As is usual, we were told a time frame during which the A/C repair people would be coming.
As is also usual, we were then called and told that "The jobs ahead of yours are taking longer than we thought, so we will have to reschedule."
This has happened to us over and over, with every A/C company the home warranty company sends out. Why even tell people a time frame if you know there is absolutely no way you can keep it?
This time, i lost it. While i didn't get mean, i did tell them in no uncertain terms that in the past two days of no air, i had suffered three bouts of tachycardia, and that i could not continue to wait until the weekend was over.
They had someone out here two hours later, and it only took a few minutes to change the wire that had burned out in the unit. It took them longer to remove and replace the cover of the unit than it did to fix it!
No, we don't run the air at arctic blast, but at least we are more comfortable.
Today is
Carabao Festival -- Philippines (through tomorrow)
Dance Like a Chicken Day
Hastings Banda's Birthday -- Malawi
International Migratory Bird Day
Izumo-taisha Shrine Grand Festival -- Izumo-taisha, Japan
Learn About Butterflies Day
Mars Invictus -- Ancient Roman Calendar
Midnight Sun at North Cape -- Norway (the sun will not set until July 30)
National Buttermilk Biscuit Day
National Miniature Golf Day
National Unification Day -- Liberia
National Windmill Days -- The Netherlands, through the weekend
"Stars and Stripes Forever" Day
Stay up All Night Night
St. Bonifatius' Day (4th Ice Saint)
St. Matthias' Day (patron against alcoholism)
Underground America Day (imagine what our landscapes would look like if more of our buildings were under ground)
Birthdays Today:
Miranda Cosgrove, 1993
Dan Auerbach, 1979
Martine McCutdcheon, 1976
Cate Blanchett, 1969
Danny Wood, 1969
Jose Da Silveira, 1965
Tim Roth, 1961
David Byrne, 1952
Robert Zemechis, 1951
George Lucas, 1944
Jack Bruce, 1943
Bobby Darin, 1936
Laszlo Kovacs, 1933
Otto Klemperer, 1885
Thomas Gainsborough, 1727
Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit, 1686
Today in History:
Jamestown, Virginia is settled as an English colony, 1607
Edward Jenner administers the first smallpox vaccination, 1796
The Lewis and Clark expedition sets out, 1804
Paraguay gains independence from Spain, 1811
The first edition of the London Illustrated Times is published, 1842
Gail Borden patents her process for condensed milk, 1853
Vaseline, the first petroleum jelly, is marketed, 1878
Lina Medina becomes the world's youngest confirmed mother in medical history at the age of five, 1939
Israel is declared to be an independent state and a provisional government is established; immediately after the declaration, Israel is attacked by the neighboring Arab states, triggering the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, 1948
Kuwait joins the United Nations, 1963
Skylab, the United States' first space station, is launched, 1973
Blame Blogger. For two days i tried to get on so i could post something besides just the daily information, and Blogger was down. It even erased my post from Wednesday, so i had to rewrite it.
So, here is the Friday rambling, late, and i'm sorry about that.
The other day, Sweetie came in gasping for breath, and had to wait a moment before he could tell me what had happened.
He had jumped out of the car to tell Bigger Girl something, and accidentally left it in gear. When he turned to get back in, he did a double take. There was the car, in the field across the street, in reverse, just loping along, changing direction with every bump or rut.
He took off running, and said it was like a scene out of a movie as he chased the car all over the field. How it managed to not hit a tree on the edge of the field we do not know. He finally caught up, opened the door, and stopped it just as it was about to hit the net between the soccer goal posts.
All of us have been laughing ourselves silly over it, even Sweetie.
Oh, to have seen it live!
Today is
Blame Someone Else Day -- the first Friday the Thirteenth of every year
Bun Bung Fai (Rocket Festival) -- Yasothon, Thailand (through the 14th, teams compete to build the highest flier, with no regard for safety!)
Fairy King and Queen Jumping Competition -- Fairy Calendar
Garland Day -- Abbotsbury, Dorset, England
Kan Phuetchamongkhon -- Thailand (Royal Plowing and Farmers Day)
Leprechaun Day
National Apple Pie Day
National Morel Mushroom Festival -- Boyne City, Michigan, through the 16th
Root Canal Appreciation Day (No! I draw the line here!)
Rotuma Day -- Fiji
Stagecoach Days -- Marshall, Texas (celebrate the days of the old west, when the stagecoach was the way to travel; through the 15th)
St. Servatus' Day (3rd Ice Saint, patron against rats, vermin, foot troubles)
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 Tienanmen Square and begin a hunger strike, 1989
Johnny Carson makes his last television appearance on Late Show with David Letterman, 1994
Yes, i had this scheduled to post. Yes, i am ticked that Blogger erased it while they were down.
Meanwhile, i'll try to recreate it as best i can.
If you want the news, you get what you get, so this is it.
Gabriel lost his battle on Tuesday morning.
Maximus and Cinderheart went to an adoption event, and are now at another foster home.
Sweetie has another bad ear infection, and we're having to pay more than we can afford to have the house inspected and tested to see if something here is causing it, as it is a fungus.
The air conditioner is out again, and it will take a couple of days for them to get here to fix it.
And so it goes.
Today is
Day of Purification of All Things -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar
Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day
Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
International Nurses Day
Limerick Day
National Hospital Day
National Nutty Fudge Day
Nonsense Day
Olde May Day (Julian Calendar)
Rooster Days Festival -- Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, US (through the 15th)
Snellman Day -- Finland
St. Francis Patrizi's Day (patron of reconciliations)
St. Nereus and Achilleus' Day
St. Pancras' Day (2nd Ice Saint; patron of children, oaths, treaties)
St. Tammany's Day (patron of democracy)
Thrissur Pooram -- Thrissur, Kerala, India (through the 13th, Kerala's biggest festival, lots of traditional sights)
Anniversaries Today:
Richard I (Lionheart) of England marries Berengaria of Navarre, 1191
Jagiellonian University is founded in Krakow, Poland (oldest in Poland), 1364
National University of San Marcos is founded in Lima, Peru (oldest in the Americas), 1551
Maria Theresa of Austria is crowned Queen of Bohemia, 1743
Coronation of George VI, 1937
Birthdays Today:
Jason Biggs, 1978
Kim Fields, 1969
Tony Hawk, 1968
Stephen Baldwin, 1966
Emilio Estevez, 1962
Ving Rhames, 1961
Steve Winwood, 1948
George Carlin, 1937
Tom Snyder, 1936
Burt Bacharach, 1929
Yogi Berra, 1925
Mary Kay Ash, 1918
Katharine Hepburn, 1907
Florence Nightingale, 1820
Today in History:
Antipope Nicholas V, a claimant to the papacy, is consecrated in Rome, 1328
Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief of to the Rathore clan, founds Jodhpur, India, 1459
Philip Lenzi places the first ice cream advertisement, in the NY Gazette, 1777
Society of St Tammany is formed by Revolutionary War soldiers; it later becomes an infamous group of NYC political bosses, 1789
The Manitoba Act is given the Royal Assent, paving the way for Manitoba to become a province of Canada on July 15, 1870
Tunisia becomes a French protectorate, 1881
In the North-West Rebellion, the four-day Battle of Batoche, pitting rebel Métis against the Canadian government, comes to an end with a decisive rebel defeat, 1885
Ten weeks after his abduction, the infant son of Charles Lindbergh is found dead in Hopewell, New Jersey, 1932
Konrad Zuse presents the Z3, the world's first working programmable, fully automatic computer, in Berlin, 1941
A formal North American Aerospace Defense Command agreement is signed between the United States and Canada, 1958
West Germany and Israel establish diplomatic relations, 1965
Little Girl now knows a little bit of what it is like to be a guinea pig.
There is a research center associated with the nearby university, and they are always looking for people willing to participate in studies. Now, they have begun doing studies on children 5-18. She heard me talking about it, and decided she wanted to do it, as they do get compensated.
So we showed up at 7am, and she was measured, weighed, got a body fat analysis, blood drawn, and she even had to take a pregnancy test, as she had a DEXA scan and an MRI.
The whole point is that they are trying to pinpoint early markers for chronic diseases, to see if they can find heart disease, pre-diabetes, etc., decades before it actually occurs and take steps to prevent these things.
We filled out what seemed like as much paperwork as when we got the mortgage on the house, and the questionnaire about lifestyle was over 7 pages alone.
It really only took just over 2 hours, though, and she got $50, which is pretty cool for two hours at her age.
They have her number on file, and will be calling if she qualifies for any studies in the future.
Today is
Cannes Film Festival -- through the 22nd
Cormorant Fishing Festival -- Nagara River, Gifu, Japan (traditional fishing with trained cormorants is celebrated)
Donate a Days Wages to Charity Day
Eat What You Want Day
Holiday of the City of Miskolc -- Miskolc, Hungary
Lokadagur -- Iceland (Final Day, festival to mark the end of the fishing season in the south-west of the country)
National Mocha Torte Day
National Night Shift/Third Shift Workers Day
National School Nurse Day
National Receptionists Day
National Technology Day -- India
Nisga'a Day -- Nisga'a (one of the First Nations of Canada)
Royal Windsor Horse Show -- Home Park, Private Windsor, Berkshire, England (through the 15th)
St. Gengulf's Day (patron against unhappy marriages)
St. Mamertus' Day (first of the Ice Saints)
St. Philip's Day
Twilight Zone Day -- no, it didn't premier on this day, nor was Rod Serling born nor did he die on this day; it's today for no particular reason, which seems fitting
Anniversaries Today:
Minnesota becomes the 32nd US state, 1858
Birthdays Today:
Corey Monteith, 1982
Natasha Richardson, 1963
Mort Sahl, 1927
Foster Brooks, 1912
Phil Silvers, 1911
Salvador Dali, 1904
Martha Graham, 1894
Irving Berlin, 1888
Today in History:
Constantinople becomes the capital of the Roman Empire and is also called Nova Roma and Byzantium, 330
Peter Stuyvesant arrives in New Amsterdam, 1647
Captain Robert Gray becomes the first documented European to sail into the Columbia River, 1792
The waltz is introduced into English ballrooms, and becomes popular in spite of being called "riotous and indecent," 1812
William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth lead an expedition westwards from Sydney, opening the interior of Australia for settlement, 1813
Indian rebels seize Delhi from the British, 1857
Luxembourg gains its independence, 1867
U.S. Congress establishes Glacier National Park in Montana, 1910
Mercedes-Benz is formed by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz merging their two companies, 1924
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded, 1927
Siam officially changes its name to Thailand for the second time, 1949
Israel joins the United Nations, 1949
In Baltimore, Maryland, the first heart-lung transplant takes place, 1987
In New York City, more than 170 countries decide to extend the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty indefinitely and without conditions, 1995
IBM Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format, 1997
When our friends brought me Gabriel, we weren't sure how the little guy was still alive. The young lady who is going to take him back had spent all night with him, giving him fluids by mouth, and somehow he survived.
The next day, he was at death's door again, when i took him to the vet. Fluids, an antibiotic/steroid/B12 shot, a heating pad, and lots of sugar water, and he pulled through. In fact, for almost 5 days he lived on little more than fluids and sugar water. He seemed to be out of the woods, although still scrawny and easily dehydrated, needing fluids only about once a day.
Then, Mother's Day morning, i woke up to him laid out and dying. He was spasming when touched, which usually means they are not long for this world. He got more subcue fluids than a kitten his size should have, went back on the heating pad, and lots of sugar water, in tiny sips every 5 minutes for a couple of hours. My plan was to do this until we had to leave for Mother's Day dinner, and hope for the best while we had to be gone.
When he seemed a bit more alert, i put him down on the floor on the pad, next to the other kittens. I started feeding them, and felt something pawing my foot. He was standing there crying for food, and he cleared a bottle. How he manages to go from death's door to eating like a champ in such a short time not just once but 3 times i do not understand.
The second day after he arrived here, #1 Son asked me how Gabriel was still alive. At the time i told him i had no idea except for the mercy of the Lord, and that is still my answer.
Please, just don't let him go back downhill like that again, Lord. It's very fraying to the nerves.
Today is
Blessed Father Damien of Moloka'i's Day (patron of lepers)
Clean up Your Room Day -- one of those holidays that no one knows how it got started, but it's a good idea, especially if your house is decorated by teens in "Recently Ransacked" style!
Constitution Day -- Federated States of Micronesia
Golden Spike Day
Human Kindness Day
Lupus Awareness Day -- International
Mother's Day -- El Salvador; Guatemala; Mexico
National Shrimp Day
National Tourist Appreciation Day
St. Cathal's Day (patron against drought, storms, and hernias)
St. Isidore's Day
St. Job's Day (patron against depression and ulcers)
Sunning of the Buddha -- Tibet (many temples take their Buddha statues out for a day in the sun)
Trust Your Intuition Day -- practice, and you'll get better at it
Vesak -- Buddhist (birthday of Lord Buddha)
Birthdays Today:
Kenan Thompson, 1978
Amanda Borden, 1977
Paul "Bono" Hewson, 1960
Phil and Steve Mahre, 1957
Donovan, 1946
Judith Jamison, 1943
Gary Owens, 1936
Pat Summerall, 1930
Nancy Walker, 1922
David O. Selznick, 1902
Fred Astaire, 1899
Max Steiner, 1888
Emperor Fushimi of Japan, 1265
Emperor Claudius, 213
Today in History:
The Roman armies under Titus open a full scale assault on Jerusalem, 70
Vienna's church orders all Jews to wear a distinctive garb, 1267
Scottish nobles recognize authority of English king Edward I, 1291
Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves on a voyage to the New World, 1497
Christopher Columbus "discovers" the Cayman Islands, 1503
Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland, 1534
Scottish Protestants under John Knox rise up against queen-mother Mary, 1559
England forcefully annexes Jamaica from Spain, 1655
Benjamin Franklin first tests the lightning rod, 1752
Louis XVI becomes King of France, 1774
The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America, 1801
New York City banks fail, and unemployment reaches record levels, 1837
In India, the first war of Independence begins, 1857
The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah (not Promontory Point, Utah) with the golden spike, 1869
Romania declares itself independent from Turkey, 1877
The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Nix v. Hedden that a tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit, under the Tariff Act of 1883, 1893
The first Mother's Day is observed, 1908
J. Edgar Hoover is appointed Director of the FBI, 1924
First successful launch of a V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground, 1946
Bill Haley & His Comets release "Rock Around the Clock", the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts, 1954
The nuclear submarine USS Triton completes Operation Sandblast, the first underwater circumnavigation of the earth, 1960
The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing, 1979
François Mitterrand becomes the first Socialist President of France in the French 5th republic, 1981
Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president, 1994
Deadliest day on the mountain: a rogue storm on Everest claims 8 lives, including experienced climbers, 1996
Every year, for Mother's Day, we drive to the city my parents live in to take Grandma to one of her favorite restaurants.
It's an Italian place, and my parents know the owner. He drives a white Corvette which he parks in the middle of the parking lot if there isn't a space for him elsewhere. On Mother's Day the manager lady always tells him to please move, he's going to trip the little old ladies on walkers as they try to get around it. He does so, with mock indignation as they laugh at each other.
The food is very, very good. Fancy, the kind you expect in a four star place. Not quite 5 star, maybe, but close.
The restaurant only has one problem, and that is the service is so slow.
Yes, they are probably trying to match the pace of an earlier time in history, and yes, they want it to be an experience to linger over. Somehow, though, the erratic timing, one appetizer at a time, soups or salads that take 45 minutes after ordering to appear, and the fact that at least one entree for our party is ten minutes behind the rest just makes me frustrated, not relaxed.
We had a lovely Mother's Day meal with my parents, though. That's really all that matters.
Today is
Accounting Day
Europe Day -- European Union
Independence Day -- Romania
Lemuria -- Ancient Roman Calendar (to get rid of the spirits of the malevolent dead)
Liberation Day -- Guernsey; Jersey
Lost Sock Memorial Day -- they go to the hozone layer!
National Butterscotch Brownie Day
St. Beatus of Lungern's Day -- (apostle of Switzerland)
Tear Tags Off of Matresses Day -- yes, you can! If you bought it, you're allowed to.
Victory Day / Victory and Peace Day -- Armenia; Russia and the former SSRs
Yom Ha'Atzmaut -- Jewish
Birthdays Today:
Rosario Dawson, 1979
Steve Yzerman, 1965
Tony Gwynn, 1960
Billy Joel, 1949
Candice Bergen, 1946
James L. Brooks, 1940
Albert Finney, 1936
Glenda Jackson, 1936
Mike Wallace, 1918
Howard Carter, 1873
J.M. Barrie, 1860
John Brown, 1800
Today in History:
The first battle recorded with what is considered historic accuracy and detail, the Battle of Megiddo between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Kadesh, BC1457
Christopher Columbus leaves Spain for his 4th and final voyage, 1502
Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal England's Crown Jewels from the Tower of London, 1671
British inventor Joseph Bramah patents beer-pump handle, 1785
The city of Reno, Nevada, is founded, 1868
The Vienna stock market crash (Der Krach) heralds the Long Depression, 1873
The first horse-drawn bus makes its début in the city of Mumbai, 1874
Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show opens in London, 1887
The first horseless carriage show in London opens, featuring 10 models, 1896
The lawn mower is patented, 1899
Australia opens its first parliament in Melbourne, 1901
The steam locomotive City of Truro becomes the first steam engine in Europe to exceed 100mph, 1904
The Australian Parliament first convenes in Canberra, 1927
Edgar Bergen and Charley McCarthy take to the airwaves, becoming an overnight radio sensation, 1937
Rainier III of Monaco becomes Prince of Monaco, 1949
Sam and Friends, with Jim Hensen and his muppets, debuts, 1955
The FDA announces it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle's Enovid, making Enovid the world's first approved oral contraceptive pill, 1960
The last two days were spent overloaded on the smell of fresh flowers, as i made 49 deliveries to mothers and grandmothers across the city and even a few into the next town. Those i did when i was out that way dropping the kids off for school anyway, and because it is so far, it earns extra pay! First time i've ever earned money getting the kids to school.
The children went to visit their grandparents for the weekend, and Sweetie actually managed to feed the kittens so i could stay out on the road. He is always very nervous about doing it, and did a great job. He found out what kind of days i have, as he sandwiched feedings between getting his car serviced and fixing his own lunch and tidying up a bit.
There were some interesting people to meet, and you get to see how all kinds of people live. Actually, for the first time, i got to deliver to some of my own neighbors, and one even gave me my first tip!
Somehow i think i'm finally getting the hang of doing this sort of thing, even managing a seven delivery run that was a tight circle in 1 1/4 hours. Also, i was blessed that everyone was either home, or had a safe place where i could leave the flowers, with a message on their voice mail and a door hanger tag to make sure they found it.
So, a Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, of both human and critter kids, and women who are mentors to others in any way. Hope someone gave you flowers.
Today is
Dog-Prodding Day for Gremlins -- Fairy Calendar
Giro D'Italia -- Italy (through the 30th, one of cycling's 3 Grand Tours)
Iris Day
Liberation Day -- Czech Republic; Slovakia
Miguel Hidalgo Day -- Mexico
Mother's Day
National Coconut Cream Pie Day
No Socks Day
Parents' Day -- South Korea
State Flag and State Emblem Day -- Belarus
Stay Up All Night Day
St. Wiro's Day (patron of Holland)
Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War -- International
Truman Day -- Missouri, US
V-E Day
White Lotus Day -- Theosophy
World Fair Trade Day
World Red Cross Day / World Red Crescent Day
Yom Ha'zikkaron -- Israel (honors those who have died fighting for Israel's independence, began sundown previous day)
Birthdays Today:
Enrique Iglesias, 1975
Robert M. Hensel, 1969
Melissa Gilbert, 1964
Toni Tennille, 1943
Peter Benchley, 1940
Rick Nelson, 1940
Don Rickles, 1926
Robert Johnson, 1911
Bishop Fulton Sheen, 1895
Harry S Truman, 1884
Today in History:
Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River and names it Río de Espíritu Santo, 1541
Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, is tried and guillotined by the Reign of Terror, 1794
Future US president Zachary Taylor defeats a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande in the first major battle of the Mexican-American war, 1846
At Gilmore's Gardens in New York City, the first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opens, 1877
Pharmacist John Styth Pemberton first sells a carbonated beverage named "Coca-Cola" as a patent medicine, 1886
In Martinique, Mount Pelée erupts, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people, 1902
In Rheims, France, German forces agree to an unconditional surrender, ending the war in Europe, 1945
The rollercoaster Revolution, the first steel coaster with a vertical loop, opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain, 1976
Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler make the first ascent of Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen, 1978
The World Health Organization announces the eradication of smallpox, 1980
The new Canadian War Museum opens, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of V-E Day, 2005
