Could be worse...

...could be raining.  Right?

First, the Jalopy goes out while #2 Son is in the middle of nowhere on the interstate.  We are slowly working out a way to get it fixed, but every step is slow as we trace down an engine we can afford, find a way to have it delivered, and etc.  Then will come paying for installation, and we are blessed that the wonderful Kevin and Lenny are willing to work with us on that part.

Then, there's the call the other day, again from #2 Son, that he had locked the keys to the Honda in the car.  He was, of course, out at his school over in the next parish, and we don't have a spare set because #1 Son lost them a couple of years ago.  The teacher paid for the lock people to come out and get it open, and i sent her a check the next day, so at least we didn't have to drive out there to take care of it ourselves.  Now, however, the remote doesn't work.  The lock guy must have messed up something, and there's no way we are going to get it fixed.  The car can, therefore, no longer be locked at all.

Add to it, Bigger Girl decided to take the scenic route the other day to go pick Sweetie up from work.  Of course, she was watching the ducks on the lake and not her speed.  She now has her first speeding ticket under her belt.  The good thing is, though, that because it's her first, she can take the class and get it erased.  We still have to deal with all of the hassle, though, and she's distraught about it.

All these things could be worse, and if i'm ever tempted to be upset, i just have to think of Little Girl's friend Anne.

Over a year ago, Anne stepped off of the school bus and somehow stepped down wrong, and injured her foot.  Several doctors later, they still couldn't figure out what was wrong, until they got an orthopedist who realized she needed surgery to repair a ligament.  She had the surgery, and was moving around on crutches and having physical therapy, with high hopes that she would make a full recovery.

Her foot will still probably fully recover.  However, the other day she was crutching through the kitchen where the dogs had spilled some water from their bowl, and down she went.  She broke her arm and seriously jammed her wrist and may need surgery, as her hand is losing feeling and circulation.

No matter how badly you think you have it, there's always someone in more need for whom to pray.


Today is:

Balloon Ascension Day / Aviation in America Day -- the first manned free balloon flight in the US was on this date in 1793 at Philadelphia

Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival -- Chicago, IL, US (12th annual, celebrating the best in local and national sketch comedy; through the 19th)

Feast of All Fairies -- Fairy Calendar

Feast of the Most Holy Black Nazarene -- Quiapo District, Manila, Philippines (culmination of the celebrations; a 400 year old Catholic procession with a black life-sized wooden statue of Jesus)

Festival of the Agonalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (gifts given to Janus)

Hatsu-Ichi -- Maebashi, Japan (a daruma -- good luck doll -- market, to start the year off right)

"I Will Stay" Day -- Brazil (anniversary of the start of the Independence Movement in 1922)

National Apricot Day

Peace Agreement Day -- South Sudan

Positively Penguins Day -- a day to celebrate all things penguin

Republic Day -- Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Static Cling/Static Electricity Day -- on some sites, listed as April 26; i can only ask why it's listed anywhere for any reason

St. Marciana's Day (Patron of those with wounds)

Stepfather's Day -- not official, but it should be, there are some great stepfathers out there

Stuffed Animal Laundry Day -- give that old bear a bath!

Toka Ebisu -- Japan (parades and shrine rituals through Japan, but especially in Kyoto, Osaka, and Fukuoka; through the 11th)

Ultimate Fishing Show -- Detroit, MI, US (through Sunday)

Winterskol -- Aspen, Colorado (Aspen's annual "toast to winter", through Sunday)


Anniversaries Today:

Connecticut becomes the 5th US State, 1788


Birthdays Today:

Sergio Garcia, 1980
Dave Matthews, 1967
Joely Richardson, 1965
Mark Martin, 1959
Imelda Staunton, 1956
J.K. Simmons, 1955
Crystal Gayle, 1951
Jimmy Page, 1944
Joan Baez, 1941
Susannah York, 1941
Byron Barlett "Bart" Starr, 1934
Bob Denver, 1935
Judith Krantz, 1928
Lee Van Cleef, 1925
Les Paul, 1915
Gypsy Rose Lee (Rose Hovick), 1914
Richard Nixon, 1913
Simone De Beauvoir, 1908
Chic Young, 1901
Carrie Lane Chapman Catt, 1859
Gracie Fields, 1898


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"It Takes a Thief"(TV), 1968
"Rawhide"(TV), 1959
"Dear Abby"(newspaper column), 1956
"Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze"(Film), 1894


Today in History:

Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, 475
Seven hundred Jews, believed to be causing the Black Death, are burned in their homes in Basel, Switzerland, 1349
The first sighting of manatees by a European (Columbus), 1493
Philip Astley stages the first modern circus in London, 1768
The first hot-air balloon flight in the US lifts off in Philadelphia, 1793
Income Tax is introduced in the UK (to fund the war against Napoleon), 1799
Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson receives a state funeral and is interred in St Paul's Cathedral, 1806
Sir Humphry Davy tests the Davy lamp for miners at Hebburn Colliery, 1816
The Daguerrotype photo process is announced at French Academy of Science, 1839
Thomas Henderson makes the first measure of stellar parallax, of Alpha Centauri, 1839
The Astor Library opens in NYC, 1854
The first hostilities of the Civil War, at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, 1861
The Great Gale of 1880 devastates parts of Oregon and Washington with high wind and heavy snow, 1880
New England Telephone and Telegraph installs the first battery-operated telephone switchboard in Lexington, Massachusetts, 1894
Alfred Tennyson's son, Hallam, the Second Baron Tennyson, becomes the second Governor General of Australia, 1903
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., the first historically black intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity to be officially recognized at Howard University is founded, 1914
The Ottoman Empire prevails in the Battle of Çanakkale, as the last British troops are evacuated, 1916
Juan de la Cierva makes the first autogiro (helicopter) flight, Spain, 1923
A fire at the Laurier Palace movie theatre in Quebec, Montreal, kills 78 children, 1927
Several Panamanian youths try to raise the Panamanian flag on the U.S.-controlled Panama Canal Zone, leading to fighting between U.S. military and Panamanian civilians, 1964
Elections are held to replace Yasser Arafat as head of the Palestine Liberation Organization. He is succeeded by Rawhi Fattouh, 2005
Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement rebel group sign a peace agreement in Naivasha, Kenya, 2005

Relatively Speaking

 For many years i have maintained the my #2 Son is a born con artist, just like his Grandpa and Uncle J.  Natural born smooth talkers, salesmen extraordinaire, they could all sell eggs to chicken farmers.  In fact, Grandpa once managed to convince the cranky old priest at a local parish to let his college group hold weekly dances that he would organize in the gymnasium by promising the priest a cut of the proceeds (the priest was also notoriously stingy and always looking for ways to rake in more money for the parish).

When i wonder where #2 Son got it, i only have to remember things like the conversation around the table yesterday at our Mother's Day dinner.

Uncle J was talking about many years ago when he was in college.  He was heading home, a fourteen to sixteen hour drive usually, and he made it in just over 8 hours, with only one stop for gas, restroom, and a bite of fast food.

He then told how he was going down the highway on that trip and saw a police officer's lights go on behind him, then disappear as the officer had to turn around to come back up the interstate toward him.  At first, when he saw the lights, he was tempted to get off at the next exit and hurry to go park somewhere, but decided to just wait, and take his medicine if needed.  When he realized the officer was actually after him, he pulled over.

The officer came over and asked for license, registration and insurance, and as my brother got the stuff out the officer said, "Son do you realize you were doing a bit over 90 miles per hour?"

Uncle J, who had actually been doing almost 130mph, responded, "Yes, sir, I know I was doing at least 95, and I shouldn't have been doing that."

The officer further said, seeing his out of state driving license, "Do you realize that doing anything over 25mph above the speed limit means you get taken to jail?"  Note that this was before limits of 70mph were allowed, and it was 60mph there.

My brother then started to get out of the car.  "Whoa, what are you doing, son?" the officer asked.

"I'm going to get out of the car so you can take me to jail, sir.  I know I was breaking the law."

"Now, son, you've been respectful and cooperative, so I'm not going to take you to jail.  I'm going to take care of you and only give you a ticket for doing 24mph over the speed limit.  This way, all you will have to do is pay the ticket and take the class to get it erased from your record if you haven't had any tickets in the last couple of years."

"No, sir, I haven't had any," Uncle J responded, which was true.

The officer gave him the ticket, and told him to be careful, which of course went in one ear and out the other.  In fact, when Grandma, his mother and mine, asked if he had learned his lesson, he said, "No, of course not!  Now I have a radar detector!"

That's where #2 Son gets it.  From the relatives.


Today is

Arlington National Cemetary Day -- US (the first serviceman to be interred here was Private William Henry Christman, on this date in 1964

Aso ote Tala Lei -- Tuvalu (Gospel Day)

Bun Bung Fai (Rocket Festival) -- Yasothon, Thailand (through the 14th, teams compete to build the highest flier, with no regard for safety!)

Celtic Tree Month Huath (hawthorn) commences

Election Day -- Philippines

Fairy King and Queen Jumping Competition -- Fairy Calendar

Garland Day -- Abbotsbury, Dorset, England

King Norodom Sihamoni's Birthday -- Cambodia

Lemuralia -- Ancient Roman Empire (third day)

Leprechaun Day -- spread around the internet, presumably by the little people themselves, as since St. Patrick gets a day, so should they!

National Apple Pie Day

National Fruit Cocktail Day

Pastele Blajinilor -- Moldova (Memory/Parents' Day)

Royal Ploughing Ceremony Holiday -- Thailand

St Julian of Norwich's Day (Author of what is believed to be the first book written by a woman in the English language, Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love, around 1393)

St. Servatus' Day (3rd Ice Saint, Patron for success; against foot problems, lameness, leg problems, mice, rats, rheumatism, vermin)

Women's Check-up Day 2013 -- US (always the Monday after Mother's Day, encouraging women to be proactive about their health



Birthday Today:

Debby Ryan, 1993
Robert Pattinson, 1986
Samantha Morton, 1977
Darius Rucker, 1966
Stephen Colbert, 1964
Dennis Rodman, 1961
Stevie Wonder, 1950
Ritchie Valens, 1941
Harvey Keitel, 1939
Beatrice Arthur, 1923
Joe Louis, 1914
Arthur Sullivan, 1842
Maria Theresa, 1717


Today in History:

The forces of Mary, Queen of Scots, are defeated by a confederacy of Scottish Protestants under James Stewart, Earl of Moray, her half-brother, 1568
A major earthquake in Santiago, Chile, kills 1/3 of the population, 1643
Captain Arthur Phillip leaves Portsmouth, England  with eleven ships full of convicts (First Fleet) to establish a penal colony in Australia, 1787
Ecuador  gains its independence from Gran Colombia, 1830
The first performance of Finland's national anthem, 1848
Queen Victoria declares Britain neutral in the US Civil War, 1861
The Great Comet of 1861 is discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales, Australia, 1861
Thomas Edison performs the first test of his electric railway, 1880
The Royal Flying Corps (now the Royal Air Force) is established in the United Kingdom, 1912
Igor Sikorsky becomes the first man to pilot a four-engine aircraft, 1913
The first commercial FM radio station in the United States (WDRC-FM) is launched in Bloomfield, Connecticut, 1939
Winston Churchill makes his "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" speech to the House of Commons, 1940
The trade mark Velcro is registered, 1958
The Free Speech Movement is born at UC Berkeley, 1960
Dr. Zakir Hussain becomes the third President  of India and the first Muslim President of Indian Union, 1967
Large groups of students occupy Tiananmen Square and begin a hunger strike, 1989
Johnny Carson makes his last television appearance on Late Show with David Letterman, 1994
A 33 years old British mother Alison Hargreaves, became the first woman to conquer Everest without oxygen or the help of sherpas, 1995
Star Trek: Enterprise broadcasts its final show in the U.S., 2005
Construction of the Calafat-Vidin Bridge between Romania and Bulgaria begins, 2007