georgia, United States, on a voyage to become the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean; the ship arrived at Liverpool, England on June 20, 1819
HMS Beagle departs on its first voyage, 1826
The transporting of British convicts to the New South Wales colony is abolished, 1840
Farmers Lester Howe and Henry Wetsel discover Howe Caverns, 1842
The Blackwall Tunnel under the River Thames is officially opened, 1897
The Wright brothers are granted U.S. patent number 821,393 for their "Flying-Machine", 1906
Lassen Peak erupts with a powerful force, and is the only mountain other than Mount St. Helens to erupt in the continental US during the 20th century, 1915
The most powerful earthquake ever documented, the Great Chilean Quake, measures 9.5 and strikes southern Chile, 1960
The nuclear-powered submarine the USS Scorpion sinks with 99 men aboard 400 miles southwest of the Azores, 1968
Ceylon adopts a new constitution, thus becoming a Republic, changes its name to Sri Lanka, and joins the Commonwealth of Nations, 1972
Namco releases the highly influential arcade game Pac-Man, 1980
Microsoft releases the Windows 3.0 operating system, 1990
Johnny Carson retires from The Tonight Show after 30 years, 1992
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia join the United Nations, 1992
A jury in Birmingham, Alabama, convicts former Ku Klux Klan member Bobby Frank Cherry of the 1963 murders of four girls in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, 2002
Sarah West, a British naval officer Commander is appointed commander of HMS Portland, the Royal Navy frigate; she is the first female officer to take command of a major British warship, 2012
...when someone's generosity will surprise you.
There is a family in our neighborhood that we know well. My kids grew up with some of their younger kids, and Little Girl considers their younger daughter to be one of her dearest friends.
This family has been hit by hard luck so many times, it makes you glad they don't believe in playing the lottery. Besides lay-offs, bankruptcy, a son attacked by a dog a few years back, and various other miscellaneous difficulties, now their youngest daughter has had to have surgery for a serious ankle problem that couldn't be solved any other way.
When i think of families in need, this is the kind i think of; dad works hard, they make a lower-middle-class income, but it's never enough to go around, with always trying to catch up on deductibles and co-pays and car breakdowns and everything else that goes on in life.
They probably qualify for some type of help, as the kids do get free lunches at school, but they don't ask for it beyond said lunches. People who know how little they actually have drop off gently used clothes there a lot, and offer them things like older appliances when purchasing new. A few even drop off food now and then, and the mother volunteers with a local church garden that provides vegetables for the food bank. They send some vegetables home with her, too.
That's why, each year, i make sure they have a turkey for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. It's not much, but it's something i can do to show them how much their friendship over the years has meant to me, and to our family.
At Thanksgiving, turkeys were on special everywhere, so i bought two of them and dropped them over my friends' house, figuring they would use one for Thanksgiving and the other for Christmas.
What none of us knew at the time was that, because of unforeseen circumstances with relatives, they would end up with almost 20 people coming for Thanksgiving. They needed both turkeys.
Yesterday, i remembered that they were now without a turkey, and realized that if a turkey is going to thaw in time, i needed to get it now, so i went to the store for milk and bananas and a turkey. (They won't need two -- the husband's boss gives every employee a nice ham for Christmas, which means they can feed everyone if there's another bigger than expected group.)
While in line at the local MomAndPop Grocery Store, i got to talking with the cashier, Miss G, the way i usually do. She asked how i fixed the turkey, if i had any particular ways i liked it, and i answered that we go to Grandma's house for Christmas. Then i told her why i was buying the turkey.
She looked at me and said, "I like it when I hear about hard working people who don't sit around and wait for someone to give them handouts. People who are willing to try to do for themselves as much as they can should be helped." She then reached in her pocket, took out $10, and told me to give that to the family, too.
As i dropped off the turkey, and the unexpected money that will probably go to buy sweet potatoes and a few other items for their meal, i reflected that you never know when your actions might affect someone else, and you never know when you might be surprised by the generosity of others.
Today is:
Divalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (part of Saturnalia; feast of Angerona, goddess of secret sorrows)
Flashlight Day -- what better day, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, when dark is with us longest, to make sure you have one in good working order
Forefathers' Day -- Plymouth, MA, US (celebrates the landing of the Pilgrims)
Homeless Persons' Memorial Day -- US
Humbug Day -- those frustrated with their holiday preparations are allowed up to 12 humbugs today, just to help vent their frustrations; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays
Icelandic Yuletide Lad of the Day, Gluggagaegir -- Peeper, who peeps through the windows and will come steal toys he likes the look of
Kiwi Fruit Day -- California, US (celebrate with them, these are good!)
Look At the Bright Side Day -- Northern Hemisphere, and why not; after all, each day after this will have more sun!
Magal de Touba -- Senegal (commemoration of the departure into exile of Ahmadou Bamba to Gabon, a Sufi religious festival)
National Hamburger Day
Pancha Ganapati -- India (through the 25th, a modern Hindu festival honoring of Lord Ganesha, Patron of Arts and Culture)
Phileas Fogg Wins A Wager Day (1872)
Poseidea -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival to honor Poseidon; date approximate)
Solstice -- Northern Hemisphere Winter begins/Southern Hemisphere Summer begins
Anne and Samantha Day -- celebrating the lives of Anne Frank and Samantha Smith, a day to work and pray for world peace
Alban Arthuan -- Druid Festival, 4th Station; through the solstice
Bruma -- Ancient Roman Calendar
Dongzhi Festival -- East Asia (literal meaning, "Extreme of Winter")
Festival of Isis -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (celebration of the seeking of Osiris by Isis and her resurrection of him)
National Haiku Poetry Day -- US (because haiku is traditionally about the seasons, it's celebrated on the first day of winter)
Wild Hunt reaches its peak -- various traditions
Soyala New Year Festival -- Hopi and Zuni Native Americans (a festival of purification as well as celebration, with homes cleaned, fires doused, and personal restraint observed)
Yalda -- Iran (Persian/Zoroastrian winter solstice festival; to celebrate the longest night of the year, many stay up for the fight against dark and evil.)
Yule/Jul/Jol Festivals begin -- various calendars, religions, countries and observances, both ancient and modern
Yule -- Wicca/Pagan, northern hemisphere
Litha -- Wicca/Pagan, southern hemisphere
from the Old Norse Hjol, meaning "wheel" to signify the year is at its lowest point and ready to rise again
Ziemassvetki -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (birth of Dievs, highest of the gods; modern Latvians celebrate this on Christmas Eve/Christmas, but it was originally a three day solstice festival)
St. Peter Canisius' Day (Patron of Catholic press, Germany, writers of catechisms)
St. Thomas' Day, the Doubting Thomas (old date, now celebrated on July 3, but many of the superstitions related to it are still observed at this time)
Mumping Day a/k/a Gooding Day -- UK (traditional day on which beggars beg for, or "mump", good things for Christmas, always on old St. Thomas' Day)
Sao Tome Day -- Sao Tome e Principe (Dia de Sao Tome e Principe)
Birthdays Today:
Jackson Rathbone, 1984
Jack Noseworthy, 1969
Kiefer Sutherland, 1966
Andy Dick, 1965
Florence Griffith Joyner, 1959
Ray Romano, 1957
Jane Kaczmarek, 1955
Chris Evert, 1954
Tina Brown, 1953
Samuel L. Jackson, 1948
Michael Tilson Thomas, 1944
Frank Zappa, 1940
Jane Fonda, 1937
Phil Donahue, 1935
Joe Paterno, 1926
Paul Winchell, 1922
Heinrich Böll, 1917
Josh Gibson, 1911
Joseph Stalin, 1879
Henrietta Szold, 1860
Benjamin Disraeli, 1804
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Billion Dollar Baby"(Musical), 1945
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"(Film), 1937
"Tillie's Punctured Romance"(Silent Film, first full length comedy), 1914
The Crossword Puzzle, 1913
Basketball, 1891 (first game under the direction of James Naismith, by the rules he had published)
Today in History:
A hurricane hits Holland/Friesland, destroying villages with widespread flooding, 1163
The Battle of Curalaba: The revolting Mapuche Native Americans, led by cacique Pelentaru, inflict a major defeat on Spanish troops in southern Chile; all Spanish cities south of the Biobio river are eventually taken by the Mapuches, and all conquest of Mapuche territories by Europeans practically ceases, until the 1870s "Pacification of Araucania", 1598
William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims land on what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1620
Hue Tay Son becomes emperor Quang Trung of Vietnam, 1788
The Rochdale Pioneers commence business at their cooperative in Rochdale, England, starting the Cooperative movement, 1844
The first Permanent Force cavalry and infantry regiments of the Canadian Army are formed: The Royal Canadian Dragoons and The Royal Canadian Regiment, 1883
The first Word-Cross puzzle, which the printer mislabeled as a Cross-Word (the name that stuck), is published in the New York World, 1913
The first feature length color and sound cartoon, Disney's Snow White, premiers, 1937
Rondane National Park is established as Norway's first national park, 1962
Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew performs the first ever manned Trans Lunar Injection and become the first humans to leave Earth's gravity, 1968
The United Nations adopts the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, 1969
Mexican volcano Popocatepetl, dormant for 47 years, erupts gases and ash, 1994
The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control, 1995
Scientists studying the Sutter's Mill Meteorite announce it contains the oldest material in the Solar System, 2012
We've had a few, and a couple of hiccups, too.
First, there was my trip to the MomAndPop Grocery Store nearby. That's where i stop for basics, and when they have a good sale, i like to stock up on some things. This time, among other things, they had ibuprofen on sale.
As Bigger Girl says, "Mom, at certain times of the month, there better be ibuprofen in the house, or blood will be shed!"
She means it, so i try very hard not to run out.
The MomAndPop store is a good one. Literally begun by a local family, and many of the family, down to what is now the 4th generation, still work at one of the locations. So i was surprised to find, on the morning of the first day of a two day special sale, that there was not a single bottle of the particular ibuprofen on sale on the shelves.
Some stores do that on purpose. They tell you it's on sale, "while supplies last," and stock one of that item, and tell everyone else, "Sorry, we ran out." This place doesn't do that, they aren't those kind of people.
When i asked, i was told the HBA (Health and Beauty Aids) rep hadn't come in yet, there should be some in soon. Then, and this is one reason i love this store, Ms. Edith offered to put two bottles under her register for me to pick up later. Yes, it's her register; if she's not there, that register is closed, and no one messes with it.
A second reason to love the place -- the manager, Mr. Daryl, went in the back and found two bottles (the HBA lady had them delivered, but hadn't come in to shelve them yet), and he handed them to Ms. Edith who came and found me at the back of the store to hand them to me.
Later, #1 Son noted that he was looking for a VCR. When we were at the shelter, i saw two of them, only $5 each. Thus i sent him a text, asking if he wanted me to pick one up.
He didn't answer until over 2 hours later, long after i was home. So i called up to the shelter to ask that one be set aside, and i would come pick it up later.
Both had been sold. You snooze, you lose. Turn up your phone so you can get your mother's texts, son.
Then there was the matter of the weekend's American style football game at the university. Little Girl has desperately wanted to take a special friend, so i decided to stay home and let her use my ticket. Heavens, i've been to more of these games than i can count, so it's not that big of a deal to me, but it's still big for the kids and their friends.
The big deal is, on game days, Sweetie has to go to work. (He usually has weekends off.) Naturally that had to mean his sleep would be disturbed, and it was, by a 2am text from Miss Lizzie, panicking. Next time i see that girl, i'm going to emphasize to her, again, that if it happens after hours, and it's not a 911 emergency, she better wait until morning.
We both slept poorly, then he had to drive in the pouring rain to work. When he got home, after working an 8 hour day, he had just over an hour until it was time to turn around and drive the family back to the university.
They were about to leave when his car wouldn't start. He had driven through high water get to work, and his battery light had been on earlier, and, sure enough, it was the battery. He had, of course, parked in such a way as to block in the car they were to take to the game.
One jump start later, i moved his car, everyone else got in the other, and they were gone.
Now, i get to figure out how to get him a battery, and cram that errand into the million and one others i already have on my plate so that i can leave town on Wednesday. This may also eat into my trip money.
On the good side, it looks like we've ordered everything to get Bigger Girl's computer fixed, and my computer guru has worked with Ol' Bessy a bit. He thinks a bit more RAM will help. It's worth a try, as he has the RAM available at his house, sitting and doing nothing.
Please, though, no more snafus, or hiccups, or errands on my plate. It's full, and i'm going to get indigestion if it piles up any more.
Today is:
Aizu Byakko Matsuri -- Aizuwakamatsu-shi, Fukushima, Japan (ceremonial recreation of a march to war in 1868; through the 24th)
American Business Women's Day -- US (anniversary of the founding of the American Business Women's Association)
Autumnal Equinox -- 20:44UTC related observances
Mabon -- Wicca/Pagan Northern Hemisphere
Ostara -- wicca/Pagan Southern Hemisphere
Alban Elfed -- Celtic Winter Finding
Chuseok -- Korean harvest festival (high point of the festival)
Feast of Carpo -- Greek Horae, goddess of autumn
Kukulcan Snake God Celebration -- Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico (the snake appears at the equinox, a time to honor this Mayan god)
Festival of the Sea Goddess -- Eskimo
Higan -- Japan
Mabon/Fallfest -- Asatru/Norse Pagan (harvest festival, time to make wine and mead for the next winter)
Oenach Carman -- Ancient Celtic Calendar
Sendai Great Tug-of-War -- Sendai, Japan (festival on the equinox that dates back over 400 years)
Svarog's Holiday -- Slavic Pagan Calendar/Asatru (day to drink mead in honor of Svarog, god of fire and the sky)
Banned Books Week begins -- US (sponsored by the ALA; Defend the Freedom to Read, It's Everybody's Job; celebrate your right to read what you want!)
Boidromia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate; honor Apollon as god of rescue during war)
Breakfast, Snack, Elevenses, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Tea, Snack, Dinner, Snack, More Snacks, Supper, Snack, and Bilgewack Celebration Day -- Fairy Calendar (Borms; they are little known relatives of Goblins, given to being overweight and sedentary and lying around feeling ill; bilgewack is their term for having eaten too much and having to lie down.)
Car-Free Day -- this has spread to much of the world; try it for yourself!
Clypping the Church Ceremony -- Painswick, Gloucestershire, England (since 1321, surrounding the church hand in hand for the Clypping Hymn and an open air ceremony)
Coya Raymi -- Inca Native Americans (festival to honor Moon Goddess Quilla, with a focus on purging sickness and evil; through tomorrow, dates approximate)
Dear Diary Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays; get it down on paper!
Elephant Appreciation Day -- sponsored by "Elefunteria" and WildHeart Productions
Feast of Mikeli -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (harvest celebration; through the 24th)
Hobbit Day -- Bilbo's and Frodo's Birthday
Ice Cream Cone Day -- Italo Marchiony applied for a patent for an ice cream cone mold on this day in 1903
Independence Day -- Bulgaria; Mali
International Day of Radiant Peace -- www.radiantpeace.org
National Centenarians Day -- US
National White Chocolate Day
OneWebDay
Princess Martha Louise's Birthday -- Norway (an official flag day)
Ritual of the Netjers of the Two Lands (Upper and Lower Egypt) -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
St. Maurice's Day (Patron of armies, cloth dyers, cloth makers, infantrymen, soldiers, swordsmiths, weavers; Austria; Manresa, Spain; Pianello Val Tidone, Italy; Piedmont, Italy; Sardinia; Stadtsulza, Germany; Pontifical Swiss Guards; against cramps and gout)
Tolkien Week begins (always the Sun - Sat that includes Hobbit Day)
UCI Road World Championships -- Toscana, Italy (Union Cycliste International sponsors these races, through the 29th)
XTERRA Trail Run Nationals -- Ogden/Snowbasin, UT, US (finale of the series of extreme runs held across the country through the year, featuring 21k of extreme, off-road trail runs)
Birthdays Today:
Bonnie Hunt, 1964
Scott Baio, 1961
Joan Jett, 1960
Andrea Bocelli, 1958
Debby Boone, 1956
Shari Belafonte, 1954
Tommy Lasorda, 1927
Michael Farriday, 1791
Lord Chesterfield, 1694
Today in History:
Legion I Italica is created by Emperor Nero, 66
Switzerland becomes an independent state, 1499
The General Provincial Court at Patuxent, MD, US, empanels the first all female jury in the colonies to try the case of a woman accused of murdering her child, 1656
A final 8 people are hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Mass., 1692
Nathan Hale is hanged for spying during American Revolution, 1776
Russia establishes a colony at Kodiak, Alaska, 1784
City of Des Moines, Iowa, is incorporated as Fort Des Moines, 1851
Abraham Lincoln, by executive proclamation, declares that the slaves in the rebelling states shall become free on Jan. 1 of the upcoming year, 1862
Richard Wagner's opera Das Rheingold premieres in Munich, 1869
The first issue of National Geographic Magazine is published, 1888
Queen Victoria surpasses her grandfather, King George III, as the longest reigning monarch in British history, 1895
Italo Marchiony granted a patent for an ice cream cone, 1903
The Duke of York's Picture House opens in Brighton, now the oldest continually operating cinema in Britain, 1910
Ralph J. Bunche becomes the first black winner of the Nobel Peace Price, 1950
The Dead Sea Scrolls are made available to the public for the first time by the Huntington Library, 1991
David Hempleman-Adams becomes the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an open-air, wicker-basket hot air balloon, 2003
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