On Tasty Wrinkles

Hey hey hey … another weekend is done and gone. Tell us something about your weekend?

I had an evening of ballroom, dinners with sister-in-law and father-in-law, a going-away party, work, and Quickstep formation practice. We also attended a Reds baseball game. It was eventually cancelled due to rain, but we received our bobble head commemorating the 25th anniversary of the last time the Reds won the World Series (1990).

Meals: The Musical returns this week, but this act may be the most difficult. Act 3 featuring Sides, which means side dishes for the meal. Because of the broadness, there is a wide opportunity for creativity, and the producer understands that he needs to be somewhat flexible. Because the producer is the way he is, below are a few guidelines:

• The producer still has discretion
• Vegetables, which includes tomatoes, corn, and beans
• Grains, products of grains, nut, kinds of nuts
• Pastas, Soups
• Unacceptable: Fruit, any fruit, meat and any meat, any dessert, any beverage

I admit that I’ve been anxiously anticipating the opening act. Curtain time will be Wednesday, 9:30 PM (Eastern US).

Celebrations for Your Week

• (Week) Karaoke Week, Lingerie Week, Mattress Turnover Week, Air Quality Awareness Week, Library Preservation Week, Jewish Heritage Week, Reading is Fun Week, Forest Week, Intergenerational Week, TV Turn-off Week, Volunteer Week, Consumer Protection Week, Playground Safety Week, Teacher Appreciation Week, Big Brothers/Sisters Appreciation Week
• (Mon)  Drug Take Back Day, Tell a Story Day, Babe Ruth Day, Mantanzas Mule Day, Morse Code Day, Prime Rib Day, Woody Woodpecker Day, Childcare Professionals Day, Playground Safety Day
• (Tues) Biological Clock Day, Day for Safety & Health at Work, Workers Memorial Day, Blueberry Pie Day, Brave Hearts Day, Kiss Your Mate Day, Poetry Reading Day, Astronomy Day
• (Wed) Dance Day, Zipper Day, Peace Rose Day, Guide Dogs Day, Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare, World Wish Day, Shrimp Scampi Day, Rebuilding Day, Greenery Day, Gnocchi Day
• (Thurs) Bugs Bunny Day, Jazz Day, Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, Poem in Your Pocket Day, Honest Day, Animal Advocacy Day, Sarcoidosis Day, Oatmeal Cookie Day, Mr. Potato Head Day, Hairstyle Appreciation Day, Raisins Day

Honoring the last celebration listed above and the Act 2 of Meals: The Musical, here are three classic commercials to jump-start your week. Which is your favorite? Have a good rest of the week.

On the Bunny Monday

Another weekend has past. What did you do?

A portion of Christianity (not the Orthodox) celebrated the highest Holy Day of the church calendar, thus we attended a wonderful service – plus hosting my father-in-law for dinner. Surprise, surprise … no ballroom for us this weekend because we traveled to northern Indiana to visit an aunt who recently moved.

With my weekend travels, I’m behind on replying to comments on Saturday’s Explore travels to India. Couple that with being behind on visiting, I won’t be posting on Tuesday … thus the next post will be Wednesday, Satire Bits. I have posts in the queue that I could use, but passing on a day is the right thing to do.

Monday is Opening Day in Cincinnati as the Reds start the baseball season. It’s a big day here, so I may spend a few hours walking around downtown taking in the sights and the festivities … but I won’t decide until Monday morning. Until Major League Baseball (MLB) elevated their level of greed, Opening Day in Cincinnati was the official start to the season for the entire league … but no more as officially starts Sunday night for television dollars … and even (some years) somewhere aboard … therefore, we in Cincinnati simply ignore that event.

Celebrations for Your Week

• (Week) Straw Hat Week, Astronomy Week, Scoop the Poop Week, Read a Road Map Week, Bat Appreciation Week, Library Week, Robotics Week, Explore Your Career Options Week, Blue Ribbon Week, Public Health Week, Window Safety Week, Egg Salad Week, Mule Days, Bake Week, Medic Alert Week, Publicity Stunt Week, Cherry Blossom Week, Week of the Young Child, Birthparents Week
• (Mon) Jump Over Things Day, Caramel Popcorn Day, Sorry Charlie Day, New Beers Eve, Plan Your Epitaph Day, Tartan Day, North Pole Day, TV Dinner Day, Post-It Notes Day, Teflon Day, Tater Day for Sweet Potatoes, Hostess Twinkie Day, North Pole Day, Drowsy Drive Awareness Day, Day of Sport for Development & Peace, Alcohol Screening Day
• (Tues) Beer Day, Beaver Day, Coffee Cake Day, Metric System Day, No Housework Day, Snailpapers Day, Public Television Day, Empowered Women Entrepreneurs Day, World Health Organization Day, Sexual Assault Awareness Day of Action
• (Wed) Draw a Bird Day, Roma Day, Dog Fighting Awareness Day, Empanada Day, Trading Cards for Grown-Ups Day, All is Ours Day, Zoo Lovers Day, Tutor Appreciation Day, Milk in Glass Bottles Day, Astronomy Day
• (Thurs) Name Yourself Day, Cherish an Antique Day, Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, D.A.R.E Day, Chinese Almond Cookie Day, Bataan Day, TV Guide Day, Powdered Milk Day, Listening Day, Jenkins Ear Day, Winston Churchill Day, Appomattox Day

There are times when opposites attract, thus making odd friendships or couples. Enjoy these examples from the unexpected. Have a good week.

Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 219

On Politics
When are public figures going to learn that references to the Holocaust, Hitler, or 9-11 seldom are effective. Here’s the latest: “Democrats bragging about the number of mandatory sign ups for Obamacare is like Germans bragging about the number of mandatory sign ups for ‘train rides’ for Jews in the 40s.” (Stacey Campfield State Senator, (R-Tennessee). And then in a follow-up phone interview, he stood by his comments and wasn’t concerned about criticisms – but has since apologized. I yield to these words of a great American orator.

Las Vegas hosts the most conventions in the US (over 22,000 in 2013). Interestingly, neither of the major political parties have ever chosen the glamour and lights of the desert to host their convention – but 2016 could be different because Las Vegas is on the Republican shortlist of six finalists.

This past Tuesday was Primary Day in Ohio. I proudly proclaim that I am not longer a registered Republican. Because I wouldn’t declare as a Democrat, this means I received an “issues-only” ballot.

The US is divided into 435 Congressional districts, with each district electing a representative every two years. I can’t recall the source (but it is reputable), but only 7 districts have toss-up elections this fall. Surely this has nothing to do with gridlock in Washington.

On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion

• Tree outside window upset man changed channel
• Poll: 56% of voters say country better than it was 4 eons ago
• Picasso’s “Guernica” triples in value after being autographed by the 1994 New York Rangers
• Donald Sterling just glad tape recorder batteries died
• National jeweler recalls 2 million cursed wedding rings

Onion Extras
Pros and cons of homeschooling
Pros and cons of gun control
Reasons for and against capital punishment

Interesting Reads
Alan Shepherd’s first space flight
A conservative economist about the tax reform vacuum
Bonds infographic
Interesting collection of black & white nature images from National Geographic
About journalist Lara Logan
How eyes sense motion

On Potpourri
Earlier this week I posted images of some of Cincinnati’s companies. I took them while walking the streets during the Opening Day festivities. I forgot one major company … and I even walked into their building that day. E.W. Scripps Company is a major media company operating newspapers and television stations throughout the country. You may be familiar with Scripps as the sponsors of the National Spelling Bee. Plus, in 2007, Scripps split separated into two company with Scripps Network Interactive (based in Nashville) … and many of you know their cable television stations as Food Network, Travel Channel, DIY Network, Home & Garden Television (HGTV), and Cooking Channel.

Time has worked against me this week, so no Saturday Morning Cartoon Classic post this weekend.

Here are your weekend celebrations

• (Fri) Tear the Tags Off the Mattress Day, Moscato Day, Lost Sock Memorial Day, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Hooray for Buttons Day, Fintastic Friday (Give Sharks a Voice), Peter Pan Day, Butterscotch Brownies Day
• (Sat) Birthmother’s Day, Belly Dance Day, Train Day, Chinese Language Day, Clean Your Room Day, Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Awareness Day, Trust Your Intuition Day, Fair Trade Day, Mother Ocean Day, Babysitters Day, Miniature Golf Day, Lupus Day, Windmill Day, Astronomy Day, Shrimp Day, Stay Up All Night Day, Military-Amaetur Crossband Communications Day
• (Sun) Mother’s Day, Eat What You Want Day, Hostess Cupcake Day, Mocha Torte Day, Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Awareness Day, Root Canal Appreciation Day

To send you into the weekend, here’s a 1973 hit by Deely Stan Steely Dan. Enjoy, Reelin’ in the Years. Have a safe weekend and in the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.