Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day. I’m sorry, but that has to be the stupidest holiday ever. The one day a year when normally intelligent people decide to let a rodent take precedence over science. Seriously? Seasons are determined by the Earth’s spin axis tilted with respect to its orbital plane, not by rodents. Spring ALWAYS starts on March 20/21. For those of us who know how to count, that is LITERALLY six weeks away. So spring will start in six weeks, REGARDLESS of what the weather itself is going to do and whether or not a stupid rodent sees its shadow. And the only ones who know what the weather is going to do are meteorologists (and then only some of the times). So if we’re going to celebrate the day, let’s find other reasons.

Such as…

Today is Monday. The beginning of the week. My favorite day of the week, because I get some much-needed alone time. Not that I don’t love my family. I do. But after a weekend of all of us being together all of the time, the introvert in me needs a little space. Just a few hours to breathe. And the anal part of me needs to get back to my schedule in order to make sense of my world. It’s like hitting the Do-Over button every week, the ability to start over and try something new. Last week was awful? Okay, this week will be better. Didn’t get to something before? Let’s try it again now.

Today is a snow day. Because it’s winter, and winter means snow. No matter how much I may complain that I’m cold (technically, I’m cold nine months out of the year, and occasionally the other three from too much air conditioning), it’s supposed to be cold this time of year. It’s supposed to snow. This is normal weather for the season. So as much as I may not like it, I really do have to deal with it. And I have it pretty easy since 95% of the time my husband is the one who does the snow blowing. But the kids are home, again. And my husband is home, although that one was my doing (I figured it was easier than hearing about how his coworkers bet on when I’d make my usual call to “request” that he comes home due to bad weather). And the dog is most displeased with having to go outside in the snow. But rather than complain about it, let’s enjoy ourselves. It means we get to throw our calendars out the window and sleep in and hang out together. Snow days are fun, even if they do throw everything out of whack.

Do you need other reasons to celebrate today? How about:

• New Amsterdam (later New York City) became a city on this day in 1653.
• In 1709, British sailor Alexander Selkirk is rescued after being marooned on a desert island for 5 years, his story inspires "Robinson Crusoe."
• 1st ship load of Chinese arrive in SF in 1848.
• In 1852, 1st British public men's toilet opens (Fleet St London).
• Samuel Clemens becomes Mark Twain for first time in 1863.
• In 1893, 1st movie close-up (of a sneeze), Edison studio, West Orange, NJ.
• NYC's Grand Central Terminal opens in 1913.
• In 1922, James Joyce's "Ulysses" published in Paris (1,000 copies).
• Ethyl gasoline 1st marketed, Dayton, Ohio in 1923.
• In 1932, Al Capone sent to prison (Atlanta, Georgia).
• President Harry Truman urges congress to adopt a civil rights program in 1948.
• In 1950, 1st broadcast of "What's My Line" on CBS-TV.
• US female Figure Skating championship won by Dorothy Hamill in 1975.
• In 1977, Radio Shack officially begins creating TRS-80 computer.
• South Africa's Pres FW de Klerk promises to free Nelson Mandela & legalizes ANC & 60 other political orgs in 1990.

Please, ANYTHING but Groundhog Day!