Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Hammock Rats Unite

July 22, 2008 - String up a bit of fabric between two palm trees, crawl in, and spend the day doing exactly what relaxing is all about - complete unplugging. Hammock time is special. You need special balance to get in to the hammock. Special skills to get out of the hammock (on your feet, not your face). Throw in a tropical beverage, and you need a whole new set of abilities. More than just a kinesthetic sense, hammock balance has to take in to account the trade winds, sobriety levels and swing factor. The three times in my life that I've spent time in a hammock, I have been able to manage an elegant, graceful, face-plant exit. Today is Hammock Day. I can assure you that I will not celebrate this one, but if you have the ability to get out of a hammock, you definitely should. After all, it's summer, it's warm, and it's a great day to take a mini break. Could be a great day to laze around with a possword cruzzle.

A what? A possword cruzzle? That is a spoonerism and today is Spoonerism Day (Doonerism Spay?) A spoonerism is the accidental swapping of the first sounds in a pair of words. I don't generally do a spoonerism when I'm typing - but when using my words - it's another story. Words are hard, and when you have so much to say and so few words to say them it cakes the take. Spoonerisms are named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner, who was especially prone to these slips of the tongue. There were some doozies in his sermons. How about "The Lord is a shoving leapard", "it is kisstomary to cuss the brid", "We'll have the hags flung out", and my favourite "Let us pray for our queer old dean". Imagine keeping a fraight stace in one of his sermons? Even the Pied Piper (can't do anything to that one) would have laughed.

Today is also Rat Catcher's Day - or the Pied Piper Day. There is no great reason for July 22nd to be picked for this day, but it seems that legend states the Pied Piper rid Germany of the rats on or around June 26th. Who knows - but if you happen to see a rat catcher, or a Pied Piper in your travels today say cheers. I wouldn't however listen to the flute... never mind falling out of a hammock, you might end up face down in a river.

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