the special days of May, pt 3

Now we will conclude our look at the special days / celebrations / observances of May.  (To see the previous entries, click here to search for them.)

  • 16 Love a Tree Day — This seems absurd to me.  I appreciate trees, but I don’t love them.  But I reckon there are a number of tree-hugger type people out there…
  • 16 National Bike to Work Day — This is a good idea.  If only people would take gas-free transportation to work once in a while, then demand for gas / oil would go down.  A one-day boycott of buying gas will not make any difference whatsoever to the “Big Oil” corporations if you still drive your vehicle.  But using less gas, and therefore reducing their profits, they will notice.
  • 17 Pack Rat Day — This must be for me!  Actually, I’m not nearly as bad as I used to be, when my room would have piles of stuff in it…
  • 18 No Dirty Dishes Day — To have no dirty dishes, you need to use no dishes.  So either use paper plates or go out to eat.
  • 20 Be a Millionaire Day — Where do I sign up?!?  I’ll participate!
  • 21 National Memo Day — This is when all your bosses make sure they tell you (again) to put cover pages on your TPS reports.
  • 22 Buy a Musical Instrument Day — If you can’t play an instrument, you should learn — it’s a great hobby.  If you have children, they should learn.  It broadens the mind.  And if no one in your household wants to play one, you can buy me one!  🙂
  • snail24 National Escargot Day — Escargot may sound like a fancy food, but it’s just snails.  I’ll pass on this one…
  • 26 Blueberry Cheesecake Day — Ah, a day to eat cheesecake!
  • 26 Memorial Day — A day to remember…  And there tends to be grilling, which is awesome!
  • 29 ??? — My sources say there isn’t a special day on May 29, that it’s waiting to be claimed.  So I claim it Buffet o’ Blog Day.  On this day, people shall get off work, catch up on reading this awesome blog, and grill burgers, steaks, and hot dogs (or eat at pizza buffets if you’d prefer).
  • 30 Water a Flower Day — Let’s hope it rains this day!
  • 31 National Macaroon Day — A Macaroon is a flourless cookie, and it’s popular among the Jewish community, especially during Passover.  I don’t know if I’ve ever had one, but it’s a cookie, so I’d try it.
  • 31 Save Your Hearing Day — The world can be a loud places, from all the traffic and the whirring of computers and phones ringing.  So for this unique holiday, you should stay home — in bed.  Turn the phone off, and just sleep.
  • 31 World No Tobacco Day — This one should be year-long.  Tobacco is not something you should smoke or put in your mouth — it kills you.

That concludes the special days of May.  I hope you found some that you could celebrate.

Thank you, drive thru…

the special days of May, pt 2

Now we will continue our look at the special days of May.  This part will focus on holidays or observances on individual days.

  • 1 May Day — This is supposed to be a celebration of spring and the coming of summer.  In Hawaii, it’s known as “Lei Day”.  In many countries, it’s a one to three day holiday.  If it means getting off work, we should celebrate it here in the U.S.
  • 1 Space Day — I suppose you can just stare off into space this day.  It would be great if we could all get a free trip to space, so we can really appreciate it.  But that’s probably not in the space exploration budget…
  • 3 Lumpy Rug Day — Uhh… what exactly are you supposed to celebrate here?  I’d figure you don’t want your rug to be lumpy… but to each his own.
  • 4 Bird Day — This holiday has gone to the birds…
  • 4 National Candied Orange Peel Day — What?  I didn’t know people even did this?  Why?
  • 4 National Weather Observers’ Day — I sometimes observe the weather, so I reckon this is a day for me!  Maybe there will be a thunderstorm with lots of lightning on this day!
  • 5 Cinco de Mayo — I hear a lot of people talk about this holiday every year, but it’s supposed to be a day to be proud of your Hispanic descent.  So it doesn’t apply to me (or most of the people I hear talking about it).
  • 5 National Hoagie Day — This is a holiday I can support.  This day you should eat a large hoagie / sub / hero sandwich, piling on the toppings of your choice.  Remember, since it’s a holiday, diets don’t apply, so add all the toppings you want (including bacon).
  • 6 Beverage Day — My favorite beverage is sweet tea, specifically BOH tea from Malaysia (which is difficult to acquire in these parts).  But I drink this regularly, so for it to be a special day, restaurants ought to make beverages be free.  It sounds reasonable to me.  🙂
  • 6 No Diet Day — This is what I’m talking about!  This should be a holiday every month!  Like it says, no diets apply, so eat whatever you want this day.
  • 7 National Tourism Day — If we’re supposed to support tourism on this day, that means we need to be off work!  You can’t be a tourist in your home area, so you need time off work to travel around.
  • 8 No Socks Day — The person who created this day professes that not wearing socks will reduce your laundry load, therefore it’s good for the environment.  If that’s true, we might as well take it a step further.  Just stay home this day, wearing only your underwear, and playing video games.  🙂
  • 9 Lost Sock Memorial Day — A memorial for lost socks?  There’s no need to get mushy or sentimental over that!  Just buy some new socks.  Although, if you happen to have a problem of mad goats eating socks out of your dryer, then that could get expensive, but you might want to do something about that…
  • 10 Clean up Your Room Day — Let’s not and pretend we did…
  • 11 Mother’s Day — I’m very thankful that my mom had me.  You should be, too.  Because if I hadn’t been born, the world would really be missing out…  🙂
  • pizza11 Eat What You Want Day — Obviously diets don’t apply on this day, either, because what I want doesn’t fit into normal diets.  Hmm, what should I eat this day?  Pizza is always a good choice, and cheeseburgers, and nachos, and Mexican all-you-can-eat places would be a great place to go, and seafood buffets, and fudge brownies and ice cream with chocolate syrup drizzled over it, and I could go on.  This really needs to be more than one day!!!
  • 11 Twilight Zone Day — Dun dun DUN!
  • 12 Fatigue Syndrome Day — One of the suggested activities today is to sleep in.
  • 12 Limerick Day — If you want to flex your poetic non-muscles, this is the day.  Perhaps someone would like to write one in the comments section.  (Any time is fine.)
  • 13 Leprechaun Day — Has anyone ever seen one of these Irish midgets?  (Or is it a faerie?)  If you catch one, ask him where his treasure is hidden, because he’s supposed to tell you.  I could use some extra treasure, so let me know if you know where one is.
  • 14 Dance Like a Chicken Day — Do chickens dance?  I dunno.  According to one website, this is a “tradition at every wedding reception”.  I’m glad we didn’t know about it at my wedding!  There were way too many people with cameras there for me to act the fool.  But I don’t believe that anyway — I think they’re just making that up, trying to make people act stupid for others’ enjoyment.
  • chocolate chip cookies15 National Chocolate Chip Day — This is a most excellent use of a holiday (much better than the last one!).  This day, you should eat as many chocolate chip cookies as you want.  And have plenty of milk handy, too.  I don’t know why, but milk goes really well with chocolate chip cookies.

This list is getting considerably long, so I’m going to continue it in the next post.  (Click here to search for the other ones.)

the special days of May, pt 1

As we’ve done in previous months, we’re going to look at the special days and holidays of this month.  As usual, this is not a complete list — those can be found elsewhere.  But I guarantee you will not find another list like this one.  This is not a mere list, because we add our own unique commentary and analysis.  In other words, we try to make it more fun.  And you are welcome to add to the discussion in the comments section.

Let’s get started with the month-long celebrations and observances:

  • Date Your Mate Month — Ideally your special relationship wouldn’t be too much different from dating to marriage, but it usually changes anyway.  So this is a good idea, to go out on a date, putting aside all the marital responsibilities and just have fun and get to know each other more.
  • National Barbecue Month — I like the food holidays!  BBQ is excellent, and it can apply to many different kinds of meats : pork, beef, chicken, etc.  Since this holiday lasts all month, that gives you time to make multiple visits to local BBQ restaurants (or cook your own), so you can try the different varieties.
  • National Blood Pressure Month — I have blood pressure every month, so I don’t see why there’s a holiday for it.  It’s not something you need to think about.  On the other hand, if you have high blood pressure, that’s something to think about, but the holiday isn’t named high blood pressure month.  Besides, if your blood pressure is high, you need to think about it more than just one month per year.  And (another) besides, we’ve already discussed this (in a humorous context).  Next, please…
  • bacon cheeseburgerNational Hamburger Month — Ahh, did I mention that I like the food holidays?  :)  Hamburgers, or, should I say, cheeseburgers, are one of the best foods ever.  This is especially true when you grill it yourself.  For some reason, restaurants usually don’t make them as good, even if you’re using a gas grill at home.  Since this is an official holiday, I reckon I should grill burgers at least every week this month, if not more often.
  • National Photograph Month — Here is a photo of a burger.  🙂  This looks like art to me!
  • National Recommitment Month — Some of you need to reconsider your commitment to reading this blog.  By that, I mean you should come here every day, or close to it, to read the new posts and check out the latest comments and write some comments.  The more, the merrier…
  • National Salad Month — It doesn’t seem like a good idea to me for this to be in the same month as the hamburger and barbecue.  I mean, who’s gonna choose salad over those other options?  Pass!
  • asparagusOlder Americans Month — I wonder if there’s a month for younger Americans…
  • Asparagus Month — I’m not sure if asparagus is even food.  Look at it — would you eat that?  It looks like weeds in an untended field.  I make a motion that we declare it a non-food.  Do I hear a second?  Also, does it even have any good uses?
  • Flower Month — There’s a certain reader here who will appreciate this (both the month and the picture).
  • National Mental Health Month — If you have mental health, you should celebrate it, perhaps by eating a bacon cheeseburger.  🙂  While you’re at it, go ahead and eat two.  Your mental health is not affected by fattening foods, so eat all you want.  🙂  Also, know that laughing is an important component of mental health.  Some say laughing can add about 7 years to your life.  Plus, it’s fun to laugh.  So it’s win-win for everyone. And that’s what this blog is here for — for everyone to win.  🙂
  • National Strawberry Month — It seems odd to dedicate a whole month to strawberries, as small as they are, but since chocolate-covered strawberries are scrumptious, I’ll include them in this listing.

Now let’s move on to the weekly celebrations:

  • Week 2 — Wildflower Week — Uhh… what are you supposed to do with this?  Plant more wildflowers?  But if you plant them, are they really wildflowers?  Maybe that “certain reader” can explain the appeal of this holiday, because I sure don’t get it.
  • dog costume YodaWeek 2 — National Pet Week — I reckon this is a good week to have a pet.  :)  I’ll include a picture for your inspiration.  (I normally don’t care much about dressing dogs up, but getting him to look like Yoda is cool.)
  • Last Week — National Backyard Games Week — This is kinda vague.  There’s a lot of games you can play in your backyard, if it’s big enough.  But either way, the point I want to make with this holiday, is that you should invite some friends over, play outdoor games while the weather is still good, and either grill burgers or barbecue.  That way you’re celebrating several of these special holidays at once, and everyone is happy (if they’re invited).

This is getting long, and I’ve been told some of my posts are too long, so I’m going to break this up into multiple parts.  To be continued…  (click here to search for the other ones.)

the special days of September, pt 3

Now we’re going to continue our look at the special days and holidays in September.

  • 15 Felt Hat Day — On this day, men traditionally put away their felt hats.  That’s what this holiday actually means.  But I suspect this is an old tradition, because I don’t even know anyone who wears a felt hat.
  • 15 Make a Hat Day — Ironically, this is the same day as Felt Hat Day.  Perhaps this is when you make a new hat to replace the felt one you just put away.  Again, this seem antiquated.  Who makes their own hats?   Who even wears hats?  If I’m wanting to wear a hat, it’s to play baseball, and I’ll just wear my Boston Red Sox cap.
  • 16 Collect Rocks Day — Uhh… is this day for people who don’t have a life?   I mean, collecting can be fun, like with baseball cards or maybe even with coins or stamps, but rocks?!?   At least it would be a cheap hobby, since you can get a lot of rocks for free.  And I reckon you could build a rock garden with them, though I don’t know why you’d want to.
  • 16 National Play Doh Day — Play Doh… that sounds familiar… is that the guy who was a student of Socrates?  🙂  No, not hardly.  I know what Play-Doh is — this soft clay-like substance, where you shape it into various objects, then you throw it at your little brother.
  • 16 Working Parents Day — Working parents should get this day off work, while their kids are at school.
  • 17 Citizenship Day — I’m a citizen, so I reckon I should celebrate today.  🙂
  • 17 Constitution Day — I’m thinking the U.S. Constitution should be re-read by everyone, particularly by politicians and Congress.   We need to know what rights we have, and our government needs to protect and preserve those rights.   But as it currently is, those rights are being eroded away, and few people seem to even realize it.
  • 18 National Cheeseburger Day — This is a great use of a holiday!  Obviously, this holiday means you should eat lots of cheeseburgers.  That’s not a problem for me!
  • 18 Mushroom Picking Day — What?!?  No thanks.
  • 19 International Talk Like A Pirate Day — ARR!  This day becomes more famous (infamous?) every year.   It always made working in a corporate environment a little more fun, because several people would participate.   If only the leaders would let that kind of talk continue during meetings…
  • 19 National Butterscotch Pudding Day — I figure butterscotch pudding is good, but this seems somewhat obscure.   I like the butterscotch flavor, and I like pudding, but I’ve never had them together.  Perhaps I should research it…
  • 20 National Punch Day — Is this a day to drink fruit punch or a day to punch people?   Well, the title is ambiguous, so I reckon you can interpret it however you’d like.  I might just celebrate both!  🙂  While we’re on the topic of fruit punch, I have a quick rant.  Most Mexican restaurants now serve Hi-C instead of a real made-from-fruit punch.   What’s up with that?  If it’s Hi-C, say so in the menu, but don’t call it fruit punch.  That’s misleading.
  • 21 International Peace Day — Peace, my brotha’! We should all get along, all the time, really, but at least on this day.  So set down your weapons, put aside your grudges, and let’s drink some tea together while watching cartoons.
  • 21 Miniature Golf Day — Ah, putt-putt.  That’s one of those activities that people tend to forget about, yet almost everyone who goes has a good time.  It’s not just for kids…
  • 21 National Women’s Friendship Day (third Sunday in September) — Why do women get a day to celebrate friendship?   Do they need it?  Is there a lack of friendship between women?
  • 21 World Gratitude Day — Be thankful for this blog, which is provided to you free of charge.   You get fresh, original humor on a near-daily basis, all at no cost.  (We do, however, accept donations.  We accept cash, checks, PayPal, gift cards, cookies, and compliments.)
  • 22 Elephant Appreciation Day — Do all animals get a day of appreciation?  Apparently not, because I’ve now went through the whole year of unusual holidays, and there weren’t very many listed about animals.  So what makes elephants special?  Is it their size?  Their memory?  The world may never know…
  • 22 Dear Diary Day — Dear Diary, today I wrote on Buffet o’ Blog, and my ramblings were enjoyed by thousands of people (over time, perhaps).  It’s great that I get to share my awesomeness with the world, for free.  If only I could get paid for writing…
  • 22 First Day of Autumn — I suppose that it’s necessary to define the seasons by a set standard for record-keeping and statistics, but to me, I say it’s autumn / fall when the temperature reflects it.  If it still feels like summer, then it’s summer.  When it’s cool enough that I want to be outside during the day, then it’s fall.
  • 23 Dog in Politics Day — I don’t know… So I did some quick research, and found that it has to do with Richard Nixon’s dog Checkers.  Why his dog gets his own holiday, I don’t know…
  • 24 National Cherries Jubilee Day — WOO-HOO!  Let’s have a jubilee about, um, cherries.  I don’t get it…
  • 24 National Bluebird of Happiness Day — Once again, infamous explorer extraordinaire Burford had been mere feet from capturing the elusive Bluebird of Happiness.   The bird was walking toward Burford’s grasp, when a chimpanzee farted, scaring away the bird in a startled frenzy.  Burford usually laughs when chimps pass gas, but this time it was no laughing matter.  Burford walked over to the chimp and pooted in his face.  The chimp promptly slapped Burford’s butt and laughed hysterically.
  • 24 National Punctuation Day — It’s important to use punctuation otherwise your writing is difficult to read most businesses frown upon sloppy grammar skills thinking it reflects a lack of education they may also suspect the ungrammatical person didn’t try very hard in school so you should always use punctuation it’s really important
  • 25 National Comic Book Day — Didn’t we already have this holiday this year?  Either way, comic books should get more attention.  They tend to get a bad reputation in the media and with most adults, but they are a great art form.  Of course, some comics are stupid and/or not worth reading, just like with many TV shows and movies.  But some comics are entertaining and will even make you think.  So don’t just dismiss them without giving them a chance.
  • 27 Crush a Can Day — Why in the world is there a day for this?  I suppose it can be amusing to see someone crush a can on their head and inadvertently hurt themselves.  But a holiday is not needed for that.  Who decides which days get to be holidays?
  • 27 International Rabbit Day (fourth Saturday in September) — Is this a day to celebrate rabbits?  Or is it a day to have rabbit stew?  And do all parts of the world even have rabbits?
  • 28 Ask a Stupid Question Day — Ah, this one is interesting.  Think of a stupid question, then ask someone.  You can ask us here at Buffet o’ Blog, using our Contact Us form.  We may not have the right answer, but we can give you an answer.  🙂  I realize some people have said there is no such thing as a stupid question, but they have never worked in tech support.
  • 28 National Good Neighbor Day — Do we need a special day for this?  Ideally, no, but probably.  So here’s what you do — be friendly to your neighbor, ask them if you can help them with anything, or bake them some cookies.  But at least be friendly.
  • 29 Confucius Day — You’ve probably heard a lot of those “Confucius say” quotes.  He actually said some good things, if you look at his actual quotes, but you can search for them if you’re interested.  I’ll include just a few of the funny (non-quote) ones.  Confucius say man who run behind car get exhausted.  Confucius say man who push piano down mineshaft get A flat miner.  (A word of warning to anyone in that mineshaft — if you don’t C Sharp, you’ll B Flat!)  Confucius say people who make Confucius joke speak bad English.  🙂
  • 30 National Mud Pack Day — What’s a mud pack?  Is that where women cover their face with mud and put slices of cucumbers over their eyes?  That’s silly.  Although, if you’re paying someone to cover you with mud and vegetables, that’s even more silly.  (But think of what kind of profit margin those businesses have!)

Well, that concludes our look at the special days and holidays in September.   I hope you found some that you could celebrate.  Click here to search for the other posts on the special days of September.