Whew – it’s Thursday, or for me, it’s my Friday. I cannot tell you how grateful I am that the week is nearly over for me.  Work has been OK. Honestly, nothing has been overly horrible – I just haven’t been feeling well and I want to sit, sip tea, browse the internet, plan menus and take naps. Yep, that will be my Friday. I just have to get through today. Coffee!  Need coffee!

 

Verse of the Day

January 17, 2019

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

—Psalm 139:9-10

 

Thoughts on the Verse of the Day

I guess for those who find themselves in places they shouldn’t be, the abiding presence of God might be a bit terrifying. But I find great comfort in knowing that no matter where I go, from the moment of my conception to the day of my death, God is always there. He is there to guide me and sustain me. Even when I’m in places I am not supposed to be, doing things I am not supposed to do, he is still there. I can turn to him in repentance and receive his grace. I can turn to him in need and receive his strength. I can turn to him and know I am not alone.

 www.verseoftheday.com

 

 

 

Food for Thought

Can you believe the crap storm that has been raging over President Trump buying fast food for the Clemson football team? Seriously? We are in the middle of a government shut down because the Democrats won’t buckle down, fund the wall and move forward. Because of that, even the White House staff is reduced. Why? Because Trump isn’t a hypocrite, that’s why. He bought 100’s of sandwiches, pizzas, fries, and other items from several different establishments because it was fun, and because seriously, he likes fast food. The left is enraged – for no other reason than because it’s Trump and the Trump Derangement Syndrome is at all time high levels of ridiculous. They praised Obama for providing Five Guys Burgers at an event. They thought it was endearing when Bill Clinton liked Big Macs, but liberal tears overfloweth whenever our President does anything. I guess that means he is doing everything right – the day they love him is the day we should have to wonder if he is losing his touch. Carry on Dear President. As always, we pray for you daily, that the idiots won’t get you down and you keep doing what you are doing, because you are very good at it.

 

 

Cable Car Day – One damp summer day in 1869, in San Francisco, Andrew Smith Hallidie saw a horrible accident, and that accident inspired the creation of cable cars.  Andrew saw a horse drawn street car slide backwards under its heavy load, dragging five horses to their deaths.  He and his business partners were horrified by this accident, and they had the knowledge and ability to do something about the problem.  Hallidie moved to the United States from England in 1852.  His father was an inventor who filed the first patent in Great Britain for the manufacture of wire-rope.  When he was young, Hallidie found uses for this wire-rope in California’s Gold Country.  He used the wire rope to design and build a suspension bridge across Sacramento’s American River.  He found it was also useful for pulling heavy ore cars out of the underground mines on the tracks.  That technology was all ready to use for pulling cable cars.  Hallidie moved the wire-rope manufacturing to San Francisco right before seeing the accident, but after he saw it, cable cars would be invented and life in San Francisco would get safer and easier.  Here’s a listing of the chronology of the life of cable cars from 1852 to now!  I thought it was pretty interesting.   

 

Cable Car Chronology:

• 1852 – Andrew Hallidie arrives from Great Britain
• 1869 – Hallidie witnessed horse-car accident and had inspiration for a cable railway
• 1873 August 2 – Andrew Hallidie tested the first cable car system near the top of Nob Hill at Clay and Jones Streets
• 1873 Sept. 1 – Clay Street line starts public service at an estimated cost to build of $85,150
• 1877 – Sutter Street Railroad converts from animal power to cable with no break in service
• 1878 April 10 – California Street Cable Railroad Company (Cal Cable) goes into service
• 1880 Feb. – Geary Street, Park and Ocean Railroad began service
• 1881 – Dunedin, New Zealand starts cable car service. Stays in service until 1957
• 1882 Jan. – Chicago opens it’s own cable car system much to winter wind-chilled pedestrians’ pleasure
• 1882 Jan. – Presidio and Ferries Railroad (Union Street line) opens service
• 1883 August – Market Street Cable Railway starts its first line
• 1887 – Washington-Mason powerhouse and car barn built
• 1887-88 – Frank Sprague created the first successful electric streetcar system in Richmond, Virginia
• 1888 March 28 – Powell Street cable car service started by Ferries & Cliff House Railway Company
• 1889 – Cal Cable experiments with a double-ended car with open sections at the ends
• 1889 August – Omnibus Railroad & Cable Company started operating
• 1891 – Cal Cable replaced its two-car trains with double-ended cars
• 1892 April – First electric streetcars with overhead wires began running in San Francisco
• 1906 April 18 – San Francisco’s Great Earthquake damages the cable cars, allowing United Railroads (URR) to convert much of the city to streetcar service
• 1912 May – Eight cable car lines remained in service in San Francisco
• 1929 November – Market Street Railway (formerly URR) ends service on the Pacific Avenue line
• 1941 April – Castro cable line taken over by buses
• 1942 February – Sacramento-Clay line taken over by buses
• 1944 September – The City and County of San Francisco took over the Market Street Railway with its two Powell Street cable lines. Cal Cable last privately held transit system in San Francisco
• 1946 – Committee release statistics proving cable cars lost less money than Muni buses
• 1946 November – Committee succeeds in getting a charter amendment to save the Powell Street cables on the ballot
• 1947 – Mayor Lapham attempts to close down cable car system
• 1947 March 4 – Friedel Klussman rallied a new group called the Citizen’s Committee to Save the Cable Cars
• 1947 April 3 – The Citizen’s Committee to Save the Cable Cars began a petition drive for a charter amendment with the City of San Francisco to save the cable cars
• 1947 May 1 – The City Attorney ruled against the Utilities Manager James Turner, thereby allowing the citizens of San Francisco to vote on the charter amendment to continue operating the cable car system
• 1947 Nov. 4 – Measure 10 won by a vote of 166,989 to 51,457 forcing the City of San Francisco to maintain and operate the Powell Street cable car system
• 1951 July – Cal Cable’s three lines were shut down
• 1952 January – The City purchased and reopened Cal Cable’s lines and powerhouse at California and Hyde
• 1954 Feb. – The Jones Street Shuttle was eliminated
• 1954 May – The California Street line was shortened to cover only Presidio to Van Ness Avenues. The O’Farrell, Jones & Hyde line stopped running
• 1954 June – The Cable Car Lady, Friedel Klussmann and her Citizens’ Committee were outmaneuvered when they mounted a new campaign to save the cable cars. A “Yes” vote on Proposition E meant abolishing half the cable car system; a “No” meant all 5 lines in the system would be saved. Proposition E narrowly passed setting the stage for today’s cable car system
• 1956 Sept. 2 – Car # 524 made the last trip on the Washington-Jackson line
• 1957 December – All the current lines were now running after the installation of a new turntable at Hyde and Beach Streets so the single-ended Powell Street cars could turn around and all the cables were linked to the Washington-Mason powerhouse
• 1964 Oct. 1 – Official ceremony at Hyde and Beach designated San Francisco’s cable car system a special “moving” National Historic Landmark
• 1971 November – Vote to protect cable car schedules thanks again to a drive by the Cable Car Lady, Friedel Klussmann and her citizens’ group
• 1973 Aug.2 – Cable Car Centennial celebrated by loading Clay St. Cable Car #8 onto a truck and driving it on the Clay St. hill
• 1982 to June 1984 – Cable car system rebuilt and historic cable cars refurbished
• 1984 June 21 – Festivities celebrated the return of full cable car service with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Union Square followed by a parade up Powell Street led by the U.S. Marine band followed by cable cars
• 1997 March 1 – SFCableCar.com goes online
• 1997 March 4 – Celebration installing a new collage at the car barn commemorating the 50th anniversary of Friedel Klussmann’s saving the cable cars replacement by buses
• 1998 Jan. 15 – First female grip operator, Fannie Mae Barnes, operates a cable car after developing the great upper body strength needed for the grip and brakes

 

 

Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day – I can’t say that I agree with celebrating this one, but I’ll tell you about it, just in case you are interested for yourself.  This is the day that has been set aside for ditching those pesky New Year’s Resolutions that we make for ourselves on the 1st day of the year.  Some people may have already met a few of their resolutions, others may be doing very well with them, and yet others may have decided they bit off more than they could chew.  It’s THESE folks that may be wanting to celebrate this one.  Personally, I think it’s a bit too soon for this . . . it’s just mid-month!  Did you know that statistically 35% of the people who make resolutions have already given up on them?  Give it a little longer to see if you can make it work!

 

 

Get to Know Your Customers Day (January 17, April 18, July 18 and October 17 – 3^rd Thursday of each quarter) – This day is celebrated the 3rd Thursday of every quarter and is the day to take the time to get to know your customers and what their needs and opinions are about your business. It’s a good day for your sales department to do some special promotions – if that fits in with your business – perhaps take a client or two to lunch. It would also be a good day for the people who serve YOUR business to take some time to take you to lunch or get to know you better too! This goes both ways!

 

Hot Heads Chili Day – I searched everywhere, and other than finding the name of this day on the list of bizarre holidays, I don’t know why, when it started or what the originator intended.  But I do know that it sounds like it could be a great day for testing the stamina of your taste buds and trying out some hot chili’s!  I used to be able to handle some hot stuff, but lately I’m a bit of a heat wimp!  I’m not sure what has changed, but even the slightest spicy heat lately makes my tongue feel like it’s blistering. This makes me really upset since I’ve always loved a good spicy salsa with a bit of a bite to it.   

 

Judgment Day – Well, shoot, I have nothing for you again!  I found today listed as “Judgement Day” in several places – but none of them offer anything concrete for a reason.  All I found were several people thinking it was funny to make fun of the Bible, Christians and their belief in Judgment Day someday.  It always leaves my tummy feeling knotted up when that happens.  What I can say though is, we know that someday we will be facing Judgment Day, and on that day we need to be ready to talk to God face to face – so today should be a reminder to assess our hearts and make sure they are where they need to be.

 

Kid Inventors’ Day – Those of us who have children, or have ever spent any time around them, know that kids are doggone smart.  What many of us might NOT know is that some of our most common and everyday household items were invented by kids! I know! I was surprised too!  Today is a day to recognize the accomplishments of these amazing kids – and appreciate the cool stuff they have created for us.

* At the age of 15, Louis Braille invented Braille, an alphabet for the blind that uses a system of raised dots.

* 15-year-old Chester Greenwood invented the earmuffs in 1873 to keep his ears warm while ice skating.

*  In 1930, 16-year-old George Nissen, a member of his high school gymnastics and diving teams, invented the trampoline in his parent’s garage.

There are SO many other examples of things kids have invented, but how cool is it that these kids were recognized at such young ages for their accomplishments?

 

  

National Bootlegger’s Day – Somehow I’ve missed this one over the last couple of years, and I don’t know why! It is from a fascinating period in our nation’s history – Prohibition. It is celebrated today because today is the birthday of Al Capone (bootlegger), Meryl Kerkhoff (the son of another bootlegger) and Templeton Rye Whiskey.  Do you know where the name bootlegger started? This is really interesting!  It began in the 1880s in the Midwest when flasks of liquor would be concealed in boot tops when traders would do business with the Native Indians.  When Congress passed the 18^th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920 prohibiting the manufacturing, sale and transportation of alcohol the word found a permanent place in our vocabulary when, in spite of the change in the law, people still wanted booze.  Bootleggers were the folks who brought it to them through illegal means creating quite the business for themselves by bringing it in from Canada and Mexico and later on creating it themselves in backwoods and out of the way place.  Other words used in place of bootleggers were rum-runners and moonshiners.  It was all pretty much the same thing.  The legendary part of all of this is that bootlegging gave rise to the mafia and famous bad guys like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Alphones Kerkhoff and Bugs Moran.  An aura of glamour and mystery surrounded them, even though they truly weren’t nice guys.  Prohibition was repealed in 1933.  It obviously wasn’t accomplishing what they’d intended for it to accomplish.  Now about the Templeton Rye – when Prohibition went into effect in 1920 the residents of a small town in Iowa decided to become outlaws by producing a high-caliber and very in demand whiskey known as Templeton Rye, or The Good Stuff.  One of those outlaws in Iowa was Alphonse Kerkhoff.  Ahhhh, now it all comes together!   Templeton Rye became Al Capone’s whiskey of choice, putting it smack in the center of Capone’s bootlegging empire.  History is fascinating, isn’t it?

  

 

 

This Day in History –

1984 – The U.S. Supreme court rules that taping on home VCRs does not violate copyright laws.

 

Food Celebration of the Day –

Hot Buttered Rum Day – Nothing is more soothing on a cold winter’s day than a hot beverage to warm your hands and chase away the bitter chill. Hot buttered rum is a delicious way to do just that.  If it weren’t for not wanting to break my New Year’s Resolution (I am NOT part of the 35%), I’d have one!  Mmmmm, sounds so good!  Rum is distilled from molasses, which is a byproduct of refined sugar. This is something I did not know! Rum is a New World creation and was being made by settlers in the American colonies by the 1650s. Toddies, which are cocktails made with boiling water, sugar and spices, originated in Northern Europe.  When the Colonists began distilling rum, the rum toddy — or hot buttered rum — was born.

 

• Hot Buttered Rum
• Hot Buttered Bourbon (with Nutmeg Butter)
• Nee’s Hot Buttered Rum Cake
• Hot Buttered Rum Crescents
• Tropical Hot Buttered Rum Sauce
• Celebration Cake with Hot Buttered Whiskey Glaze

 

One cup of coffee down, one ready for the road. Let’s get this Thursday started, celebrate the little things and look forward the end of the day. Yep, that’s what I’ll be doing! God bless you and I’ll see you tomorrow.

 

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Some of my posts will contain links to products that I am an affiliate for. When you make a purchase through that link, I will receive a commission for the sale. I make this known to you so that you are aware of these links.

Celebration list sources:

www.verseoftheday.com   www.brownielocks.com   www.holidayinsights.com   www.thenibble.com   www.foodimentary.com