Family Day

I was under the weather this morning. I spent a couple of days with little kids coughing into my face, so really I get what I deserve. I guess that I would rather be sick and loved by the two cutest kids on the planet than healthy. That being said, in a perfect world I would be healthy and loved.   


So, I decided that I would take a lazy day, make a pot of coffee, clear a spot on the table, spread out the paper and see what shape the world is in. We get the paper every day, but for one reason or another I always seem to be too busy to do more than scan the headlines. Well, I doread which movie star is leaving whom or how a family of no talent bimbos have managed to parlay good looks into a multi million dollar empire.   


There didn't seem to be any earth shaking news, but as always happens, with every turn of the page I get a little sadder and a little more depressed. Kids from wealthy neighbourhoods appear to do better than their counterparts in the poorer neighbourhoods. The opposition party thinks that the ruling party are a bunch of crooks but they fail to mention that they themselves are a bunch of crooks, just not as successful. In the town of Canmore which is being overrun with feral rabbits (which attract coyotes and cougars) they are starting to spay and neuter the rabbits. They initially wanted to have them killed, but the animal rights activists have won and they are being humanely trapped and sterilized.   


I hope that the bunnys that haven't been captured yet can "keep it in their pants" until they can come to Calgary and get snipped. Otherwise this could just go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on... Back in the day the government would put a bounty on rabbits and every kid would have traps out and their parents would have saved a bundle on meat. Not to mention getting nice, warm rabbit fur socks. Before you could say "What's up Doc?" there wouldn't be a rabbit problem anymore. Ahhh...the good old days.   


Today is Family Day in Alberta and several other provinces. The federal government employees have to work because the whole country doesn't get the day off and God forbid some workers have to work and others don't. They do get a day in August which is generally much better weather for taking a day off than mid February. Louise had to work and I didn't, which means that our lives went on pretty much like any Monday. I hated this day when I was delivering mail, for several reasons. Most of the businesses weren't open, but you never knew which ones from year to year, so you would have to carry the mail all day just in case. Everyone that you met on the street, and believe me when I tell you that you met everyone, would look at you with a stunned expression on their face and say " Are you working today?"   


I would usually say something like "Yeah, I don't have to, but I figured what would I do at home." Or maybe "Shit! Do you mean to tell me that TODAY is Family Day?" I would keep track year to year to compare how many times I was asked if I were working. I think that 1992 was the year of the morons for me. The good thing was that the roads were virtually empty but on the flip side there would be more dogs wandering around than usual.  


 It is interesting that Alberta was the first province to institute Family Day. It was when Don Getty was premier during the mid nineties and he was facing a scandal because his son was arrested for use and possession of cocaine. He expressed remorse that he hadn't spent more time with his family and thus was born Family Day. Who says the voters can't be bought off?  


 If you have a Family Day where you live or just any mid winter day off, I hope that you enjoyed the day and that you have an easy time for the rest of the week. One more day till hump day.