Entries tagged with “Special Days” from CrabAppleLane Blog

First things first.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

After some early haircuts yesterday morning, we decided to stop and get some breakfast at the Abita Cafe in downtown Abita Springs, LA. Quite good. Recommended. Abita Springs is a quirky little town about 15 miles south of CrabAppleLane and we just love it. However, there was one quirk that everyone could do without and that was the traffic light. Northbound Hwy 59 traffic had to turn left in town at the light in order to continue northbound. These are all single-lane highways. The problem was that the southbound traffic was usually heavy at the light and only one or two northbound cars were able to make the turn and they were blocking all of the vehicles behind them. All of the southbound traffic was getting through but the heavier northbound traffic would get severely backed up. It was a nightmare, particularly after Katrina when all of the traffic in this area was doubled.

Cool sign - Abita Springs, LA - May 10, 2008To the rescue: A traffic circle (I believe they call them roundabouts in England). I remember when this was being built and I remember all of the talk about it. It was going to confuse people, cause accidents, and was simply not going to solve the problem. The naysayers could cite the traffic circles at the foot of both sides of the Huey P Long Bridge as evidence that Louisianians don't do well with them and it is very compelling evidence. Those were poorly designed and create as many problems as they solve. Planners in Abita Springs proceeded anyway and construction was completed. It has been thoroughly effective. I doubt anyone expected it to be as wildly successful and popular as it has been. Kudos to everyone responsible.

116 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

I'll take any free ball I can get. I'll give it to my kid. Let him go play with it somewhere.

Greg Maddux, San Diego Padres

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "But if it helps to appease the fence fetishists out there, it's less objectionable than some other options. That's the best I can say about it at this time."

Happy Easter

I offer three from the CrabAppleLane backyard this Easter Sunday.

Favorite Mug - Easter Sunday - March 23, 2008
Bought this mug at the Minneapolis airport on our way back to New Orleans 20 years ago. Probably paid too much for it but it has become my favorite mug. I think it was 5 or 6 bucks. What's a favorite mug worth these days?

CrabAppleLane Azaleas - March 23, 2008 - Easter Sunday
I was on an azalea planting mission a few years ago. I was determined to plant 30+ per year. I was buying the cheap ones from The Home Depot for $1.33/ea. I didn't care what color they were and I planted them randomly. They got a little scraggly on me because ... see next picture.

CrabAppleLane Azalea & Blackberries - March 23, 2008 - Easter Sunday
During my azalea planting mission, I planted two "cultivated blackberry" bushes. Cultivated blackberries have a bigger bush/vine, bigger berries, and much bigger thorns. Those two blackberry bushes and their offspring have taken over the azaleas. I was in there hacking away at them yesterday trying to bring them under control a tad. They defend themselves. I was wearing gloves but no eye protection. A vine brushed across my eyelid. It drew blood. Did I go get some eye protection before continuing? Of course not. Lightning may not be able to strike twice in the same spot but cultivated blackberries can. Yes, I am a recovering idiot.

Quote of the Day

The Dalai clique is scheming to take the Beijing Olympics hostage to force the Chinese government to make concessions to Tibet independence.

People's Daily (China)

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "After leaving the snow in Minneapolis, I wore short sleeve tees and capris this weekend in the nearly 70F weather. I planted azaleas and trimmed my rose bushes."

It’s Friday and it’s February 29. The last time February 29 fell on a Friday was 1980. I’m sure it was just an ordinary work day for me much like today is.

Patsy and I had lunch in Bogue Falaya Park yesterday. We both work within a half- mile of it. It was the second such time we've done that since I started working in Covington and I brought my camera this time. Unfortunately, I forgot to load the battery. I used to bring my camera to work every day in New Orleans and putting the battery in the camera was part of my morning routine. It saddens me a little that I have become such a creature of routine but there it is. The new employer's workplace is a little smaller than my previous employer's and I haven't found a place I can store it where it will be out of the way and safe. We're moving to a brand new facility in a few months and I will start bringing it with me every day again when we do. I digress. Bogue Falaya is a gorgeous park still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Pictures next time. :)

Quote of the Day

No calendars used today are perfect; they are off by seconds, minutes, hours or days every year. To make a calendar more accurate, new leap year rules have to be introduced to the Gregorian calendar, complicating the calculation of the calendar even more. It will, however, need some modifications in a few thousand years. As for the tropical year, it is approximately 365.242199 days, but varies from year to year because of the influence of other planets.

Timeanddate.com

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "When the base campers pitched their tents with us, our team was given a tremendous boost and now as they slowly begin to move on to pastures new, visiting teams like ourselves, it is the banter and bacon at the House that will be missed the most."

Happy Valentine's Day

Got plans?

This is a repost from an entry I offered on another blog last year. Hopefully, the links and quotes are still accurate but I didn't check.

There are so many interesting tidbits about Valentine’s Day that I thought I might share a few. My favorite tidbit comes courtesy of Wikipedia:

In Slovenia, a proverb says that "St Valentine brings the keys of roots," so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow. Valentine's Day has been celebrated as the day when the first works in the vineyards and on the fields commence. It is also said that birds propose to each other or marry on that day.

I think that last sentence a bit fanciful but who cares? It's harmless fancy and I like it. Another tidbit comes from The History Channel:

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today.

Also a bit fanciful. When I was a kid, people used to route their Valentine cards by mail through Valentine, Nebraska so they’d have a Valentine postmark. I don’t remember how to do that and I’m not sure that it can even still be done.

They celebrate it a bit differently in Saudi Arabia. Had to include that because it contains a committee with my all-time favorite title: The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

Watch out for these guys and have a Happy Valentine’s Day. Have a red Rose on me

The QOTD is from an article from the other side of Valentine's Day.

Quote of the Day

What song would you dedicate to an ex?

Kitty Bean Yancey, USA Today

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "A Day for love and lovers. A Day for flowers, romance, and candy hearts. A day for Cupid, kisses and snuggling galore!"

Happy Mardi Gras

For those going, be safe.

I’ve been delaying writing about Chuck since it premiered mainly because I didn't think it would last. My friend, Cullen, did it a few months ago but he doesn't have the power I have when it comes to the networks canceling shows that I like. Ask Firefly, Sports Night, and The Black Donnellys. 60-minute sitcoms are rare these days. High-quality 60-minute sitcoms are almost non-existent. Moonlighting was the last show to try. Zachary Levi, who plays the title character, comes to Chuck mostly unknown much like Bruce Willis came to Moonlighting. The show revolves around his character and the writers have done a marvelous job of informing the audience about who he is and why he does what he does. If this show survives, it will be because of him. I hope it does. Chuck is the best show on network television right now. It is funny and warm and worth your time. It's on NBC and you can watch back episodes online if you like but I suspect reruns are forthcoming soon if the writer's strike doesn't end.

I’ll not be in the Mardi Gras crowds in New Orleans today. Haven’t done that in many years. Mardi Gras has become just a day off for me. Some garden work was planned but a backache is putting that on hold until the weekend.

Quote of the Day

This show is victory.

Cullen, Half a Pica Distance

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "When we came up with the name for the character, there were no other "Chucks" out there; it felt like an everyman name and Chuck is an everyman and that kind of character is ubiquitious in the culture now so that's reflective of that and probably why you're seeing a lot of "Chucks.""

From CrabAppleLane