Another month has gone by, and it is time for me to share some thoughts with you. Most of my thoughts will pertain to the month of July, a wonderful month with some important, and some trivial reasons to celebrate, but first…
I don’t know about you, but…
I wonder if anyone knows what is happening with our local radio station? I used to tune in to WKEI, 1450 AM, from 6:30 to 9:00 on weekdays when it was convenient for me to get updated on what was happening locally. Over the last few weeks, every time I tried to tune in, all I got was static. I guess it is good that I have The Voice to get my local information.
I don’t know about you, but…
I wonder if anyone really knows why it took 21 years for the Chicago Cubs to bring Sammy Sosa back? Really? Are you kidding me?
I don’t know about you, but…
I believe that the players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) should quit being jealous and envious of the fame and attention that Caitlin Clark has been receiving since she entered the league. Whether or not she is the best player in the league, there is no denying that her arrival has increased exposure and interest in women’s professional basketball. Attendance and press coverage have gone up substantially. Salaries are also increasing. Established stars should just accept her presence in the league as the windfall that it is for them and their league.
I don’t know about you, but…
I have a difficult time understanding what our current presidential administration and some members of congress are really trying to accomplish when it comes to spending (actually this might be true of every previous administration as well). As I have mentioned in a previous column, I am all for fiscal responsibility in government spending. I know there is still the question of whether the cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were driven more by political ideology, rather than frugality. I also know there is the question of whether the “Big Beautiful Bill” will increase the national debt by trillions or not. I believe that depends on who is doing the analysis of our newest budget. I do know that it makes no sense to try to cut wasteful spending on one hand, and then, on the other hand, submit a budget that could increase our country’s national debt more than any other budget ever considered. Really?
I don’t know about you, but…
I regard any month that has been designated National Parks and Recreation Month, National Grilling Month and National Picnic Month, which July has been, as a month worth enjoying. I also believe that any move to cut funding to our National Park System is a bad idea. National Parks are one of our nation’s most valuable resources and are enjoyed by millions every year. In my opinion they not only need to be preserved, but also enhanced.
I don’t know about you, but…
I am all for celebrating our nation’s Independence Day on July 4. Fireworks displays have their place and should be enjoyed. What I do not care much for is the endless random lighting of fireworks well before and after July 4th. Besides, our dog Hazel really dislikes the loud noises.
I don’t know about you, but…
I would bet many of you do not know that besides being a national holiday, July 4 is National Barbeque Spareribs Day. Spareribs were intended to be served grilled or smoked, short or long, over charcoal or gas, in the heat of the summer, with various rubs, dips and sauces. This day reminds us that summer is incomplete without a barbeque with family, friends and spareribs. While many of you have a preference for baby back ribs, which I also enjoy, I have a preference for spareribs, St. Louis style of course.
National Hot Dog and National Chili Dog days are also celebrated in July. I don’t know about you, but…
If hot dogs and chili dogs are wrong, I don’t want to be right!
I don’t know about you, but…
I would also bet that many of you don’t know who Burton Cummings is. He was the lead singer, and one of the leading songwriters, for one of my all-time bands, The Guess Who. He is scheduled to perform at one of the nearby Iowa casinos in early July. While part of me would love to go hear him perform, I am a little reluctant to purchase tickets to hear a performer who is more than five years older than I am. The last time I did something like that I went to see Gordon Lightfoot perform when he was 82 years old. While I really enjoy his music, his performance that evening shall we say, left a little to be desired.
I don’t know about you, but…
I didn’t know until recently that on July 9, 1912, the newly organized Midland Country Club opened its doors. Now known as Midland Golf Club, it is a place that I seem to spend a lot of my time at, especially since I have been retired. That can’t be a bad thing, can it?
July 15 has been designated as Get Out of the Dog House Day. I don’t know about you, but…
I believe that we need more than one day a year for this purpose, as I seem to spend a lot of time in the proverbial dog house.
I don’t know about you, but…
I would wager that you didn’t know that National Ice Cream Day is celebrated every third Sunday of July thanks to Ronald Reagan. Reagan wanted to commemorate a treat enjoyed by over 90 percent of the United States population. In 1984, he decreed a day for ice cream, and his proclamation actually glorified the dairy industry in America. I can honestly say that I cannot remember having an opportunity to enjoy some ice cream and thinking afterward that it was a bad idea. A scoop of Rocky Road anyone?
July 23 has been designated as Yada, Yada, Yada Day. I don’t know about you but…
I believe that those of you that enjoyed the Seinfeld show would agree that there is a lot of yada, yada, yada in my columns.
Time to close this month’s column, but I almost forgot that July 2nd is National I Forgot Day. Imagine that? I don’t know about you but…
I think this is another holiday that requires more than one day a year for me since I forget a lot!
I would like to close with the thought of the month. Many of you would probably like to enjoy some homemade potato salad with your spareribs at your summer cookout. Ponder this: The same water used to make the potatoes soft, also makes your eggs hard.
Remember it is perfectly acceptable to enjoy a nap at a July gathering with family and friends after consuming grilled spareribs or hot dogs and homemade potato salad. Enjoy!
