Step by Step

Tuesday is Navy Day for us.


The Pensacola Naval Air Station is the spring and summer home of the Blue Angels, and practices are open to the public on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.


Only Bigger Girl, Teresa and i were up to getting up so early, and we got to see an extra long practice run. What i didn't know before we went was that there had been a stand down in the several weeks before this, and no practices were allowed. So they were making up for lost time with the show season coming up, having to practice long, and, as i found later, twice a day.


So we saw the show, then went into the museum. They have opened a new wing, and changed some displays, but the WWII exhibit looks just as always, being one of my favorite areas. Sweetie came out to have lunch with us, bringing Teresa's packages her mom had sent, so she would have another camera. She was in photographer's heaven, i believe.


A funny occurrence at lunch. The menu is limited, mostly soups, sandwiches, nachos, and some salads. Everything but the small garden salad has meat or cheese in or on it. So i ordered the larger salad that usually comes with grilled chicken and fruit, asking that they leave off the meat and give me lots of fruit. The server noted that, with the word "vegetarian" next to the order as i saw later on the tab. Well, the chef must be clumsy or have a sense of humor or hates vegetarians, because the salad was just as i wanted but with one tiny speck of grilled chicken under a couple of lettuce leaves, hiding. It made me laugh, as i wonder if it was an accident or not. That speck i left pointedly on the side of the plate, with a grin.


After lunch, we felt like we were up for the lighthouse, and so over we went. The place is supposed to be haunted, and while i don't know about that, i do know that it wasn't an easy life, being a lighthouse keeper. This tour just brought it home to me even more. There were displays in the basement from a school's history fair about lighthouses, and one was about women who worked as keepers. Up every two hours at night to pull the chains that kept the light revolving, sort of like winding a clock, having to haul huge amounts of fuel up the stairs and trim the wicks, and keep the light burning no matter how bad the weather.


"Up the stairs" is one of the key phrases. Bigger Girl and i paid to go up, it is equivalent to about 15 flights. When we got up there, we received the award of being able to see the Blue Angels in their second practice run of the day. Watching from up there is even more impressive. The lighthouse keepers hauled supplies up those stairs and only got more work for their reward. They were brave souls, and deserve more credit than most of us think.


We went back to the antique shop/flea market after, and then home to see what everyone was doing. Turned out all were lounging, eating, swimming, lounging more, and just generally doing what you do on vacation. So i took the opportunity to go to the store and pick up a few things we had forgotten, like orange juice.

Today is

Belmont Stakes

Billy the Kid Tombstone Race -- Fort Sumner, New Mexico (racers carry an 80 pound tombstone through an obstacle course!)

Corn on the Cob Day

Davis Day -- Cape Breton, NS, Canada

Kallemooi -- Holland (Fishermen of the North welcome spring)

King Kamehameha Day -- Hawai'i, US

Luilak -- Holland (Lazy bones day, celebrated in the west)

National German Chocolate Cake Day

Rites of Matralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar

St. Barnabas' Day (patron of harvests, Cyprus) a/k/a Barnaby Bright Day or Long Barnaby*

St. Bartholomew's Day

The Wicket World of Croquet Day

Trooping the Colour -- UK (military celebration of the monarch's birthday)

*Under the Julian calendar, June 11, St. Barnabas' Day, was the longest

day of the year --

Barnaby Bright, Barnaby Bright,

The longest day

And the shortest night

Anniversaries Today:

Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon, 1509

Birthdays Today:

Shia LeBeouf, 1986

Caroline Quentin, 1961

Dr. Mehmet Oz, 1960

Hugh Laurie, 1959

Joe Montana, 1956

Adrienne Barbeau, 1945

Chad Everett, 1936

Gene Wilder, 1933

Vince Lombardi, 1913

Jacques Cousteau, 1910

Today in History:

Troy is sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes, BC1184

Philip II recognizes the rights and privileges of the local nobles and chieftains in the Philippines, which paves way to the creation of the Principalía, 1594

The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence, 1776

Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reaches Alaska, 1788

The first American stove patent is granted to Robert Haeterick, 1793

The Limelight Department, one of the world's first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia, 1892

New Zealand annexes the Cook Islands, 1901

Sir Barton wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to win the Triple Crown, 1919

Inventor Edwin Armstrong gives the first public demonstration of FM broadcasting in the United States at Alpine, New Jersey, 1935

Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin become the only prisoners to escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island, 1962

Antonio Meucci is acknowledged as the first inventor of the telephone by the United States Congress, 2002

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes an historic official apology to Canada's First Nations in regard to a residential school abuse in which children are isolated from their homes, families and cultures for a century, 2006

Monday and the Mall

"Hey, mom, is there a pizza cutter in here?" #2 Son had just finished a plate of the brisket that Doc had made for dinner, and was going to top it off with his favorite snack.


No, son, they don't have a pizza cutter here, you'll have to use a knife.


Don't tell the kids, but half of a mommy's super power is not eyes in the back of her head, but good hearing. As i heard the familiar tiny "click" of his pocket knife being opened, without turning i told him to not use that.


"Why not?" He gets defensive about his pocket knife, as he uses it for everything.


Because you were probably using it to clean those fish you caught this afternoon, that's why!


"Yeah, you're right, I was. But since then I've been in the pool and in the Gulf with it, so it should be clean enough!"


Wash!


"Yes, mom," with an impish grin.


So, Monday was our day at the mall. But not all of us all day for once.


We took 3 cars, so that not everyone would have to stay all day.


We arrived just as the stores were opening, and each person went in a different direction. The kids went and found what they needed, and called, and Sweetie or i went over and paid for it.


Sweetie, Little Girl, and #2 Son were done shopping by noon, and headed back. Thus they had time to do other things they wanted to do.


Uncle J and Bryn went with Miss Prissy, and they met up with me, Bigger Girl, and Teresa for lunch at the food court.


After we were malled out, we went home, and didn't have to stand upon the order of our going to wait for 3 other people to finish. It was lovely.


There was even time at the end of the day for strolling the beach, and for ghost crab hunting that night.


We went to bed with plans to see the Blue Angels and the museum the next day.

Today is

Abolition Day -- French Guiana

Army Day -- Jordan

Bachfest Leipzig -- Leipzig, Germany (held since 1904 in the town of Bach's birth; through the 19th)

Ball Point Pen Day -- patented this day in 1943

Banana Split Festival -- Wilmington, Ohio, US (claims to be the birthplace of this delicious dessert; through the 10th)

Celtic Tree Month Duir (Oak) commences

Chicago Blues Festival -- Chicago, Illinois, US (largest free blues fest in the world; through the 12th)

Day of Anahita -- Ancient Persian Calendar (goddess of love, date approximate)

Iced Tea Day

Lidice Day -- former Czechoslovakia; New Jersy, US

Mad Hatter Day -- outside the US, a second day for fun and silliness, because one day in April isn't enough

Mourn for Your Money Day -- a day to grieve how much you pay in taxes

National Asparagus Festival -- Oceana County, Michigan, US (through the 12th)

National Black Cow Day

Portugal Day a/k/a Camoes Memorial Fete -- Portugal and Portuguese communities

Positive Power of Humor and Creativity Conference -- Silver Bay, New York, US (54th annual; through the 12th)

Reconciliation Day -- Republic of the Congo

St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland's Day

Birthdays Today:

Joey Zimmerman, 1986

Tara Lipinski, 1982

Leelee Sobieski, 1982

Hoku Ho, 1981

Shane West, 1978

Elizabeth Hurley, 1965

Michael Burger, 1957

John Edwards, 1953

F. Lee Bailey, 1933

Maurice Sendak, 1928

Judy Garland, 1922

Saul Bellow, 1915

Frederick Loewe, 1904

Hattie McDaniel, 1889

Today in History:

Frederick Barbarossa drowns leading his troops across the Saleph River to attack Jerusalem in the Crusades, 1190

The first American log cabin is built, at Fort Christina in Wilmington, Delaware, 1639

Bridget Bishop becomes the first person hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692

Captain James Cook runs aground on the Great Barrier Reef, 1770

A landslide dam on the Dadu River created by an earthquake ten days earlier collapses, killing 100,000 in the Sichuan province of China, 1786

The Jardin des Plantes museum opens in Paris; a year later, it becomes the first public zoo, 1793

The first Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge takes place, 1829

Myall Creek Massacre in Australia: 28 Aboriginal Australians are murdered, 1838

The first class of the United States Naval Academy students graduate, 1854

Mount Tarawera in New Zealand erupts, killing 153 people and destroying the famous Pink and White Terraces, 1886

The inaugural service for the United Church of Canada, a union of Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregationalist churches, is held in Toronto Arena, 1925

Dr. Robert Smith takes his last drink, and Alcoholics Anonymous is founded in Akron, Ohio, United States, by him and Bill Wilson, 1935

Six-Day War ends: Israel and Syria agree to a cease-fire, 1967

Apple ships its first Apple II personal computer, 1977

The Spirit Rover is launched, beginning NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission, 2003

To Fish: verb; a stinky, squid for bait activity in which one tries to catch a fish for dinner using a rod and reel that only cost $10 five years ago and without getting a hook in anyone or falling off the dock.


At least, that's our definition.


Doc or i take the kids to catch fish as often as they want, mornings and evenings. As is usual in our family, Doc and i prefer mornings and the kids prefer evenings.


There is a bird of the heron variety, not sure exactly what kind, who lives over in the marsh grass by the shore near the docks who comes by every time fishing is in order. He is a very polite guy who bows when we throw him a fish too small for us to eat, but just right for him. The children have named him Turd Bird, and he really deserves a better name for his manners if nothing else.


The first fishing trip netted 3 croakers for a fish fry at the end of the week, all caught by Bryn. The others only got small ones that were put back or fed to Turd Bird. By the time they got back, and everyone got unstinky, it was decided that we didn't have enough flashlights for a ghost crab hunt, so that was put off.


One thing about vacation is that, because we aren't at home, every time we turn around we find something else we need that we forgot to buy. Since the closest store is a 6 mile drive, it's not like running across the highway at home for something at the local mom and pop grocery. Thus there is a stop at the store for something that someone has forgotten every single time we are out. This also makes for a huge load of stuff to come back with us.


Coming up next: Monday's shopping trip, nice excursion or endurance test?




Today is


Accession Day -- Jordan


Aland Island Day / Autonomy Day -- Aland Islands


Day of Remembrance for Sigurd the Volsung -- German Neopaganism


Donald Duck Day -- he made his debut on this day in 1934 in "The Wise Little Hen"


Great American Brass Band Festival -- Centre College Campus, Danville, Kentucky, US (through the 12th)


La Rioja Day -- La Rioja, Spain


Murcia Day -- Murcia, Spain


National Heroes Day -- Uganda


National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day


St. Aidan of Lindisfarne


Saint Columbia of Iona -- Celtic Christian (patron of poets, Ireland)


St. Ephraem's Day (creator of hymns; patron of Syria)


Vestalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (third day)


Winnipeg International Children's Festival -- The Forks, Winnipeg, MB (through the 12th)




Anniversaries Today:


Nero marries Claudia Octavia, 53




Birthdays Today:


Natalie Portman, 1981
Johnny Depp, 1963
Michael J. Fox, 1961
Dick Vitale, 1940
Jackie Mason, 1928
Les Paul, 1915
Robert Cummings, 1910
Cole Porter, 1891




Today in History:


Roman Emperor Nero commits suicide, 68
Odo of Aquitaine defeats the Moors in the Battle of Toulouse, 721
Jacques Cartier is the first European to discover the Saint Lawrence River, 1534
The Harvard Corporation is established as the first corporation in the Americas, 1650
James Oglethorpe is granted a royal charter for the colony of Georgia, 1732
The Congress of Vienna, forerunner of the League of Nations and the UN, ends with much of Europe's borders redrawn and settled, Switzerland's neutrality confirmed, and free navigation guaranteed on many rivers, 1815
Five hundred Mormons leave Iowa City, Iowa and head west for Salt Lake City carrying all their possessions in two-wheeled handcarts, 1856
Alexandra Palace in London burns down after being open for only 16 days, 1873
Alice Huyler Ramsey, a 22-year-old housewife and mother from Hackensack, New Jersey, becomes the first woman to drive across the United States, 1909
King Bhumibol Adulyadej ascends to the throne of Thailand. He is currently the world's longest reigning monarch, 1946
Queen Elizabeth II officially opens London Gatwick Airport, 1958
The USS George Washington, the first submarine to carry ballistic missiles, is launched, 1959
Israel captures the Golan Heights from Syria, 1967
Secretariat wins the Triple Crown, 1973
Estonia ratifies the European Constitution, 2006

Sunday Fun Day

Whether the weather be fine
Whether the weather be not
We must weather the weather
Whatever the weather
Whether we like it or not.


And


He that is weather wise
Is seldom other wise.

Those are the two traditional sayings about the weather for this date, June 8, and as noted below, if it rains today, tradition says it will continue to be a wet season. We will see.

Meanwhile, Sunday fun day on the trip.

For several years, when in Florida, we have attended the same church, one a friend pastors. This year, Sweetie decided to do something different. He had called a local Methodist congregation and spoken to the worship leader. After a bit of chatting about music and gear, Sweetie was invited to sit in with the stage band during the 9:45am contemporary worship service.

Jake had sent Sweetie the set sheets and he had spent the previous week practicing along with YouTube videos of each of the 7 numbers. When he got there for practice Saturday evening, it was 8 numbers, two of them different from the list, both of which he had never heard before. He managed to read and play them cold, then tried to show the lead guitarist how to play the lead for a particular song the young man wasn't getting. Jake decided to let Sweetie play rhythm and back up for the rest of the songs, but take over the lead for that one. My rocker husband never ceases to amaze me, he did a great job.

So, Sunday i let each of the kids decide whether to come along or not. #2 Son and Little Girl slept in, Teresa and Bigger Girl came with us. We had to get there for warm up, of course, so i got to hear all of the songs several times. They sounded great.

Teresa seemed a little nonplussed by the service. Her parents make her go to a traditional type of church. Her mom would have dropped dead before the end of the first number. In normal Methodist fashion, the sermon itself was very short, something else she probably isn't used to. She seemed to like that it was different, however, and i know she is glad to be away from the house.

She isn't, however, away from the phone. Her mom called several times through the morning, as Teresa's camera battery has died and we can't seem to find a replacement. We finally convinced her mother not to drive another one down here (!) but to just overnight it.

After church, back home to change clothes and on to the health food store for me, the health nut. #2 Son and Little Girl were taking care of themselves quite nicely, so the four of us loaded up again and went to my favorite place to get some food i will enjoy eating. While there we had lunch at their deli, and horror of horrors, they were out of wheat grass juice! So i had to settle for a smoothie without one.

On the way home we stopped at our favorite flea market and antique shop to ask after the owner, who had to have very serious brain surgery last year. We knew she had come through the surgery, but hadn't heard how she was lately. We only stayed long enough to say hello to her and find that she is in great health, all is now well. Promising to come back soon, we brought the cold groceries home.

Now it was time to deal with the tent. My brother who moved to Indiana left us a gazebo tent that is wonderful shade on the beach. It was new in the box, and we hauled the heavy thing down to the sand with trepidation.

First, i unzipped the case to find a box within. As we pulled and dragged and got the box out, away down the beach tried to fly the instructions. Thank goodness for a niece and nephew who love to run in the sand. At least, that's what i thought until i read the instructions, or tried to.

It took us several minutes of dancing around from pole to pole to figure out how to push the buttons while lifting part A and holding down part B. We tried to put the top on only to disagree about whether to hook the straps first or after it was fully extended.

Finally, a nice gentleman who had already set up his own earlier in the day took pity on us. He was even tall enough to set the highest straps, and told us how to make it easier on ourselves next time. Turns out he's had his for 8 years and he says they are sturdy and worth the effort. We just have to remember to take the canopy off each night or if storms are coming to keep the whole thing from blowing away.

Also, i have to try to figure out how to fit it into the storage closet we have here in my parent's unit -- that thing needs a good mucking out, make sure there are no stray fishing hooks among the toys and equipment and get the paint cans out of the way of the stuff we use all of the time. Some of the floating toys date back to when the kids were all under 10!

Miss Prissy and Doc cooked spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner, so the whole afternoon and evening were spent up and down to the beach, to the pool, upstairs to eat, and finally, Doc took #2 Son, Little Girl, and Bryn fishing.




Today is


Best Friends Day -- a day to just remember and appreciate your friends


Betty Picnic -- honoring everyone in the world named Betty


Bounty Day -- Norfolk Island (celebrates the arrival of the Bounty descendents from Pitcairn Island)


Clean Air Day -- Canada


Festival of Mens -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival of the personification of mental activity)


Lindisfarne Day -- Germanic Neopaganism (commemorating the Viking raid on Lindisfarne in 793)


Name Your Poison Day -- make a decision on something


National Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day


Province Day -- Temotu Province, Solomon Islands


St. Medard's Day (patron of brewers, the mentally ill, peasants, prisoners, vinyards, against bad weather, sterility, and toothache, for good harvests, good weather, and rain; if it rains today, tradition says it will rain for 40 days after)


St. William of York's Day


Upsy Daisy Day -- a day to remind people to awaken gloriously, gratefully, and gleefully each morning


Watch Day -- sign that you are over 30, you still wear a watch!


World Brain Tumor Day


World Congress on Menopause convenes -- Rome, Italy (through the 12th)


World Ocean Day




Birthdays Today:


Kim Clijsters, 1983
Kayne West, 1977
Keenen Ivory Wayans, 1958
Scott Adams, 1958
Tim Berners-Lee, 1955
Boz Scaggs, 1944
Nancy Sinatra, 1940
Joan Rivers, 1933
Jerry Stiller, 1927
Barbara Bush, 1925
Robert Preston, 1918
Francis Crick, 1916
Frank Lloyd Wright, 1867




Today in History:


Vikings raid the abbey at Lindisfarne in Northumbria, commonly accepted as the beginning of the Scandinavian invasion of England, 793
Richard the Lionheart's Crusade begins with his arrival at Acre, 1191
American attackers are driven back at Trois-Rivières, Quebec, 1776
The volcano Laki, in Iceland, begins an eight-month eruption which kills over 9,000 people and starts a seven-year famine, 1783
Mr. Hall of NYC advertises the first commercially made ice cream, 1786
Ives W McGaffey of Chicago patents the first vacuum cleaner, 1869
Herman Hollerith receives a patent for his punched card calculator, 1887
Theodore Roosevelt signs the Antiquities Act into law, authorizing the President to restrict the use of certain parcels of public land with historical or conservation value, 1906
Carl Laemmle incorporates Universal Pictures, 1912
Milton Berle hosts the debut of Texaco Star Theater, 1948
The United States Supreme Court rules that Washington, D.C. restaurants could not refuse to serve black patrons, 1953
The first World Ocean Day is celebrated, coinciding with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992
The first Venus Transit in modern history takes place, the previous one being in 1882, 2004

The Rest of the Way

After the Alabama welcome area, we were back on our way -- for a while.

The Tunnel. In Mobile, there is The Tunnel under the bay. It is always stopped. The big signs tell the speed limit is 55mph, and i don't know why because i have never gotten above 45mph going through there, and that was in the middle of the night. So we crawled through The Tunnel, listening to the nuts honking their horns, and crossed the rest of the bay to the exit where there was a seafood restaurant Sweetie wanted to try.

It was closed. The sign read "Short Sale", so permanently closed. We continued up the road, winding through Spanish Fort until we came to an oyster place. It was crowded and crazy, so it must be good, right?

Well, good is a relative term. It was air condidtioned, and we had to take Sweetie's guitar in with us as he cannot leave it in the heat. After a short wait for a table and quick scan of the choices, the only thing i found on the menu to my liking was the salad bar, so i made 3 trips. The others ordered different seafood choices, and all said they had enjoyed better back home. So much for scouting out new restaurants, we might as well stick to the Cracker Barrel as in years past. It's the truth about chains, they are all consistent.


Sweetie did get into a lively and friendly discussion with the manager about music, amps, and rock 'n' roll. He also got a call from the worship leader at the church where he was invited to sit in with the band the next morning. They wanted him there by 5pm so they could set up his gear and adjust their boards for it.

So, on to the Wal-Mart. It's another just over an hour, and by the time we got there, we tossed some extra stuff in Sweetie's car so we would have room for groceries and he took off to stop at the condo and get a parking pass, then go on to the church.

This time i handled the shopping a bit differently than before. Bigger Girl and Teresa took a cart and went after what they wanted. #2 Son and Little Girl did the same. They were to pick up breakfast items, snacks they wanted, drinks they wanted, and something to have for dinner. My job is to get bread and milk and toilet paper and make sure there is some nutritious food available.

Bigger Girl didn't get any drinks as she was holding out for organic milk from the health food store the next afternoon. The others came back with cases of Red Bull. Oy. Plus chips, pizza, hot dogs, Yoo-Hoo, Pop-Tarts, and cereal. Ice cream. Pudding snacks. Yes, coming on vacation is a kid's dream.

Out in the parking lot with two carts full of groceries to try to stuff into an already overstuffed van, i got a call from my brother asking if i was still at the store. Since i was, he asked me to get Dre a toothbrush, so i left the kids to load up (don't ask what happened to the bread) and i went back in for that and the mouthwash i had forgotten. Sometimes, serendipity kicks in, i wouldn't have remembered the mouthwash until Sweetie asked for it the next morning.

The children enjoyed pointing out landmarks to Teresa, and we did see eagles in the nest boxes by the highway. As always, i felt a bit drained when we pulled up to the front of the complex to check in, but that first breath of tangy salt air gives me courage.

Check in, get the code for the parking lot, key cards for everyone, pool passes, and the great news that they now have wi-fi. Park, grab two luggage carts and two shopping carts, and try not to mind the unloading snafus like dropping the laundry detergent and breaking the top so half of it spilled before they could pick it back up. What a mess. For the time being, we left the beach tent and a few other things, and hauled it all to the 11th floor.

Ah, paradise. That's what i always feel when walking around this particular complex. Teresa loved the room and working together we had it all unloaded rather quickly to the noise of the satellite tv tuned to play what passes for music for the kids these days. They even remembered to make sure the cold groceries got unloaded and put away first. It's only taken me how many years to get that into them?

Time to go to the unit next door and say hello to the rest of the family. Only two of them were there, but maybe this is the time to introduce the rest of the cast of characters on this years' adventure.

Doc -- the grandfather and clan leader. A retired physician who is almost as busy in retirement serving on boards and committees for free as he was when catching babies for pay. Never leaves the house without dressing to his position, but likes to hang around the house in old jeans and a wife beater shirt. Willing to take the kids fishing, babysit, run errands, and take Miss Prissy shopping as often as she wants to go.

Miss Prissy -- grandmother, artist, musician, and professional shopper. Believes that a hotel without room service is roughing it.

Uncle J -- the younger of my two brothers. Smart as a whip, and was one of those students whom teachers always tell that if they would spend half the time doing the work instead of figuring out how to avoid it, they would be in trouble less often. Part con artist, he can tell stories that you just don't want your kids to hear. The good thing about all he has done is that he is at least two steps ahead of his own kids, and will likely stay that way as they grow up.

Bryn -- Uncle J's oldest. She is almost 11, and has grown past all the whining she used to do and gotten to where she can be friends with my kids without them feeling like they have a baby tagging along.

Dre -- Uncle J's youngest. He has just turned 5, and loves to go on adventures. Much of our time is spent keeping him occupied or distracting him from things he shouldn't or can't have, as he tends to be sullen when he doesn't get his way.

Over the course of the evening Sweetie came back and turned the A/C down to arctic blast, sending me back to the van for my sweater. We found out that my laptop and Doc's won't connect to the wi-fi system here, though Miss Prissy's and Uncle J's will. When we were hungry, everyone ate what they wanted when they wanted, and Miss Prissy had to be taken back to the store as she had accidentally bought whole coffee beans instead of ground coffee.

Yes, i went to bed tired.





Today is


Daniel Boone Day -- Kentucky, US


Fleur-de-Lis Day


Journalist Day -- Argentina


National Chocolate Ice Cream Day


Sette Giugno -- Malta (Seventh June, remembrance of peaceful protestors killed in 1919)


Shavuot -- Jewish (begins at sundown)


St. Willibald's Day


Union Dissolution Day -- Norway


VCR Day (holding on to the past?)


Vestalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival for Vesta, goddess of the hearth), through the 15th


Vivien Kellems Memorial Day (born 1896)




Birthdays Today:


Michael Cera, 1988
Anna Kournikova, 1981
Larisa Oleynik, 1981
Allen Iverson, 1975
Karl Urban, 1972
Prince, 1958
Liam Neeson, 1952
Jenny Jones, 1946
Tom Jones, 1940
Gwendolyn Brooks, 1917
Dean Martin, 1917
Jessica Tandy, 1909
Virginia Apgar, 1909
Paul Gauguin, 1848
George Bryan "Beau" Brummell, 1778




Today in History:


The first Crusaders begin their Siege of Jerusalem, 1099
Port Royal, Jamaica, is devastated by an earthquake, 1692
David Thompson reaches the mouth of the Saskatchewan River in Manitoba, 1800
Asian cholera reaches Quebec, brought by Irish immigrants, and kills about 6,000 people in Lower Canada, 1832
1,800 Fenian raiders are repelled back to the United States after they loot and plunder around Saint-Armand and Frelighsburg, Quebec, 1866
Tolbert Lanston receives patents for monotype typesetting machines, 1887
Benjamin Harrison becomes the first President of the United States to attend a baseball game, 1892
Norway's parliament dissolves its union with Sweden, 1905
The Supreme Court of the United States hands down its decision in Griswold v. Connecticut, effectively legalizing the use of contraception by married couples, 1965
Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder for sale to the public, 1975
Priscilla Presley opens Graceland to the public, 1982
The volcano Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, explodes generating an ash column 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) high, 1991

Getting There

Getting away from the house was the usual madness, and then some.


As usual when we travel, i was up before the alarm went off, and didn't try to get back to sleep. It's always more trouble than it's worth to try, and if i do doze, i wake up groggier. Because i get up so early, the rest of the family snoozed while i got dressed and cleaned up after the midnight snackers in peace the way i usually do.


One thing i didn't have to do was make the milk for the kittens. They are all in other foster homes, and so i just made sure i cleaned out their bowls well and put them away, then tossed their disposable litter boxes.


The first to get up after me was Sweetie. He came barreling through, already up and dressed a half hour before i expected him, muttering under his breath about making sure his guitar case had all of the picks he wanted in it. Never get in the way of a rocker who wants his guitar picks, just leave him be.


As i wandered through the final details, the clomp clomping of teenage feet that has replaced the pitter patter of previous years began to echo as one after another of the kids made an appearance.


"Mom, are we near ready yet?" #2 Son began at 7am, more than an hour before we could even think of going. "I want to get on the road!"


Son, i reminded him, the condo isn't ready until after 3pm, so its no use leaving this early. All the cold groceries would melt in the car while we wait.


"Mom, where're my goggles?" Little Girl was plaintively wailing and digging under chairs in the library.


"Mom, when we shop, I need a new toothbrush," Bigger Girl informed me.


And on it went like that, all of us getting in each other's way, searching, making sure last minute items weren't forgotten.


Then, "Mom, dad's already putting his stuff in the car!" #2 Son was aggrieved, as we usually wait until we have everything assembled, and then fit it all in, jigsaw puzzle fashion. So off i went to take care of this latest disaster in the making, and it turned out he wanted his guitar either in the car with the A/C on or in the house. Since warming the planet further with extra emissions from running his car for no reason is not one of my long term goals, he hauled the gear back in.


A knock at the door told us Teresa had arrived, and it was sweet relief. We had been concerned, up to the last minute, that her mom would change her mind and not let her come. First i told her not to knock next time, that she is family, to just come on in, then i sent the kids to help her get the rest of her bags.


She was very fashionably dressed as usual, more for show than comfort it seemed to me. Her parents won't let her out of the house, or even out of her bedroom, until she is dressed to their satisfaction, even to having matching shoes and purse picked out for the day! She informed me that her mother had taken away her one piece swim suit and given her a skirtini, whatever that is, and told her to tell me that i was to tattle if she wore anything else! In response, i told her that we would buy her a decent swim suit, and that my only words to her mom would be that she was beautifully behaved and impeccably dressed the whole time. She smiled with relief.


At promptly 8am we had the whole crew and all luggage assembled in the driveway. Now came the fun part.


Mayhem ensued as we crammed, shoved, climbed over, and just generally smooshed everything in somehow. The ice chests, one of which had my breakfast in it, ended up on the bottom, of course, so when the time came for me to dig out my bananas and sunflower seeds, i had to tilt Sweetie's box fan at an odd angle and try to keep it from falling with one hip, and lean over with a very hard something in someone's bag jammed into my abdomen. The hanging clothes got moved twice, the music stand 3 times, half of my Vita-Mix was in one vehicle and the other part in the other, and we almost left the computer case sitting in the driveway.


One last check of the house. Make sure the water to the leaky toilet is turned off, and a clean towel behind it to soak up any tiny drips. Cover all the beds in plastic to make sure the cats don't tell us how much they miss us in their usual stinky way. Key to man cave on fridge so #1 Son can get in there to the fuse box if needed. Money for him to get more milk and bread if he needs it, a list of things to remember that i forgot to write everything on, lock all the doors, and we are off. Well, i'm always off, but in this case down the road.


Little Girl rode with Sweetie in the Honda, so Bigger Girl and Teresa sat in the middle seats of the van and #2 Son in the back. They put in a DVD and i was treated to some of their crazy music as we went all the way to...the traffic jam between us and the next small town, where we would stop for coffee and breakfast.


Yes, traffic jam. On Saturday morning. There is construction, you see. No lanes closed, no accidents, no breakdowns. But someone freaks and slows too much, so the people behind have to slow, also. Then those behind that. Finally, you end up at a complete stop on the interstate. It happened 3 times between where we live and the state line. What should be a one hour and 10 minute drive took a good two hours.


Ah, the breakfast stop. No, i didn't want to make it. Sweetie did. The kids are always up for eating, especially at McDonald's. So coffee and juice and biscuits and everything else, and back we went into the fray.


The Mississippi Welcome Center is where my bladder always calls a halt. I'm not sure if it's because by that time i've been up since before the crack of dawn and it catches up to me that i've had two cups of coffee and my water bottle is empty, or if it is a Pavlovian response to seeing the highway signs. Either way, we have to stop and stretch.


That welcome center is a treat. It's large and looks rather like an old southern home from the inside, like you are sitting in someone's living room, with old rockers and couches, lots of tasteful pictures, even the brochure areas manage to be small and neat and look refined in that setting. The rest rooms are as clean as they can keep them with the number of people who come through there, and if we had time, there are picnic areas and places to walk under shady trees.


As usual, there's no time, at least by the kid's clocks. Back to it, with music i'm not all that thrilled to listen to, and later a movie that was nothing but explosions for #2 Son. Ignoring it as best i could, we drove on to Alabama under sunny skies that boded well for the rest of the journey.




Today is


Bonza Bottler Day


D-Day


Dragon Boat Festival -- China (commemorates ancient hero Qu Yuan)


Memorial Day -- South Korea


National Gardening Exercise Day -- Get out and exercise with your plants.


National Huntington's Disease Awareness Day


National Yo-Yo Day


Samantha Smith Day -- Maine, US


Sjómannadagurinn, Iceland (Seaman's Day, first Sunday in June)


St. Claude's Day


St. Martha's Day


Svenska Flaggaans Dag / National Day -- Sweden


Teacher's Day -- Bolivia


Queen's Birthday -- Niue


Queensland Day -- Queensland, Australia


YMCA Founder's Day




Birthdays Today:


Staci Keanan, 1975
Max Casella, 1967
Ena, 1966
Bjorn Borg, 1956
Sandra Bernhard, 1955
Harvey Fierstein, 1952
Robert Englund, 1947
Gary U.S. Bonds, 1939
Thomas Mann, 1875
Nathan Hale, 1755




Today in History:


Twenty-four wagonloads of Talmudic books are burned in Paris, 1242
The Qing Dynasty Manchu forces led by the Shunzhi Emperor capture Beijing during the collapse of the Ming Dynasty; the Manchus would rule China until 1912 when the Republic of China is established, 1644
The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, opens as the world's first university museum, 1683
A devastating fire destroys one-third of Moscow, including 18,000 homes, 1752
Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte is crowned King of Spain, 1808
The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) is founded in London, 1844
More than 100,000 inhabitants of Bombay are killed as a cyclone in the Arabian Sea pushes huge waves into the harbour, 1882
The Great Seattle Fire destroys the entirety of downtown Seattle, Washington, 1889
The Chicago El begins operation, 1892
The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska begins, the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, 1912
The Chrysler Corporation is founded by Walter Percy Chrysler, 1925
The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey, United States, 1933
A new Instrument of Government is promulgated making Sweden a parliamentary monarchy, 1974
Mongolia holds its first direct presidential elections, 1993
A near-Earth asteroid estimated at 10 metres diameter explodes over the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Libya. The resulting explosion is estimated to have a force of 26 kilotons, slightly more powerful than the Nagasaki atomic bomb, 2002
Tamil is established as a Classical language by the President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in a joint sitting of the two houses of the Indian Parliament, 2004

What (Re)Possessed Him?

"Hey, mom, guess what I did last night!" #2 Son looked bleary eyed but cheerful as usual.

Do i really want to know?

"No, you really don't, but you've got to hear this. I didn't get to bed 'til 3am because I went with Jake to Mississippi to repossess a car!"

What!!!

"Yeah, Jake repos cars for a living, and he had to go to Mississippi last night. We drove to this small town, and the lady met us at the gas station and gave us the keys, and the other guy drove it back, and it was awesome!"

Son, don't you know people have been shot trying to repossess cars?

"No, mom, it was cool. Jake said she was going to meet us with the keys, and that if she didn't we would go steal the car, but she met us, so it was okay. And Jake makes a good living doing that, maybe I should repo cars when I'm in college so I don't have to get a regular job."

Anybody want a slightly used 15 year boy? Most likely, i'd let you call it a repo and throw in a 3 year supply of his favorite chicken noodle soup.

Today is

Agata Matsuri -- Uji, Agata Shrine, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Apple II Day

Arbor Day -- New Zealand

Constitution Day -- Denmark; Faroe Islands

Dame Lois Browne-Evans Day -- Bermuda

Day of the Rice God -- Chiyoda, Japan (rice planting festival and ceremony)

Father's Day -- Denmark

Festival of Popular Delusions Day -- day before D-Day, to remind us to watch out for popular delusional leaders; this was the last day the Nazi's could hold on to the delusion of world domination

Gioco Del Ponte -- Pisa, Italy (Battle of the Bridge, a medieval parade and contest for the bridge)

Indian Arrival Day -- Suriname

Liberation Day -- Seychelles

National Cancer Survivors Day

National Gingerbread Day

President's Day -- Equatorial Guinea

St. Boniface's Day

St. Gobnatt's Day

St, James Salomonelli's Day (patron against cancer)

Wedding of the Sea -- Venice, Italy

World Environment Day -- International

Birthdays Today:

Mark Wahlberg, 1971

Brian McKnight, 1969

Kenny G, 1956

Jill Biden, 1951

Suze Orman, 1951

Ken Follett, 1949

Spalding Gray, 1941

Bill Moyers, 1934

Tony Richardson, 1928

Panco Villa, 1878

Thomas Chippendale, 1718

Pu Songling, 1640

Today in History:

Titus and his Roman legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem, 70

Kraków, Poland receives city rights, 1257

The first Great Lakes steamer, the Frontenac, is launched, 1817

Houston, Texas is incorporated by the Republic of Texas, 1837

Denmark becomes a constitutional monarchy, 1849

Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery serial, Uncle Tom's Cabin or, Life Among the Lowly starts a ten-month run in the National Era abolitionist newspaper, 1851

Denmark amends its constitution to allow women's suffrage, 1915

Elvis Presley introduces his new single, "Hound Dog", on The Milton Berle Show, scandalizing the audience with his suggestive hip movements, 1956

The first government of the State of Singapore is sworn in, 1959

U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California by Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan, 1968

The Apple II, the first practical personal computer, goes on sale, 1977

The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that five people in Los Angeles, California have a rare form of pneumonia seen only in patients with weakened immune systems, in what turns out to be the first recognized cases of AIDS, 1981

Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi orders an attack on the Golden Temple, the holiest site of the Sikh religion, 1984

A severe heat wave across Pakistan and India reaches its peak, as temperatures exceed 50°C (122°F) in the region, 2003