The day had already started busy, and it never stopped. Kind of as usual.
Took #1 Son to get a rental. Got the oil changed in my van. Worked around the house, got #2 Son and Bigger Girl to school, ran to the Wal-Mart where they didn't have half of what i needed. Someday i will remember not to go there on the days they don't get a truck in, it's always the same days of the week when they are out of stuff.
Made plans to go get a half size couch from Bigger Girl's friend's house with Brother-in-Law's truck after Sweetie got home from work. It involved him dropping B-i-L at his evening meeting, so dinner had to be done before i left to get the kids again.
All this to say that, when the kids and i finally drove up from school, we were very surprised to see that a quarter of the field in front of our house, part of the school playground/neighborhood park, was black!
We had no idea what happened until we got in the house and Little Girl announced, "The field was on fire!"
"No way!" was #2 Son's shocked reply.
"Yep!" she responded. "I smelled something, and [#1 Son] came in and said to call 911 because the field was on fire, and the fire trucks came, too!"
"Who did it?" Bigger Girl asked.
"We're not sure, but Mike-Next-Door saw these two little kids running off, and he chased them and asked them, and they said they didn't do anything, but they probably did."
That was when #2 Son piped up, "Finally! Finally! For once, they can't say it was me! For once it wasn't me! I have an alibi! I was at school and on the way home when it happened!"
He's right. This is one nobody can pin on him.
Today is:
Accordion Day
Door-to-Door Salespeople Day (Ouch.)
Feast of St. Kentigen (a/k/a Mungo) -- (Patron of Glasgow whose given name meant "head chief" but whose nickname meant "dear one.")
Liberation Day -- Togo
Make Your Dream Come True Day
Midvintersblot -- Ancient Norse Calendar (midwinter festival)
National Peach Melba Day
Old New Year's Day -- Belarus; Georgia; Montenegro; Republic of Macedonia; Republic of Srpska (yes, that's how it's spelled; no, i don't know how to pronounce it); Serbia; Russia; Ukraine; Wales (Julian Calendar)
Recuperation Fortnight begins -- Fairy Calendar (I think I need one of those!)
Runic half month of Peorth (womb) begins
Rubber Duckie Day
Silvesterklause, Switzerland ("Old" New Year's celebration)
St. Hilarius' Day (according to English tradition, the coldest day of the year)
St. Knut's Day (a/k/a Little Christmas or Twentieth Day or Tyvendedagen among the Scandinavians, it is the day to "plunder" the tree put up on Christmas Eve, eating the candies and cookies that were decorating it, and putting all the other decorations away before the tree is removed.)
Stephen Foster Memorial Day
Strive and Succeed Day
Tiugunde Day -- Old England (midwinter offering, a celebration picked up from the Norse Midvintersblot)
Tyvendedagen, Norway (Twentieth day after Christmas, official end of Yuletide or "Juletid")
Birthdays Today:
Orlando Bloom, 1977
Patrick Dempsey, 1966
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 1961
Richard Moll, 1943
Charles Nelson Reilly, 1931
Gwen Verdon, 1925
Army Archerd, 1922
Robert Stack, 1919
Sophia Tucker, 1884
Horatio Alger, 1832
Salmon P. Chase, 1808
Today in History:
Crusaders set fire to Mara, Syria, 1099
Sicut Didum, the papal bull prohibiting the enslavement of Canary Island natives who had converted to Christianity, is promulgated, 1435
The controversial play Eastward Hoe by Ben Jonson, George Chapman, and John Marston is performed, landing two of the authors in prison, 1605
The Bank Of Genoa fails after the announcement of national bankruptcy in Spain, 1607
Jonathan Swift is ordained and Anglican priest in Ireland, 1695
James Oglethorpe and 130 colonists arrive in Charleston, South Carolina, 1733
John Walter publishes the first issue of the London Times, 1785
The Great fire of New Orleans, Louisiana begins, 1830
Dr. William Brydon, a surgeon in the British Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War, becomes famous for being the sole European survivor of an army of 16,500 when he reaches the safety of a garrison in Jalalabad, 1842
Anthony Foss patents the accordion, 1854
A chenille manufacturing machine is patented by William Canter of NYC, 1863
A circus fire in Poland kills 430, 1883
The Independent Labour Party of the UK has its first meeting, 1893
U.S. Marines land in Honolulu from the U.S.S. Boston to prevent the queen from abrogating the Bayonet Constitution, 1893
The first radio set is advertised, a Telimco for $7.50 in Scientific American; claimed to receive signals up to one mile, 1906
The first public radio broadcast takes place; a live performance of the opera Cavalleria rusticana is sent out over the airwaves from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, 1910
An earthquake in Avezzano, Italy kills 29,800, 1915
The Black Friday bush fires burn 20,000 square kilometres of land in Australia, claiming the lives of 71 people, 1939
Henry Ford patents a plastic automobile, which is 30% lighter than a regular car, 1942
Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II, is appointed archbishop of Krakow, Poland, 1964
Robert C. Weaver becomes the first African American US Cabinet member, 1966
Johnny Cash performs live at Folsom Prison, 1968
A passenger train plunged into a ravine at Ethiopia, killing 428 in the worst railroad disaster in Africa, 1985
L. Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American US governor as he takes office in Richmond, Virginia, 1990
Soviet Union military troops attack Lithuanian independence supporters in Vilnius, 1991
An earthquake hits El Salvador, killing more than 800, 2001
Debated whether, after my last post, to use this title, as i might need it again someday*, but it really is true. Today i got one of those calls a mom never wants.
Phone rings, as i stopped to fill the car after leaving homeschool co-op. Hello!
#1 Son: "Mom, i wrecked the car!"
Anyone hurt?
"No, the lady was really nice, too. Let me sit in her truck since it's so cold."
You hit her?
"Yes, from the back, and I think the car is totaled."
He gave me his location, and the younger kids never made it to school today. I got there and the officer was writing everything up. I called Sweetie and got the phone number of our insurance agent. I probably had it in there somewhere, but it was easier to call him.
Talked to the agent, to my favorite mechanic, and to the towing people. The tow is covered, the rental car for us is not. The nice lady he hit has the same insurance company, and if she needs a rental, it will be provided. She has a huge truck, and tows a horse trailer for work, and it is still running. If it can safely tow the trailer (she was heading off to the hitch place to ask when she left), she will continue to use it until they can get it into the shop. If not, she will get the rental sooner rather than later. Her damage really does appear to be just cosmetic in nature, the bumper and tailgate both dented. Nothing underneath appeared damaged in any way, but you never know.
#1 Son said that he looked away for just a split second when something on the side of the road appeared to be heading his direction. The lady realized he was going to hit her, and she actually sped up, which kept her damage from being as bad as it could have been.
We got his important stuff out of the car, and all the cups and the bowl he had accumulated (none of the missing forks, though), and left it there for the tow truck. It was back in our driveway a couple of hours later.
More calls, and the insurance wants it taken to a body shop to be looked at before deciding. The hood is folded in half. The battery is split open. #2 Son came and asked if he could get some of the acid out and melt stuff with it. I said no, but he really, really wants to. The radiator is flat.
The other working headlight won't go off, the windshield wiper fluid is spurting, and the thing still started when the tow truck got it here! The driver said it wouldn't have gone far, but just far enough to back into the driveway, and it did. I was amazed, although it squealed in protest, it really did run.
So tomorrow it is going to the closest body shop, where they will look at it and confirm its demise or declare it repairable. I looked up the value on Kelly Blue Book, and i really think they are going to have to declare it a goner.
#1 Son is being very responsible about it all. He has said he is going to pay for his rental car, because this was his fault and he wants to pay for what he can. So tomorrow morning we will go get him something that will keep him going until we can complete repairs or get money in hand for another beater. Really he does need a hoopdie, as he runs the heck out of his car driving pizza delivery. Might as well put that mileage and wear on something old as to ruin something new.
Right now, i'm just glad no one was hurt, and tomorrow will have to take care of itself for a while.
*One friend, trying to be nice, took one look at my hands when i told her about it and said that what i have is a fungus indigenous to Southeast Asia that all the Vietnam Vets came back with and that is completely incurable. If that turns out to even be remotely true, that is the real phone call i wouldn't want, this one will pale in comparison!
Today is:
Compitalia -- Old Roman Calendar (slave festival to the Lares and Manes, household gods)
Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day
Goblin Gala -- Fairy Calendar (Fairies not invited)
Lift Every Voice and Sing Day (I promise I won't! You, however, are welcome to.)
Make Your Mark Day
Memorial Day -- Turkmenistan
National Clean-Off-Your-Desk Day (Me and what army?)
National Marzipan Day
National Pharmacist Day
National Youth Day -- India
Printing Ink Day
Scalloway Fire Festival -- Shetland Islands (viking festival)
St. Benedict Biscop's Day (founder and patron of patron of English Benedictines, and patron of musicians and painters)
Ullr Festival -- Breckenridge, Colorado (mythical god of winter)
Zanzibar Revolution Day -- Tanzania
Birthdays Today:
Jeff Bezos, 1964
Kirstie Alley, 1955
Howard Stern, 1954
Rush Limbaugh, 1951
Joe Frazier, 1944
Glenn Yarborough, 1930
Ray Price, 1926
Luise Rainer, 1910
Tex Ritter, 1905
Joe E. Lewis, 1902
Jack London, 1876
John Singer-Sargent, 1856
Charles Perrault, 1628
Today in History:
Tsarina Elizabeth establishes the first university in Russia, 1755
The first US public museum is established, in Charlestown, South Carolina, 1773
Mission Santa Clara de Asis is founded in California, 1777
The first cargo arrives in New Orleans by steamship, from Natchez, 1812
Anthracite coal is first used to smelt iron, in Mauch Chunk,Pennsylvania, 1839
The Royal Aeronautical Society is founded in England, 1866
The Dow-Jones closes above 100 for the first time, 1906
A long-distance radio message is sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time, 1908
The University of the Philippines College of Law is formally established; three future Philippine presidents are among the first enrollees, 1911
The United States House of Representatives rejects a proposal to give women the right to vote, 1915
Finland's "Mosaic Confessors" law went into effect, making Finnish Jews full citizens, 1918
Hattie W. Caraway becomes the first woman elected to the United States Senate, 1932
Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation, 1967
An act of the U.S. Congress authorizes the use of military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait, 1991
A new constitution, providing for freedom to form political parties, is approved by a referendum in Mali, 1992
Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning, 1998
The world's largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage, 2004
Deep Impact launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta 2 rocket, 2006
The French warship Clemenceau reaches Egypt and is barred access to the Suez Canal, 2006
Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) reaches perihelion becoming the brightest comet in more than 40 years, 2007
An earthquake in Haiti kills an estimated 230,000 and destroys most of Port-au-Prince, 2010
A couple of years ago, i got a bad infection. There is no telling where i picked it up, it was a simple bacteria that my Dr. M. says is everywhere. It made my face swell up, and had me on a strong antibiotic for a while.
We thought we were done with it when the infection came back, in my finger this time. It was strange, but again Dr. M reassured me that this happens a lot now. The problem this time was that, after about a week on the antibiotic, i got a fungal infection in that finger. It was something that was taking advantage of the lack of good bacteria in the area, he told me, an opportunistic infection. I took an antifungal for 6 months.
Again, we thought we were done with it all, but then, last December, a red, sore place that seemed like the beginning of another infection, on a different finger. After looking at it, Dr. M. decided it was a bite of some sort, like a spider or something. An antibiotic was prescribed to prevent infection. One dose of antibiotic, and the finger that had the fungal infection swelled up like crazy.
So, another antifungal, and a cortisone shot to bring down inflammation.
Finished the antibiotic, most of the way through the antifungal, and now, more and more spots appear on my hands. The original "bite" is reswelling. My hands hurt in various places. So, back to Dr.M.
He is totally stumped. He says this may be a deep infection in the bone, and sends me to an orthopedist, Dr. S. Dr. S. was young and didn't impress me the way most young doctors do. He seemed like he just didn't know much. He said it looked like a contact dermatitis to him, and he wanted me to see a hand specialist, and an infectious disease specialist, and have some blood work done. He also told me to touch no chemicals at all, and to not use gloves to clean. This after i told him it was only after the symptoms got worse that i began wearing gloves. Try cleaning a house or the church without touching any chemicals or using gloves to keep from touching them.
It turned out the hand specialist was one of his partners, Dr. N. By this time, i am wondering why my own doctor didn't send me to that guy in the first place. I had been all day at doctors, and getting blood work, and everything, but Dr. N. happened to have a slot open right then, so i rechecked in at the front of the office, and got to start over.
Dr. N. is smart. You don't get to be his age and practice medicine and get people respecting the work you do with a certain body part without being very smart. He heard me out and told me what makes the most sense of everything.
"This isn't behaving like and infection, like Dr. M. thought. And it doesn't look like a contact dermatitis problem, like Dr. S. thought. This is an autoimmune thing. I don't think you ever had a bite at all. Bites get blamed too often. I'm thinking rheumatoid arthritis, a vasculitis, or something that is degenerating the cartilage. I'm putting you on a steroid for 6 days, and i want to see you back then. If this takes all the swelling and pain down, then we are on the right track and you need to see a rheumatologist."
So, we are closer to the answer, an answer that makes sense. It is not an easy answer to live with, but it is a darn sight better than a series of infections that we can't clear up.
Today is:
Burning of the Clavie -- Burghead, Scotland
Carmentalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival of the goddess of childbirth)
Eugenio Maria de Hostos Day -- Puerto Rico
Kagami-Biraki, Japan (opening and eating of the New Year's rice cakes)
Independence Resistance Day -- Morocco
International Thank You Day
Juturna -- Ancient Roman goddess of prophetic waters festival
National Clean Off Your Desk Day
National Hot Toddy Day
Republic Day -- Albania
Secret Pal Day (Do something nice for someone, secretly.)
Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day
Tattoo Pride Day
Unity Day -- Nepal
Use More of Your Mind Day
Birthdays Today:
Kim Coles, 1962
Ben Crenshaw, 1952
Naomi Judd, 1946
Jean Chretien, 1934
Rod Taylor, 1930
Grant Tinker, 1926
Alexander Hamilton, 1755
Today in History:
Prophet of Islam Muhammad leads an army of 10,000 Muslims to conquer Mecca, 630
The first recorded lottery in England is drawn in St. Paul's Cathedral, 1569
Isaac Newton is elected a member of the Royal Society, 1642
Mt. Etna erupts, 1693
William Herschel discovers Titania and Oberon, the moons of Uranus, 1787
An earthquake in Martinique destroys half of Port Royal and results in about 700 deaths, 1839
Charring Cross Station opens in London, 1864
Milk is first delivered in bottles, 1878
Martha H. Cannon becomes the first woman state senator in the US, in Utah, 1897
The Hudson, the first sedan type automobile, goes on display at the 13th Auto Show in NYC, 1913
First use of insulin to treat diabetes in a human patient, 1922
Amelia Earhart flies from Honolulu to Oakland, California, 1935
The first recorded snowfall in Los Angeles, California, 1949
United States Surgeon General Luther Leonidas Terry, M.D., publishes a landmark report saying that smoking may be hazardous to health, sparking nation- and worldwide anti-smoking efforts, 1964
The Gateway Bridge, Brisbane in Queensland, Australia is officially opened, 1986
Our vehicle trouble may be solved in a most unexpected way.
My brother, the children's Uncle P., a former seminary student, has decided to move to NYC for a year to work with a ministry among the homeless. So he is going to be giving his car to us, if it all works out. He will also offer us any of his furniture we would like to have.
His desire is to work there for a year, maybe longer, and eventually move back to south Louisiana to begin such work here.
If this does work out, #1 Son will drive the newer vehicle, Sweetie will get the Sonata (which will be much better on gas than the old van, or even than my van) to drive back and forth to work.
Once Bigger Girl is driving, we hope soon, i will let her use the van to go back and forth to school. That will mean no vehicle for me during their school hours, but that's okay, i don't usually go anywhere at that time anyway. I can get all my errands and appointments done earlier in the day, as their school only goes from 1-5pm.
Now if we could only solve the problem of too many foster kittens in the house that easily.
Today is:
Festival of Securitas -- Roman Empire (goddess of security, what else?)
Geraint -- Wales
National Bittersweet Chocolate Day
National Cut Your Energy Costs Day
Peculiar People Day (Celebrate all the strange and peculiar people in your life, including me!;) )
Plough Monday -- Medieval Europe
Seijin Shiki -- Japan (Adult's Day, or Coming of Age Ceremony)
Show and Tell at Work Day
St. Peter Orseolo's Day
Traditional Day -- Benin
Birthdays Today:
Pat Benatar, 1953
Bonnie Hellman, 1950
George Foreman, 1949
Rod Stewart, 1945
Jim Croce, 1943
Sal Mineo, 1939
Gisele MacKenzie, 1927
Johnnie Ray, 1927
Paul Henreid, 1908
Ray Bolger, 1904
Grigori Rasputin, 1869 (O.S.)
Mary Ingalls, 1865
George Washington Carver, 1864
Charles Ingalls, 1836
Today in History:
Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, begins a civil war, BC46
"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine is published, 1776
Napoleon divorces Josephine, 1810
Poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning begin their correspondence, 1845
The first underground railway opens in London, 1863
John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil, 1870
The first great Texas oil gusher is discovered at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas, 1901
The League of Nations is established, 1920
The United States Army Signal Corps successfully conducts Project Diana, bouncing radio waves off the moon and receiving the reflected signals, 1946
The United States and the Vatican establish full diplomatic relations after 117 years, 1984
"Yeeouch!" Sweetie was yelling and plunged his hand under running water, and continued to yell.
What happened?
"That little fart bit me!" he yelled, pointing to Ashfur. It seems he was trying to give her a tasty tidbit, and she showed him that you cannot hand feed her. I could have told him that, but at least this way he will remember.
Seriously, the four youngest kittens, Ashfur (the runt), Shockolate, Gladys Knight, and Ferncloud, and the next oldest set, Nightpelt and Ming, have become little land sharks for real. I often joke that kittens are that when they are screaming for the bottle every 10 minutes as babies. These have shown me what kind of little sharks they really can become.
The want food. They don't just want their kitten food, which has to have fortiflora and KMR powder sprinkled on it. They want that and treats. They want meat treats. All Day Long. They hang around the kitchen begging, and if you drop something, they are on it, hissing, growling, running away with it to keep it from the others, trying to steal from each other. No matter how much you put down for everyone, they all act like they are starving to death and on a feeding frenzy.
About a week ago, i had boiled off some smoked turkey necks for the stock. I then deboned the meat and kept it to give the little guys. That is what started it, they just went nuts. Now it is any form of meat, or anything else that gets dropped. Do not try to give it to them by hand if you do want to give them something. Make sure you just drop it on the floor, and lead them to it. Otherwise you will end up with your hand under the running water, yelling for the alcohol and a band aid, as Sweetie did.
In fact, just the other day i was gathering my kitchen towels and dishrags to wash, and one of those smelled so good that Shockolate grabbed it out of the basket, and was running away with it, growling. I had to chase him across the library to get it back. When i got back to the basket, Ashfur and Gladys were taking turns swiping at each other and chewing the cheesecloth i had used to strain meat stock. I had to throw that away instead of being able to wash it.
So, no more treats. They have to be broken of this habit, so they can be adopted. No one would want a kitten that is so food crazy it can't take a treat from your hand without sinking in a fang.
Today is:
Balloon Ascension Day
Choreographer's Day
Clean Off Your Desk Day
Feast of All Fairies -- Fairy Calendar
Feast of the Most Holy Black Nazarene -- Quiapo district, Manila, Philippines
Festival of the Agonalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar
Holy Family Day -- Christian
Jackson Day -- Louisiana (104th Annual Jackson Day Race in New Orleans, oldest street race in the South and 5th oldest in the nation.)
Martyr's Day -- Panama
National Apricot Day
National Static Electricity Day
Positively Penguins Day
Republic Day -- Republika Srpska
St. Adrain of Canterbury's Day
Stepfather's Day
Anniversaries Today:
Connecticut becomes the 5th US State, 1788
Birthdays Today:
Dave Matthews, 1967
Mark Martin, 1959
Crystal Gayle, 1951
Jimmy Page, 1944
Joan Baez, 1941
Susannah York, 1941
Bob Denver, 1935
Les Paul, 1915
Gypsy Rose Lee (Rose Hovick), 1914
Richard Nixon, 1913
Chic Young, 1901
Gracie Fields, 1898
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
Work this week was a bit -- squirrelly. #2 Son thought he was feeling better, until his noodles ended up in the bushes the hard way. One by one the children have gotten that sick to the stomach feeling.
Oh, well, at least it seems to only be a couple of days thing.
Meanwhile, Kida Cat's sneezies have passed on to Mike, and now the other kittens are wheezing a bit, too. None have gotten it as badly as Kida and Mike, though. At least, so far. I have plenty of kitty decongestant and Clavamox on hand. I will dispense as needed. Rats! as i had so hoped to get at least two of them to adoption day this weekend.
Oh, and where, if i might ask, do forks go? Since the table incident, eating has been wherever it has happened to be. Mostly in rooms that have doors to keep kittens out, as they climb in laps to try to get to whatever you are consuming. Most of the plates and bowls and cups and cutlery have come back, but not the forks. We are down to two. One is Sweetie's that he got at the military surplus store and that i hide every time he uses it so it will be there next time, the other is a tiny shrimp fork that i don't even know where it came from. I would go out and buy more, but we are saving for a small table to put the microwave and fruit bowls on, and besides, they would probably just disappear, too. Is there a monster out there that just eats metal forks?
Today is:
Bubble Bath Day
Children's Day -- Thailand
Commonwealth Day -- Northern Mariana Islands
Feast of St. Gudula (patron of Brussels; against toothaches)
Gynaecocratia -- Macedonia (women's day off, the men have to take care of the house, the women get to go do whatever they want! Perhaps in remembrance of when this was the Midwife's Day in Ancient Greece?)
Justitia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of justice)
Learn to Ski Day (No!!! I tried once, as a teen, and vowed never again!)
Midwife's Day -- Ancient Greek Calendar
National English Toffee Day
National Joy Germ Day (Infect others with joy, I like this idea.)
Old Hickory Day (Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson leads the victory in the Battle of New Orleans)
Rock 'n' Roll Day (Elvis' birthday, of course)
Rural or Lesser Dyonisia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (one of the 4 festivals of Dionysus/Bacchus)
Show and Tell Day at Work ("Traditional" date -- what tradition!?! -- moved to a Monday if it falls on a weekend.)
Birthdays Today:
Ami Dolenz, 1969
Don Bendell, 1947
David Bowie, 1947
Robbie Krieger, 1946
Stephen Hawking, 1942
Yvette Mimieux, 1939
Bob Eubanks, 1938
Shirley Bassey, 1937
Elvis Presley, 1935
Charles Osgood, 1933
Soupy Sales, 1926
Ron Moody, 1924
Larry Storch, 1923
Jose Ferrer, 1912
Butterfly McQueen, 1911
Galina Ulanova, 1910
James Longstreet, 1821
Today in History:
Monoco gains its independence, 1297
Genoa, Italy expels Jews, 1598
The oldest surviving commercial newspaper begins in Haarlem, Netherlands, 1675
The New York Fishing Company is the first American commercial corporation chartered, 1675
Premiere performance of George Frideric Handel's Ariodante at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1734
US President George Washington delivers the first "State of the Union" address, 1790
Victor, the Wild Boy of Aveyron, emerges voluntarily from the wild in southern France (he had been captured and escaped before), 1800
The Battle of New Orleans, 1815
The first US music school, the Boston Academy of Music, is established, 1833
The US national debt hits $0 for the first and only time, 1835
Alfred Vail demonstrates a telegraph system using dots and dashes (this is the forerunner of Morse code), 1836
Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle with the US Cavalry at Wolf Mountain in Montana Territory, 1877
Dr. Herman Hollerish receives the first US patent for a tabulating machine, considered by some to be the earliest computer, 1889
The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system, 1904
Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is exhibited in the United States for the first time, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., 1963
Soviet space mission Luna 21 is launched, 1973
The RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest passenger ship ever built, is christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, 2004
"Mom, please, before we get to the school, pull over so I can use a restroom!" #2 Son has never made that request before, so i asked if something was wrong. "Yes, what I'm going to do to the bathroom i don't want to do to the school!"
I complied, and he went into the store/gas station/fast food place that you find at every exit in the US now.
He came out a few minutes later, green. "Mom, I'm sick! Please don't make me go to school!"
How sick?
"Barf sick," he responded, groaning.
We dropped off Bigger Girl, and he groaned and spit in a cup the whole way home. Over the next few hours, he figured out that whatever this is, it's going to come out of one end or the other. So of course he couldn't help at the shelter.
After picking Sweetie up from work early, getting the kittens from the vet, and finishing dinner, it was time to pick up Bigger Girl and go do our Thursday Kitty Care. So Little Girl and i set out, leaving poor #2 Son groaning in his favorite chair.
Fight the traffic, not too bad today except for the one person who waited until he saw my signal and purposely cut around me to keep me from getting over. Poor guy, not a strong enough person to be nice. We pulled up to see Miss W's truck and the new Bill the Executive Administrator's car in the lot. Miss W's truck was piled with cat litter in the back, and i figured we would be drafted to use the hand truck and cart it in. We were, and that's okay, she got it in there from the store, it was the least we could do.
Bill the E.A. has apparently been putting in some long hours in his first week. There's a lot to do when you take over organizing a place that has been totally volunteer run since its inception. Lots of things fall through the cracks when people with full time jobs and part time to dedicate to service have to do it all.
A quick look at the board held the good news that Nanette has been adopted. So has Muffin, but i don't remember if i noted that one last week, or if it just happened. There wasn't a date by it, and i'm not going back and looking right now. Either way, any adoption is good news.
There were some changes, as the decorations are all down, many piled in a corner waiting to be packed, and some rooms have been switched around.
Scanning the rooms, Dustie and Angel have been moved from the very back room to the very front room on their side. They are also under watch for watery eyes and sneezing. Across from them, poor Bowie has an eye infection. Thank goodness it isn't JuJu, there would be no way to get eye drops into her eyes without chain mail gauntlets. Bowie held still and let me put them in. I'm still upset that someone managed to do something to him that got him to bite at the adoption center. He is so precious.
Tiger and Buddy are doing well in their room, and Mamie is by herself for now. Harley is also alone, because if he has a roomie there is no way to tell if he is eating. Miss W. asked me to check him for dehydration, and he doesn't show signs of it. He doesn't seem to have eaten for a few days now, except when we give him Fancy Feast. Even then, he just doesn't eat it all, he nibbles at it. I would wonder if he is holding out for wet food if he gobbled it, but that is not the case.
Harley splits a can of FF each morning and evening with Lucky, who is now allowed to roam at will. He is so old, and so slow, that he is not considered much of a risk to run. Miss W warned me that he has to get his pill pocket with his meds before his wet food, or he won't eat the pill pocket. So i gave it to him first, but he dropped part of the pill out as he ate it. I had to wrap that in a bit of the FF wet food to get him to eat that. He finally got it all, and i gave him his FF in his bowl. He spent a good 20 minutes eating at it, and only managed to eat about half of it. No wonder he doesn't gain weight even with that and two kinds of dry food.
Sophia and Roxanne are doing well, as are Francie and Iggy. As for TigerLily and Bobby the Bobtail, i am amazed at the lengths we go to for those two. Their food is a mix of 30% indoor adult, 30% weight management, 30% hairball control, and 10% dental care. Talk about picky!
In our very full cages we have Scottie, Isabelle, Molly, Manimal (Manny), and Monty, who likes to escape. Corrie is back there, having been returned from the adoption center at the pet store for diarrhea. We will watch, but they send them back for diarrhea if there is even a tiny bit of softness to the stool. It's silly, most of the time there is nothing wrong.
Then there is Rocky. He is about 3 months old, and was rescued from the mouth of a German Shepherd (sound familiar? remember Rory?). The dog owner took him to the emergency vet to the tune of $350, and the little guy has a torn diaphragm. He is wanting to run and play and be a kitten, but he has to stay still and quiet and in the cage so he can heal up with no complications. He is on Clavamox, so i pulled up the dose and opened his cage. He purred just seeing me, purred as i petted him, and only stopped purring when i actually gave him the medicine. After he swallowed, i asked him if we were still friends. He started purring and treading his paws again, and probably would have let me pet him forever. What a love of a cat he will be.
Leo and Louie are kittens also, just a bit shy, so need lots of petting. They were abandoned at the shelter, look to be about 4 months old, and are in a separate cage in the kitchen until all the vet work is done on them. When you first reach out to them, they back up a bit, but then come forward with coaxing and warm up fast. Good for them.
As i moved around looking for everyone, i noticed Bill the E.A. leaves the office door open as he works. That's find by me, but it had an effect i wasn't expecting. I walked in to say hello to Frieda and pet her, and she hissed and batted at me. Wow. I wasn't sure what was wrong until i realized Lucky had wandered in. Frieda doesn't like the door open if there are any other cats around. Later, after we closed the door, she calmed down and let me pet her as usual. She needs a home to herself, that is for sure.
The big room only has seven occupants right now, as Gidget is back at the adoption center. For the record, i didn't let Grady out, Bigger Girl did, and Little Girl caught him. He actually didn't put up much of a fight this time. Clint and Baby were hiding, Prissy let me pet her head, Candy and Ginny played chase, and Zoe came out for petting. They seem to be doing well.
Because #2 Son wasn't there, it took us a good half an hour longer to get it all done. It was still worth it, 32 cats got what they needed.
Today is:
Celebration of the First Week of Moonhopper -- Fairy Calendar
Distaff Day -- Medieval Europe
Festa del Tricolore -- Italy (Tricolour or Flag Day)
Ganna -- Ethiopia (Corresponds to Christmas for the rest of us)
Grandmothers/Midwives Day -- Bulgaria (Grandmothers as midwives of their grandchildren, for the role they play in the traditional family.)
Harlem Globetrotters' Day
I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore Day
International Programmers' Day
Nanakusa no Sekku -- Japan (Festival of Seven Herbs)
National Tempura Day
Nativity of Christ -- Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christians who still use the Julian Calendar.
Old Rock Day (So we don't forget to appreciate the fossils and old rocks in our lives.)
St. Aldric's Day (patron against asthma)
Usokae -- Kameido Tenmangu Shrine, Fukuoka, Japan (Bullfinch Exchange Day)
Birthdays Today:
Nicholas Cage, 1964
Katie Couric, 1957
David Caruso, 1956
Kenny Loggins, 1948
Paul Revere, 1938
William Peter Blatty, 1928
Jean-Pierre Rampal, 1922
Charles Addams, 1912
St Bernadette, 1844
Millard Fillmore, 1800
Today in History:
Calais, the last English possession in France, is taken back by the French, 1558
Boris Godunov seizes the Russian throne upon the death of Feodore I, 1598
Fire destroys Jamestown, Virginia, 1608
Galileo discovers the first 3 moons of Jupiter (Io, Europa, and Ganymede), 1610
Francis Bacon becomes the English Lord Chancellor, 1618
A prototype typewriter is patented by Englishman Henry Mill, 1714
Battle at Panipat India: the Afghan army beats Mahratten, 1761
The Bank of North America opens in Philadelphia, the first US commercial bank, 1782
The first gas balloon flight across the English channel, by Blanchard and Jeffries, 1785
The modern Italian flag is first used, 1797
Liberia is colonized by Americans, 1822
The first railroad station in the US, in Baltimore, opens, 1830
Fanny Farmer publishes her first cookbook, 1896
The distress signal "CQD" is established only to be replaced two years later by "SOS", 1904
The first steamboat passage through the Panama Canal, 1914
The Harlem Globetrotters play their first game, 1927
The first transatlantic telephone service is established – from New York City to London, 1927
"Buck Rogers", the first sci-fi comic strip, and "Tarzan," one of the first adventure comic strips, premier, 1929
Guy Menzies flies the first solo non-stop trans-Tasman flight (from Australia to New Zealand) in 11 hours and 45 minutes, crash-landing on New Zealand's west coast, 1931
The "Flash Gordon" comic strip (by Alex Raymond) debuts, 1934
President Harry Truman announces that the United States has developed the hydrogen bomb, 1952
The first public demonstration of a machine translation system, is held in New York at the head office of IBM, 1954
Marian Anderson becomes the first black singer to perform at the Met (NYC), 1955
The Polaris missile is test launched, 1960
Surveyor 7, the last spacecraft in the Surveyor series, lifts off, 1968
Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), 1984
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launches Sakigake, Japan's first interplanetary spacecraft and the first deep space probe to be launched by any country other than the United States or the Soviet Union, 1985
The interior of the Leaning Tower of Pisa is closed to the public because of safety concerns, 1990
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