First Day of Fall

Today is the first day of fall!!! It really doesn't FEEL like it though (it's still kinda warm in most areas of the country). I know there is a lot of technical science stuff behind the change of seasons but I prefer to think of it simply as a beautiful change to our everyday scenery. It will be very nice to see the colors in the landscape change and to feel the air turn crisp. The fall season brings to mind so many different things - football (yes, I know, I have mentioned that before!!), pumpkin carving, a warm mug of apple cider, gingerbread cookies, long walks in the park while wearing a SWEATER. What does autumn call to mind for you? It's a little premature but as soon as I can pile up some leaves, I'm jumping right in!!!

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone and be sure to keep it clean!!

FOOTBALL!!!!!

It's here!!!!! Football season is upon us. I know football isn't for everyone but for many, it signifies the end of summer. There is nothing better than going to a football game on a chilly Friday night with a thermos of hot chocolate and a blanket. Don't like braving the elements to take in a game? Watch it at home with your family or a few friends. Prefer getting in on the action? Play some flag football over the weekend. Do you like being more hands on? Help coach a pee-wee football team. One can learn a lot from watching football. It takes teamwork and a combined effort to get that ball into the endzone or to keep your opponent from scoring. Football is a little bit like life - you have to have good teammates to support you, it takes a lot of work to keep moving forward but every once in a while, if you are lucky, you catch a Hail Mary pass and score the winning touchdown.

So go on, get out there! Toss the ball around. Get some grass stains on your jersey. Afterall, life's a game so have some fun!

Until next time, keep it clean (ish - grass stains, remember?).

Happy 10th Anniversary, BJ!!!!

Friday the 13th!

Happy Friday the 13th guys!!!! I know today is supposed to be a day full of bad luck but I tend to believe that luck is what you create yourself.
Ever wonder where the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th came from? There really is no written evidence for Friday the 13th superstition until around the 19th century. Some people think that it's the combination of two old superstitions - 13 being an unlucky number and Friday being an unlucky day (Friday? Unlucky? That's the best day of the week!!). One theory is that in numerology, the number twelve is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours of the clock, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles of Jesus, twelve gods of Olympus. The number thirteen was considered to be irregular. There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper or a Norse myth, that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners.
Can you believe that the British Medical Journal even did a study on this back in 1993? The study was titled "Is Friday the 13th Bad for Your Health?" . Yep, a study done to find "the relation between health, behaviour, and superstition surrounding Friday 13th in the United Kingdom". The study found that, even though many people chose to NOT drive their cars on Friday the 13th, there were more vehicular accidents than on other "normal" Fridays. Isn't that crazy?
If you don't feel like tempting fate, have that bowl of Lucky Charms cereal, listen to Stevie Wonder sing "Superstitious", stick a rabbit's foot in your pocket, avoid black cats and walking under ladders!! I'm going to head home and watch the classic Friday the 13th movie instead :-)

Until next time, keep it clean!