Today is Sunday, February 18 and there are only 197 days until Labor Day so the back to school specials should be starting any day now.  Today we remember the birthdays of Leon B Alberti, Thomas Girtin and John Travolta.  On this day in 1678 John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress” was published, in 1841 the first continuous filibuster in the US Senate began, lasting until March 11 and in 1979 the miniseries “Roots The Next Generations” premiered on ABC-TV.  In Gambia it is Independence Day, in Nepal it is Constitutional Day and in the US it is National Battery Day and National Drink Wine Day.  Tomorrow is Presidents’ Day in the US.

Let me start out by saying that I will be celebrating National Drink Wine Day today with great fervor, so please refrain from interrupting the festivities.  Besides, Barbara and I have a craft project we want to do and we still need 183 more corks.  Now on to more pressing issues.

As I mentioned, tomorrow is Presidents’ Day.  Presidents’ Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February (Go ahead.  I’ll wait while you count back to be sure it is the third Monday). Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government.  Traditionally celebrated on February 22—Washington’s actual day of birth—the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers.  While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all US presidents past and present.

I know that I have given you this information in the past so I won’t bore you with it all again.  The reason I brought it up was because of one thing that popped out while I was reading through the material.  The item I refer to is the phrase, “it is still officially called ‘Washington’s Birthday’ by the federal government.”  This is typical of government.  They take a holiday – Washington’s Birthday – and lump it together with other presidents’ birthdays, call it Presidents’ Day, make it a three day holiday and then pass an act to make it official.  However, it is still “officially called Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government.

“Hey, Senator Jones.  Will you be taking off for Presidents’ Day this year?”

“I don’t know if I will have the time, but I will be off for Washington’s Birthday.”

“What day is that?”

“Monday, the 19^th.”

“Huh?”

Recently I mentioned car commercials that show you things their car can do and then warn you not to do them.  I started to reflect on the way commercials present a company and how different that is from reality.  I would truly love to find a place that actually measures up to what the commercial shows.  There are always commercials that show grocery store shelves stocked with whatever product is being sold.  All the shelves are packed with the product and that is all you can see.  First off, I have never seen any store that has that much of any one thing on its shelves.  Secondly, if a store has that much of a product on its shelves, either the item is way too expensive or it is a lousy product and no one wants it.

A commercial for one store always depicts pleasant greeters showing you where to go to find what you are looking for.  The people working there are always smiling.  There is someone standing around to make sure you find a register that is available, or they open one just to get you checked out and on your way.  If you have been to that store you know that is not happening.  Generally, if a supervisor walks by and sees lines, they shake their head, mumble something like, “Where is Terry?” and then go off, as if looking for Terry.  Ten minutes later, you are still in line and neither Terry nor the supervisor has appeared.

Let’s talk about another reality.  Recently, Barbara and I went to a fast food establishment because we had a hankering for a particular type of sandwich.  We had seen it in a commercial and thought it would be nice to have one.  In the commercial, the sandwich looks so good.  It is stacked up nicely, the meat, cheese and condiments all appear fresh and tasty and the bun looks like it was just baked.  Now go to reality.  The sandwich is wrapped and pushed down so that it is only an inch or so thick, not like the commercial one where you wonder how you will even bite into it.  The reason the condiments are showing at all is because the meat is only partially on the bun and the rest is sliding out of the wrapper.  The bun looks like it was used for some kind of table hockey game while they waited for orders to come in.

Just to round out our gastronomical experience, I watched as a worker came out to clean tables.  In one hand was a cloth that looked like this was not the first table it was being used on.  In the other hand was a spray bottle containing who knows what.  He walked up to a table, sprayed it and wiped it with the cloth.  Then he went to the next table and repeated the process, using the same cloth.  This went on until all the tables had been “cleaned.”  You wonder why you and your children come down with so many different ailments?  Now you know.

This week our fact tells us that in Hartford, Connecticut it is illegal for a husband to kiss his wife on Sundays.  I suppose he can do “other things” but he cannot kiss her.  Lucky for him, many sporting events are held on Sundays, so he will at least have something to do.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have some celebrating to do.  Have a good week!