July 14, 2013

Today we celebrate:

Bastille Day – Also known as French National Day or La Fete Nationale which commemorates the day of the storming of the Bastille on this day in 1789. The Bastille was an old prison fortress and its downfall was a symbol of the coming of the modern French nation.

Pandemonium Day – Today is your day to get a little crazy! There are only two guidelines that you MUST follow on a day like this. One – your craziness must be FUN and not mean or hurtful to anyone or anything. Two – your craziness must be LEGAL!! I know, I just ruined it for you, didn't I? Well, I'm sure you can manage to get crazy anyway.

To celebrate today, stage a crazy reenactment of the storming of the Bastille. Recruit your whole neighborhood, just make sure you don't actually destroy anything.

July 13, 2013

Today we celebrate:

Carver Day – This day has celebrated George Washington Carver for the last 70 years. Mr. Carver was born into slavery somewhere around 1864, no one knows the exact date. He never knew it himself. He had 10 sisters and one brother who all died very young. He encountered prejudice and segregation and rejection time and time again in his determined pursuit of an education but he did not let that deter him and he finally earned a high school diploma. He also became the first black student at the Iowa State Agricultural College in Ames and later became the first black teacher at that school.

Embrace Your Geekness Day – This is a day to celebrate your inner geek. Embrace the technology age, revel in your knowledge of gaming “stuff” and try not to rub my ignorance in my face too much.

Barbershop Music Appreciation Day – Way back when, before there was radio, music was sung around player pianos or enjoyed at concerts. The Barbershop Quartet was begun around that time. In 1938, Owen Cash and Rupert Hall formed the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing In America. They thought it would be funny to have such a long acronym as S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. (In 2005, they changed it to the more manageable Barbershop Harmony Society.) This day was created in 2005 by Sweet Adelines International (which was begun by the wives of the Barbershop Quarteters in 1945).

National French Fries Day – While we are not sure if these “potatoes served in the French manner” (Thomas Jefferson) originally came to us from France or Belgium, it doesn't really matter. What matters is they are delicious, frequently cooked in a very unhealthy manner at restaurants, and can be found almost anywhere in this country. Now I'm hungry.

Grange Day – On this day in Elk River Minnesota, the youth of the National Grange Organization will reenact a Grange meeting from 1873. If you look around your area (assuming you have an active Grange Organization) you might find other youth celebrations.

International Puzzle Day – This is the 69^th birthday of Erno Rubik, the man who invented the Rubik's Cube back in 1980. My daughter has mastered it and many of the variations of the original cube, but I still fumble around with it for hours.

To celebrate today, grab your geeky technological stuff and head out to find a Grange event that you can video tape using your geeky technology. Then use it to record the barbershop quartet that you track down next (check your local barbershop, they might know where you can find one). Then head home and have some french fries while you tell your kids all about George Washington Carver. Use the internet to find out some interesting details of his life that you might not already know. It is yet another geeky technological thing you can avail yourself of today. Finish up the day by attempting to complete your Rubik's cube.

July 12, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Pecan Pie Day – Pecan Pie is a little too sweet for my taste, but it sure does look pretty so maybe I'll make it just so my family can look at it. I suspect that would only last until I turned my back for a moment.

Chick-Fil-A's Cow Appreciation Day – On this day, all over the country, Chick-fil-A restaurants are honoring the cow by giving a free meal to any customer who shows up to their restaurants in a cow costume. What you are not allowed to do, is ask me why a chicken restaurant is celebrating cows. http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Cows/Appreciation-Day

Collector Car Appreciation Day – This is the third annual celebration of this day which seems to be scheduled for the second Friday in July. This day was begun by a U.S. Senate resolution sponsored by Senators Jon Tester and Richard Burr. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the importance of automotive restoration and collection, at least to automotive restorers and collectors and possibly to many more people in this country whom I do not know.

Simplicity Day – This day honors Henry David Thoreau who was born on this day in 1817. He was a simple man who stressed the importance of a frugal lifestyle and ecological awareness. So today, tune into nature and keep your life simple.

Different Colored Eyes Day – This is a genetic trait called heterochromia, that is usually found in animals such as cats, dogs and horses. It is far more uncommon in humans so you'll have to look carefully at the eyes of everyone you meet today in order to have a chance to find someone with this trait. Although you can consider your goal accomplished if you find an animal with different colored eyes instead.

To celebrate today, keep your life simple by communing with nature and dressing up as a cow with different colored eyes so that you can head to Chick-Fil-A for a free lunch. There's nothing more simple than free stuff. This afternoon, find a car show full of collector quality cars and go admire them. Car collectors love to have people admire their cars. Finally, finish up your day with a nice, big slice of pecan pie.

July 11, 2013

Today we celebrate:

Bowdler's Day – Thomas Bowdler was born on this day in 1754. He was an English physician and a philanthropist who published The Family Shakespeare for modern women and children (of the time). It was supposed to be more understandable than the original versions.

Cheer Up The Lonely Day – This is a day to seek out those who you feel are lonely in the world and do your best to cheer them up in any way you deem appropriate.

Day Of The Five Billion – On this day in 1987, the world had reached a population of five billion people according to the United Nations Population Fund. We have now surpassed 7 billion people.

Slurpee Day or 7-Eleven Day – On this day every year, 7-Eleven gives out free slurpees. Make sure you get yours today.

National Rainier Cherries Day – Rainier cherries are a kind of cherry apparently. I don't know much about cherries since I'm not a big fan of them. If you are, check out your local top restaurants because there is bound to be at least one that will have a delicious cherry dessert to celebrate today.

National Blueberry Muffin Day – Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits. I love to go blueberry picking every year and make muffins with the fresh berries.

To celebrate today, read some modern Shakespeare to a lonely neighbor with whom you can also share some slurpees and blueberry muffins and don't forget the Rainier Cherries. Then count up the people in your neighborhood to see how much of the world's population you live with.