messymimi's meanderings

Sweetie came in with good news. It seems that our illustrious Guv'ner here in the Gret Stet of Looziana (at least, that's how some people here sarcastically refer to Louisiana) has kept his promise to come up with a 4% pay raise for state employees.

Considering that he hasn't had a raise in several years, and prices have gone up enormously, and this is only going to result in just enough each month to maybe cover half a week's groceries in this house with teens and a man who eats as if he were still a teenage farm boy, i was rather underwhelmed.

At first, my response was, well maybe that is something to sneeze at, playing on the original expression. Then i got to wondering about the origin of the idiomatic expression "it's nothing to sneeze at."

My first hit on Google came up with the site of The Free Dictionary, which defined the expression and gave, as an example of use, "An extra two thousand bucks a year is nothing to sneeze at."

Talk about appropriate! Maybe the raise is nothing to sneeze at, even if it isn't going to result in quite that much, after taxes.

Looking further down the Google results page, the next one said, "I wouldn't sneeze at that amount of money if I were you. It's better than nothing."

Hmm, think the Good Lord is trying to tell me something? Yes, i do, and i am grateful, because Sweetie has a job, even if it does make him crazy.

Further looking up the expression shows that the earliest noted uses were things like, "It's a sort of thing a young fellow of my expectations ought to sneeze at." That was apparently how it was used in 1806, as a way of showing derision. It seems unusual, since we don't generally sneeze on command, but apparently "sneeze" originally also included the meaning "snort." Sort of a sniff of disdain, i gather, in this use. The expression originally meant to take something lightly, or look down on it, sniffing or snorting in a rude, pretentious way.

Now, we use it the opposite way, saying things are nothing to sneeze (or snort) at.

In this day and time, a raise by any amount is surely that.

Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Chile

Cosmetic Bridge Day -- seems internet generated, but i'm sure your dentist will approve

Day of the First Appearance of the Slovak National Council -- Slovakia

Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 9, Freedom (sponsored by We, the World)

Full Harvest Moon a/k/a Full Corn Moon/Indigo Moon/Wise-Crone Moon (with so much food ripe for gathering, harvesting can go on well into the night by the light of the hugely full Harvest Moon)
     Binara Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka
     Chusok -- South Korea (Harvest Moon Festival; began yesterday, through the 20th; a harvest festival and day to give homage to the ancestors and celebrate family)
     Han'gawi -- North Korea (Harvest Moon Festival; through the 21st; a harvest festival and day to give homage to the ancestors and celebrate family)
     Taw Thalin Full Moon -- Myanmar
     Zhongqiu Jie / Chong Chao -- China; Macau; Taiwan (Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival, the birthday of the earth god T'u-ti Kung, celebrating the harvests, family, and eating moon cakes, matchmaking, sky lanterns, Fire Dragon Dances, and more)

Independence Day -- St. Kitts and Nevis(1983)

International Talk Like a Pirate Day -- www.talklikeapirate.com

Jubilee of the Moth Moons -- Fairy Calendar

National Butterscotch Pudding Day

Navajo Sing Festival -- Navajo Native Americans festival in thanksgiving for the harvest, begun at the full moon, and through the 26th

Osage River Mountain Man Festival and Black Powder Shoot -- Lake Ozark, MO, US (reenactment of a pre-1840s wilderness rendezvous; through Sunday)

St. Januarius of Naples' Day (a/k/a Gennaro of Naples; Patron of blood banks; Naples, Italy; against volcanic eruption) related observance
     Feast of San Gennaro -- NYC, NY, US (began on the 13th, continues to the 23rd; one of the highlights of the festival is this, the actual Saint's day)

Sukkot -- Judaism (began at sunset yesterday, through sunset on the 25th)

Women's Suffrage Day -- New Zealand

Birthdays Today:

Jimmy Fallon, 1974
Jim Abbot, 1967
Trisha Yearwood, 1964
Joan Lunden, 1950
Leslie "Twiggy" Lawson, 1949
Jeremy Irons, 1948
Randolph Mantooth, 1945
"Mama" Cass Elliot, 1941
Bill Medley, 1940
Paul Williams, 1940
David McCallum, 1933
Adam West, 1928
Duke Snider, 1926
Joseph Pasternak, 1901

Today in History:

Edward, the Black Prince, commands the forces which defeat the French army and capture France's King John II, 1356
Giles Corey is pressed to death after refusing to plead in the Salem Witch Trials, 1692
The Continental Congress passes the first budget of the US, 1778
Ephraim Morris patents the railroad brake, 1838
Bond and Lassell discover Hyperion, moon of Saturn, 1848
New Zealand becomes the first country to grant all of its women the right to vote, 1893
Funeral of assassinated President William McKinley, 1901
Mickey Mouse makes his screen debut as Steamboat Willie, at the Colony Theater in NYC, 1928
The Council of Europe is founded following a speech by Winston Churchill at the University of Zurich, 1946
Nikita Khrushchev is barred from visiting Disneyland, 1959
Betty and Barney Hill claim that they saw a mysterious craft in the sky and that it tried to abduct them, 1961
The Solomon Islands join the United Nations, 1978
Scott Fahlman posts the first documented emoticons :-) and :-( on the Carnegie Mellon University Bulletin Board System, 1982
Ötzi the Iceman is discovered by German tourists, 1991
The BP oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico was declared “effectively dead” by retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government’s point man on the blowout disaster, 2010

Feline Friday is the idea of Steve, The Burnt Food Dude.

Uriel and Anna are brother and sister.

Anna is the mostly white, and her tabby spots look like snippets out of her brother's coat, while he has just about as much white under him as she has tabby on top. It's as if there wasn't enough tabby to go around, so they shared!

Today is:

Applejack Festival -- Nebraska City, NE, US (parade, food, fun, and a celebration of the orchards; through Sunday)

Birthday of the Sun -- Inca (date approximate; a few days before the Autumn Equinox, all fires, including that at the Temple of the Sun, were extinguished and 3 days later ceremonially relighted using only glass to concentrate the sunlight on cotton; followed by 8 days of feasting)

Chästeilet im Justistal -- Merlingen, Switzerland (dividing of the summer's cheese between the dairy farmers of the area)

Creston/Southwest Iowa Hot Air Balloon Days -- Creston, IA, US (hare and hound races, parade, marching band contest, balloons and more; through Sunday)

Danger Run/Ghost Run -- Louisville, KY, US ("The Most Fun You've Ever Had in Your Car," a haunted Halloween scavenger hunt style game in which you and your friends will work together to solve clues to find your way on dark, spooky roads to haunted houses, and compete for prizes; every Friday and Saturday evening through October)

Election Day -- Swaziland

Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 10, Disarmament (sponsored by We, the World)

Feast of Orlog -- Scandinavian Deity of Destiny (date approximate)

Feast of Zywie -- Poland (goddess of longevity and health; date approximate)

Genesia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival to honor the dead, especially those who died in wars)

Mid-South Fair -- Southaven, MS, US (original and fun since 1856! through Sept. 29)

MOGFA Common Ground County Fair -- Unity, ME, US (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association sponsors an old-time country fair that revives forgotten skills and has something for everyone; through Sunday)

Monkey God Festival -- China (a celebration of this popular character in East Asian stories, with the best place to see the rituals being the Monkey God Temple at Po Tat Estate in Sau Mau Ping, Kowloon)

Monterrey Jazz Festival -- Monterrey, CA, US (56th Annual, featuring some of the world's finest jazz musicians; through Sunday)

National Farm Safety Day -- US (can't find a sponsor, but farming is hard, and dangerous, work, so it's a good idea)

National POW/MIA Recognition Day -- US

National Rum Punch Day

National Youth Day -- Thailand

New Hampshire Highland Games -- Loon Mountain, Lincoln, NH, US (everything highlands you can think of, and those of Scottish descent can even look up their clan connections; through Sunday)

Okuma-kabuto Festival -- Nakajima, Japan (Noto Peninsula's top autumn festival)

Riverfest -- Eden, NC, US (a celebration of art, history, and river heritage; through tomorrow)

Seven Sweets and Sours Festival -- Intercourse, PA, US (celebrating all the flavors of fall, and pumpkin bowling; through tomorrow)

Southeastern Tribes Festival -- Cherokee, NC, US (Native Americans from the Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Choctaw tribes present demonstrations of their traditions including dance, crafts,, and food; through tomorrow)

St. Eustace's Day (Patron of difficult situations, fire prevention, firefighters, hunters, torture victims, trappers; Madrid, Spain; Poli, Italy; against fire and torture)

Birthdays Today:

Taro Aso, 1940
Sophia Loren, 1934
Anne Meara, 1929
Dr. Joyce Brothers, 1928
Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, 1890
Upton Sinclair, 1878
Rama V, King of Thailand, 1853 (eldest son taught by Anna, of "The King and I" fame)
Emperor Takakura of Japan, 1161

Today in History:

Atilla the Hun defeated at Chalons-sur-Marne by General Aetius, 451
Saladin begins the siege of Jerusalem, 1187
Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda with about 270 men on his expedition to circumnavigate the globe, 1519
Galileo Galilei is tried before the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for teaching that the Earth orbits the Sun, 1633
Maryland passes the first "anti-amalgamation" law to stop English women from marrying black men, 1664
The Negro Convention of Free Men agrees to boycott slave-produced goods, 1830
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is created, 1848
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 ends with the recapture of Delhi by troops loyal to the East India Company, 1857
The first gasoline-powered car debuts in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, 1891
The Otis Elevator Company unveils the first escalator at the Paris Exposition, 1900
Cunard Line's RMS Mauretania is launched, 1906
The first Cannes Film Festival is held, 1946
James Meredith, an African-American, is temporarily barred from entering the University of Mississippi, 1962
The RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 is launched, 1967
Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in The Battle of the Sexes tennis match, 1973
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam joins the UN, 1977
Walt Disney World hosts its 200 millionth guest, 1985
U.S. President George W. Bush declares a "war on terror", 2001
The US Military ends its "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, 2011

It was our usual Friday evening shift at the cat shelter. We give everyone food and water, medicate those that need medicating, sweep the floors, and generally make sure every cat is present, accounted for, and not in any type of distress (or plotting to murder one of its room mates, sometimes if cats don't get along, you can hear some language!). That latter is most important when we are the first ones in on a morning shift, not so important if we are coming in at the end of the day and there are still several people up there.

This particular evening there were not just a few people there, but a slew. The rescue was having a garage sale, and members/volunteers were given the chance to come in and get first choice. Since we members and volunteers were the ones who had donated all the items for the sale, it really means that we were all just trading our junk with each other, but whatever. It's for a good cause.

While there, of course, Bigger Girl, Little Girl, and i had to take a peek. Little Girl found a sword for $2 and four books in the Game of Thrones series for $1 (paperbacks, not hardbound, but still a bargain). Bigger Girl found a party game to play with friends, only $2.

Sweetie has been asking me to make his favorite breakfast sometimes, a home made version of an egg sandwich found at what he jokingly calls "Mickey D's," and i found a biscuit cutter that will be just the right size to get the egg round and able to fit on an English muffin.

But the "Yeeeaaaaah! moment came when i spotted, from several paces, something i've been looking for over the last several months.

A few years ago, i was given two ceramic travel coffee mugs. They are my favorite color, and have cats on them. One of them, of course, fell and the outside broke rather soon after. The inner lining of the cup was intact, but the outer wall was in pieces, which i saved to glue back together. The cracks were obvious, and there was a chip missing, but i set that one aside and started using the other.

A few months ago, the other slipped and both the inner and the outer parts shattered. It was a complete loss, so i swept it up, threw it out, and went back to using the cracked one.

Since then, i've kept my eyes out, including online, for a replacement.

When i saw it, that yelp came out, and then a squeal of glee, and the whole story about how the others broke and i'd been looking for one came out in a big jumble, and now i have a nice, new one.

My favorite coffee mug!

And you can't beat the price, either!

Today is:

Arbor Day -- Brazil

Big Whopper Liar's Contest and Kunstfest -- New Harmony, IN, US (a German Festival, with traditional German foods, beer, and entertainment, plus the Big Whopper Liar's Contest, always a good time; through tomorrow)

Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper Celebration Day -- Fairy Calendar (Goblins)

Covered Bridge Festival -- Washington and Greene County, PA, US (arts, crafts, entertainment, and food at each of the 11 featured covered bridges; through tomorrow)

Egremont Crab Fair -- Egremont, Cumberland, UK (ancient fair given a charter in 1267, includes throwing apples from a cart for children to catch)

Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 11, Peace (to coincide with the International celebration; sponsored by We, the World)

Fall Migration Festival -- Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor, NJ, US (nature photography workshops, guided viewing of the abundant and diverse species here at this time, and more; through tomorrow)

Feast of the Ingathering -- UK traditional (also called Harvest Home; in Scotland, Kirn; in northern England, Mell-Supper. Celebrations will be held in rural areas for the next few weekends, celebrating the end of the harvest.)

German-American Steuben Parade/Von Steuben Day -- New York City, and other smaller parades in US

Heritage Weekend -- Blue Ridge Parkway Cultural Heritage Center, Ashville, NC, US
featuring the Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Championships today

Idaho Spud Day 2013 -- Idaho, US, wants the 3rd Saturday of September as a day to celebrate their favorite crop

Independence Day -- Armenia(1991); Belize(1981); Malta(1964)

International Coastal Cleanup -- join volunteers around the world in helping remove debris that harms marine life and ruins our oceans

International Day of Peace -- UN

International Eat An Apple Day -- a celebration of the fruit of the season, on the third Saturday of every September

Johnny Appleseed Festival -- Fort Wayne, IN, US (an 1800 style period festival; through tomorrow)

Kharisteria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate; feast of Aremis Agrotera[the huntress] that became a thanksgiving for the victory of the battle of Marathon)

Kwama Nkrumah's Birthday/Founder's Day -- Ghana

Levi Coffin Days -- Fountain City, IN, US (celebrating Levi Coffin, the "President of the Underground Railroad"; through tomorrow)

Miniature Golf Day -- golf the fun way! (separate from National Miniature Golf Day in May)

National Book Festival -- National Mall, Washington, D.C., US (the Library of Congress celebrates "Books that Shaped the World"; through Sunday)

National Neighborhood Day 2013 -- US (a group used to sponsor this on the 3rd Saturday in September, but their website expired, so celebrate your neighborhood if you want, without sponsorship)

National Pecan Cookie Day

National Seat Check Saturday -- US (check it for what, sagging? i'm old, of course it is! Oh, make sure car seats are secured -- my kids finally outgrew those, phew)

National Tradesmen Day -- US

Norskedalen Thressing Bee -- Norskedalen Nature and Heritage Center, Coon Valley, WI, US (antique engines and pioneer demonstrations, as well as cream separating, butter-making, a thresher's meal, and more)

Oktoberfest -- Germany (through Oct. 6)

Pause the World Day -- because we've all wanted to do this at one time or another

Peddler's Village Scarecrow Festival -- Peddler's Village, Lahaska, PA, US (start celebrating the fall with scarecrow making, pumpkin-painting, and more; through tomorrow)

R.E.A.D. in America Day -- sponsored by CheeREADing, because Reading helps Everyone Accomplish Dreams

Responsible Dog Ownership Day -- sponsored by the AKC

Rettir -- Iceland (around this time of year; a traditional sheep round up celebrated in Iceland during September, actual round up dates may vary from region to region)

St. Matthew the Evangelist's Day (Patron of accountants, bankers, bookkeepers, customs officers, financial officers, guards, money managers, security forces, security guards, stock brokers, tax collectors; Salerno, Italy; Trier, Germany; Villa d'Ogna, Italy)

Student's Day and Spring Day -- Argentina

Throw Away Something Day -- you have the internet's permission to get rid of that hideous gift; if you can't bring yourself to throw it out, donate it

Thrue Bab -- Bhutan (Blessed Rainy Day)

Trail of Courage Living History Festival -- Rochester, IN, US (frontier life in Indiana when it was Native territory; through tomorrow)

Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride® -- Bridgeport, AL to Waterloo, AL ( ride along part of the original Trail of Tears to honor the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole nations)

Waikiki Ho'olaule'a -- Waikiki, Oahu, Hawai'i, US (a huge, fun street party, part of the larger Aloha Festivals celebrations all over the Islands, to showcase the culture and beauty of Hawai'i)

World Alzheimer's Day

World Gratitude Day

Birthdays Today:

Faith Hill, 1967
Darva Conger, 1965
Rob Morrow, 1962
David James Elliot, 1960
Dave Coulier, 1959
Bill Murray, 1950
Stephen King, 1947
Henry Gibson, 1935
Leonard Cohen, 1934
Larry Hagman, 1931
Chuck Jones, 1912
H.G. Wells, 1866
Maurice Barrymore, 1849 (family patriarch)

Today in History:

Richard the Lionheart captured, 1192
Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa orders Jews of Holland to wear a badge, 1451
John and Nicolaas van der Heyden patent a fire extinguisher, 1677
Nathan Hale arrested for spying, 1776
The Pennsylvania Packet & Daily Advertiser becomes the first successful US daily newspaper, 1784
Joseph Smith, Jr. claims that the Angel Moroni gives him the gold plates from which he translates the Book of Mormon, 1827
The Duryea Motor Wagon Company becomes the first auto manufacturer, 1895
"Kit Carson", the first cowboy film, premiers in the US, 1903
Publication of Tolkien's "The Hobbit", 1937
Bahrain, Bhutan and Qatar join the United Nations, 1971
Sandra Day O'Connor is unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate as the first female US Supreme Court justice, 1981
Brunei joins the United Nations, 1984
Deep Space 1 flies within 2,200 km of Comet Borrelly, 2001
The Galileo mission is terminated by sending the probe into Jupiter's atmosphere, 2003

We've had a few, and a couple of hiccups, too.

First, there was my trip to the MomAndPop Grocery Store nearby. That's where i stop for basics, and when they have a good sale, i like to stock up on some things. This time, among other things, they had ibuprofen on sale.

As Bigger Girl says, "Mom, at certain times of the month, there better be ibuprofen in the house, or blood will be shed!"

She means it, so i try very hard not to run out.

The MomAndPop store is a good one. Literally begun by a local family, and many of the family, down to what is now the 4th generation, still work at one of the locations. So i was surprised to find, on the morning of the first day of a two day special sale, that there was not a single bottle of the particular ibuprofen on sale on the shelves.

Some stores do that on purpose. They tell you it's on sale, "while supplies last," and stock one of that item, and tell everyone else, "Sorry, we ran out." This place doesn't do that, they aren't those kind of people.

When i asked, i was told the HBA (Health and Beauty Aids) rep hadn't come in yet, there should be some in soon. Then, and this is one reason i love this store, Ms. Edith offered to put two bottles under her register for me to pick up later. Yes, it's her register; if she's not there, that register is closed, and no one messes with it.

A second reason to love the place -- the manager, Mr. Daryl, went in the back and found two bottles (the HBA lady had them delivered, but hadn't come in to shelve them yet), and he handed them to Ms. Edith who came and found me at the back of the store to hand them to me.

Later, #1 Son noted that he was looking for a VCR. When we were at the shelter, i saw two of them, only $5 each. Thus i sent him a text, asking if he wanted me to pick one up.

He didn't answer until over 2 hours later, long after i was home. So i called up to the shelter to ask that one be set aside, and i would come pick it up later.

Both had been sold. You snooze, you lose. Turn up your phone so you can get your mother's texts, son.

Then there was the matter of the weekend's American style football game at the university. Little Girl has desperately wanted to take a special friend, so i decided to stay home and let her use my ticket. Heavens, i've been to more of these games than i can count, so it's not that big of a deal to me, but it's still big for the kids and their friends.

The big deal is, on game days, Sweetie has to go to work. (He usually has weekends off.) Naturally that had to mean his sleep would be disturbed, and it was, by a 2am text from Miss Lizzie, panicking. Next time i see that girl, i'm going to emphasize to her, again, that if it happens after hours, and it's not a 911 emergency, she better wait until morning.

We both slept poorly, then he had to drive in the pouring rain to work. When he got home, after working an 8 hour day, he had just over an hour until it was time to turn around and drive the family back to the university.

They were about to leave when his car wouldn't start. He had driven through high water get to work, and his battery light had been on earlier, and, sure enough, it was the battery. He had, of course, parked in such a way as to block in the car they were to take to the game.

One jump start later, i moved his car, everyone else got in the other, and they were gone.

Now, i get to figure out how to get him a battery, and cram that errand into the million and one others i already have on my plate so that i can leave town on Wednesday. This may also eat into my trip money.

On the good side, it looks like we've ordered everything to get Bigger Girl's computer fixed, and my computer guru has worked with Ol' Bessy a bit. He thinks a bit more RAM will help. It's worth a try, as he has the RAM available at his house, sitting and doing nothing.

Please, though, no more snafus, or hiccups, or errands on my plate. It's full, and i'm going to get indigestion if it piles up any more.

Today is:

Aizu Byakko Matsuri -- Aizuwakamatsu-shi, Fukushima, Japan (ceremonial recreation of a march to war in 1868; through the 24th)

American Business Women's Day -- US (anniversary of the founding of the American Business Women's Association)

Autumnal Equinox -- 20:44UTC related observances
     Mabon -- Wicca/Pagan Northern Hemisphere
     Ostara -- wicca/Pagan Southern Hemisphere
     Alban Elfed -- Celtic Winter Finding
     Chuseok -- Korean harvest festival (high point of the festival)
     Feast of Carpo -- Greek Horae, goddess of autumn
     Kukulcan Snake God Celebration -- Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico (the snake appears at the equinox, a time to honor this Mayan god)
     Festival of the Sea Goddess -- Eskimo
     Higan -- Japan
     Mabon/Fallfest -- Asatru/Norse Pagan (harvest festival, time to make wine and mead for the next winter)
     Oenach Carman -- Ancient Celtic Calendar
     Sendai Great Tug-of-War -- Sendai, Japan (festival on the equinox that dates back over 400 years)
     Svarog's Holiday -- Slavic Pagan Calendar/Asatru (day to drink mead in honor of Svarog, god of fire and the sky)

Banned Books Week begins -- US (sponsored by the ALA; Defend the Freedom to Read, It's Everybody's Job; celebrate your right to read what you want!)

Boidromia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate; honor Apollon as god of rescue during war)

Breakfast, Snack, Elevenses, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Tea, Snack, Dinner, Snack, More Snacks, Supper, Snack, and Bilgewack Celebration Day -- Fairy Calendar (Borms; they are little known relatives of Goblins, given to being overweight and sedentary and lying around feeling ill; bilgewack is their term for having eaten too much and having to lie down.)

Car-Free Day -- this has spread to much of the world; try it for yourself!

Clypping the Church Ceremony -- Painswick, Gloucestershire, England (since 1321, surrounding the church hand in hand for the Clypping Hymn and an open air ceremony)

Coya Raymi -- Inca Native Americans (festival to honor Moon Goddess Quilla, with a focus on purging sickness and evil; through tomorrow, dates approximate)

Dear Diary Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays; get it down on paper!

Elephant Appreciation Day -- sponsored by "Elefunteria" and WildHeart Productions

Feast of Mikeli -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (harvest celebration; through the 24th)

Hobbit Day -- Bilbo's and Frodo's Birthday

Ice Cream Cone Day -- Italo Marchiony applied for a patent for an ice cream cone mold on this day in 1903

Independence Day -- Bulgaria; Mali

International Day of Radiant Peace -- www.radiantpeace.org

National Centenarians Day -- US

National White Chocolate Day

OneWebDay

Princess Martha Louise's Birthday -- Norway (an official flag day)

Ritual of the Netjers of the Two Lands (Upper and Lower Egypt) -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

St. Maurice's Day (Patron of armies, cloth dyers, cloth makers, infantrymen, soldiers, swordsmiths, weavers; Austria; Manresa, Spain; Pianello Val Tidone, Italy; Piedmont, Italy; Sardinia; Stadtsulza, Germany; Pontifical Swiss Guards; against cramps and gout)

Tolkien Week begins (always the Sun - Sat that includes Hobbit Day)

UCI Road World Championships -- Toscana, Italy (Union Cycliste International sponsors these races, through the 29th)

XTERRA Trail Run Nationals -- Ogden/Snowbasin, UT, US (finale of the series of extreme runs held across the country through the year, featuring 21k of extreme, off-road trail runs)

Birthdays Today:

Bonnie Hunt, 1964
Scott Baio, 1961
Joan Jett, 1960
Andrea Bocelli, 1958
Debby Boone, 1956
Shari Belafonte, 1954
Tommy Lasorda, 1927
Michael Farriday, 1791
Lord Chesterfield, 1694

Today in History:

Legion I Italica is created by Emperor Nero, 66
Switzerland becomes an independent state, 1499
The General Provincial Court at Patuxent, MD, US, empanels the first all female jury in the colonies to try the case of a woman accused of murdering her child, 1656
A final 8 people are hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Mass., 1692
Nathan Hale is hanged for spying during American Revolution, 1776
Russia establishes a colony at Kodiak, Alaska, 1784
City of Des Moines, Iowa, is incorporated as Fort Des Moines, 1851
Abraham Lincoln, by executive proclamation, declares that the slaves in the rebelling states shall become free on Jan. 1 of the upcoming year, 1862
Richard Wagner's opera Das Rheingold premieres in Munich, 1869
The first issue of National Geographic Magazine is published, 1888
Queen Victoria surpasses her grandfather, King George III, as the longest reigning monarch in British history, 1895
Italo Marchiony granted a patent for an ice cream cone, 1903
The Duke of York's Picture House opens in Brighton, now the oldest continually operating cinema in Britain, 1910
Ralph J. Bunche becomes the first black winner of the Nobel Peace Price, 1950
The Dead Sea Scrolls are made available to the public for the first time by the Huntington Library, 1991
David Hempleman-Adams becomes the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an open-air, wicker-basket hot air balloon, 2003

Note: If Suldog sent you, you are probably looking for Thanksgiving Comes First. You are also more than welcome to read today's meanderings while you are here.

Yes, mama is really angry now.

On Saturday, October 19, the people of our parish were granted the opportunity, longed for in many societies by generations of women and slaves and others who were considered non-citizens, and still coveted by many people in some societies on this earth, to cast a secret ballot in a free election.

Some parts of the parish were electing a justice of the peace. A few were voting on propositions to renew property taxes to fund our sheriff's department and EMS.

The early voting turnout was so low that the registrar of voters predicted turnout as low as 20%.

Then i went and actually checked the results (instead of just listening to the report on the radio).

Actual voter turnout was less than 10% across the parish. In fact, the highest was 7.2% of voters even bothered.

And i am very, very angry.

This isn't people refusing to vote because they are making a statement. This is sheer apathy, and i find it appalling.

It makes me want to grab people by the throat and yell at them, "Don't you flipping care!"

Obviously, they don't. So i'm left angry, and sad.

While in the Finger Lakes region of New York last month, we went to Seneca Falls, where the Women's Rights Convention was held in 1848. The women and men who met there knew that, without the right to vote, women were not full citizens. They set out to change society, and they did.

Only one of the women, Charlotte Woodward, who was 19 when she attended the convention, lived long enough to cast a legal vote, in 1920.

It makes me wonder what she would think. The women who fought and worked and went through a lot of crap to get the right to vote, what would they think? Especially those who died before they ever saw the work completed. They understood how important it is to take a role in governing ourselves through the electoral process.

Now, we have so much apathy that the polls are almost deserted.

If you don't vote because you are making a social statement, because you are protesting, i may disagree with you, but i will gladly support your right to do that.

If you don't (or didn't) vote because you just didn't bother, shame on you.

Today is:

Angam Day -- Nauru ("Day of Fulfillment"; a celebration of overcoming hardships)

Armed Forces Day -- Benin

Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival -- Banff, AB, Canada (38th annual; through next Sunday)

Blue Ridge Folklife Festival -- Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, Ferrum, VA, US (a large celebration of authentic folkways)

Children's Day -- Australia; Malaysia

Day of the Ancients -- Asatru/Pagan Slavic Calendar

Day of Mourning -- Libya

Emma Crawford Festival and Memorial Coffin Race -- Manitou Springs, CO, US (spooky fun for the whole family)

Exaltation of the Shellfish -- Pontevedra, Spain (can confirm they celebrate this each year, cannot find confirmation on this specific date)

Forgiveness Day -- a day to reconcile or forgive, for your own peace of mind; sponsored by Positive Peaceful Partners and the Center of Unconditional Love

Gormanudr -- Old Icelandic Calendar (beginning of "Innards Month," after all the animals have been butchered and fresh innards figure predominantly in the menu, as the rest of the meat has been preserved for winter)

Hogeye Festival -- Elgin, TX, US (Road Hog Car Show, crowning of King Hog and Queen Sowpreme, Cow Patty Bingo, and more!)

Lhabab Duechen -- Bhutan (Descending Day of Lord Buddha)22nd day 9th month lunar calendar

London Bridge Days -- Lake Havasu City, AZ, US (come celebrate London Bridge, which was disassembled and moved here and put back together, with a parade and festivities; through tomorrow)

Ludi Victoriae Sullanae -- Roman Empire (celebration of the victories of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, through Nov. 1)

Make A Difference Day -- US (Whoopie Goldberg once said that if every American would donate 5 volunteer hours a week, it would be the equivalent of several million full time jobs; whether or not it's strictly accurate, volunteering is a great thing to do no matter where you live)

Mule Day -- anniversary of the first importation of donkeys to the US, which George Washington used to breed the first mules in the Americas

National Day -- Austria

National Gospel Day -- Cook Islands

National Mincemeat Pie Day

Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts Festival -- Washington County Fairgrounds, Washington, PA, US (over two hundred exhibits, plus food and entertainment; through tomorrow)

Pretzel Day

Pumpkin Day -- time to get one for the 31st, if you haven't already

Scared Silly: Halloween in Prospect Park -- Brooklyn, NY, US (hauntingly good fun all weekend)

St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki's Day (Patron of soldiers; Thessaloniki, Greece)
Greek day to broach the wine barrels and taste the new season's wine in honor of this saint

Sts. Lucian and Marcian's Day (Patrons of converts, possessed people)

Texas Book Festival -- Austin, TX, US (one of the nation's most prestigious literary festivals, especially celebrating renowned Texas authors; through tomorrow)

Toping Wagglegammon -- Fairy Calendar (no human knows what this means, but it sounds intriguing)

Workaholic Stop and Smell Something Day -- internet generated day to encourage workaholics to stop and consider what they might be missing

Worldwide Howl at the Moon Night -- some organizers even have howling parties

Xterra Kapalua Trail Run -- Kapalua, Maui, HI, US (extreme trail runs of 6k and 10k; through tomorrow)

Anniversary Today:

Grand opening of the Erie Canal, 1825

Birthdays Today:

Cary Elwes, 1962
Lauren Tewes, 1954
Hillary Rodham Clinton, 1947
Pat Sajak, 1947
Jaclyn Smith, 1947
Bob Hoskins, 1942
Jackie Coogan, 1914
Mahalia Jackson, 1911

Debuting/Premiering Today:

St. Elsewhere, 1982

Today in History:

Comet 55P/1366 U1 (Tempel-Tuttle) approaches 0.0229 AUs of Earth (2.1 million miles and 3.4 million kilometers)--marking the third closest approach of any comet to our planet in recorded history, 1366
First use of lead pencils, 1492
William Penn accepts the area around the the Delaware River from the Duke of York, 1682
The first Continental Congress adjourns in Philadelphia, and the Minute Men begin to organize in the colonies, 1774
King George III goes before Parliament to declare the American colonies in rebellion, and authorized a military response to quell the American Revolution, 1775
Benjamin Franklin departs from America for France on a mission to seek French support for the American Revolution, 1776
The first of the "Federalist Papers" are published, calling for ratification of the US Constitution, 1787
The French Directory, a five-man revolutionary government, is created, 1795
Hamilton Smith patents a rotary washing machine, 1858
Soccer football rules are standardized and rugby starts as a separate game, 1863
The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral takes place at Tombstone, Arizona, 1881
First use of a "getaway car" after a robbery in Paris, 1901
The first Soviet (worker's council) formed, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1905
Margaret Sanger arrested for the obscenity of advocating birth control, 1916
The Maharaja of Kashmir agrees to allow his kingdom to join India, 1947
Mother Teresa founds her Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, 1950
Pan American Airways makes the first commercial flight of the Boeing 707 from New York City to Paris, France, 1958
The world sees the far side of the Moon for the first time, in pictures taken earlier in the month by the Soviet Luna 3, 1959
The last natural case of smallpox is discovered in Merca district, Somalia, 1977
"Baby Fae," born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, receives a controversial heart transplant from a baboon, dies of kidney infection 21 days later, 1984
The Charlottetown Accord fails to win majority support in a Canada wide referendum, 1992
Jordan and Israel sign a peace treaty, 1994
Britain's House of Lords votes to end the right of hereditary peers to vote in Britain's upper chamber of Parliament, 1999

Note: If Suldog sent you, you are probably looking for Thanksgiving Comes First. You are also more than welcome to read today's meanderings while you are here.

"Mom, I've decided what I'm going to do at school on Hallowe'en." Bigger Girl came in with a smile.

What? i asked. Didn't you tell me that you were going as Janis Joplin this year?

"That's what I'm going as for the party at Will's place, and when I go with Muriel to take her daughter to the zoo. But when I go to school that day, I'm going to go as a film reference. I'm going to wear my lacey shirt and my lace gloves, and have this glass bottle on a chain around my neck. The label will say 'Arsenic.' Get it? I'm referencing the film Arsenic and Old Lace!"

Very good, i told her.

"It will be a real party at Will's, too, not just the get togethers he calls parties each weekend. I'm sorry, but I don't consider those real parties. A bunch of people sitting around playing video games isn't a party, and I don't care how many snacks you serve!"

"You are going trick or treating at the zoo with Muriel and her daughter? Take me! Take me! I haven't been in so long!" Little Girl had walked in from school, and she's right, i haven't taken them to trick or treat at the zoo since they got past the age limit.

"Okay, you can come," Bigger Girl said. "Have you decided what you are going to be?"

"Yes. I'm going to wear my suit and tie, with a sign around my neck that says, 'Closed.' I'm going as the US Government!"

This is how i pay for my warped sense of humor, i guess, by having kids as crazy as i am.

Today is:

A Family Hallowe'en -- Billings Farm and Museum, Woodstock, VT, US (a great time for all)

American Beer Day

Big Bang Day -- London, England

Boxer Shorts Day -- ???????

Cernova Tragedy Day -- Slovakia

Cranky Co-Worker's Day -- because we all have occasional bad days; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Daylight Saving Time ends -- Albania; Andorra; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovena; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Finland; France; Germany; Gibraltar; Greece; Greenland (some areas); Holy See; Hungary; Ireland; Isle of Man; Israel; Italy; Kosovo; Latvia; Lebanon; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia; Mali; Mexico (most areas); Moldova; Monaco; Montenegro; Morocco; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; San Marino; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; Western Sahara

Feast of Osiris in Abydos -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Good Bear Day -- on Theodore Roosevelt's birthday, celebrating the stuffed toy created in his honor

Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade -- Long Beach, CA, US (dress up your dog and have a howling good time)

Independence Day -- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines(1979); Turkmenistan(1991)

Mother-in-Law Day -- a day to honor good Mothers-in-Law for their contributions to their families and for enduring all the bad jokes; if you have a lousy one, go listen to Ernie K-Doe's song

National Potato Day

Navy Day -- US (on T.R.'s birth anniversary)

Presidential Election Day -- Georgia

Radio Day -- US (US Commerce Dept. issued the first broadcasting license this date in 1920)

Reformation Day/Reformation Sunday -- Protestant Christian (obs.)

St. Frumentius' Day (Patron of Abyssinia; Ethiopia)

Sylvia Plath Day

Tunch Puddling -- Fairy Calendar (a contest of throwing twigs in a pond -- awards are for artistically thrown twigs and throwing style, among other things)

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage -- International

World Occupational Therapy Day -- thank those hard working OT's

Anniversary Today:

The NYC Subway begins operation, 1904

Birthdays Today:

Jayne Kennedy, 1951
Carrie Snodgrass, 1946
John Cleese, 1939
Ruby Dee, 1924
Roy Lichtenstein, 1923
Bette Babray, 1920
Dylan Thomas, 1914
Emily Post, 1872
Theodore Roosevelt, 1858
Niccolo Paganini, 1782
Captain James Cook, 1728
Erasmus, 1466

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Walt Disney/Wonderful World of Color/Wonderful World of Disney, 1954 (the show had several different names over the years, but even when it switched stations, it was still the same show)

Today in History:

Constantine the Great is said to have received his Vision of the Cross, 312
Founding of the city of Amsterdam, 1275
Founding of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1682
US Navy forms, 1775
Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs issues the Extermination Order, which orders all Mormons to leave the state or be exterminated, 1838
R.H. Macy & Co. opens its first store, on 6th Ave. in NYC, 1858
Boss Tweed is arrested, 1871
The first underground New York City Subway line opens, 1904
The first published reference to "jazz" appears, in Variety, 1916
Chuhei Numbu of Japan sets the long jump record at 26' 2 1/2", 1931
"You Bet Your Life," with Groucho Marx, premiers on ABC radio, 1947*
Benjamin O. Davis Jr. becomes the first African-American general in the United States Air Force, 1954
Mauritania and Mongolia join the United Nations, 1961
The British government suddenly deregulates financial markets, leading to a total restructuring of the way in which they operate in the country, in an event now referred to as the Big Bang, 1986
The U.S. prison population tops 1 million for the first time in American history, 1994
Gliese 229B is the first Substellar Mass Object to be unquestionably identified, 1994
Stock markets around the world crash because of fears of a global economic meltdown, 1997
The Boston Red Sox win the World Series for the first time in 86 years, 2004
The SSETI Express micro-satellite is successfully launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, 2005

*(Ultimate result of this a few years later is, of course, the funniest line ever on tv, when a man with 8 kids admitted to Mr. Marx that he did indeed love his wife, and Groucho countered with, "I love my cigar, too, but I take it out of my mouth sometimes!")

Note: If Suldog sent you, you are probably looking for Thanksgiving Comes First. You are also more than welcome to read today's meanderings while you are here.

As i said, i have tried to get better pictures of the three babies that are still being bottle fed.

These are the best they would hold still for, which is why dagnabbit was used frequently when trying to get these shots.

Uhura

Chekov

Sulu

Today is:

Bring Your Jack-O-Lantern to Work Day -- just check the fire code before you light that candle

Celtic Tree Month Negetal (Reed) begins

Dia do Servidor Publico -- Brazil (Civil Servants' Day)

Election Day -- Philippines

Flying Baby Day -- celebrating the first baby born on an airplane on this day in 1929

Fyribod (or Forebode) -- Ancient Norse Calendar (announces the beginning of winter; date approximate)

Hari Sumpah Pemuda -- Indonesia (Youth Pledge Day)

Independence Day -- Czechoslovakia (from Austria-Hungary in 1918; still celebrated in the Czech Republic and Slovakia)

International Animation Day -- ASIFA (to honor the day Emile Reynaud presented the first animation to the public)

International School Library Day -- www.iasl-online.org/

Isia -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (dates approximate; first day of the 6 day Isis festival)

Labour Day -- New Zealand

Milvian Bridge Day -- Christian (day to reflect on the interrelationship of religion and government)

National Chocolate Day

October Bank Holiday -- Ireland

Okunchi Matsuri -- Karatsu, Japan (with floats that date back to the 1800s; through the 30th)

Oxi Day -- Greece (Sometimes "Ochi" or "Ohi", literally "No Day", celebrating resistance to Mussolini.)

Part Your Hair Crooked Just To See If Anyone Will Say Anything About It Day -- internet generated, celebrate at your own risk

Peniamina Gospel Day -- Niue

Plush Animal Lovers' Day -- internet generated; celebrate your love of stuffed animals today

Runic Half-month Hagal (hailstone) begin

St. Jude Thaddeus' Day (Patron of desperate or hopeless cases -- the reason Danny Thomas chose this saint to invoke as patron of the hospital he helped found.)

St. Simon the Zealot's Day (Patron of curriers, sawmen, tanners)

Wild Foods Day -- as in, grown or caught in the wild (please be careful if you like mushrooms and want to gather your own!)

Anniversaries Today:

Statue of Liberty dedicated, 1886
Maimonides College is founded, 1867 (first Jewish college in the US)
Founding of Harvard University, 1636
Universidad Santo Tomas Aquino is established, 1538 (first university in the New World)

Birthdays Today:

Joaquin Phoenix, 1974
Julia Roberts, 1967
Daphne Zuniga, 1962
Bill Gates, 1955
Bruce Jenner, 1949
Dennis Franz, 1944
Charlie Daniels, 1936
Cleo Laine, 1927
Jonas Salk, 1914
Edith Head, 1907
Georges Auguste Escoffier, 1846
Desiderius Erasmus, 1467

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Jack Benny Program, 1950

Today in History:

Constantine the Great defeats Maxentius, 312
Battle of Yaunis Khan in which Turkish forces under the Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha defeat the Mameluks near Gaza, 1516
Battle of Amba Sel, in which Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi again defeats the army of Lebna Dengel, Emperor of Ethiopia; the southern part of Ethiopia falls under Imam Ahmad's control, 1531
Peruvian cities of Lima & Callao are demolished by an earthquake, 18,000 die, 1746
Eli Whitney applies for a patent on the cotton gin, 1793
The first railroad in Spain, between Barcelona and Mataro, is opened, 1848
The Statue of Liberty is dedicated by President Grover Cleveland, and celebrated by the first ticker tape/confetti parade in NYC, 1886
An earthquake strikes Mino-Owari, Japan, kills 7,300, 1891
Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Pathétique, receives its première performance in St. Petersburg, only nine days before the composer's death, 1893
The St. Louis police try a new investigation method -- fingerprints, 1904
Czechoslovakia gains its independence in the break up of Austria-Hungary, 1918
The Volstead Act, passed by Congress over Wilson's veto, starts Prohibition, 1919
The first coast to coast radio broadcast of a football game, 1922
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt rededicates the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary, 1936
The Alaska Highway (Alcan Highway) is completed through Canada to Fairbanks, Alaska, 1942
Swiss chemist Paul Müller is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the insecticidal properties of DDT, 1948
The modern Kingdom of the Netherlands is re-founded as a federal monarchy, 1954
Nikita Khrushchev announces that he had ordered the removal of Soviet missile bases in Cuba, 1962
Nostra Aetate, the "Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions" of the Second Vatican Council, is promulgated by Pope Paul VI; it absolves the Jews of responsibility for the death of Jesus, 1965*
Britain launches its first satellite, Prospero, into low Earth orbit atop a Black Arrow carrier rocket, 1971
The centenary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty is celebrated in New York Harbor, 1986
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner becomes the first woman elected President of Argentina, 2007

"Meatball is very sick and I have to go to work and Cody's car is broken -- help?"

This particular morning, i had dropped Little Girl at school, then gone to the shelter to clean kitten cages. It was homecoming weekend, Grandma and Grandpa were going to be in town, everything was shaping up to be busy as could be, and i got the above text from #1 Son just as i was leaving the shelter.

The shelter is two blocks from where he, Cody, and Justin live, so i called and told him i was on my way. He said they would get Meatball out, to just pull in the driveway.

When i got out of the van, they were carrying Meatball on a makeshift stretcher using an old piece of wood covered with his blanket. He had obviously lost weight, couldn't walk without falling over, had a bloated abdomen, and looked absolutely miserable.

To be blunt, he had that introspective look that means the animal has lost hope because of something that is going on inside that we cannot see, but he can sense.

"Make sure they know he's dehydrated and to give him fluids right away!" #1 Son said as i drove off, and i had to smile. He does know some things, after spending all those years helping bottle raise kittens. He can spot dehydration in a heartbeat.

Between the two of them, #1 Son and Cody hefted Meatball onto the back seat of the van, and Cody climbed in next to him, thanking me continually.

Meatball, a 7-year-old terrier mix, was certainly not himself, as he didn't growl once. His love for Cody was legendary, as he had once fought off someone who was trying to rob Cody's workplace. He tolerated strangers when told to, but his protectiveness was amazing.

When we got to the vet, Cody and i had to lift Meatball out of the van and carry him in. We set him on the floor at the threshold and he collapsed, legs splayed, with the look that said, I really don't care what happens to me right now.

The vet's regular office hours hadn't even begun, but the vet was there, and the assistant helped haul Meatball off the floor and onto the scale. 63 lbs -- down at least 15 from his regular fighting weight.

The vet asked about symptoms, and Cody described four days of decreasing appetite, increasing lethargy, and some vomiting beginning the day before. Treated for fleas a few days back with Hartz flea treatment. That worried me and the vet, and i explained to Cody how Hartz flea treatment could kill pets (one of #1 Son's friends lost her cat Bastet to the stuff, i'm the one who took them to the vet, too). He had no idea.

Dr. Rob, the vet, gave us some options. For the time being, we decided we could afford to give him fluids and medication to prevent the throwing up, and come back the next day when we had scratched up more funds.

Meatball was obviously feeling a bit better very soon after, but was still weak as we went to Cody's workplace to try to get him a replacement pay card. (Many places now pay you with a prepaid Visa card, apparently. The rant about that is fodder for another post, which will happen later, i'm sure.) We couldn't get the replacement, and Cody still needed help getting his car battery replaced.

It had been hours since i left the house, no breakfast, nothing but coffee, and i was feeling a bit ill myself. So we went back to my house, and #2 Son took Cody and Meatball home, then was supposed to help him get his car going.

On days like this, not much goes as planned, though.

Cody called his ex-girlfriend, who adored Meatball. Her mother was also a big fan of the dog, and agreed to pay for more medical care. She even agreed to run them to other vets for opinions, since #2 Son eventually had to get the car back to me.

After them running around all afternoon, and three opinions, including that his stomach was twisted and it was going to take a $4,000 surgery to correct it, the final diagnosis was that he had heart-worms, and wouldn't recover.

During that time, i was supposed to find Anna and Uriel so i could take them to the shelter, bathe them, and leave them so they could have their spay and neuter surgeries at Spay Day. Of course, they decided to put on invisibility cloaks, so i left to pick up Little Girl from school and go do the afternoon shelter shift.

On the way, we got the call about Meatball. All of us are sad, and i'm even more sad that it happened on a day when i was so busy i couldn't even take time out to process much. We had to get the shelter chores done and get back home to be ready to meet Grandma and Grandpa at the hotel. The day wasn't over.

Today is:

Candies Day -- they have to be kidding -- this close to Hallowe'en?!

Coronation Day -- Cambodia (anniversary of King Norodom Sihamony, in 2004)

Cumhuriyet Bayrami -- Turkey (Republic Day)(1923)

Hermit Day / Hide From Everyone Day -- internet generated, for those who would rather have a peaceful day today than celebrate the other holidays listed; look up how to be a hermit on wikihow

Internet Day -- it's predecessor went live today, see Today in History for detail

Laugh Suddenly For No Reason A Lot Today Day (And end up either getting yourself and everyone around you in a good mood, or yourself being observed at the hospital in a padded room.)

Naming Day -- Tanzania

National Cat Day -- US (with the goal of getting 10,000 cats adopted from shelters today)

National Disgusting Little Pumpkin-Shaped Candies Day

National Oatmeal Day

Republic Day -- North Cyprus; Turkey

Second Fiddle of the Month -- Fairy Calendar (a very poorly attended event -- who wants to play second fiddle?)

St. Mary of Edessa's Day (Patron against sexual temptation)

World Psoriasis Day

Birthdays Today:

Winona Ryder, 1971
Kate Jackson, 1948
Richard Dreyfuss, 1947
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, 1938
Bill Mauldin, 1921
Fanny Brice, 1891
James Boswell, 1740 (wrote the biography of Samuel Johnson)
Edmund Halley, 1656 (O.S. Date) (yes, that Halley, found the comet)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Internet, 1969 (the first connection between computers that would become the Internet someday was made on this date when bits of data flowed between computers at UCLA and Stanford Research Institute; this grew into ARPANET, and is now the Internet we know and yell at.)

Today in History:

Cyrus the Great entered the city of Babylon, BC539
First trial for witchcraft in Paris, 1390
Sir Walter Raleigh, adventurer, writer, and courtier, is beheaded, 1618
A severe earthquake shakes New England, 1727
Mozart's opera Don Giovanni receives its first performance in Prague, 1787
The first Ohio River steamboat leaves Pittsburgh for New Orleans, 1811
Queen Victoria grants Cecil Rhodes rights to Zambezia, 1889
The first intercity trucking service, from Colorado City to Snyder, Texas, begins running, 1904
Turkey declares its independence as the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, 1923
Israeli forces invade the Sinai Peninsula and push Egyptian forces back toward the Suez Canal, 1956
Cassius Clay wins his first professional fight, 1960
Syria exits from the United Arab Republic, 1961
Montreal's World Fair, Expo 67, closes with over 50 million visitors, 1967
The American Galileo spacecraft makes its closest approach to 951 Gaspra, becoming the first probe to visit an asteroid, 1991
In South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission presents its report, which condemns both sides for committing atrocities, 1998
Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off on STS-95 with 77-year old John Glenn on board, making him the oldest person to go into space, 1998
In Rome, European heads of state sign the Treaty and Final Act establishing the first European Constitution, 2004

Little Girl and i went to the shelter without Uriel and Anna, because cats have that cloak of invisibility when they know something is up. The shelter was the usual afternoon business, with potential adopters looking at cats, volunteers cleaning and doing paperwork, and Miss W overseeing it all with her usual aplomb.

Since i had been there just a few hours earlier cleaning the kitten cages, i knew who needed medication, and which rooms needed extra attention, and by now Little Girl and i work the Friday afternoon shift like a well-oiled machine. She feeds and waters kittens while i feed and water the roaming cats and office cats. She feeds the ones in the colony rooms while i dispense medications. She sweeps floors while i change out the water bowls in the colony rooms. We almost always finish at the same time.

While there we got two phone calls. The first was from #1 Son, informing us that the decision was made to let Meatball go. Treatment with that level of heart worm infection would have been futile and cruel. Because the boys all live in a rented home, Cody's ex-girlfriend and her mother, who loved Meatball dearly, took him to their home to bury him in the back yard.

The second call was from Grandma, that she and Grandpa were on their way. We got everything done at the shelter and hurried home so Little Girl could pack. She, Bigger Girl, and i went in Cicero (Bigger Girl's car) to the hotel while #2 Son took Jalopy (the van) to go help Cody.

That evening was supposed to be spent at a big whiz bang event at the hotel, but Grandma didn't want to go. What Grandma wants, she usually gets, so we girls skipped the big whiz bang event and went out for a girl's night.

First stop, Hobby Lobby. Grandma never met a craft she didn't like and couldn't do. She's where my girls get their artistic talents from, as i can't craft my way out of a paper bag. We spent a pleasant hour looking at tons of fun things, and Grandma found a crafting stamp she had been seeking, a cute and happy pig. Then it was time to seek dinner.

Getting back into Cicero, Bigger Girl laughingly said, "Check the back seat for zombies first!" and Grandma shot back, "There's not much scarier than your mother in the back of a car!" We all laughed and decided to head to a bakery that specializes in vegan, gluten free pizza.

Over dinner, we talked and Grandma told stories about Nana, her mother. Listening to them, i was so glad that my children so look up to and love to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa. In the words of Little Girl, "They are cool to hang with!" Not many young people today take that attitude about the elders in their families, and i know i'm blessed.

When we got back to the hotel, Grandpa greeted us with, "Boy, did you guys miss a treat! I only went to this event because I was trying to be polite, but it was great! The speaker was hilarious and kept us wanting more. You should have been there!"

While he talked about the event, Grandma got out and cut the papaya she had brought. It was just over 7 pounds, and had grown on her own papaya tree in the back yard. "I have some 3 and 4 pounders, too," she said. "And more on the tree, about 30 or so, and more blossoms. We're going to be having a lot of papaya."

"How did you grow the papaya tree?" Little Girl asked.

"It was an accident, really," Grandma said. "I tried several times to plant the seeds from a papaya that I would buy from the market, but they never 'took.' Then, about two years ago, I noticed something growing in a place in the yard where I had never planted any trees, and I almost pulled it up, but I decided to leave it and see what it was. And it was a papaya tree! It's at least 15 feet tall now, too, maybe more."

"If it gets any bigger, I'm going to need to climb on the roof to pick them," Grandpa said.

"Don't do that!" #2 Son said, walking in for the evening. "If you need someone to climb on the roof to do that, call me and let me do it!"

This, from the kid who has to be bribed to do chores. See, i know he loves Grandma and Grandpa if he's willing to go do that for them! i laughed, and so did everyone else.

Bigger Girl and i then headed home, while #2 Son and Little Girl stayed the night at the hotel with Grandma and Grandpa. We would be back the next morning for breakfast, at least, that was the plan. We all know about plans, though.

Today is:

Anniversary of the Declaration of the Slovak Nation -- Slovakia

Buy A Doughnut Day -- any wonder who started this one? (insert eye-roll here)

Checklists Day -- prevent tragedy, create great checklists; in honor of the development of the first well known checklist following a B-17 prototype's crash due to pilot error

Create a Great Funeral Day -- don't make your family choose the plans in the midst of grief, plan your sending away party now, it's more fun when it's done -- in advance!

Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions -- most former Soviet Republics

Edgar Allan Poe Evermore -- Mount Hope Estate, Manheim, PA, US (nights of suspense with the stories from the master, acted by professionals; through Nov. 10)

Look in the Back of Your Refrigerator Day / Haunted Refrigerator Night (And hope the old hamburger isn't grazing on the moldy salad.)

Mischief Night, a/k/a Goosey Night, Devil's Night, Cabbage Night -- US

National Candy Corn Day

Practice Winter Snuggling Night -- when it gets really cold, you'll be glad you practiced

St. Dorothy of Montau's Day (Patron of brides, difficult marriages, dying children, parents of large families, widows; Pomerania; Prussia)

St. Marcellus' Day (as a Roman centurion who threw down his armor and refused to take part in pagan worship, he is Patron of conscientious objectors)

The Rhyne Toll -- Chetwode Manor, UK (through Nov 7) -- the Lord of the Manor may tax any cattle he finds on his Liberty (free pasture) on these days

Try on Your Hallowe'en Costume Early Day -- to see how goofy you look, and make sure you have everything you need

Birthdays Today:

Gavin Rossdale, 1967
Diego Armando Maradona, 1960
Harry Hamlin, 1951
Henry Winkler, 1945
Grace Slick, 1939
Claude Lelouch, 1937
Robert Caro, 1935
Louis Malle, 1932
Ruth Gordon, 1896
Charles Atlas, 1893
Ezra Pound, 1885
Fyodor Dostoevsky, 1821
John Adams, 1735

Today in History:

Antioch surrenders to Rashidun Caliphate and his Muslim forces after the Battle of the Iron Bridge, 637
End of the 8th Crusade, 1270
King Henry VII, Tudor, crowned, 1485
Queen Isabella bans violence against Indians, 1503
The first Methodist church in the US is initiated (Wesley Chapel, NYC), 1768
Dr. Richard Gatling patents the machine gun, 1862
Founding of Helena, Montana (capital city), 1864
John Willis Menard, of Louisiana, becomes the first black elected to the US Congress (by special election, he was challenged by the loser, but was allowed to address Congress from the lectern), 1868
Daniel Cooper patents the time clock, 1894
Martha Hughes Cannon of Utah becomes the first woman US Senator, 1896
The first US Automobile Show opens in Madison Square Garden, NYC, 1900
Czar Nicholas II of Russia grants Russia's first constitution, creating a legislative assembly, 1905
Benito Mussolini is made Prime Minister of Italy, 1922
John Logie Baird creates Britain's first television transmitter, 1925
Orson Welles broadcasts his radio play of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, causing anxiety in some of the audience in the United States, 1938
Anne Frank and sister Margot Frank are deported from Auschwitz to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, 1944
Jackie Robinson of the Kansas City Monarchs signs a contract for the Brooklyn Dodgers to break the baseball color barrier, 1945
Michael Woodruff performs the first successful kidney transplant in the United Kingdom at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, 1960
The Soviet Union detonates the hydrogen bomb Tsar Bomba over Novaya Zemlya; at 58 megatons of yield, it is still the largest explosive device ever detonated, nuclear or otherwise, 1961
The Bosporus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey is completed, connecting the continents of Europe and Asia over the Bosporus for the first time, 1973
The Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman takes place in Kinshasa, Zaire, 1974
Prince Juan Carlos becomes Spain's acting head of state, taking over for the country's ailing dictator, Gen. Francisco Franco, 1975
In Japan, NEC releases the first 16-bit home entertainment system, the TurboGrafx-16, known as PC Engine, 1987
Quebec sovereignists narrowly lose a referendum for a mandate to negotiate independence from Canada (vote is 50.6% to 49.4%), 1995
The last Multics (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service) early time-sharing operating system is shut down at the Canadian Department of National Defense in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2000

The plan for Saturday morning was to get to the shelter early to bathe Anna and Uriel and get them settled in a cage, and it started out just fine. The hitch came when i couldn't find the special shampoo i was supposed to use for them.

Many minutes were wasted looking high and low, and i finally gave in and called Carol to ask where she hid the stuff. It turned out to be right where it should have been, in the cabinet under the sink in which we wash them. In fact, Carol and i had washed the other 7 kittens i had brought up in that sink a couple of days before.

It was in a gallon jug, not the regular size bottle such as i used to have at home, so i passed it over, thinking it was a bottle of bleach.

Two kitty baths, plus the requisite 15 minutes of marinating time (the kittens have to have the stuff on them for 15 minutes to make sure it kills everything they may have carried in) later, i ran back home to pick up Bigger Girl and go back to the hotel for breakfast. We were about 5 minutes away when we were called, which i knew we would be.

After breakfast, we had time to simply enjoy the fun atmosphere of homecoming until the parade started. Grandma and Grandpa were supposed to ride in the parade, but Grandma didn't want to, so Grandpa sweet talked them into letting Bigger Girl ride with him. It was fun to see them, sitting atop a yellow Corvette and smiling as they threw out candy, beads, and other fun things.

The parade is typical for the area, and my main reason to go is the camaraderie, getting to hear the bagpipes, and watching the children catch stuff. Someone once told me that in some states, when there's a parade, it is illegal to throw things into the crowd. Here, it's expected. Cheap plastic beads have replaced the glass ones we used to get as kids, and now they will throw cups, mini plastic toys,small logo items like keychains, and candy. A local bank was this year's main parade sponsor, and they were even throwing rolled up t-shirts.

The parade itself only lasts about a half hour from where you are standing to watch, but it takes a good hour-and-a-half to two hours for the participants to actually go the whole route. Sweetie had gotten off work by then and headed home, so when Bigger Girl got back, she and i went to the house to rest and freshen up, then the three of us returned for the football game.

It was not one of our team's better nights. The other team came to win, ours simply came to not lose. At least, that's how it was until halftime, when i think the coach gave them a good talking to. The second half was much better, and i'm glad, because you really aren't supposed to lose the homecoming game.

Grandma actually attended, for the first time in years. She had grown weary of it long ago, but she did enjoy herself. Grandpa was out on the field during the halftime ceremony of crowning the new homecoming king and queen, representing the alumni association. It was all very nice, as it's supposed to be, and i don't know why we still even have such things, but i guess it's tradition and some tradition simply must be. Ours not to reason why, and etc.

Little Girl and #2 Son again stayed at the hotel with Grandma and Grandpa after the game, while Bigger Girl, Sweetie and i went home. The next morning, we returned to again have breakfast with them and say our good-byes. From there, it was time to go to church, and before we left we firmed up the coming plans for this next weekend, when the kids will go to Grandma and Granpa's house. There is an insectarium visit in the works, and Grandma has threatened to boycott it and go to the shopping area next door instead. No matter what, though, they will have fun.

Just like we did this latest homecoming weekend.

Speaking of fun, if you celebrate Trick-or-Treating where you are, i hope you have a wonderful time tonight!

Today is:

Admission Day -- Nevada, US

Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security

Allantide -- Cornwall, England

All Hallows Eve -- Christian

Apple and Candle Night -- Wales

Books for Treats Day -- San Jose, CA, US (give gently used books to kids, not candy -- feed their brains, not their cavities!)

Chiang Kai-Shek Day -- Taiwan

Dias de los Muertos -- Mexico, esp. Michoacan and Oaxaca (through Nov. 2; ceremonies, sand sculptures, decorated altars, and parties through the nights in the cemeteries)

Dookie Apple Night -- Newcastle, England

Duck Apple Night -- Liverpool, England

Feast of Sekhmet /Bast/ Ra -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Festival of Inner Worlds -- Pagan (fight between the old and new year)

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show -- Ft. Lauderdale, FL, US (hosted at the "Yachting Capital of the World"; through Sunday)

Ghostwriter's Day

Hallowe'en or Beggar's Night

Increase Your Psychic Powers Day -- originated in England in the 19th century, some celebrated on the 30th

King Father Nordom Sihanouk's Birthday -- Cambodia

National Candy Apple Day

National Knock-Knock Joke Day
     Knock, Knock
     Who's There?
     Police.
     Police who?
     Police stop telling knock-knock jokes!

National Magic Day -- Society of American Magicians (in honor of Harry Houdini, who died on this day in 1926, and who was president of the SoAM)

National UNICEF Day

Nut-Crack Night -- England; Scotland

Old Celtic New Year's Eve

Out of the Broom Closet Day -- Pagan, Heathen, and all earth-based and ethnic religions

Punky Night -- Hinton St George, Somerset, England (a celebration for children and adults who carry candle-lit punkies -- the best one wins a prize -- made out of mangel-wurzels, a type of beet, and sing old punky songs asking for money or treats)

Reformation Day -- Protestant Christian (trad.)
     Dia de las Iglesias Evangelicas y Protestantes -- Chile
     Official Holiday -- BB, MV, SN, ST, & TH, Germany; Slovenia

Samhain (northern hemisphere) / Beltane (southern hemisphere) -- Druids, Gaels, Welsh peoples, Neopagans, Wiccans (begins at sunset)

Scare a Friend Day -- just not so much that he/she isn't a friend any more

Senior Absurdity Day -- Horace Mann School, Bronx, NY, US (a day the kids look forward to each year)

Sneak Some of the Candy Yourself Before the Kids Start Knocking Day

St. Quentin's Day (Patron against coughs)

St. Wolfgang of Ratisbon's Day (Patron of apoplexics, carpenters, paralyzed people, stroke victims; Regensburg, Germany; against apoplexy, paralysis, stomach diseases, strokes)

Thump-the-Door Night -- Isle of Mann

Trick or Treat Night

Vetmaetr -- Norse Calendar (Winter Nights; beginning of winter, the New Year, and the start of Odin leading the Wild Hunt)

Youth Honor Day -- Iowa, US

Anniversaries Today:

Mt. Rushmore is completed, 1941
Nevada becomes the 36th US State, 1864

Birthdays Today:

Adam Horovitz, 1966
Peter Jackson, 1961
Larry Mullen, Jr., 1961
John Candy, 1950
Jane Pauley, 1950
Deidre Hall, 1947
David Ogden Stiers, 1942
Michael Landon, 1936
Dan Rather, 1931
Michael Collins, 1930
Barbara Bel Geddes, 1922
Dale Evans, 1912
Ethel Waters, 1896
Chaing Kai-shek, 1887
Juliette Low, 1860
John Keats, 1795
Jan Vermeer, 1632

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Car Talk Radio Show, 1987 (national debut, ten years after their start as a local show in Boston)

Today in History:

Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites after their return to Jerusalem from exile, BC445
First All Hallows Eve observed to honor all the saints, 834
Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses on the Wittenberg church door, marks the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, 1517
Georg Ludwig van Hannover is crowned as the English King George I, 1714
Execution of Girondins at Paris during the Reign of Terror, 1793
Sir Humphrey Davy of London patents the miner's safety lamp, 1815
A standard uniform is approved for US Postal workers, 1868
A tropical cyclone hits Bengal, about 200,000 die, 1876
John Boyd Dunlop patents the pneumatic bicycle tire, 1888
Arthur Conan Doyle publishes "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", 1892
Dedication of the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile road across United States, 1913
The Battle of Beersheba of WWI marks the last successful cavalry charge in history, 1917
The first of 160 consecutive days of 100°F + temps at Marble Bar, Australia, 1923
World Savings Day is announced in Milan, Italy by the Members of the Association at the 1st International Savings Bank Congress, 1924
Mt. Rushmore sculptures are completed, 1941
The United Kingdom and France begin bombing Egypt to force the reopening of the Suez Canal, 1956
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by two security guards, 1984
EgyptAir Flight 990 traveling from New York City to Cairo crashes off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, killing all 217 on-board, 1999
Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigating the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted, 1999
Soyuz TM-31 launches, carrying the first resident crew to the International Space Station, which has been continually crewed since, 2000
Surfer Bethany Hamilton loses her left arm and 3 liters of blood in a tiger shark attack; within a month she would be back on her board, and competing again within the year, 2003

The pumpkins Little Girl carved for Halloween:

Photo-Finish Friday is the brainchild of Leah at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Today is:

All Hallow's Day a/k/a All Saint's Day -- Christian, and a Holy Day of Obligation in the Roman Catholic Church; a recognized holiday (although not necessarily a day off work) in Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovena, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, East Timor, Ecuador, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Holy See, Hungary, Italy, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Monaco, New Caledonia, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre et Miquelon, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Togo, Wallis and Fortuna)

Apaturia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (three day Phratriai brotherhood festival; dates approximate)

Arbor Day -- Samoa

Bulgarian National Revival Leaders' Day -- Bulgaria

Breeder's Cup World Championship -- Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY, US (the world's best horses compete in 14 races over two days)

Cake Appreciation Day -- while i can't find a reason or sponsor for this, i'm sure the Cake Appreciation Society would approve

Cook for Your Pets Day -- did the dogs lobby for this? www.cookforyourpets.com

Coronation Day of Fourth Druk Gyalpo -- Bhutan

CrossQuarter Day

Day of the Innocents -- Mexico (first Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead)

Deepawali/Deepavali/Diwali/Divali -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh (through the 5th; local dating customs and government holidays for this Lunar New Year/Festival of Lights can vary)
Kag Tihar/Kag Puja -- Day of the Crows (day one of the festival)

Festival of Fisher's Ghost -- Campbelltown City, Australia (ten days of celebrating the legends of Australia's most famous ghost, Frederick Fisher)

Gooseberry Humble's Tummy-Rumbling Contest -- Fairy Calendar

Graveyards Day -- a traditional day to tend the graves of ancestors

I Am So Thankful Month begins -- before the "holiday" frenzy, spend not just a day, but a month, practicing gratitude

Haryana Day -- Haryaha, India

Independence Day -- Antigua & Barbuda(1981); North Yemen (Yemen Arab Republic, from the Ottoman Empire)

International Coaches Day -- no one claims to have started this; if you have, or had, a great coach in your life, let him/her know

Kalends of November -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also
Pomonia -- Festival to Pomona

Kanhada Rajyothsaya -- Kamataka, India (Kamataka Formation Day)

Kite Festival of Santiago Sacatepequez -- Santiago Sacatepequez, Guatemala (kite flying in the graveyard to scare away evil spirits)

Liberty Day / D. Hamilton Jackson Day -- US Virgin Islands

Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Awareness And Appreciation Day -- US

NaNoWriMo -- National Novel Writer's Month, write one if you have it in you!

National Author's Day -- US

National Family Literacy Day® -- US (but no matter where you live, turn off the tv, pick up a good book! National Center for Family Literacy)

National Farm Toy Show -- National Farm Toy Museum, Dyersville, IA, US (the granddaddy of all farm toy shows; through Sunday)

National French Fried Clam / Deep Fried Clam Day

National Vinegar Day

No Driving with Cell Phones Day -- the first law against talking n a hand-held device while driving went into effect in NY, US, on this day in 2001

Plate Tectonics Day -- birth anniversary of Alfred Wegener, who came up with the theory of continental drift

Old Celtic New Year

Olive Festival -- Galilee, Israel (through the month, especially centered around Kawkab and Hurfeish, with open houses, oil production tours, feasts, lectures, concerts, dance performances, and olives galore)

Ozark Mountain Christmas/Branson Festival of Lights -- Branson, MO, US

Remembrance Day -- Slovenia

Revival Leaders' Day -- Bulgaria

Revolution Day/National Day -- Algeria

Samhain -- Celtic, 3rd Station, and Wicca, Northern Hemisphere (Beltane in the Southern Hemisphere)

State Foundation Day -- Andhra Pradesh, India; Karnataka, India; Kerala, India

Will Rogers' Days -- Claremore and Oologah, OK, US (through the 4th; celebrating the man's wit and humor at his birthplace and the museum dedicated to him)

World Championship Punkin Chunkin -- Bridgeville, DE, US (come watch someone be crowned lord of the gourd! through Sunday)

World Community Day -- sponsored by Church Women United to focus on justice and peace through non-violent means; this year's theme is Walking Through the Doors of Opportunity

World Vegan Day -- International

Anniversaries Today:

The Prime Meridian is set at Greenwich, England, 1884
Boston Female Medical School opens, 1848

Birthdays Today:

Toni Collette, 1972
Jenny McCarthy, 1972
Fernando Valenzuela, 1960
Lyle Lovett, 1957
Dan Peek, 1951
Larry Flynt, 1942
Gary Player, 1935
Stephen Crane, 1871
Alfred Wegener, 1880

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Hello Kitty, 1974
Ebony Magazine, 1945

Today in History:

The name "Austria" is first used for Ostarrichin, 996
King John of England begins imprisoning Jews, 1210
The Duke of Brabant orders the execution of all Jews in Brussels, claiming they were poisoning wells, 1349
First exhibit of the works of Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, 1512
The Netherlands is hit by a flood disaster, resulting in the deaths of thousands, 1570
Shakespeare's "Othello" first presented, 1604
Shakespeare's "The Tempest" first presented, 1611
An earthquake in Lisbon leaves over 50,000 dead, 1755
The Stamp Act goes into effect in the British colonies, 1765
George Washington gives his "Farewell Address" and the Continental Army is dissolved, 1783
John Adams becomes the first Us president to move into the (still not quite finished) White House, 1800*
*Note: It was still called the Executive Mansion at this time
The first published reference to poker, as a Mississippi riverboat game, 1834
The Cape Lookout, North Carolina, lighthouse, which is still in use, is lit for the first time; its first-order Fresnel lens can be seen for 19 miles in good conditions, 1859
Passage of the first US Civil Rights Bill, 1866
First publication of "Harpers Bazaar", 1867
The US Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service) begins operations, with 24 locations, 1870
Edward Scripps and John Sweeney found Penny Press (now the Cleveland Press), 1878
The Gaelic Athletic Association is founded at the Hayes' Hotel in Thurles, County Tipperary, 1884
Dr. Roux of Paris introduces a vaccine for diphtheria, 1894
Nicholas II becomes the new Tsar of Russia, 1894
The National Geographic Magazine publishes its first picture of bare breasted women (from a Zulu tribe), 1896
The first Library of Congress building opened its doors to the public, 1897
Sigma Phi Epsilon, the largest national male college fraternity in the US, is established at Richmond College, 1901
Parris Island becomes the officially designated Marine Corps Recruit Depot, 1915
The Ottoman Empire is officially abolished, 1922
Seabiscuit defeats War Admiral in an upset victory during a match race deemed "the match of the century" in horse racing, 1938
The first animal conceived by artificial insemination, a rabbit, is displayed, 1939
American photographer Ansel Adams takes a picture of a moonrise over the town of Hernandez, New Mexico that would become one of the most famous images in the history of photography, 1941
The first issue of Ebony Magazine is published, by John H. Johnson, 1945
Charles Cooper of the Celtics becomes the first black NBA player, 1950
The first hydrogen nuclear device is exploded, by the US, at Eniwetok Atoll, 1952
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante wears a protective mask for the first time in an NHL game, 1959
The Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, with the largest radio telescope ever constructed, officially opens, 1963
The Motion Picture Association of America's film rating system is officially introduced, originating with the ratings G, M, R, and X, 1968
Honda becomes the first Asian automaker to build cars in the US, 1982
Serbia joins the United Nations, 2000
First part of the Gomery Report, which discusses allegations of political money manipulation by members of the Liberal Party of Canada, is released in Canada. 2005

It was time for our monthly rEcess, the evening of fun with children whose disabilities make it hard for parents to leave them with regular baby sitters.

Once again i was paired with Gracie, who has learning delays due to spending the first two years of her life in a crib with no stimulation in a Bangladeshi orphanage.

Gracie doesn't much care for dolls, but she never saw a ball she didn't like.

She never met a ball she didn't like.

Her vocabulary is growing, and she will now say ball, and tell you, No, come on! in an imperial tone of voice.

The only reason she puts down the ball is for the drums.

The big room with the siblings of the special needs kids was being run by dads, so it was a wild and crazy room, especially when they pulled out the foam disks. Much time was spent dodging the disks as they came flying across the room, and sometimes even into the hall.

Gracie managed not to get hit by a disk.

The church had set up a cardboard maze. It was as a Halloween fun project and a fund raiser. We took the kids over, and yes, i crawled in after Gracie.

It's very confusing in there!

Even from the outside, you aren't sure which way.

In some places, you have to climb.

If you get too lost, or scared, you can use an emergency exit.

Gracie and i crawled in there for a good 20 minutes, with her laughing and giggling and ;having a blast. Next year, i'll know to wear long sleeves -- i have brush burns on my arms from the places where it was so low, i couldn't crawl but had to pull myself with my arms.

All of the running around gave way, toward the end of the evening, to some quieter activities, like coloring.

We love the white board!

Another fun evening was had by all.

Today is:

All Souls' Day -- Christian (celebrations in Ecuador are among the most colorful; 2nd of the Dias de los Muertos in Mexico) related observances:
     Dead Relatives' Day -- Sicily
     Dia de Finados -- Brazil; Portugal

Aztec Day of the Dead -- Ancient Aztec Calendar (date approximate)

Balfour Declaration Day -- Israel

Cookie Monster's Birthday -- go have a cookie to celebrate! (but only after your dinner, as Cookie Monster now points out; boy, things have changed)

Coronation of Haile Selassie -- Rastafarian

Deepavali -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh
     Kukur Tihar/KukurPuja -- Day of Dogs (second day of the festival

Dveselu Diena -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (day for families to gather with the spirits of their ancestors at the graveyard to celebrate the continuity of life)

Fall Back Night -- all areas that end Daylight Saving Time tomorrow; set your clock back one hour before you go to bed and change the batteries in your smoke alarms/carbon monoxide detectors

Fall Country Jamboree -- Barberville, FL, US (celebration of pioneer life, with music, crafts, historic displays, Native and Cracker camps, and more; through tomorrow)

Festival of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Guy Fawkes Carnival -- Bridgwater, Somerset, UK (a festival that traces its origins to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605)

Indian Arrival Day / Arrival of Indentured Laborers' Day -- Mauritius

Karatsu Kunchi -- Karatsu and Saga, Japan

Look for Circles Day -- internet generated, and we run in circles looking for who created it and why!

Lovington Fall Arts and Crafts Festival -- Lovington, NM, US (over 100 local and regional crafters; through tomorrow)

National Deviled Egg Day

National Traffic Directors Day -- meaning radio and TV traffic directors, who always schedule your favorite shows when you just can't watch, and put more and more commercials in when they can; on the anniversary of the first commercial radio broadcast in Pittsburgh in 1922, sponsored by the Traffic Directors Guild of America

Ohara Festival -- Kagoshima, Japan (one of Japan's largest autumn festivals, with 22,000+ dancers in the parade; through tomorrow)

Peddler's Village Apple Festival -- Lahaska, PA, US (fun for all, through tomorrow)

Potting-Shed Investitures -- Fairy Calendar (Garden Fairies)

Plan Your Epitaph Day -- sponsored by Dead or Alive of Arcata, CA, because a forgettable epitaph is almost a fate worse than death, so make plans to do yours right!

Practice Being Psychic Day -- but you already knew that, didn't you?

Refuse to Capitalize the First Letters in Your Name Day -- k.d.lang's birth anniversary

Soulcaker's Play -- Cheshire, UK

Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens -- Pine Mountain, GA, US (a six-race steeplechase)

St Eustachius' Day (Patron of difficult situations, fire prevention, firefighters, hunters and hunting, torture victims, trappers; Madrid, Spain; Poli, Italy; against fire and torture)

Unique 13th Annual 150 Hands-On Mystery Object Event -- Logic Puzzle Museum, Burlington, WI, US (come join the fun and use your brain puzzling out what these mystery objects, many of them antique, are or used to do; through Nov. 17)

Verboort Sausage and Kraut Dinner -- Forest Grove, OR, US (beer and their famous sausage, as well as home-baked goods and fun)

World Beard and Moustache Championships -- Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany (catagories include Fu Manchu, Dali Moustache, and Freestyle Sideburns, among others)

Anniversaries Today:

North Dakota becomes the 39th US State, 1889
South Dakota becomes the 40th US State, 1889

Birthdays Today:

Stephanie Powers, 1942
Pat Buchanan, 1938
Ray Walston, 1914
Burt Lancaster, 1913
Paul Ford, 1901
Warren G. Harding, 1865
James K. Polk, 1795
Marie Antionette, 1755
Daniel Boone, 1734

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Spruce Goose makes its first (only) flight, 1947

Today in History:

The Plymouth, Rhode Island, Massachusetts Bay, and Connecticut colonies combine forces and attach the Great Swamp Fort of the Narragansetts during King Philip's War, 1675
The African Free School, the first free school in NYC, opens, 1787
The popular vote for US president is first recorded and Andrew "By God" Jackson (a/k/a Old Hickory) defeats John Quincy Adams, 1824
New Zealand officially adopts a standard time to be observed nationally, 1868
Johnny Campbell officially leads the crowd in cheering at a University of Minnesota football game, the official birth of cheerleading, 1898
The British newspaper the "Daily Mirror" begins publication, 1904
The Balfour Declaration proclaims British support for the "establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people" with the clear understanding "that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities", 1917
Charlotte Woodward, who attended the historic Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention of 1848, becomes the only one of the women who attended to live long enough to cast a vote in a national election, 1920
Australia's Qantas Airways begins service, 1922
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is established, 1936
In California, designer Howard Hughes performs the maiden (and only) flight of the Spruce Goose; the largest fixed-wing aircraft ever built, 1947
Penguin Books is found not guilty of obscenity in the Lady Chatterley's Lover case, 1960
The Morris worm, the first internet-distributed computer worm to gain significant mainstream media attention, is launched from MIT, 1988
The International Space Station becomes permanently staffed, 2000
China makes its first orbital docking as its unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft successfully docks with the orbiting Tiangong 1 space station module, 2011
The New York Marathon is cancelled due to the damage from Hurricane Sandy, 2012

Five years ago, when Farmer Pickles invited us to Albuquerque for the very first S-fest, i had the pleasure of actually visiting a Trader Joe's store.

Ever since, i've been itching to get back to one, or to have one near enough here that i could go once in a while.

While i was in there, i mentioned to the nice lady who was checking us out that it was my first visit to one of their stores, and that i wished they had one near here. She whispered, "Shh, don't say anything, but it's in the 5 year plan to have our first store in Louisiana by then!"

When, last year, the rumors began to fly that this was indeed true, i was thrilled, as were many others. The newspaper confirmed it was coming, and when i would go to that area, i would note the decrepit buildings from the past 20-30 years of failed businesses being torn down and the area revitalized with the new stores, of which TJs would be the anchor.

Then, they set the opening -- for October 31. Almost, almost, my plans to be there when they opened were derailed -- by Sweetie's car needing to go into the shop that day for a new battery. But i was determined, and dropped Little Girl at school, met him at the mechanics, where we left the car and dropped the key through the slot (they know the car and what it needs -- as much as i love our extremely honest mechanic, i'm almost sorry he knows us this well), took Sweetie to work, and got there with 15 minutes to spare.

It was a carnival atmosphere, with live music, employees handing out leis, and lots of smiles. A few people had small children with them, and the children were in various costumes, including a very cute little elephant and a pumpkin. There were a couple of speeches, including from the mayor, and a lei cutting instead of a ribbon cutting.

Isn't it exciting? i said to once nice lady standing near me. "Yes!" she answered. "It's like we're going to be a real city now!"

Well, i'm not sure about that, i thought to myself -- we still don't have Aldi, Costco, Pottery Barn or IKEA here in the swamps, but at least we are a step closer.

The employees inside had formed a tunnel for shoppers to walk through as they cheered and high fived and cut up. We were all smiles, and even the fact that the place was so crowded it was hard to get around didn't dampen our spirits. At one point, i even got a chance to say hello to the mayor, who was standing near the coffee (you know i am going to have coffee, no matter what).

Despite the crowd, checkout was speedy and efficient, and every single employee was smiling and cheerful and ready to help. One had even pointed out to me the wine that they only sell at grand openings. Since it was a dry red, and that's Sweetie's favorite, i got him a bottle.

On Saturday i went back with Sweetie to show him the long-awaited treasure, and he was duly impressed, especially that the Two Buck Chuck, as some of their wine is nicknamed, has a shiraz. He also liked the live band outside, as the grand opening party was still going strong over two days later.

As much as i love living in the swamps, there are drawbacks, but now, with a Trader Joe's within driving distance, i wouldn't trade you for the world.

Today is:

Apaturia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (a three day meeting of the clans and welcoming newcomers and children into the community; date approximate)

Betcha Festival -- Onomichi, Japan (men in costume "beat" children with bamboo whisks to prevent them getting ill in the coming year)

Bunka no hi -- Japan (Culture Day)

Cliche Day -- get them all out of your system today; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Cuenca Day -- Cuenca, Ecuador

Daylight Saving Time ends -- Bermuda; Canada (most areas); Cuba; Greenland (some areas); Haiti; Mexico (Baja area); Saint Pierre and Miquelon; The Bahamas; Turks and Caicos Islands; US (most areas)

Deepavali -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh
Gai Tihar and Laxmi Puja -- Day of Cows and Laxmi (goddess of wealth; day three of the festival)

Hijra -- Islam (Islamic New Year Begins at the viewing of the new moon crescent, so exact time/date varies by location)

Housewives' Day -- birth anniversary of Roseanne Barr

Independence Day -- Dominica(1978); Federated States of Micronesia(1986); Panama (also called Separation Day, separating from Colombia in 1903)

Jain New Year

Let Someone Have the Last Word Day -- internet generated, probably so you will quit with the cliches

London to Brighton Veteran Car Run -- England (a race composed of only pre-1905 vehicles)

National Sleep-In Day -- begun by those who want you to spend the extra hour gained catching up on your ZZZZ's

New York City Marathon -- NY, NY, US

Parsley Scattering Season ends -- Fairy Calendar

Sandwich Day -- birth anniversary of John Montague, Fourth Earl of Sandwich and reputed inventor of the food item which bears his name; make yourself a really good one in his memory

Solar Eclipse -- a hybrid solar eclipse will be visible in the Eastern Americas, Southern Europe, and Central Africa

SOS Day -- on this date in 1906 the Second International Radio Telegraphic Conference at Berlin, Germany, proposed it as the new wireless distress signal to replace CQD (Come Quick, Danger)

St. Hubert's Day (Patron of archers, dogs, forest workers, furriers, hunters and hunting, machinists, mathemematicians, metal workers, opticians, precision instrument makers, smelters, trappers; Liege, Belgium; Saint-Hubert, Belgium; against dog bites, hydrophobia/rabies)

St. Martin de Porres' Day (Patron of African-Americans, bargers/hair stylists, inter-racial justice, hotel-keepers/innkeepers, paupers, persons of mixed race, poor people, public education, public health, public schools, race relations/racial harmony, social justice, state schools, television; Biloxi, MI, US; Peru)

St. Pirminius' Day (Patron of Monsheim, Germany; against poisoning, snake bite)

St. Winifred's Day (Patron of incest victims, martyrs; Gwytherin, Wales; Holywell, Wales; Shrewsbury, England)

Tori No Ichi -- Japan (a "rooster day" in which to wish good luck and prosperity at temple and shrine ceremonies around the country)

Tunnel Day -- NY, NY, US (anniversary of the start of the first subway tunnel in 1900)

Victory Day -- Maldives

Zero Tasking Day -- spend the extra hour gained when turning the clocks back doing nothing, just practice being

Birthdays Today:

Gemma Ward, 1987
Evgeny Plushenko, 1982
Dolph Lundgren, 1959
Adam Ant, 1954
Kate Capshaw, 1953
Dennis Miller, 1953
Roseanne, 1952
Ken Berry, 1933
Michael Dukakis, 1933
Charles Bronson, 1921
William Cullen Bryant, 1794
Thomas Kyd, 1558

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Diff'rent Strokes(TV), 1978
Good Morning America(TV), 1973

Today in History:

Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina, 644
Christopher Columbus first sights the island of Dominica in the Caribbean Sea, 1493
The English parliament accepts the Act of Supremacy, declaring Henry VIII to be the leader of the Church of England, 1534
Great Patent is granted to Plymouth Colony, 1620
A great panic occurs in Europe over the close approach of a comet, 1679
Spain acquires Louisiana, 1762
The Bank of Montreal, Canada's oldest chartered bank, opens in Montreal, Quebec, 1817
The Times of India, the world's most widely circulated English language daily broadsheet newspaper, is founded as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce, 1838
"Black Bart the Poet", stagecoach robber, commits his last robbery, leaving behind a clue that leads to his capture, 1883
J.H. Hunter patents a portable weighing scale, 1896
Chevrolet officially enters the automobile market, 1911
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2. On board is the first animal to enter orbit, a dog named Laika, 1957
NASA launches Mariner 10 toward Mercury; it would later become the first probe to reach that planet, 1973
Pervez Musharraf declares emergency rule across Pakistan, suspending the Constitution, 2007

The kittens don't hold still much, but the littlest decided to hold still for his close up, finally.

All i can say is, it's a good thing about the digital age, i don't have to waste an entire roll of 36 pictures just to get two or three good ones, like in the "good old days."

Today is:

Chicken Lady Day -- Miami, FL, US (in honor of The Chicken Lady, whose nonprofit organization helps people get over being "chicken" about public speaking)

Citizenship Day -- Northern Mariana Islands

Community Service Day -- Dominica

Constitution Day/National Day -- Tonga

Deepavali -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh (fourth day of the festival)
     Goru Tihar/Goru Puja -- Day of Oxen (among most people)
     Gobardhan Puja -- Day of Cowdung (among followers of Krishna)
     Mha Puja -- Day of Self (among the Newar community)

Feast of Qudrat (Power) -- Baha'i

Flag Day -- Panama

Giorno dell'Unita Nazionale e Festa delle Forze Armate and Victory Day -- Italy (National Unity and Armed Forces Day; celebration of the 1918 Treaty with Austria)

Guy Fawkes Eve -- sometimes called Mischief Night in some parts of Australia, UK, and New Zealand, although that is more appropriate to April 30/October 30

Hijra -- Islam (New Year, began last night at the first viewing of the new moon crescent)

Honeymoon Day -- reminisce about your own special trip, on the birth anniversary of Art Carney

Job Action Day -- a day for workers and job seekers to put job or career in the forefront, make plans, and take action

King Tut Day -- his tomb was opened this day in 1922

Ludi Plebeii -- Ancient Roman Calendar (public games, through the 17th)

Marlborough Provinical Anniversary Day -- Marlborough, New Zealand

National Candy Day -- guess they're thinking you still have some left over from Hallowe'en

Recreation Day -- Tasmania, Australia

St. Charles Borromeo's Day (Patron of apple orchards, bishops, catechists, seminarians, spiritual directors/leaders, starch makers; Joliette, Quebec; Lombardy, Italy; Monterey, CA; Rocca di Papa, Italy; against abdominal pain, colic, intestinal disorders, stomach diseases, ulcers)
     a Bank Holiday in Andorra

Unity Day -- Russia

Will Roger's Day -- especially in OK, US; related observance
     Use Your Common Sense Day -- because "Common sense ain't all that common."

Waiting for the Barbarians Day -- internet generated, and i thought they came and took over a long time ago!

Anniversaries Today:

Mary II of England marries William, Prince of Orange, 1677 (ruled jointly as William and Mary)
Abraham Lincoln weds Mary Todd, 1842
Discovery of King Tut's Tomb -- 1922
Taking of the US Embassy in Teheran, Iran -- 1979

Birthdays Today:

Sean "Diddy" Combs, 1970
Matthew McConaughey, 1969
Ralph Macchio, 1962
Jeff Probst, 1962
Kathy Griffin, 1960
Markie Post, 1950
Laura W. Bush, 1946
Loretta Swit, 1937
Doris Roberts, 1930
Martin Balsam, 1919
Art Carney, 1918
Walter Cronkite, 1916
Will Rogers, 1879
Augustus Montague Toplady, 1740 (wrote the hymn "Rock of Ages")

Today in History:

The Flood of the Arno River causes massive damage in Florence, Italy, 1333
Joan of Arc liberates Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier, 1429
Thomas Wolsey, English cardinal, arrested, 1529
Mozart's Symphony No. 36 is performed for the first time in Linz, Austria, 1783
The Erie Canal is completed with Governor DeWitt Clinton performing the Wedding of The Waters ceremony in New York Harbour, 1825
Benjamin Palmer patents an artificial leg, 1846
Dentist John Beers of San Francisco patents the gold crown, 1873
Tonga adopts a constitution, 1875
James Ritty patents the cash register, to combat the pilfering of the till by the bartenders in his Ohio saloon, 1879
London's first deep-level tube railway opens between King William Street and Stockwell, 1890
The Italian unknown soldier is buried in the Altare della Patria (Fatherland Altar) in Rome, 1921
Nellie Tayloe Ross is elected the first female US State governor, in Wyoming, 1924
The rebuilt Vienna State Opera reopens with a performance of Beethoven's Fidelio, 1955
Two-thirds of Florence, Italy is submerged as the River Arno floods; together with the contemporaneous flood of the Po River in northern Italy, this leads to 113 deaths, 30,000 made homeless, and the destruction of numerous Renaissance artworks and books, 1966
Genie, a 13-year-old feral child is found in Los Angeles, California having been locked in her bedroom for most of her life, 1970
The Netherlands experiences the first Car Free Sunday caused by the oil crisis, as the highways are deserted and are used only by cyclists and roller skaters, 1973
First conference that focuses exclusively on the subject of the commercial potential of the World Wide Web, in San Francisco, 1994
Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin is assassinated by an extremist Orthodox Israeli, 1995
Chinese authorities arrest cyber-dissident He Depu for signing a pro-democracy letter to the 16th Communist Party Congress, 2002
Barak Obama is elected President of the United States, 2008

"Hi, mom!" #1 Son had popped in, as he does now that he lives back in town.

On your way to work? i asked, as he was in his uniform.

"Yeah, I have my job back."

Back? i asked.

"Yeah, I didn't tell you? There was one lady who worked there, and no one liked her, and I mean no one! If she decided she didn't want you working there any more, she would tell the big boss that you had missed a shift to get you fired. And she decided she didn't like me, so she lied and said I was on the early shift Friday, and I checked, and my name wasn't on it. So when I showed up for the afternoon shift, I was told to go home."

Is that why your father called me in a panic Friday morning, asking for your mobile phone number, which he already has, by the way?

"Yeah, and so when I came in later, I was told to go home. But I decided to go talk to the big boss on Monday because it's not right, I wasn't on the early shift, so she was lying and saying I missed a shift, and when I went in the big boss told me he was glad I was there, that I'm one of his best workers, and, listen to this! That lady got fired over the weekend! They figured out what she was doing, and got rid of her, and rehired several of the people she fired, because they were there, too!"

That's good, i noted. Not that she was doing that, but that she was stopped, and those people are working again.

"Right. And I should get paid tomorrow, but, well, I'm out of cat litter. Do you have any cat litter?"

Here, i said, handing him half a bag. We don't want SissyCat and Mikey having to cross their legs until payday, do we?

"Thanks, mom! I gotta go, I don't want to be late, especially since they like my work, I might even get back into management!"

So, that means, over the past few weeks, he's gotten cat litter, cat food, and all the older leftovers in the freezer, as well as some canned goods #2 Son has brought over to his house.

No matter how big they get, they are still little boys, and mom is still a sucker for sending care packages.

Today is:

Conmemoracion Patriotica en la Ciudad de Colon -- Panama

Day of the First Shout for Independence -- El Salvador

Deepavali -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh (fifth day of the festival)
     Bhai Tika -- ritual where sisters honor brothers for the protection they give
     Gyan Panchami -- Jain (celebration of knowledge and education)

Egyptian Day -- Medieval Europe day of bad fortune (common saying on this day was, "Notwithstanding, I will trust the Lord.")

Festival of Amun -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Guy Fawkes' Day -- Canadian province of Newfoundland & Labrador; New Zealand; UK; a/k/a Gunpowder Day, bonfires celebrate that Guy Fawkes plot did not succeed; related famous celebrations
     Burning of the Tar Barrels -- Ottery St. Mary, Devon, UK (17 barrels soaked in tar are lit outside 17 taverns and carried through the town)
     Lewes Bonfire Night -- Lewes, East Sussex, UK
     Turning the Devil's Stone -- Shebbear, Devon, UK (erratic stone, possibly from an Ice Age deposit, turned every year on this day to assure good forturne)

Melbourne Cup Day -- Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia (152nd running)

National Doughnut Day -- well, it's better than buy a donut day, that one's too obvious

Nones of November -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Popes Day -- US name for the remembrance of Guy Fawkes' Day

St. Elizabeth's Day and St. Zechariah's Day -- parents of John the Baptist (Elizabeth is Patron of pregnant women)

Wet Wellington Day -- Fairy Calendar (Imps and Gremlins; they really love it when this falls on a Wednesday)

Wuwuchim Fire Ceremonies begin -- Hopi Native American (dating approximate, as these ceremonies are now mostly closed to outsiders, a celebration of Masaw, god of death, and Spider Woman, the earth mother; a 16 day festival and manhood ceremony for adolescent boys)

Anniversary Today:

George W. Bush marries Laura Welch, 1977

Birthdays Today:

Judy Reyes, 1967
Tatum O'Neal, 1963
Tilda Swinton, 1960
Bryan Adams, 1959
Peter Noone, 1947
Sam Shepard, 1943
Art Garfunkel, 1941
Elke Sommer, 1940
Ike Turner, 1931
Vivien Leigh, 1913
Roy Rogers, 1911
Joel McCrea, 1905
Strom Thurmond, 1902

Debuting/Premiering Today

The Nat King Cole Show, 1956
The New York Weekly Journal first edition, 1733

Today in History:

Wu MeKuan, a collection of 48 Zen koans, compiled in China, 1228
Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier (Brittany); it is the first Breton dictionary as well as the first French dictionary, 1499
St. Felix's Flood ravages the Dutch coast and destroys the city of Reimerswaal in the Netherlands, 1530
The Gunpowder Plot, in which Catholics were trying to blow up the English Parliament, is foiled, 1605
The first post office in the Colonies is opened in the home of Richard Fairbanks, 1639
Susan B. Anthony is arrested for trying to vote in Rochester, NY, 1871
The first US patent for a gasoline driven motor car is granted to George B. Selden, 1895
Calbraith Rodgers arrives in Pasadena from Sheepshead Bay, NY, completing the first transcontinental plane flight, in 49 days, 1911
Colombia joins the United Nations, 1945
USS Rentz, USS Reeves and USS Oldendorf visit Qingdao (Tsing Tao) China — the first US Naval visit to China since 1949, 1986
André Dallaire attempts to assassinate Prime Minister Jean Chrétien of Canada, but is thwarted when the Prime Minister's wife locks the door, 1995
Saddam Hussein, former president of Iraq, and his co-defendants Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad Hamed al-Bandar are sentenced to death in the al-Dujail trial, 2006
China's first lunar satellite, Chang'e 1 goes into orbit around the Moon, 2007

And mostly it's rhetorical because i know the flippin' answer.

It's because i'm a sucker married to an even bigger sucker.

It's still a question i ask myself when i end up at the vet's office with someone else's pet, like i don't have enough of these things going in my own house to occupy a lifetime.

A local florist, relative of the one for whom i deliver flowers for Valentine's and Mother's Days, kept Prissy, a formerly huge, beautiful, properly spayed and inoculated Maine Coon. She had, though, become elderly, frail, and her hair, because the people at the shop didn't keep up with the brushing, very badly matted.

They didn't know how badly matted. Probably because they had seen her each day, and she still ate (and, i found later, ate a lot, more than she should have), and purred when petted, they didn't realize.

Thus when Sweetie saw her and was shocked beyond belief at how badly matted she was, he decided he couldn't stand to see her that way. Every time he went over there to pick up flowers for the building, he would stop to pet her as she greeted everyone who came. It broke his heart, and he called me.

Of course, i told him she needed to be shaved, and a groomer couldn't do it, they would need a vet or vet tech. She couldn't be anesthetized because the last time she was, it took her almost four days to come out of it. At 18 years of age, she couldn't even be tranquilized a bit with that medical history. He made the appointment with our vet, and since he's at work during office hours, it was my job to pick her up and get her to the vet, and then back.

Except that, when i saw her, i knew there was no way. The cat's hair was matted beyond belief, and i knew as soon as i picked her up that she was terribly skinny under that huge mat of fur. She also didn't smell very nice, not a good sign.

When i commented on how thin she was, the employee who was outdoors noted that she ate at least 3-4 cans of food a day, as well as having unlimited access to dry food. The alarm bells were sounding so loud i could barely smile at him and thank him for the information.

She didn't want to go in the carrier, but couldn't put up much of a struggle. When she walked, she was in serious, obvious pain. Probably arthritis as well as the pain from the mats, constantly pulling on her skin.

Tanya is one of the best vet techs ever. She told me to leave Prissy there, and she would call me. While i had a terrible feeling about that, because i wanted to be there to tell her it was okay to stop when it turned out the job couldn't be done, there was another patient there so i didn't argue. Also, i didn't get out of the car when i got home, just sat and waited.

Within a few minutes, i got the call. Tanya was in tears. "I can't do this. The cat is screaming in pain, she can't be anesthetized because of her age, I gave her pain medicine but it's not going to help, I can't do this!"

No, you can't, i told her. That's why i wanted to be there to help, so i could tell you it was okay to stop.

As i drove back over, she continued to tell me, "This poor cat is skin and bones! If I keep trying to trim her, I'm going to cut her skin. In some places, I can't tell where the mats start and the skin ends, and she's in pain. Underneath her, the area is matted with feces and urine, too, so I can't even trim in that area!"

Yes, i know you can't, i told her again. Don't worry, i'm on my way back.

When i got there, it was just as i had imagined. Tanya had done a lot more than i ever thought possible, and you could see every bone on Prissy, the areas that were shaved. She was a bag of skin and bones, busily scarfing down every bit of food they could give her. That meant probably diabetes, and the dehydration pointed to kidney failure. She probably had liver involvement, too.

The unshaved areas were horribly stuck to her skin. There was one place where a mat on her leg had grown to the mat on her side, which was another reason she walked as she did, like she was in pain.

At that point, i called Sweetie and told him this cat was in pain, already had illnesses that couldn't be treated in her current condition, and she needed to be euthanized. It was cruel not to.

He gave me the owner's phone number, and Dr. Bea called him. After she had gone over all the problems, he agreed to come himself after lunch and be there when they did it. Then he would take her home to be buried in the back yard.

The thing was, as Dr. Bea said, the cat had a beautiful personality. She purred, except when she cried in pain or growled when we touched the part of her spine where the pain from arthritis was so bad. That purr had fooled her people into thinking all was well. They didn't understand that the purr functions as a way of self-soothing, not as a sign all is well. Sometimes it's not a happy sound, it's a distress sound.

How do i get dragged into these things? How do i end up with Dr. Bea fussing at me for bringing in other people's pets? Because i'm a sucker, married to a bigger sucker, but in this case, it was a blessing for a beautiful cat that couldn't tolerate anesthesia, who was so far into multiple system failures that leaving her to the people who just fed her and didn't see what was happening would have been cruel.

Today is:

Basketball Day -- birth anniversary of James Naismith

Birth of Tiamat -- Ancient Babylonian Calendar (mother of gods, goddess of primeval chaos; date approximate)

Constitution Day -- Dominican Republic; Tajikistan; Tatarstan, Russian Federation

Electric Razor Day -- Jacob Schick patented the first electric razor on this day in 1937

Finnish Swedish Heritage Day -- Finland

Fish Returning Days begin -- Fairy Calendar (the fairies borrow centuries old fish in sealed crystal boxes from each other, and why they prefer each others or what they do with them, they will not tell)

Green March Day -- Morocco; Western Sahara

Gustavus Adolphus Day -- Sweden

Halfway Point of Autumn

Hawaiki Nui Va'a Race -- French Polynesia (spectacular three-day open water outrigger canoe race from Huahine to Raiatea to Tahaa to Bora Bora)

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict -- UN

International End Gossip Day -- the founder of this didn't want to be gossiped about, and left no trace

Marching Band Day -- birth anniversary of John Philip Sousa

Mariachi Night -- Brawley, CA, US (sponsored by the Imperial Valley Joint Chambers of Commerce, a free night of celebrating the heritage of Mariachi music)

Marooned Without A Compass Day -- internet generated; how's your sense of direction?

National Nachos Day / I Love Nachos Day

Saxophone Day -- Adolphe Sax birth anniversary

St. Illtyd's Day (Abbot, reputed cousin of King Arthur)

St. Leonard's Day (Patron of barrel makers/coopers, blacksmiths, captives, childbirth, coal miners, coppersmiths, greengrocers, horses, imprisoned people, locksmiths, miners, porters, P.O.W.'s, prisoners; Castelmauro, Italy; Conegliano, Italy; Kirkop, Malta; against burglaries, robberies/robbers)

Birthdays Today:

Pat Tillman, 1976
Rebecca Romijn, 1972
Ethan Hawke, 1970
Maria Shriver, 1955
Glenn Frey, 1948
Sally Field, 1946
Mike Nichols, 1931
Walter Perry Johnson, 1887
James Naismith, 1861
Ignace Paderewski, 1860
John Philip Sousa, 1854
Adolphe Sax, 1814

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Good Morning America, 1975
The Phil Donahue Show, 1967
Meet The Press, 1947

Today in History:

Shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca becomes the first known European to set foot in Texas, 1528
Spain grants independence to the Dominican Republic, 1844
Scenes of Clerical Life, the first work of fiction by the author later known as George Eliot, is submitted for publication, 1856
Canada celebrates its first official, national Thanksgiving Day, 1879
Mohandas Gandhi is arrested while leading a march of Indian miners in South Africa, 1913
Colonel Jacob Schick patents the first electric razor, 1928
Edwin Armstrong presents his paper "A Method of Reducing Disturbances in Radio Signaling by a System of Frequency Modulation" to the New York section of the Institute of Radio Engineers (hello, FM radio!), 1935
Parker Brothers acquires the forerunner patents for MONOPOLY from Elizabeth Magie, 1935
Plutonium is first produced at the Hanford Atomic Facility, 1944
The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution condemning South Africa's racist apartheid policies and calls for all UN member states to cease military and economic relations with the nation, 1962
Cuba and the United States formally agree to begin an airlift for Cubans who want to go to the United States, 1965
Green March begins: 300,000 unarmed Moroccans converge on the southern city of Tarfaya and wait for a signal from King Hassan II of Morocco to cross into Western Sahara, 1975
Australians vote to keep the Head of the Commonwealth as their head of state in the Australian republic referendum, 1999
Swiebodzin, Poland announces the world's biggest statue of Jesus, called Christ the King, is completed, 2010

"Hey, mom, is dinner ready?" Bigger Girl was ready to eat, as she had plans.

Sure, i said, and then i asked, what's up for the evening?

"Oh, I'm going to go spend time with Will and Muriel and the rest. And the new guy, whose name is Tiger. He keeps flirting with me, but he's pretty cool. He saw my tattoo, and said he liked it. So I asked if he had any, and he said, no, he has nipple rings, and then he showed them to me."

Well, that's odd on a first meeting, i said.

"What do you expect from a guy who is trying to legally change his name to Tiger, and who likes to wear women's clothing around his apartment? Also, who claims to be a Pastafarian? Besides, I asked, and I didn't mind. And isn't it weird, I now know a Pastafarian!"

No weirder than the one who's an atheist Buddhist, i noted, and then asked, any special plans?

"No. We thought about going to the movie screening at the college, but it's Hangover 3. Can you believe it? They are always talking about not wanting us to drink and get drunk and do stupid stuff, and then they screen these movies! Why do they do that?"

Not a clue, i said as i mixed the egg salad for my vegetarians and the chicken salad with mustard only for #2 Son who doesn't eat mayonnaise and the regular chicken salad for Sweetie. Gads.

"Well, I don't get it. How can they spend millions of dollars on movies and turn out awful movies? I mean really, with that much money at their disposal, can't they come up with good, thoughtful movies with real characters?"

They could, but would they make money? i asked. They would probably tell you they are only in it to entertain.

"Yeah, but these crazy 'do something dumb but nothing really bad happens at the end' movies are awful. Now if they would show what would really happen if you got so blitzed you kidnapped someone's pet tiger and lost a person, that would show character development, especially if the people learned better than to do it again. Instead, they make lousy movies with millions of dollars, like this one, or like Lone Ranger. No one went to see that one. How do you invest that much into a movie, and a Western at that, and not bother to make it good?"

And, do these kids who see the movies really think that's how real life works, with no consequences? i asked. Hollywood would claim their movies have no effect on people, they are just entertaining us, but does life imitate art, or art imitate life, or both? (She had her mouth full, that's how i got out that whole sentence.)

"Both, I think," she said. "They are two mirrors held up to each other, reflecting each other endlessly."

Most likely, i said. They do feed each other.

"And you know what I really hate?

Surprise me, i said.

"They used to make deep movies. Like Casablanca, stuff with deep themes and real female characters. Women who weren't just there to be draped over a car half naked so they could be a love interest. Now, they won't make an action movie with a female hero, because they say it wouldn't make any money. Think abut it, the biggest thing is movies about superheroes, but they won't make an action superhero movie with a female lead! That could be deep, they could develop a real female character who is more than just a stereotype, and they won't do it.

"My favorite of the action hero comics are the Young Avengers, and they're some of the most popular characters out there, and they've put off making a movie of them indefinitely because almost all the characters are female, and they are real characters, with depth and feeling, not just there to be decorations. And even though it's so popular, they won't put them in a movie. It's awful."

It sure is, i said. Tell your friends hello for me.

Today is:

Commemoration Day -- Tunisia

Day of Accord and Reconciliation -- Russia (formerly Great October Socialist Revolution Day, with the date determined by the Gregorian Calendar)

Feast of Blessed John Duns Scotus (the Subtle Doctor, known for merging the views from many philosophies)
Dunce Day -- from the word Dunse, a name for the followers of the philosophy of John Duns Scotus

Feast of Stolen Fire -- find it listed on several sites, but none have any background; maybe celebrate that Prometheus stole fire for us?

International Tongue Twister Day -- internet generated

Men Make Dinner Day -- BBQ is not allowed, but you can go to menmakedinnerday.com for ideas

National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day

National Notary Public Day -- US http://www.asnnotary.org/

National Revolution and Solidarity Day -- Bangladesh

October Revolution Day -- Belarus; Kyrgyzstan; Transdniestria

Pirates Week Festival -- Cayman Islands (mock pirate invasions, old sailing vessels, and lots of good-natured fun; through the 17th)

Stay Away from Anyone named Honest John Day -- internet generated; no comment

St. Florentius' Day (Patron against gall stones, ruptures)

St. Willibrord's Day (Patron of epileptics; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Utrecht, Netherlands; against convulsions, epilepsy)

Thanksgiving Day -- Liberia

Wish Granting Championships -- Fairy Calendar (Fairies)

Anniversary Today:

The Old Stoughton Musical Society, the oldest choral society in the US, is founded, 1786

Birthdays Today:

Keith Lockhart, 1959
Joni Mitchell, 1943
Joan Sutherland, 1926
Al Hirt, 1922
Billy Graham, 1918
Albert Camus, 1913
Dean Jagger, 1903
Leon Trotsky, 1879
Madame Marie Curie, 1867
Captain James Cook, 1728

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Face the Nation, 1954
The Republican Elephant, in Harper's Weekly, 1874

Today in History:

The oldest meteorite with a known date of impact, the Ensisheim Meteorite, strikes around noon in a wheat field near the village of Ensisheim, Alsace, France, 1492
Pierre Gassendi observes the transit of Mercury as predicted by Kepler, 1631
Anne Htchinson is banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a heretic, 1637
The first edition of the "London Gazette", the oldest surviving journal, is published, 1665
Lewis and Clark first sight the Pacific Ocean, 1805
The first Thomas Nast cartoon depicting the Republican Party Elephant is published, 1874
Edward Bouchet becomes the first black to receive a PhD from a US college (Yale), 1876
Women in the U.S. state of Colorado are granted the right to vote, 1893
The first air freight shipment is undertaken by the Wright brothers and department store owner Max Moorehouse (from Dayton, Ohio to Columbus, Ohio), 1910
Mao Tse Tung proclaims the "Chinese People's Republic", 1931
Fiorello H. La Guardia is elected the 99th mayor of New York City, 1933
Carl B. Stokes is elected as Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, becoming the first African American mayor of a major American city, 1967
Douglas Wilder wins the governor's seat in Virginia, becoming the first elected African American governor in the United States, 1989
Mary Robinson becomes the first woman to be elected President of the Republic of Ireland, 1990
NASA launches the Mars Global Surveyor, 1996
U.S. voters in the state of Massachusetts approve a referendum legalizing the use of medical marijuana; Colorado and Washington approve the legalization of recreational use of the drug, 2012

Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, started Feline Friday, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.

My clean laundry! Or, as i should note, my formerly clean laundry.

Kittens, on the laundry, as it sits on the table to await folding.

My laundry, their comfortable sleeping spot.

Today is:

Abet and Aid Punsters Day -- promoted by Punsters Unlimited, which seems to know better than to host a website

Chhath Festival -- Nepal (Hindu/Vedic Festival of the sun god Surya)

Christkindl Markt -- Canton, OH (fine arts and crafts sale for the benefit of the Canton Museum of Art; through Sunday)

Colorado Country Christmas Gift Show -- Denver, CO, US (through Sunday)

Cook Something Bold & Pungent Day -- especially for those who have had to close up the house for winter, we need to create a beautiful aroma for the house; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Essence of Motown Literary Jam -- Detroit, MI, US (literary celebration, through Sunday)

Feast of the Four Crowned Martyrs (Patrons of cattle, masons, sculptors, stone cutters; against fever)

Festival of the Mania -- Ancient Roman Calendar (to placate the Manes)

Four Corner States Bluegrass Festival -- Wickenburg, AZ, US (an annual old-time fiddle, banjo, mandolin, flat-pick guitar championships, and general celebrations of bluegrass music; through Sunday)

Fuigo Matsuri -- Kyoto City, Japan (Bellows Festival, Shinto festival in honor of Inari, the kitchen hearth goddess)

I Hate to Cook Day -- internet generated, and probably started by someone who wanted an excuse to go out to dinner!

National Cappuccino Day

National Harvey Wallbanger Day

National Parents as Teachers Day -- US

Pohnpei Constitution Day -- Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia

Saints, Doctors, Missionaries, and Martyr's Day -- Church of England

Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the other Bodiless Powers of Heaven -- Eastern Orthodox Church

Waterfowl Festival -- Easton, MD, US (includes world class artworks, calling contests, retriever demonstrations, a wine-tasting, and more, to benefit wildlife conservation; through Sunday)

Wish-Granting Championships -- Fairy Calendar (Leprechauns)

World Urbanism Day/World Town Planning Day

X-Ray Discovery Day -- in 1895

Anniversaries Today:

Opening of the Louvre, 1793
Mount Holyoke Seminary for Women is founded, 1837 (considered by many to be the first true college for women in the US)
Montana becomes 41st US State, 1889

Birthdays Today:

Masashi Kishimoto, 1974
Parker Posey, 1968
Leif Garrett, 1961
Mary Hart, 1951
Bonnie Raitt, 1949
Morley Safer, 1931
Patti Page, 1927
Christiaan Barnard, 1922
Esther Rolle, 1920
Margaret Mitchell, 1900
Hermann Rorschach, 1884
Milton Bradley, 1836

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Days of our Lives, 1965

Today in History:

Emperor Theodosius declares Christianity to be the state religion, 392
Uprising against Piero de' Medici in Florence, Italy, 1494
First meeting of Montezuma and Hernando Cortez in Tenochtitlan, Mexico, 1519
The Bodleian Library at Oxford University is opened to the public, 1602
Benjamin Franklin opens the first US library, in Philadelphia, PA, 1731
Elijah Craig, of Bourbon, Kentucky, US, first distills Bourbon whiskey from corn, 1789
Sarah Bernhardt makes her US debut at NY's Booth Theater, 1880
The New Orleans general strike begins, uniting black and white American trade unionists in a successful four-day general strike action for the first time, 1892
Wilhelm Roentgen of Germany discovers X-rays, 1895
The New Testament Gospels are translated into Demotic Greek (as opposed to the Koine Greek of ancient texts), resulting in bloody clashes in Athens, 1901
The first Washington state elections in which women could vote take place, 1910
Operation Grapple X, Round C1: Britain conducts its first successful hydrogen bomb test over Kiritimati in the Pacific, 1957
Former Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke becomes the first African American elected to the United States Senate, 1966
Manolis Andronikos discovers the tomb of Philip II of Macedon (Alexander the Great's father), 1977
The UN Security Council demands that Saddam Hussein disarm or face serious consequences, 2002

"Hi, mom!" #2 Son came in and greeted me with the tone of voice that always leads me to ask the same thing.

Okay, Son, what is it, and how much is it going to cost me? Of course, i grin when i ask this.

"Oh, it's nothing like that. It's just that, well, you know SissyCat?"

Our SissyCat, that belongs to #1 Son, or the original SissyCat for whom she was named?

"The original. The one who started a fight with a German shepherd and so now only has 3 legs and isn't as mean as she used to be. Well, anyway, Sammi had to move out of her apartment, and until she can find a new one that takes cats she's living with her Grandmother, and her Grandmother won't let her have SissyCat over there, and could I keep her in my room for a few weeks?"

That depends upon the state of your room, and whether your Father approves.

Please note that i had no worries at all that Sweetie wouldn't approve. He has no trouble with us cat sitting, and even enjoyed the times we cared for this SissyCat back when she had 4 legs and could be a mean pest. This was mostly said because i still haven't found the magic combination of words and motivations that can get a 17-year-old boy to keep a room anything but barely fit for human habitation.

"Yeah, I'll get it cleaned up, and until I do, can she stay upstairs in Little Girl's room? It will only take me a day to move her down to my room."

Only a day to clean your room? It must not be as bad as i thought this time.

"Very funny. So, can we please help Sammi and keep SissyCat for a while?"

Sure, i'll speak to your Father about it. Just make sure you don't drop the cat in Little Girl's room and leave her there, she has a cat of her own and i don't believe Link will like it if her room is off limits to him for very long.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll get it done. Thanks, mom, you're the best!"

No, i just happen to like that cat, even if she does need an attitude adjustment. Or did, before the dog adjusted it for her.

Today is:

Allama Iqbal Day -- Pakistan

Chaos Never Dies Day -- internet generated, and just look in my closets if you want proof that we need this one

Couch Beachcombing Day -- internet generated; also called sofa diving, you will be amazed what you will find!

Dia de los Natitas -- La Paz, Bolivia (Day of the Skulls, when skulls are decorated and then offered cigarettes, coca leaves, and other items)

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Fiesta de Nuestra Senora de la Almudena -- Madrid, Spain (Feast of the Virgin of the Almudena, Patroness of the City)

Flag Day -- Azerbaijan

Go to an Art Museum Today Day -- it's a good idea, whoever started this one

Herring King Festival -- Etaples, France (Hareng Roi, a festival worth seeing at least once in your life; through tomorrow)

Independence Day -- Cambodia (1953)

Lord Mayor's Day / Lord Mayor's Show -- London, England (traditional date and observed date in 2013; a traditional Show since 1215, when King John granted the people of London the right to elect their own mayor)

National Nibble Day -- as promoted by Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith

National Scrapple Day

Neon Sign Day -- Georges Claude received a patent for the neon sign on this day in 1911

Night of Nicnevin (Gyre-Carling), Daughter of Frenzy, Banshee -- Scots Pagan (date approximate)

Paul is Dead Day -- Beatle's Conspiracy Theorists, who claim Paul died this day in 1966 and was replaced by Billy Campbell

Pushkar Camel Fair -- Pushkar, India (for the camels, racing, fancy dress, changing owners, taking tourists on rides, and the chance to liven up this usually quiet town, and for the people, singing, dancing, exotic food, and watching the camels, as well as religious rituals at the time of the full moon; through the 17th)

Sadie Hawkins Day -- US (on the Saturday nearest Nov. 9, and based on the Li'l Abner comic, a day for women to ask out the man of their choice; also widely observed on Feb. 29 because of a law passed by Parliament of Scotland in 1288)

Schicksalstag -- Germany (Destiny Day or Fateful Day) anniversary of
     the execution of Robert Blum in 1848
     dethroning of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918
     The Beer Hall Putsch in 1923
     Kristallnacht (Crystal Night, marks the beginning of the Holocaust), 1938
     the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989

St.Theodore the General's Day (Patron of soldiers; Brindisi, Italy; invoked for the recovery of lost objects)

Tag der Erfinder -- Austria; Germany; Switzerland (Inventor's Day; birth anniversary of Hedy Lamarr, who was an inventor as well as an actress)

Wish-Granting Championships -- Fairy Calendar (Sprites)

World Freedom Day -- US

Birthdays Today:

Chris Hericho, 1970
Lou Ferrigno, 1951
Tom Fogerty, 1941
Mary Travers, 1936
Carl Sagan, 1934
Dorothy Dandridge, 1923
Spiro Agnew, 1918
Hedy Lamarr, 1913
James William Fullbright, 1905
Ed Wynn, 1886
Benjamin Banneker, 1731 (first freeborn child of free African American parents)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Wizard of Id, 1964
Omnibus, 1952

Today in History:

Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims, sentencing all Jews to slavery, 694
The Family de' Medici were expelled from Florence, 1494
Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower sight land at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 1620
Hungarian parliament promises Protestants freedom of religion, 1681
The Rabbi Yehuda Hasid synagogue in Jerusalem is set afire by Arabs, 1720
Napoleon becomes dictator of France, 1799
The first US pharmacy college begins classes in Philadelphia, 1821
The NY Symphony Orchestra holds its first public performance, 1858
The first documented Canadian football game is held, at the University of Toronto, 1861
Ulyses Grant issues orders to bar Jews from serving under him, 1862
The Great Boston Fire destroys nearly 1,000 buildings, 1872
Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first US president to visit other countries during his tenure, visiting Puerto Rico and Panama, 1906
The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, the most destructive natural disaster ever to hit the lakes, destroys 19 ships and kills more than 250 people, 1913
Albert Einstein is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work with the photoelectric effect, 1921
Several U.S. states and parts of Canada are hit by a series of blackouts lasting up to 13 hours in the Northeast Blackout of 1965
First issue of Rolling Stone Magazine is published, 1967
Garry Kasparov 22, of the Soviet Union becomes the youngest World Chess Champion, 1985
The chemical element Darmstadtium is discovered, 1994
The Venus Express mission of the European Space Agency is launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, 2005
The German Bundestag passes the controversial data retention bill mandating storage of citizens' telecommunications traffic data for six months without probable cause, 2007

Many, many years ago, Boudreaux and his friends, Thibodeaux and Genereux, were going to go conduct some business over in Texas, and decided to travel by train. They happened to get on the same train as three big shot Baton Rouge attorneys, who were also going to Texas on business.

The attorneys were making some loud remarks about the "uncouth" people traveling with them, and Boudreaux decided to show them how he liked to do things. So he went over and asked the men how many tickets they had purchased for the trip.

"Well, look at this! The Cajun can't even count! What's wrong with you? Can't you see there are three of us? Of course, we have three tickets!" one of them derisively answered.

"We only got us one ticket!" Boudreaux announced.

"You better go get more tickets, then, or maybe we'll get to see your two friends get kicked off the train!" the man said, and his companions laughed.

"No, I only need one ticket. This is how I do it," Boudreaux very patiently answered. Then, as the time for the conductor to come by neared, he, Thibodeaux, and Genereaux jumped into the restroom and locked the door.

The conductor walked up to the locked restroom door and knocked. "Ticket, please!" he said, and Boudreaux slid the ticket under the door. The conductor took it and moved on, and a few minutes later, Boudreaux and his friends came out smiling broadly, to the chagrin of the three attorneys, who couldn't believe they had gotten away with it.

On the way back home, the same attorneys were done with their business and heading back home on the train with Boudreaux, Thibodeaux, and Genereaux.

"We only bought one ticket!" one of the attorneys told them with a grin, and Boudreaux just smiled.

"Boudreaux, what we gonna do? We din't buy no ticket at all!" Thibodeaux said, and Boudreaux answered, "Don' worry, I got it!"

Sure enough, as the time neared that the conductor would be coming, the three attorneys jumped into one restroom and locked the door, and Boudreaux and his friends jumped into the other. As soon as he was sure the other door was locked, Boudreaux came out, went over to the other restroom, knocked on the door, and yelled, "Ticket, please!"

Today is:

Area Code Day -- US (went into effect this day in 1951)

Day of Russian Militsiya -- Russia

Dia de la Tradicion -- Argentina (birth anniversary of Jose Hernandez)

Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting -- Split Rock Lighthouse, Two Harbors, MN, US (memorial for the Edmund Fitzgerald and all who have lost their lives in Great Lakes shipwrecks)

Father's Day -- Estonia; Finland; Iceland; Norway; Sweden

First Cry of Independence Day / Los Santos Uprising Day -- Panama (an official flag day)

Forget-Me-Not Day -- informal day to spend a bit of time with relatives you don't see often

Goddess of Reason's Day (Revolutionary France)

Guinness World Records' Day -- celebrating ordinary people who do extraordinary things, go try for a record! anniversary of the day in 1951 that Sir Hugh Beaver got the idea to create a book supplying answers to much debated questions, such as which game birds are the fastest fliers
The Guinness World Records Book now holds the title of the best-selling copyrighted book of all time, and is one of the most frequently stolen books from US libraries!

Hari Pahlawan -- Indonesia (Heroes' Day/Warrior's Day)

Martini -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (beginning of winter festival that starts on Martinmas Eve)

Maputo Day -- Maputo, Mozambique

National Toothpaste Appreciation Day -- not official, but i'm sure the dentifrice industry loves this one

National Vanilla Cupcake Day

Sleep Dangerously Night -- internet generated, a night to switch sides of the bed with your spouse and see who falls out of bed first

Remembrance Sunday -- England

Snakes and Ladders Tournament -- Mirano, Italy (a real life size snakes and ladders game dating back to the Medici period)

St. Andrew Avellino's Day (Patron of apoplexics, for a holy death, stroke victims; Badlato, Naples, and Sicily, Italy; stroke victims; for a holy death; against apoplexy, strokes, and sudden death)

St. Martin's Eve -- Germany; Portugal (Martimas Eve)

Tree Festival Day -- Tunisia (equivalent to Arbor Day, as well as an agricultural festival)

USMC Day -- US (includes the Marine Corps Birthday Ball)

Wish-Spoiling Sports Day -- Fairy Calendar (Imps, Gremlins, and grumpy Goblins)

Anniversaries Today:

Establishment of Badlands National Park, SD, US, 1978
Establishment of the United States Marine Corps, 1775

Birthdays Today:

Ellen Pompeo, 1969
MacKenzie Phillips, 1959
Donna Fargo, 1949
Tim Rice, 1944
Russel Means, 1939
Roy Scheider, 1932
Richard Burton, 1925
Jane Froman, 1907
Claude Rains, 1889
Martin Luther, 1483

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Microsoft Windows, 1983
Sesame Street, 1969

Today in History:

Rene Descartes has the dreams that inspire his Meditations on First Philosophy, 1619
The Dutch formally cede New Netherlands to the English; it is renamed New York, 1674
France ends forced worship of God, substitute the Goddess of Reason, 1793
The US state of Kentucky outlaws dueling, 1801
Stanley presumes that he has met Livingston in Ujiji, Central Africa, 1871
The first Woman's Christian Temperance Union meeting is held in Boston, 1891
The first Gideon Bible is put in a hotel room, 1908
Hirohito ascends the throne as Emperor of Japan, 1928
The Hope Diamond is donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston, 1958
The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board, 1975
A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history, 1979
The communist regime of Bulgaria falls, 1989
The "Codex Leicester", the only Leonardo da Vinci manuscript owned in the United States and the only one in the world still in private hands, was sold at auction to Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, who paid $30.8 million, 1994
Thousands of people people march toward the royal palace of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to hand over a memorandum to the King demanding electoral reform, 2007

To Sneeze or Not To Sneeze

Feline Friday: Brother and Sister

Yeeeaaaah!

Weekend Snafus

Okay, now i'm angry.

What do you want to be?

Awww Monday: Hold still, dagnabbit!

Homecoming Weekend

Homecoming Weekend -- Friday Evening

Homecoming Weekend -- The Big Day

Photo-Finish Friday: Little Girl's Pumpkins

aMAZEing

Wouldn't Trade You

Aww Monday

No Matter How Big

It's a Rhetorical Question

That's Show Biz

Feline Friday: My Clean Laundry!

Who's a Sissy?

Great Idea!