ZIPPY IS STEPPING IN AGAIN WITH HIS QUIPS

GOOD MORNING ZIPPY LOVERS,

It is my pleasure to write this post on Joey Z's blog site.  He's a great boss and good friend to me so let me get started right now before my goose maybe cooked.

SOME FUN FACTS TO SHARE:

Pogonophobia is the fear of beards. Joey Z has one but I show no fear from the man in charge and it looks pretty good too..

Coffee is the second largest item of international commerce in the world.  The largest is petrol, just call it oil and watch the countries of the planet Earth fight for it.

In ancient Peru, when a woman found an ugly potato, it was the custom for her to push it into the face of the nearest man.  Just like the 3 Stooges and those cream pies.

When George I became King of England in 1714, his wife did not become Queen.  He placed her under house arrest for 32 years.  Ain't that a bitch.

The richest 10 percent of the French people are approximately fifty times better off than the poorest 10 percent.  No comment on that one,  Maybe Disney had something to do with that move.

Henry VII was the only British King to be crowned on the field of battle.  If you ever saw the movie Troy with Brad Pitt, in the beginning playing Achilles he defeat a giant from the other country.  The king of that country asked him his name to which he responded.  His next comment was that Kings should fight their own battles first.  Hail to Henry VII.

THINGS THAT WE LEARNED FROM THE MOVIES:

You are very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.  That is true in those WWII movies I watch.

The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.

Dogs always know who's bad and will naturally bark at them.

Well there is a few facts for everyone, have a great day and wonderful evening from the Zip.

IS IT A GOOD MONDAY MORNING OR NOT?

Good Monday Morning Guys and Dolls,

My subject line says it all, I hope it is a good Monday's start for all my Speakies.  What can we discuss today, happy stuff or stuff that gets my gander up.  Let me start with the gander for now and maybe, just maybe happy will come later.

Here is a list of some new commercials that makes my gander go up a few notches:

The Carmax Start Line commercial, "where to we start?.  Get in your old car and go there, not follow a starting line and run through the neighborhood or the beach like an idiot to get there.

The Fiat 500 commercial where the cars go off a cliff into the Mediterranean and land on the good beaches of the US.  They make their way into the middle of a major city being admired by those yuppies sipping their espresso's.

That little girl who finally said yes to having extra cash and now we are faced with the "WHY QUESTION."  What comes after why or who? Do we have to give her a reason why she should have this credit card and save cash?  I hate to think what else could be next.  This kid could go on until she is 21 years old or even retirement age.

The Pepsi commercial with the baby trying to impress his parents while they are swallowing the new  product, good old daddy purchased at the local grocery store.  Isn't it a shame some parents are really like that and never pay attention to their babies.

All those new beer and vodka commercials. They include too much dancing, music and just noise in general.  Now if you want a good vodka commercial it is the one featuring Michael Imperioli and 1800 Vodka.  It is quite, laid back with that Michael Imperioli twist.  Check it out on You Tube, IMDB or if you are lucky on TV.  His face will ring a bell.

All those new reality shows too many to mention but I will attack them later.  I just read that Duck Dynasty will be going into it's 4th year of production.  Quack, Quack to you guys.

Have to see another doctor today for blood work.  At times I feel my retirement is spent going to doctors or hospital stays.  I'm alive and that is what matters the most.  Have a great day and a wonderful evening.

BEST PIZZA SO FAR TO ME

Hi Speakies,

Just wanted to tell you Roe and I enjoy pizza, but miss the old Tomato Pies and Sicilian Pies from Trenton, NJ.  We did find two places we like, one is Brooklyn Pizza in Winter Park, FL and the other is Leo's in Kissimmee.  I prefer Leo's over Brooklyn's.  Leo's is loaded with sauce and makes a great crunch when you fold it.  When my sons come over we order the pepperoni and the sausage to go.

Last night Roe made her own square tomato pie.  It was a little thinner than Nino's original pies back in Trenton, but the flavors, crust, tomatoes and cheese kicked ass.  Thanks Babe for a great pie.  She even had some for breakfast this morning.  Just had to report this.  I'm now looking for a great homemade macaroni made by my mother-in-law with some sausage Roe has going on the stove.  Enjoy your dinner, I know I will.

WEEKEND WISHES SPEAKIES

Good Morning Guys and Dolls,

It is good to be back at my normal Friday routine of wishing you all a great day and a wonderful weekend.  I wanted to tell you I've been receiving many comments to my posts each day, mostly from people trying to advertise their blog sites.  I would like to post them but at times I'm not sure if a virus is included.  So for those sending me comments, please use your first name and I will be glad to publish whatever you've written.

BIRTHDAY PEOPLE TODAY:

1906 - Comedian Gracie Allen, you remember her she was married to God "George Burns", in all those God movies.  To quote old George, "Say Goodnight Gracie."

1910 - Tomoyuki Tanaka, director of those famous Godzilla movies.  "Look, Look, Godzilla."

1938 - Duane Eddy - Famous guitarist, I'm sure you heard his hit songs.

1942 - Singer Bobby Rydell, the famous Philly Kid.  Saw him in person at the Valley Forge Music Fair.  His famous song was "Wild One."

PASSED THROUGH THOSE PEARLY GATES:

1984 - Count Basie, Jazz Man Number one.

1986 - Broderick Crawford, Actor.  Starred in many movies and a great TV show I watched called "Highway Patrol."  Go to IMDB and type his name in and you will remember the face and some of his TV appearances and movie roles..

Once again, have a great weekend, stay happy and most of all be careful out there.

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING SPEAKIES

Hello Guys and Dolls,

I hope you all enjoyed my cruise review and the pictures that Roe posted.  Now it is back to regular business, doctor visits and work around the house.  Forget that stuff today, let's check out some holidays for today.

LICENSE PLATE DAY -  I think New Jersey has had the same plates since I left the Garden State 22 years ago.  Now Florida comes up with a new plate every year.  Save This and That, honoring  other things, along with sports college, pro and I'm sure the next will be Little League plates.  Enough Florida enough.

NATIONAL TELEPHONE DAY - Ma Bell as come a long way.  As a little kid I remember the old rotary phones with party lines.  Later came the wall phones and desk phones with push buttons.  Now we have all the latest technology every created, so enjoy.  At least you don't have to crank the phone on the wall and ask for Clara to connect you.

TEACH YOU CHILDREN TO SAVE DAY - In this day and age not a bad idea to put those pennies and change in a big water jug for later in life.  Open that account soon it's money in the bank for those little ones.

BLT MONTH - Now there is a sandwich old Joey Z has not enjoyed in a long time and if was not for the salty bacon I would have one right now.  My favorite is white toast, iceberg lettuce shredded, nice ripe tomatoes, maybe a little Boar's Head turkey and mayo.  It has to been cut in fours with toothpicks in each one.

FRESH FLORIDA TOMATO MONTH - Every tomato I purchased at our local grocery is not from Florida.  Now find some home grown tomatoes you have a deal.  I still prefer the Jersey Beefsteak Tomatoes, but all tomatoes you still need a little salt for flavor.

My man Zippy forgot to mention yesterday was Pigs in the Blanket Day or as us Polaks call them Golumoki.  Soft cabbage filled with meat and rice and covered in tomato soup like Granny and Mom made usually every Sunday.  Sure miss those days.  Have a great day and a wonderful evening.

HAPPY HUMP DAY FROM ZIPPY

HELLO GUYS AND DOLLS, 

It has been awhile since I wrote on Joey's Speak Easy, so the boss gave me the okay today.  Here is a little humor from Zippy.

ZIPPY'S AMAZING FACTS:

The first toilet ever seen on television was on "Leave It To Beaver."

The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

Pinocchio is Italian for pine eye (Pino is Italian for pine, Occhio is Italian for eye).

Camels milk doesn't curdle.

Checkmate comes from the Persian phrase "shah mat" which means the king is dead.

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds while dogs have only ten.

91% of Americans lie daily.

FUN FACTS FOR TODAY:

Native American Indians used to name their children after the first thing they saw as they left their tepees subsequent to the birth.  Hence such strange names as Sitting Bull and Running Water.

The Dutch in general prefer their french fries with mayo and not with ketchup.  Poor choice.

Julius Caesar wore a laurel wreath to cover the onset of baldness.  Caesar why didn't you try the Bosley technique.

Atilla the Hun is thought to have been a dwarf.  I recently seen a show on the History Channel regarding Atilla.  He was the most brutal leader ever.  It is said the fathered thousands of children and we all should have a part of his DNA.  I haven't had the urge to let my hair grow longer, carry a shield and ax.

That is enough for Zippy today, have a great day and evening.

WE ENTER THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE

Good Morning Speakies:

As you read on Monday's post, Roe and I took a well needed cruise to Nassau and Bermuda (we always wanted to go there).  I should have known after embarkation this cruise maybe questionable.  We traveled with a group and had fun on the bus ride down.  Once we proceeded with arriving at the terminal, things turned south.  We were to have wheel chairs meet us but had to hunt them down.  It was no fun carrying two oxygen concentrators, a carry on bag and Roe's walker.  Once inside the terminal things went okay.  Our room was ready but small and we had to climb over each other to put our luggage and personal items away. The welcome buffet and buffet in general will be later written later in this post.  We finally settled in and it was time for life boat drill which went smoothly.  We met our room steward Alex and his associate who were absolutely great.

Dinner time, Roe, our friends and I had an early sitting.  We were shown to our table, however our friends were seated at an other table.  With a little charm Roe had the couple at our table move and we were all seated together.  The first night I order a Rib-eye steak, the steak was nothing more than fat and grizzle.  The meals in the dinning room were not great dinning Italian cuisine as expected by us and the many passengers.  Dishes were only warm, no taste in the macaroni or any of the sauces served.  Waiters were nice and friendly.  I wish I could say that about the rest of the dinning staff.  We ate every dinner meal at our assigned table and made the best of it.

The buffet had a variety of dishes American, Italian, Oriental, with a nice salad bar and fruit bar.  The only problem was the warmth of the food and to find which side of the buffet was open.  With such a full ship, both sides should have been opened at all times.  We did enjoy the breakfasts and the lunch and had fun sitting with our friends.  At night the buffet served pizza to midnight, all with hot dogs, burgers and drinks.  We made it a point to enjoy a different slice of pizza every night.

After attending two after dinner shows we decided to skip the rest.  It was like attending an opera with Frazier and Niles Crane.  Song too long and the rest consisted of dancing.  I've been on many cruises, give me a comedian, magic act or great singers.

Roe played the casino and was rooked out of $15 but she did put up a great fight over it but still lost.  We enjoyed the music in the lounge area, featuring a couple from Italy who were great.  I had a few gin and tonics, served in a tall glass with complimentary chips and oriental snacks.  The Gelato on the pool deck was great I had a double chocolate and Roe enjoyed the Kiwi and Pistachio flavored.

Weather was windy and chilly and mostly cloudy all week.  Sailing was good, one could feel the ship move side to side but nothing to make you seasick.  We stayed on board at our visit to Nassau, been there many times.  In Bermuda, the first day stayed aboard ship due to tendering because the dock was full of other cruise ships.  Finally they positioned the ship at the docks and we went to shore the second day.  Tram driver on the dock was an idiot.  He would not help handicap passengers to get aboard along with their wheel chairs, scooters and walkers.  Roe shared her wrath against him like a sailor who had too much rum.  We later found out this idiot caused two passengers to be injured, causing them to be hospitalized in Bermuda.

All in all we made the best of the cruise but we will only choose Royal Caribbean in the future as we have sailed with them a number of times.  The ship we were on was the MSC Poisea which is based out of Europe and was heading back.  Good luck to those who sail away.  Some pictures were posted yesterday so enjoy.  Have a great day.

GOOD TO BE BACK

Hello Guys and Dolls:

Roe and I just returned from a special, well needed cruise to Nassau and Bermuda, via the MSC Poesia.  Believe me the ship did not meet Roe's or Joey Z's expectations being an Italian cruise line from Italy.  Roe being the true Italian will be doing her own report and complaints.  The ship only makes about a 3 month run from Port Lauderdale to the destinations mentioned.  A full report will follow next week.  I had to take it easy due to medical issues for which this coming week are filled with doctor appointments.  I will post however, but have patience on the amount.  Have a great week and I will be back ASAP.

 Nassau

 First Formal

 Dining Room

 Late Night Pizza

 Yes, a mirror on the opposite wall

 Tram from hell

 Bermuda

 Dominoes

 Second Formal

 Room Stewards

 My Favorite Barmaid

WEEKEND WISHES

Hello Guys and Dolls,

Before the personal business I have to take care of, I wish you all a great weekend and a very happy upcoming week.  Take care.

MY BASEBALL MEMORIES

HELLO GUYS AND DOLLS,

 I told you the other day, I would like to write about my baseball days and memories as a youngster.  My first glove was a "Scooter" Phil Rizzuto glove.  It looked liked the ones from the 1920's, small with a little web to catch a ball with but it was all mine  I never threw that glove away and I still own it today.  Once on my birthday, I received a first baseman's glove from my aunt it was my favorite glove.  Growing older I purchased an infielder's glove which I wore out playing baseball on the local fields or parking lots.  I loved the game, but never had a chance to play Little League.  My parents thought it was too dangerous being hit with a hard baseball and I never made an issue of the fact.  I'm sorry I never questioned their decision.  My sons Joey and Jeff played Little League baseball and I'm glad I allowed them to enjoy the sport.

The fondest of Roe and my memories is taking the boys to see games at Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia.  We also attended Spring Training games and minor league games here in Florida.  Glad we had the opportunity to do so.

I would like to thank my Dad for my memories of baseball and him.  Dad was a Yankee and than a Met's fan.  I always was a Phillies fan and I want to pass along some memories about my Dad and me attending those games in Philadelphia.  Dad, his friend Ted, Ted's son and I would go several times during the season to see the games.  At that time, Connie Mack Stadium was the Phillies Ballpark which was located in North Philadelphia.  We had to park on the street in those days and walk a few blocks to reach the stadium.  The first time I ever saw Connie Mack Stadium, it looked like the Roman Coliseum, but a little more modern. On the lower level outside stood the ticket windows and up above the offices were deals and decisions were made.  It was a sight to see for a small boy.

Across the street was a cafe/bar that was packed before and after the games, selling beer, hot dogs and all those other baseball treats.   I remember the fans standing in line to get in.  Connie Mack Stadium had those old time turn stile gates to enter the sacred field of play.  Once in you could smell the aroma of the beer and dogs that would be served during the game.  You had an usher who showed you to your seats and cleaned them off for you.  To a young boy who loved baseball this was heaven for me.

I saw some of the best in Phillies history to play the game, Robin Roberts, Richie Ashburn, Curt Simmons, Del Ennis, Don Cardwell, Ruben Gomez, Chris Short, Sparky Anderson, Turk Farrel, Harvey Haddix and Stan Lopata just to name a few.  One September, Sunday afternoon in 1958, I remember the game was a double header, which to my distraught the game was rained out and reschuled for Monday as a double header to start at 5:35 p.m.  The National League Batting Championship was on the line Richie Ashburn and Willie Mays.  Ashburn won the title that night going four for four.  Coming home, Dad told me it was okay for me to miss school the next day.  Thanks Dad for the great memories of you and baseball.

This will be my last post for a week or so as I have personal matters to take care of.  Please feel free to read all my posts. Will post upon my return.

STUFF THAT HAPPENED TODAY

GOOD MORNING GUYS AND DOLLS,

I thought I would give you a little information on Birthdays, the Obits and Stuff that happened today, April 10.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES GO OUT TO:

1794 - Commodore Matthew Perry, opened US trade with Japan.

1906 - Fud Livingston, composer, I just loved his fist name.

1915 - Harry Morgan, actor starred in TV shows such as Dragnet as Officer Bill Gannon and as Colonel Potter in M*A*S*H.

1921 - Chuck Connors - The Rifleman, TV western star.  Also born in 1921, vocalist Sheb Wooley.  He sang that great song, "THE PURPLE PEOPLE EATER."  If you don't recall the song, I'm sure You Tube has it for your listening pleasure.

1951 - Steven Segal - That beat up everyone cop in many movies.

ANGELS OR DEVILS TOOK THEM AWAY TODAY:

0879 - Louis II, "The Stutter", King of France.  Did really stutter or did he chocked on a piece of cheese in the French Onion soup that he was served.

1991 - Natalie Schafer - Actress Gilligan's Island.  You remember her as Eunice "Lovey" Wentworth Howell."

1992 - Sam Kinison - That loud mouth comedian.  Loved him in the Rodney Dangerfield movie, "Back to School."  SAY IT, SAY IT.

Personally I think the angels took them all.

STUFF THAT OCCURRED TODAY:

1947 - Jackie Robinson, the 1'st black in modern league baseball.

1953 - House of Wax was the first 3-D movie that premiered in New York City.

1971 - The first baseball game held at the new Philadelphia's Veteran Stadium.  Phillies beat the Montreal Expos 4 to 1. I have to tell you about baseball memories I shared with my Dad one day.

Have a good day and remember my words, "Be careful out there."

HAPPY APRIL 9, GUYS AND DOLLS

GOOD MORNING SPEAKIES,

Not much to report on today, I may add a few new funny book titles for you to enjoy.  First, let's check out the real stuff for today.

NAME YOUR SELF DAY -  I am very proud of my given name.  If I had options or perhaps lived in a different time period here are a few names I would choose.  In Roman times, I would have liked the name,"MARCUS ANTONIO GLORIOSUS."  As a Spanish nobleman and protector of the poor, my chosen name would be "JUAN CASTILLO DELLA VEGA."  Give me a mask, cape, sword and a fine Andalusian horse and I would carve the letter Z on all the evil I could find, great dreaming Joey Z. 

TV GUIDE IS BORN - We celebrate the birthday of that great program finder the TV Guide, born this day in 1953.  My parents did not own a TV set until the late 50's and then always purchased that guide to find the programs being broadcasted.  I would sit there with each new weekly issue and study the shows, news articles that were published.  Now I just zip through my remote and know what is coming on.

On a somber note this month we honor "HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE MONTH."  Not only were the Jews, but many European nationalities were slaughtered in those death camps.  Horrors like this will always be remembered by many.   It is up to mankind today and always to make sure it never occurs again.

I was going to leave you with a few funny book titles, but I'll leave that up to the Zip to write about.  So I bid you all a great day and leave you with this Charlie Chan saying, "CAT IS LIKE RICH MAN'S HEIR, NEVER DIES OUT OF SYMPATHY."  

GOOD MORNING BIRD LOVERS

HELLO SPEAKIES,

It is a lovely day for all you Ornithologists (Bird Watchers).  With the warmer weather on the way, soon the Robin will be in sight for you to observe, along with all your other feathered friends.  Today is actually, "DRAW A PICTURE OF A BIRD DAY."  Great idea to do with the little ones today, draw pictures and the refrigerator is the perfect frame for them.

 MILK IN GLASS BOTTLES DAY - Do you remember those days?  I have a brief memory of my grandmother having milk delivered to her door on a semi-weekly schedule.  As I recall it was the Chambersburg Dairy Company who delivered the milk.  The tops were sealed with a paper cover which you used again to reseal the milk to keep if fresh.  Maybe somewhere this tradition lives on, if any if you readers know, please post a comment.

NATIONAL GUITAR WEEK - I've had my share of guitars around the house.  For me I have no rhythm nor musical ability anywhere in my body.  My son Jeff, always enjoyed listening to my Father-in-Law play his guitar and sing.  As Jeff grew older he took some lessons, but really self-taught himself.  He even started two bands and my other son Joey learned on his own to play the drums.  Practice for their band Jersey Duty occurred every week at our house.  They played in local clubs in the greater Orlando area and really enjoyed the experience.  Since Jeff moved away he still has his music room filled with guitars and a drum set.  He is currently teaching my granddaughter how to play the guitar and she sounds pretty good as a learner.

NATIONAL FROG MONTH - I have never seen so many frogs in my life when we moved to Florida.  We have the regular toads and one of our favorites, the tree frog. This green nightly creature  jumped all over the outside of your house and made a distinguished sound.  Once we found one in our toilet bowl, Roe took a great picture of  Mr. Tree Frog, just hanging on the inside.  So pay honor to our little friends today.

GRILLED CHEESE MONTH - Who does not love a good grilled cheese sandwich.  There are so many varieties of cheese everyone has their favorite to make a sandwich.  On our honeymoon in Aruba, Roe enjoyed a grilled cheese sandwich made with Gouda cheese.  I can't recall if it also included ham or not.  My favorite is made with good old American White Cheese and with or without tomato on white bread.  Give me that sandwich and a hot cup of tomato soup and I'm in heaven.  So if it is a chilly day up North, I hope that sandwich and soup idea sounds good enough for you Dolls to make today for lunch or dinner.

That's all for me today, have a wonderful day and evening.  Thanks for stopping by.

WEEKEND WISHES GUYS AND DOLLS

HAPPY FRIDAY ONCE AGAIN SPEAKIES,

As always, Joey Z is stopping by not only to wish you a great Friday, but a happy weekend to share with, family, friends or whomever.  I always try to keep my posts on Friday short so let's see what we celebrate today.

RUBBER ERASER DAY - I've worn-down many of those erasers at the pencil's end in grammar school.  I'm also including those erasers we purchased that were half pencil and half ink.  I know you remember those too.  Since high school, I don't think I ever erased anything again, although there are some people I would like to.

BELL BOTTOMS DAY - Bell bottom jeans and dress pants were worn by many Guys and Dolls back in the late 1960's and early 70's.  As I remember they were not allowed on the base where I was  stationed in the Air Force for some reason.  Upon discharge, this writer purchased his first pair of bell bottom jeans, grew hair longer just to enjoy the fad.

NATIONAL READ A ROAD-MAP DAY - Personally, I have no sense of direction.  If you put me on a boat in the ocean and told me to make land in the Caribbean, I'd probably windup in the Arctic.
Roe has directional sense, her favorite comment is, "we are not lost, but a out of the way at the moment."  That wife of mine can get us back on track like Nomads can find an Oasis in the desert.

DANDELION DAY - Yes, Guys and Dolls they are edible as a salad.  To me they always will be weeds end of story.  Have a great one.

HELLO SPEAKIES

GOOD MORNING AND THIS IS JERSEY SPEAKING, HOW YOU GUYS DOIN?

This month we celebrate check your "BATTERIES MONTH."  Check those flashlights, fire alarms, car batteries, remote control batteries or whatever you have in your house that requires our little buddies.  This is very important to save lives and in emergency situations.  Just do it today!  If you miss your favorite show on the tube, it won't be my fault.

WORLD RAT DAY - There is no way I'm playing the Pied Piper today for rats. I don't care about mice or rats, don't let them near me.

KIDS KICK BUTT DAY -  I don't mean the rear ends of bullies but I would agree to a holiday should they ever create one.  These are the children who say, "NO CIGARETTES  FOR ME." Please parents have a talk with your children regarding the effects of smoking.  As I told you before, I started young and suffered from bladder cancer.  Do it today Guys and Dolls, and even stop yourself.

NATIONAL CORDON BLEU DAY -  The first time Roe and I ever ate and enjoyed Cordon Bleu was on our honeymoon in Aruba.  We stayed at the Manchebo Beach Resort.  For time period it was one of the finest resorts in Aruba.  They had a great restaurant called "THE FRENCHMAN'S STEAKHOUSE."  They had a great menu, good food and a neat bar.  The steaks were served perfect and for our honeymoon we will always remember the resort and the first time we ate Cordon Bleu.
Check out the information about Cordon Bleu and the net.

That is it for today Speakies. Have a great day Guys and Dolls and please be stay safe out there.

HAPPY HUMP DAY GUYS AND DOLLS

GOOD MORNING ALL,

Well it is half-time for the working crowd this week and let it be a great day for "ya'll", that's the Southern way on saying you all.  Up North, "you guys" comes from New Jersey and in Pennsylvania people say "you'ns."  I may have spelled it wrong so if there are any Pennsylvanians out there please correct me.

The first week after Easter we celebrate "NATIONAL EGG SALAD MONTH."  I've been a fan of egg salad since I was a youngster.  My Mother and Grandmother made some mean tasting egg salad on white toast with lettuce and tomato.  The egg salad sandwich is a great summer favorite, not heavy and it is healthy for you.  My version of favorite egg salad sandwiches is as follows.  Perfect hard boiled eggs, pickle relish, mayo and ground pepper.  Mix the ingredients and serve on slices on toasted pumpernickel bread or a good Italian round hard roll.

Some holidays for today are, "NATIONAL WORK PLACE NAPPING DAY."  I caught myself napping a few times when I worked, eyes getting heavy, a yawn and then those eyes become shut and you are in dream land for a few minutes.  Take a little snooze today and make this holiday a real celebration for you.  WARNING DON'T LET THE SUITS CATCH YOU!

WORLD PARTY DAY - I'd like to think one day there will be a World Party Day but with all the hate and evil now, just seems impossible.

TWEED DAY - A tweed sports-coat was my favorite, especially if it had patches on the elbows.  Tweed hats are great and I always made sure I had one when I lived up North.  Now "Boss Tweed", was a different subject.

Today we honor "CHOCOLATE MOUSSE."  A very light and tasty dessert and remember Dolls, everyone has their own little dish to enjoy.  Good Hump Day to all and be careful out there.

HAPPY TUESDAY GUYS AND DOLLS

HELLO SPEAKIES,

Hoping you all had a relaxing Monday evening.  I know a lot of you workers out there are tired from working on Monday, but I have a holiday for you to enjoy tomorrow, April 3.  "DON'T GO TO WORK, UNLESS IT'S FUN DAY."  If your work place is not one of occasional fun, jokes and laughter, my advice is to stay home and have fun.

CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL - Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees for Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC.  The annual celebration pays honor to the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan.  This lasted until World War II began however, the sands of time has erased any hard feelings and the close relationship with Japan continues today.  A batch of 2,000 diseased trees arrived in 1910.  Through the coordination of our governments, Dr. Jokichi Takamine, a world famous chemist and Dr. David Fairchild of the U.S. Department of Agriculture solved the problem, more trees arrived and were planted once again.

YO-YO DAY - Another fun toy I could never master.  I could only stand there and make it go up and down for a short period of time. Other kids were walking the dog and all those other tricks, the yo-yo became a toy I could live without.

Going to make this a short post today as other duties are calling to me.  Have a great day and enjoy.

WELCOME TO APRIL GUYS AND DOLLS

GOOD MORNING SPEAKIES,

Here are a little facts about the month of April.  The name for April's moon is the Egg Moon and Grass Moon.  Spring runs from approximately March 20 to June 20.  The birthstone for April is the diamond, you April Guys and Dolls have great taste in stones.

During week 1 of April we celebrate "Straw Hat Day."  Straw hats were very popular back in the 1920's, 30's and 40's.  I've seen a lot of old movies with Guys and Dolls wearing those straw hats.  A straw hat is a brimmed hat that is woven out of straw or reeds. The hat was designed to protect the head from sun and heatstroke.  Most all they were used in fashion and as a decorative element of a uniform.

We also celebrate "Scoop the Poop Week."  I hate dog shit (sorry) on my lawn and worst of all to pick it up and dispose of it in my trash.  I have to say the people in our community are very good in regards to picking up their pooches poop.  Remember not to step in number two.

APRIL FOOL'S DAY - The great day of pranks against our fellow man is celebrated today.  Some are bizarre, some funny and some just dangerous. If you are planning to pull an April Fool's jokes on friends or family, make it funny and safe.

Now for a little food to honor this month and today, we start off with "NATIONAL SOFT PRETZEL MONTH."  My first soft pretzel experience was in grammar school at good old St. Hedwig's.  My reader the Skipster can also verify that fact of them being sold.  As I remember they were not warm but they were plastered in a salt covering.  Maybe that is the reason I liked them so much and still do.  Going to the Phillies games I would always picked one up outside the stadium.  After the game you could buy the cold ones at the amazing cost of 3 for $1.00.  If you some of the parks at Disney World in Florida, they sell a soft pretzel filled with Jalapeno filling, very good but expensive.

FRESH FLORIDA TOMATO MONTH - To be honest, the store brand tomatoes are hard as a brick.  Roe and I at times visit the Auburndale Flea Market and they have great tasting tomatoes.  I still love the those Jersey Beefsteak Tomatoes the best.

SLICED BREAD DAY - I'm glad mostly all bread comes sliced now-a days.   It makes it easier  for serving and wasting time to get the slices even.  If the bread is not sliced, I always request that the bakers slice it.  Remember that good old saying about different things, "it's better than sliced bread."

Have a great day and be careful out there.