A Year of Blogging: May 6, 2011

Some days the holiday leaves me wondering what to write about. Other days I find myself having to choose between multiple days. Today is one of those. May 6 has 7 celebrations. 7! That's enough for a whole week, crammed into one little Friday. I think this should be shared a little more evenly. Maybe each day should have no more than 2 holidays. We could eliminate the duplicates. Such as 'National Earth Day' and 'International Earth Day'. Combine the two, make it 'Earth Day' and clear up some of this jam. Then maybe those of us trying to write about the special days would have fewer days that leave us scratching our heads. May 6 is always Beverage Day. It can be alcoholic or nonalcoholic, hot or cold. Whatever you prefer. It's a day to grab your favorite, sit back and enjoy it. I'm currently kicking back with a cold glass of raspberry iced tea. A few years ago, I had never tried raspberry iced tea. Once I did, I was hooked. It is the thing I drink the most, after water. I feel lost if I've gone a whole day without my raspberry iced tea. To avoid this feeling, I try to make sure we never run out. It is perpetually on the grocery list, much to Erich's irritation. He drinks it too, just not as frequently as I do. For me, it just hits the spot whether it's warm or cold outside. May 6 is National Nurses Day. Not to be confused with International Nurses Day, which we (or maybe everyone except the US) will celebrate on May 12- the birthday of Florence Nightingale. I'm not sure why today is also Nurses Day. Here's another duplication we could eliminate. Although, nurses surely do deserve our appreciation more than one day. I had an appointment with my neurologist today, and the nursing student was so sweet. She asked what my weight was, and I told her what I thought it was. She asked if I wanted to get on the scale, and I said 'Do I have to?' She said no, and just typed in my 'estimate' as the actual. She also was really concerned about my BP, and I kept telling her it has been higher, today was pretty good. I appreciate nurses, especially living with one. Even though he's not working in a hospital yet, it's nice to have my own personal RN. He can help me monitor my blood pressure. He can explain tests or medications to me. And he was a great help when my Grandma was sick, or when Drew has been sick, because he explains things to me. If I know what to expect, I can handle things better. I have never liked the unexpected. I guess I'm a control freak! May 6 is always National Tourist Appreciation Day. As someone who travels frequently, I could appreciate this day! I think tourists should be appreciated. For example, what would Orlando be without the tourists? But at the same time, if you are a tourist behaving badly, then you deserve to be treated badly. If you can't behave, stay home. But if you have traveled to another area to enjoy the sites, the food, the tourist traps, and perhaps the weather, you deserve to be treated with respect. Sadly, it's something I don't find that often. Certainly not in the airports. The airlines don't treat you with respect. You feel more like cattle being herded. Stand in long lines, nickel and dimed until your wallet bleeds, and then you are stuffed into minuscule seats that were not meant to hold humans. Flying is such an unpleasant experience, yet it is the easiest way to get places- such as home to NY. So I swallow an extra dose of patience before I leave the house, wear comfy shoes, and try to think of the reward at the end of the torture. Hotels are usually pretty good about welcoming you. The best place I have ever stayed was the Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto. They were wonderful! I did not meet a single person in this hotel that did not make me feel like a queen. It was a super luxurious hotel, and I was there on business. It is a place I couldn't afford to stay in if I were paying for it. Every time I ordered room service, my food was delivered with a little bouquet of flowers. A girl could get used to that kind of treatment! Turns out, when Queen Elizabeth visits Toronto, that is the hotel she stays in. No wonder they knew how to pamper a lady. May 6 is also always 'No Diet Day'. Hey! Another day I can throw my support behind. I have never been big on diets. I know I should be more concerned with my body. But I'm not. I have curves. God gave me these curves. I am not meant to be a stick. My body also has a mind of it's own. When I try to lose weight, I end up going the opposite way. When I shrug my shoulders and give up on it, the weight starts to drop. I seem to be in a drop cycle now. I honestly can't keep my jeans up! I am going to have to give in and buy a belt. I look like a hillbilly, hitchin up my drawers all the time. The first Friday in May is International Tuba Day. So this year, it also falls on May 6. Tuba's are essential to marching bands. They are part of that brass sound that I really enjoy. Brass music just puts me in a festive mood. The tuba was patented in Germany in 1835. They are not all the same size- they could be 12 to 50 pounds. Wow! It was hard enough for me to play the flute while marching in band- tuba players must be a whole different breed. The first Friday in May is also Space Day. Or International Space Day. I guess we all agree to celebrate it on the same day. It's a day to get students interested in Math and Science. With the US Shuttle program coming to an end, how are we going to get into space? Do kids even want to be astronauts any more? One year for Christmas I wanted 'Astronaut Barbie'. I did get her. That's the closest I ever came to wanting to be an astronaut. That and the freeze-dried ice cream. That was a special treat! Last, but certainly not least, if none of the previous six celebrations sparked your interest, perhaps this one will. The Friday before Mother's Day is always Military Spouses Day. These men and women deserve a big salute. Marriage is hard enough when both spouses are living in the same house, in the same country. I cannot imagine what the spouses of our military personnel go through: the worry, the fear, the loneliness. I have a great deal of respect and appreciation for the spouses of our Military Personnel. They have perhaps the toughest job of all. To them, I offer a round of applause and my heartfelt thanks.