Tag: parody

Offbeat Almanac – August 2015

August 1 slides smoothly into a new month with National Raspberry Cream Pie Day.  I confess, I’m not entirely sold on the idea of Raspberry Cream pie, but I admit it does seem a solid use for the fruits of your labor!

August 2 finally gets away from anything fruit related with Ice Cream Sandwich Day.  Share one with your sister as it is also Sister’s Day.  I know you’re thinking this sounds like a great idea because it’s also Psychic Day!

August 3 is the perfect holiday for a hot summer day: National Watermelon Day! Watermelon is over 90 percent water making it an excellent cooling down food.  Plus it’s healthy and low calorie which allows a sweet taste that doesn’t go to the waist!

August 4 is a day for dog lovers: Assistance Dog Day.  My cat would like to know why there isn’t an Assistance Cat Day, but tell me honestly, when’s the last time you heard of a seeing eye cat?

August 5 has you stuffed from watermelon and junk food, but it’s still oppressively hot and humid.  Fear not, I’ve got you covered – sort of.  Strip down to your skivvies and proudly announce that you are celebrating Underwear Day!

August 6 continues the nudity trend with Wiggle Your Toes Day.  I think the perfect way to celebrate is to attend a JAWS on the Water event!

August 7 is a beacon of holidays with Lighthouse Day.  Fun fact: the world’s oldest lighthouse is in Spain.  What better reason do you need to plan that vacation?

August 8 gives you the perfect reason to finally clean your basement or attic: Garage Sale Day.  It’s also International Cat Day.  Honor your cat by finally getting rid of that painting of the dogs playing poker.

August 9 might be my favorite holiday next to Christmas: Book Lovers Day. Since it’s better to give than receive, you can celebrate by giving your favorite book lover (or columnist) a new book!

August 10 is Lazy Day. The perfect excuse to do nothing! If you must break it, I suggest you do so by celebrating S’mores Day!

August 11 reminds us that summer is starting to wind down with Play in The Sand Day.  Take a personal day, hit the beach and build a sand castle.  Fall is coming and you don’t want to to look back with regret!

August 12 gets a little retro with Vinyl Record Day.  Bust out the turntable and dust off your old LP’s!  Then bang your head against a wall when your kids ask you what those funny looking CD’s are!  It’s also Middle Child’s Day, but we don’t really need to worry about that.

August 13 happens to be one of my favorite holidays with International Lefthanders Day.  If like myself you’re left handed in a right handed world, don’t despair: some of the coolest people in history have been left handed such as Jimmy Hendrix, Jon Stewart and Richard Simmons.  Well OK, two out of three ain’t bad.

August 14 brings us back to food holidays with National Creamsicle Day.  Take an opportunity to relive your childhood and chase down the ice cream man.  Or if you prefer a more adult approach, mix orange soda and whipped cream flavored vodka.  And if you drink too many, you’re in perfect shape for Relaxation Day on August 15!

August 16 might be a day you want to sit out after the revelries of the 14th and 15th, but if you’re feeling up to it, go check out the Cyclone on Coney Island for Rollercoaster Day.  Just do yourself a favor and skip the pre-ride hot-dogs.

August 17 seems like it should be closer to Halloween with Black Cat Appreciation Day, but those in charge obviously aren’t reading Offbeat Almanac!  Even so, black cats have lower adoption rates, so consider taking one in.  Trust me, they’re not plotting to kill you – well, no more than any other cat.

August 18 is the perfect chance to show your affection with Bad Poetry Day.  Write some awful prose for your loved one (or your new black cat). Here’s a head start:  Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Some poems rhyme, This one doesn’t.

August 19 is one for the shutterbugs with Photography Day.  If you’re like me, you might try to use this as an excuse to convince your spouse to get you that new lens you’ve been coveting,  or maybe you’d like to see my 1500 cat photos?

August 20 is a holiday I would just as soon not think about: World Mosquito Day.  Sadly, I feel certain some mosquito out there is just dying to celebrate by having me as a snack!  I can hear him now inviting all his friends and family.  Who thinks of these days?!

August 21 caters to the sweet tooth again by celebrating National Spumoni Day. Spumoni is apparently a frozen desert that originated with the Italians.  In Canada, they celebrate this day on November 13.  I call it “Macy’s puts up their Christmas decorations day!”

August 22 reminds me of an old joke: two men are sitting on a bench, one comments “my wife is an angel.”  The other sighs and says “You’re lucky, mine’s still alive.”  Do a good deed today and honor Be An Angel Day.  Just don’t take it too literally.

August 23 is a holiday in which I’m certain calories don’t count:  National Sponge Cake Day.  With a dessert as light and fluffy as sponge cake, most of the calories are just floating around in the ether, right?  If you need full justification, tell yourself you’re honoring Queen Victoria.  Rumor is that spongecake slathered in jam was her favorite teatime snack.  Don’t you deserve to treat yourself like a queen?

August 24 marks the 9th anniversary of a very sad day in history: Pluto Demoted Day.  Didn’t we all grow up learning “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas”?  All hope is not lost though as recent discoveries may vindicate us all.  If not, we will just have to write songs for our dwarf planet in honor of International Strange Music Day.

August 25 is Kiss and Make Up Day.  Sure, we both know that your partner was wrong, but on this one day maybe we can both overlook that and well, kiss and make up.  I’m certain they’ll be wrong again tomorrow.

August 26 proves that it’s true that every dog has his (or her) day.  It happens to be today!  I’m pretty certain this was included because August holds not one but two cat holidays, but hey we’ll throw ’em a bone anyway!

August 27 I’m fairly certain exists simply to fill a gap as it is literally Just Because Day.  In thinking about it though it’s the perfect day to do something random.  Send a friend a funny card.  Jump in a puddle.  Stand in the back of the elevator and sing Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of your lungs.  Just because.

August 28 seems like the sort of holiday made for nerds, but I beg to differ.  Bow Tie Day is actually the perfect day to tie on (or clip on) your best bow tie and show it off to the world.  It would be more perfect if it was Matt Smith’s (the Eleventh Doctor’s) birthday, but sadly that is October 28.  Even so, bow ties really are cool.

August 29 lures us back towards food with More Herbs, Less Salt Day.  Cutting one’s salt is almost always a good idea. For herbs, I recommend parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.  I don’t have a cure though for the Scarborough Fair ear worm I just put in your head.  Sorry about that.

August 30 contains what I believe are two of the best holidays in existence:  Toasted Marshmallow Day and Slinky Day.  Just be sure not to toast your slinky, because I’m pretty sure that’s an environmental hazard!

August 31 wraps up the month of August and sadly, the summer, with National Eat Outside Day.  For those in cooler climates, the days are getting noticeably shorter, and there’s beginning to be a nip in the air.  You can help the mosquitoes celebrate too by being their last meal of the summer!

The Offbeat Almanac – July 2015

Everyone is aware of the major holidays.  Sure, people observe things like Canada Day, the Fourth of July, Easter, Mother’s Day, etc.  What often goes unacknowledged, however, are the more unusual holidays.  When is the last time you observed Manatee Appreciation Day or Tolkien Reading Day, (March 25th) or even Elvis’ birthday (August 8th)?

Given that July has two of the aforementioned major holidays, it seems appropriate that it is also National Picnic Month, National Hot Dog Month, National Ice Cream Month and most importantly, National Anti-Boredom Month.

July 1 is Canada Day.  Oddly enough, National Poutine Day is April 11.  One would think that those in charge of these things would have planned better, but alas, no.  According to Ottawa Magazine, the best place to picnic in Canada’s capital city is Watson’s Mill.  Slightly off the beaten path, it provides a quiet spot to spread your blanket and enjoy your maple spread.  While there, perhaps you can take a couple of hours to pull out your tablet and stream any of the many movies with Ottawa’s beloved native son, Dan Ackroyd.

In addition to Canada Day, one should also be certain to observe International Joke Day with your favorite bad pun.  (What kind of flooring do lizards have?  Reptile!)

Moving on to July 2nd, we have World UFO Day.  I’ll pass on your regards to my favorite Martian.

July 3rd is a little less exciting with National Disobedience Day.  I demand that you refuse to celebrate this one.

This brings us to July 4th.  Of course, everyone recognizes this day as American Independence Day, but did you know that it’s also National BBQ Spareribs Day?  Sounds like the perfect meal while also celebrating National Hillbilly Day and National Country Music day!

If you’re not too exhausted after your Independence Day celebrations, you can celebrate National Apple Turnover day and National Graham Cracker Day on July 5th.  I don’t know how graham crackers and apple turnovers would taste together, but what better day to find out?  Just be careful how many you eat since it is also National Bikini Day!

July 6 happens to be one of my favorite days in the Offbeat Almanac as it is National Fried Chicken Day!  As with National Poutine Day, you would think those in charge of these things would have made it coincide with Colonel Sanders birthday (September 9), but unfortunately we were again not consulted on these matters.  No one is completely certain when the idea of frying chicken came about, but it is known that the Ancient Romans used to fry chicken with olive oil, fish sauce, and various herbs and spices.  Sounds delicious and the perfect dish to take along with you while you’re in the park still observing National Picnic Month!

July 7, marks both Chocolate Day and National Strawberry Sundae Day which seems fitting in a month that celebrates, in part, ice cream.  July 7 also marks the birthday of Otto Rohwedder, who invented sliced bread.  Which I suppose makes every July 7th since the best thing that’s happened since sliced bread!

July 8 has another of my favorite holidays:  Video Games Day.  If by this time you’re sick of the summer heat and humidity, then what better excuse to cancel all your plans and stay inside? While you’re playing, you can snack on a candy bar in honor of National Milk Chocolate with Almonds Day!  Or, if you prefer, you can queue up your favorite comedy on Netflix as a way to observe SCUD Day! (Savor the Comic, Unplug the Drama Day) Come to think of it, that sounds like a great way to celebrate nearly every day!

If you’re not a chocolate fan or your sweet tastes run of a simpler nature, then July 9th – National Sugar Cookie Day – is for you!  Give some to your favorite little kid, send them home to their parents and enjoy the show!  Don’t worry, you can thank me later.

On July 10, after you’ve binged on Netflix and played all your video games, you might feel a need to venture outside again.  What better day for that than Teddy Bear Picnic Day?  Grab your beloved teddy bear, pack a lunch, and embrace the day.  Don’t worry about getting strange looks. It’s also National Pina Colada Day so just raise your glass and smile!  Perhaps you’ll make a new friend in time for Cheer Up The Lonely Day on July 11!

Skipping ahead past World Population Day (July 11) and National Pecan Pie Day (July 12) to July 13 which has two holidays that go well together:  Embrace Your Geekiness Day and Barbershop Music Appreciation Day.  Let your geek flag fly and join a barbershop quartet!  Ask your new friend and your teddy bear to come along for support!

July 14 is most noted for Bastille Day, but did you also know that it’s Pandemonium Day and National Nude Day? You can celebrate by creating a little pandemonium streaking at a baseball game!

July 15 has three holidays that are especially important to animal lovers:  National Pet Fire Safety Day, National I Love Horses Day, and Cow Appreciation Day.  Go hug your cow or horse while checking their fire safety plan.  One can never be too careful!

July 16 is National Corn Fritters Day and Fresh Spinach Day.  While I’m all for corn fritters, I’d just as soon skip over the spinach!

Find some respite from the heavy foods and summer heat on July 17 with National Peach Ice Cream Day!  Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and share it with your pet pig for Yellow Pig Day!

On July 18 get away from all the sweets with Caviar Day.  Sure it’s expensive and kind of gross, but never fear it’s also Toss Away the Should Haves and Could Haves Day!  So for one day kick back and live like one of the 1%!

July 19 tells us that having days dedicated to specific ice cream flavors isn’t good enough.  Thus we have National Ice Cream Day!  It’s also National Daiquiri Day so I suggest a little experimentation:  Daiquiri ice cream!

Next, we come to July 20 in which we have National Fortune Cookie Day and National Get Out of the Dog House Day.  Maybe you can take your spouse to their favorite Chinese restaurant as a token of goodwill.  Hopefully your fortune cookie will have some sage advice on how to fix whatever you did wrong!

July 21 kicks off National Junk Food Day.  Finally, a holiday that I can really get into!  Of course, this begs the question of what is junk food precisely?  Obviously it’s food that is considered bad for you but almost anything in excess is bad for you.  Just ask the guy in China whose eyes turned green after eating too many river snails! (Seriously, look it up!)

For me, celebrating National Junk Food Day is likely going to entail a juicy hot dog, some onion rings, maybe some chocolate, and then later that night, lots and lots of regret with a nice helping of heartburn!

July 22 was surely invented as the perfect follow up to National Junky Food Day, for today is Hammock Day!  What better excuse for resting off all the junk food you ate yesterday? Don’t forget your sunscreen of course, since it’s not National Lobster Day (June 15)!

July 23rd may seem repetitive in that it is Hot Dog Day, but who says we can’t spice it up a little?  Bratwursts are technically a hot dog, right?  So fire up the grill, relish in your favorite bratwurst, lay back in that hammock and ketchup on a good book!  (Get it?  Relish? Ketchup? Sorry I’ll save that for Tell an Old Joke Day on July 24.)

July 24 is a great day in a week that contains National Junk Food Day and that is Drive Thru Day!  It is also National Tequila Day and National Cousins Day so call your favorite cousin, confess your recent junk food binges, and drown your regret!

July 25 gets slightly away from the junk food theme with Culinarians Day.  You don’t need to be a chef or enjoy cooking to celebrate this day.  Go visit your folks (or parental figure) a day early for Parents Day, and enjoy their culinary skills.

July 26 in addition to being Parents Day also happens to be Aunt and Uncle day.  On top of that it happens to be National Bagelfest Day.  Celebrate by checking out that new bagel shop you’ve been wanting to try with Mom, Dad or one of their siblings.

July 27 will definitely be a fan favorite as it is National Scotch Day.  Some trivia:  under the Scotch Whiskey Regulations of 2009, scotch must be produced and distilled in Scotland, have a minimum alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40 percent (which means it’s 80 proof), and be aged at least three years in Scottish oak casks.  Wow, people take scotch seriously!  Just don’t imbibe too much or you may be faced with a police officer explaining to you that wearing pants is still required for Take Your Pants for a Walk Day!

July 28 offers the perfect follow up to the exercise and drinking you did yesterday with National Milk Chocolate Day.  Milk Chocolate is one of my favorites so I’ll be celebrating this day.  National Hamburger Day is also celebrated on this day, but I’m not sure how a hamburger made of milk chocolate would be so I suggest you don’t combine your festivities.

July 29 I predict is going to be another favorite for many:  National Lasagna Day.  I’m not a fan of lasagna myself so I won’t be marking this occasion, but it just so happens to also be National Chicken Wing Day which is a holiday I am absolutely in favor of!

July 30 presents an excellent way to wrap up a month of food with National Cheesecake Day.  Cheesecake is the one thing I’ve heard many people say they love almost more than they love their spouse or significant other.  In fact, if anyone has an amazing recipe for gluten-free cheesecake crust, my own husband might well love you forever!

July 31 ends the month on a slightly healthier note with National Raspberry Cake Day.  I think cheesecake counts as a cake, so celebrate by eating some of the leftovers from yesterday!

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