A Year of Blogging: September 7, 2011

September 7 was 'Neither Rain now Snow Day'. It's a day to commemorate the opening of the New York Post Office in 1914. Ninety-seven years later, the news is that the Post Office is in 'dire straights'. The news was that the Post Office will default this month if something major isn't done. Yet, don't be alarmed, we were assured the Post Office wasn't going under. You may have heard that 'Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.' This actually, is NOT the motto of the Post Office. The US Post Office HAS no official motto. Well, that would explain why you don't see a mail truck when we get a little snowstorm! This phrase is inscribed on the Post Office building in New York (located at 8th Ave and 33rd St). It can be found in the works of Herodotus. I don't use the Post Office as much as I used to. Sure, I pay most of my bills by check through the mail because I like writing checks. I could easily use online bill pay, although I've resisted this long. Certainly if there were no mail, it would make work a little easier- we wouldn't be mailing 500 pieces of marketing each week (marketing which I have to print, stuff, and put postage on). I think the time I would miss the Post Office would be at Christmas. How would I deliver my Christmas cards with the dogs' letter to all of my friends? I also love getting Christmas cards, and would miss them dearly. Maybe we all need to go back to writing letters, instead of using email. Remember when you had to wait weeks for your friends to write back? I miss that. If we were still writing letters, students would still need to learn cursive in school. The Post Office wouldn't be on the verge of default. But we are in an electronic age. Everything is about instant gratification. So we just have to hope the Post Office can flex without breaking. Or at least hold on until the Christmas season when I can provide a lifeline!

A Year of Blogging: September 6, 2011

September 6 was 'Read a Book Day'. What can I say about this that I haven't already said? You know I'm a bookworm, and that I've always been one. I've been reading since I was three. And while my Grandpa Wager was also a bookworm, I was the unusual one in the immediate family. My father reads the newspapers, but he's not a book reader. I think I traumatized him when I was about four or five and he was trying to read a Winnie the Pooh book to me. Not up to speed on children's characters yet, he pronounced Tigger as Tiger. I corrected him, took the book, and read it to him. Had to be a little demoralizing for the guy. But actually, I don't think I did it. Dad's family isn't really big on reading. Grandma read the Harlequin romances, and Grandpa read the papers. Imagine our surprise, when, after Grandma passed away there was a large book about the Civil War. No one had ever known her to read books like that, and it wasn't left by anyone who had been visiting her. The book found its way to my shelf, because everyone figured I was the one who would read it. It's one of those unexplained things that makes you wonder if it was a sign from beyond. My sister was not big on reading when we were children. She liked to be read to, but she didn't like to actually do the reading. She associated it with school, and that was enough to keep her away! As an adult, she has started reading for fun, and she does find it fun now. Mom never had time to sit down and read; she still doesn't. I've tried passing books to her that I think she would enjoy, and a year later they are still piled neatly in the basket between their recliners in the living room. Mom goes in so many different directions, caring for everyone, that when she finally sits down at night she usually falls asleep. So I was the oddball. The one who could spend hours out of a day reading. I took books with me everywhere. Even to family parties. We used to go to Grandma Primeau's for Thanksgiving, or to exchange gifts the week before Christmas, or for New Year's Day which is Grandpa's birthday. Any time we were going to get together at Grandma's with the whole family, I grabbed a book and took it with me. I was always very shy, and my family terrified me. We are a large, boisterous family. I am not a boisterous person. I'm quiet (ok, until you get to know me or I'm comfortable with you). The thought of having to interact with all of these people whom I barely knew was overwhelming. I felt comfortable with my books. I would choose a corner of the couch and try to fade into the fabric, with the book in front of my face. I did speak to people if they spoke to me (there's something about a person reading a book that makes other people want to sit down next to you and start up a conversation). I'm sure the family thought I was either a real snob or just antisocial. I know most of them didn't realize I was just socially awkward and shy. Obviously, the best way to celebrate 'Read a Book' day is to just grab your favorite book and start reading!

A Year of Blogging: September 5, 2011

September 5 is 'Be Late for Something Day'. I guess this morning I was late for breakfast, since a migraine kept me in bed til almost noon. I was trying to sleep it off, but it didn't work. So I woke up, took my migraine medicine, and have been pretty much vegging all day. But it's ok. Today is Labor Day, and a holiday. If you're going to wake up with a migraine on a Monday, it's good that the Monday is a day off that week! September 5 is also 'Cheese Pizza Day'. I find this hilarious, because September 5 is my niece Sydney's birthday. And she loves Cheese Pizza! I liked cheese pizza as a young child, but once I ate my first piece of pizza with pepperoni and sausage- there was no going back. My sister however, still prefers cheese pizza. Today is the perfect day to order your favorite pizza for dinner! Finally, as I previously mentioned, today is Labor Day. Labor Day is always the first Monday in September. It is the day to celebrate the economic and social contributions of working Americans. We are honored by getting a day off (which is great, but a raise would be wonderful!). The first Labor Day was held on September 5, 1882 in New York City. It has become the unofficial end of summer. Fall is quickly approaching, and these hazy, lazy days are coming to an end. I love three day weekends- I'm able to get so much done. I spent one day cleaning the house, another day knitting and writing and catching up on my hobbies, and then I've spent today being a coach potato. We had planned to go to the International supermarket today, but between my migraine, and still watching Onyx to make sure she's not sick from eating aluminum foil, we decided to skip that. But I feel like I got everything done that I wanted to get done, and still had down time. I feel relaxed and ready to take on another week at the office. Now if only I could figure out how to make every weekend a three day weekend!

A Year of Blogging: September 4, 2011

September 4 was 'Newspaper Carrier Day'. This day honors those who bring you the newspaper. Growing up in Berlin, we knew our carrier. If we saw them bringing the paper, they stopped to chat for a little bit. Mom always had a gift for them at Christmas, and made a plate of cookies for them as well. Here in Middletown, Erich and I subscribe to the Dayton paper. We get it on Thursdays and Sundays. Even that seems a little bit of a waste, as I check the paper online every day. But we went ahead and renewed it anyway this year. I've never seen our paper carrier. I don't even know the paper carrier's name. I know it is someone who comes through around 5am and throws the paper at the end of the driveway. They don't even try to get it by the house anymore. We don't get the ads any more, and at least once a month we don't get the funnies in the Sunday paper- a real source of irritation to both of us. Erich only reads the funnies, and I read them after reading all the hard news. It's my reward for being a responsible adult and reading about all the bad things in the world. And then, there are times we don't get the paper at all and I have to call and complain. It makes me miss the days when you could depend on the newspaper carrier, and knew who they were.

A Year of Blogging: September 3, 2011

September 3 is Skyscraper Day. I am a country girl. Nothing makes me feel more like a country mouse in the city than being surrounded by skyscrapers. The last time I was in New York City was December, 2009. Dad and I were on a bus trip to the new Yankee Stadium. As we rode on the bus through the heart of Manhattan, Dad looked up at the skyscrapers, craning his neck, and said 'look at how tall they are!' I suppose some people on the bus thought of us as country bumpkins. Well, we really are. I am much more comfortable surrounded by open farm fields than by tall buildings. If I'm in a city, I feel boxed in. The tall buildings towering over me makes me feel small and insignificant, but not in a good, reassuring way. They are intimidating to me. To me, it is stressful and I can't wait to get away from them. The other reason I don't care for skyscrapers is that I'm afraid of heights. Yes, I am 5'9" tall and I'm afraid of heights. My first memory of being aware that I'm afraid of heights is also my first memory of a skyscraper. I was in fourth or fifth grade, and we took a field trip to Albany. We visited the Empire State Plaza, which includes the Corning Tower. We went to the observation deck on the 42nd floor. I stood there with my two best friends, Drew and Angela, looking out over the city. Drew's mom was one of the trip chaperones. I looked out the window, and felt dizzy. I turned to Mrs. Bartron and told her 'I think I'm going to throw up' and she quickly took me back to the elevator and we were whisked back to the lobby. I felt much better then. I had that same experience in the Eiffel Tower, The Space Needle, and any other tall structure that I've ever gone in. I didn't get the attraction with skyscrapers, and I still don't. Sure, there are some, like the Empire State Building, that have some attractive features, but to me, they are primarily just huge towers of steel and glass.

A Year of Blogging: September 2, 2011

Have you found yourself looking over your shoulder today? Have you been kind of anxious, and just can't figure out why? Perhaps it is because September 2 is 'National Beheading Day'. Yes, you read that correctly. And I have to say, after 8 months of doing this experiment, I've come across all kinds of weird days. This one is without a doubt the weirdest and creepiest. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why today is National Beheading Day. My theory is that perhaps the long, hot days of summer got to someone and they just couldn't take it any more. However, I don't want to hear of any of my readers committing beheadings, or being beheaded! Today is also VJ Day. It was on this date in 1945 that a formal surrender was signed by Japan on the USS Missouri. World War II was finally over. In 1969, the first ATM opened in Rockville Center, NY. I remember in the mid 1980's, ATMs were still more of a novelty. My Mom and her sister both worked for large banks, and the employees were given ATM cards long before the general public received them. We were visiting my grandparents in Florida, and Mom wanted to get money from the ATM (previously, she wrote a check to Grandma, and Grandma cashed it at her bank). I remember, just as clearly as if it were yesterday, Grandma saying "I don't understand how you can get money from a brick wall." It was many years before Grandma got an ATM card, although now that I think about it, I'm not sure she ever did get one. I also remember the first time Dad used the ATM card. He withdrew $100, and was amazed that the machine gave it to him just as he wanted it: five twenty dollar bills. Mom just kind of rolled her eyes. Today there are over one million ATM's in the world, and a new one is added every five minutes. There is even one in Antarctica. It's good to know if you ever plan to travel there, you'll be able to get emergency cash if you need it. Although, I do wonder what you're spending your money on in Antarctica.

A Year of Blogging: September 1, 2011

With the flip of the calendar, we've entered September. My mind worked something like this: this weekend is a three day weekend. In five weeks, I'll be headed to NY for Beth's wedding then to MB to visit with Patricia. About five weeks after that, Mom and Dad will be here for Thanksgiving. And then it will be Christmas! Oh goodness, I've got so much to get done! Three blankets to knit, and I haven't been able to knit for about three weeks. That's it, I've got to kick it into high gear and start knitting every day. Then of course, there's the fall things I need to do. Erich asked when we were going to get apples. I think really what he wanted to know is 'when are we going to get cider donuts?' Of course, getting apples involves driving the half hour to the fruit farm, parking (hopefully not a mile away) and walking to the barn. We look at the apples and pick the ones we want, and of course, add a dozen donuts to our order. Then we drive home, and it's time to do something with the apples. Getting them isn't enough. The apples have to be peeled, cut, and covered with sugar and cinnamon for apple pies, or cooked down into applesauce. The pies are made and put in the freezer uncooked. The apple sauce is put into small containers and also put in the freezer. What is fall without a pumpkin? That's another weekend- driving around to farm stands looking for the biggest, most perfect one to satisfy my inner child. Yes, flipping the calendar to September made me realize the year is almost over, and there's still so much to do. I don't know how I'll have time to celebrate that September is Blueberry Popsicle month. Blueberry Popsicle? That is incredibly specific. Don't try to eat a cherry popsicle- apparently cherry popsicles don't have their own month. I would think they would be much more common than blueberry ones, but what do I know? September is also National Chicken Month. That's an easy one to celebrate, just cook up your favorite chicken dish (except for you, my vegetarian friend. Yes, you!) Maybe you can knock off a couple of celebrations if you cook your chicken with honey, as it is National Honey Month. If you're looking for ways to improve yourself during Self-Improvement Month, you might start with a better breakfast (I'm not sure if Better Breakfast Month means a healthier breakfast, or just a bigger breakfast, which could also be considered 'better'). After you've eaten a better breakfast, find out where the nearest square dancing hall is and give it a whirl. I guess I'm a bit of a dork, but I actually like square dancing. I once tried square dancing with my grandparents and their friends- and let me tell you, I learned a few things. If nothing else, square dancing will give you a chance to celebrate National Courtesy Month! "Bow to your partner!"