Monday, May 31, 2010

Holiday Rain Yields Quality "Sofa Time"

Practicing Being A professional Time Waster...


Dang it...

Turns out that it "threatened" to rain on and off nearly all day yesterday.

One minute the sun was shining and the next minute there were dark clouds hanging on the horizon.

I think that it managed to actually rain for about a five minute period in the process, but just the threat made me pack up my tools and lay low...sitting on the carport swing dozing, then sitting on the front porch dozing while smoking a cigar and attempting to do the NY Times Crossword.

Did I mention sleeping on the sofa for a couple of hours mid-day after making ham and asparagus crepes for Brunch?

Any way, I basically did everything but sleep on the floor yesterday (because I ran out of time), and it looks like there's a very good possibility that today will be a good opportunity to provide a command performance of uselessness...because when I peeked outside just now it was raining, and the Internet and the weather channel says that we're in for more of the same all day today.

I feel sorry for people that work a regular 9 to 5 job and have crappy weather on the weekend or on Memorial day because I realize that they don't have the flexibility I have to just declare a holiday when ever I want and then proceed to sit around drinking and getting a sun tan.

I have the option of wasting time or doing "inside stuff" again today and then sitting around on the deck tomorrow or later this week if I want to, while still celebrating Memorial Day and thanking the many Veterans--alive and dead--that have served in our military and fought in wars past and present.

While wandering into Kroger on Saturday we bought a couple of Poppies from an old guy from the local American Legion wearing a WWII hat.

He thanked us for our contribution and outlined the local ceremonies to be held over the next couple of days, and handed me a little card with a poem written on it called "In Flanders Fields" written by a Canadian doctor, Lt. Col. John McCrae, while serving in the WWI battle of Ypres salient in 1915.

I remember as a kid going down to the town square in Ozark, Alabama with my Dad to get a hair cut at "the City Barber Shop" and buying a little artificial Poppy for a dime or a quarter back in the 1960's, and since then I've always wondered why people bought and sold poppies on memorial day.

Apparently it's because of the words in this poem:


In Flanders Fields


In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


Here's hoping everyone has a good Memorial Day, regardless of the weather. Try to remember what the day is really all about I guess, and sunshine or rain be thankful for Men and Women willing to get shot at to protect our rights to do silly stuff like watching NASCAR races and cooking hot dogs on a charcoal grill.

You know?

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