Tuesday, October 11, 2011

In the Now i've Seen Almost Everything Department

As i was heading out to pick the kids up from school yesterday, i saw someone next door mowing the lawn.

Not a bit strange.

He was using a riding mower.

Again, not a bit strange.

It was not the neighbor, although his wife was at the door watching the proceedings. Since he generally does most of his own yard work, that might be considered unusual, but not exceedingly so, as many people around here hire lawn services, or use entrepreneurial neighborhood teens to do it.

What made me look twice was that it's the first time i've ever seen anyone, anywhere, mowing a lawn on a riding mower while wearing a full business suit.


Today is:

Buffalo Races -- Chon Buri, Thailand (through the 17th; lots of water buffalo contests, including fancy dress!)

Full Hunter's Moon/Full Blood Moon/Full Sanguine Moon (some also consider this the true Harvest Moon, if last month's came too early)

General Pulaski Memorial Day -- US

It's My Party Day -- so go have one!

Meditrinalia -- Roman Imperial Calendar (in honor of Meditrina, goddess of health, longevity, and wine)

National Face Your Fears Day -- US

National Sausage Pizza Day

Old Michaelmas Day -- Celtic Calendar

Revolution Day -- Republic of Macedonia

Sunbeam Sliding Sunday -- Fairy Calendar (only occasionally on a Sunday)

St. Gomar's Day (Patron of woodcutters, cowherds, & those unhappily married)

"You Go Girl!" Day -- in honor of Kathy Sullivan, first American woman to walk in space


Birthdays Today:

Joan Cusack, 1962
Steve Young, 1961
Dawn French, 1957
Elmore Leonard, 1925
Art Blakey, 1919
Jerrome Robbins, 1918
Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884
Henry John Heinz, 1844
George Williams, 1821 (founder, YMCA)


Today in History:

Massive earthquake strikes Aleppo, Syria, 1138
Columbus' ship sites land on the horizon (the Bahamas), 1492
Huldrych Zwingli is killed in battle with the Roman Catholic cantons of Switzerland, 1531
Peter the Great becomes tsar of Russia, 1689
Explorer Meriwether Lewis dies under mysterious circumstances along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee at the Grinder's Stand Inn, 1809
The first steam powered ferryboat, the Juliana, begins operation, 1811
Australia's oldest university, University of Sidney, is inaugurated, 1852
Dorr Eugene Felt receives a patent for his Comptometer, the first adding machine known to be accurate at all times, 1887
The Great Chicago Fire is finally extinguished, 1871
David Houston patents roll film for cameras, 1881
First female FBI "special investigator", Alaska Davidson, appointed, 1922
With the opening of store # 1252, in Milford, Delaware, J.C. Penney becomes a nationwide company, with stores in all 48 states, 1929
CBS's mechanical color system is the first to be licensed for broadcast by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, 1950
Pope John XXIII convenes the first ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church in 92 years, Vatican II, 1962
NASA launches Apollo 7, the first successful manned Apollo mission, 1968
The NBC sketch comedy/variety show Saturday Night Live debuts with George Carlin as the host and Andy Kaufman, Janis Ian and Billy Preston as guests, 1975
The Mary Rose, a Tudor carrack which sank on July 19 1545, is salvaged from the sea bed of the Solent, off Portsmouth, 1982
The record high of the Dow Jones Industrial Average occurs at 14,198.10 points, 2007

4 comments:

  1. Hmmm. Lost a bet with his wife? Or a THREAT from his wife about the grass being too tall? Yes, that would be a most different thing for the day!

    Cat

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cat, i would think so, except that it wasn't the neighbor on the mower. His wife was watching from the door, but it was a different person doing the mowing.

    Either way, i'm perplexed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. And THAT's why you need a camera!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hilary, you are right. When can you come down here and coach me through buying one and learning to use it? ;)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for meandering by and letting me know you were here!
Comments on posts more than a week old are moderated.
If Blogger puts your comment in "spam jail," i'll try to get it hauled out by day's end.