Weather ~ Throw Back Thursday ~ Mike Hannan ~ Dude ~ Picture of the Day ~ Colossal Squid ~ Cheddar Potato Patties ~ Mary & Gil Zavala ~ National Hairstylists Appreciation Day

Good 50º dark cloudy morning. It looks like it's going to rain, but rain isn't predicted until the weekend. We'll see.....


Yesterday we warmed to 80º and then got really windy..... the wind was howling!!! 

Throw Back Thursday ....  Woodrow Wilson High School, Los Angeles, 1963

Tuesday Mike came over and did a bunch of weed-eating and mowing.

The front yard looks sooooo much better now and Dude is happy to lay in the short grass instead of the grass that just about went over his head!!! :o)

Picture of the Day ...  :o)

Interesting about the Colossal Squid...

The Colossal Squid has the largest eye in the animal kingdom. At up to 11.8 inches  in diameter, experts often describe it as the size of a dinner plate or, in other words, as big as a human head or basketball.

The Colossal Squid is the largest invertebrate known to science; it also has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom. Besides each one of the Colossal Squid’s eyes being up to 11.8 inches across, each eye has a lens the size of an orange. The huge eyes allow the squid to see in dim light conditions, very useful for an animal that spends most of its time hunting at 2000 meters below the surface.

It must also be mentioned that only sub-adult Colossal Squids have been captured and studied by man. It is believed that a full-grown Colossal Squid may grow up to 15 meters long. These giants must have even bigger eyes. Unlike the Giant Squid, the Colossal Squid has stereoscopic vision, having a greater ability to judge distances. Even more amazing, each eye has a built-in 'headlight', an organ known as a photophore which can produce light so that whenever the Colossal Squid focuses its eyes to the front, the photophores produce enough light for the squid to see its prey in the dark.
The first specimens were discovered and described in 1925. In 1981, an adult specimen was discovered, and in 2003 a second specimen was collected.Captured in 2007, the largest live colossal squid weighed 1,091 pounds,and is now on display with a second specimen at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

From Mr. Food...

Need a holiday potato recipe that isn't like the rest? Any feast is sure to take on tasty excitement with these delicious Cheddar Potato Patties. Made with creamy mashed potatoes and savory cheddar cheese, these are company special!

 

• 5 large Idaho Russet potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks, boiled until tender, drained, and kept warm (see Note)
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk, divided
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• • 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups dry bread crumbs

   

  
  

  1. Preheat oven to broil. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
      
  2. In a large bowl, combine hot cooked potatoes, 1/3 cup milk, and the butter. With an electric mixer, whip until smooth. Add parsley, salt, pepper, onion powder, and cheese; mix well.
      
  3. In a shallow dish, beat eggs and remaining milk. Place bread crumbs in another shallow dish.
  4. Shape potato mixture into 1-1/2-inch balls. Dip potato balls in egg then in bread crumbs, coating completely with each. Place potato balls on prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly with your palm.
  5. 
      Broil each side 4 to 6 minutes, or until golden.

  *** A great way to use leftover mashed potatoes. Just warm them before mixing with other ingredients. If they are already seasoned, cut down on any additional salt and pepper. 

   

Today is a very special anniversary... high school pal and fellow Job's Daughter Mary (Fancher) and her hubby (also high school pal) Gil Zavala are celebrating their 54th Anniversary. CONGRATULATIONS kids!!!

Historically this date......

1789 – On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States.

1803 – Louisiana Purchase: The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, more than doubling the size of the young nation.

1812 – The Territory of Orleans becomes the 18th U.S. state under the name Louisiana.

1900 – Casey Jones dies in a train wreck in Vaughn, Mississippi, while trying to make up time on the Cannonball Express.

1927 – Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first celebrities to leave their footprints in concrete at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide after being married for one day. Soviet soldiers raise the Victory Banner over the Reichstag building.

1947 – In Nevada, the Boulder Dam is renamed Hoover Dam a second time.

And births this date include....

1877 – Alice B. Toklas, American companion of Gertrude Stein (d. 1967)

... a very interesting read!

1908 – Eve Arden, American actress (d. 1990)

1926 – Cloris Leachman, American actress

1933 – Willie Nelson, American musician

Busy life, wives/children/marijuana.....

1938 – Gary Collins, American actor (d.2012)

.... the boy has racked up quite a few of mug shots over the years for DUI and dine and dash....

1943 – Bobby Vee, American singer (d.2016)

All I know. Nuff said. Happy TBT. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Each year on April 30th, National Hairstylist Appreciation Day honors hairstylists everywhere who make artful hairstyles possible. A talented hairstylist will not only make you look good but also make you feel good. This day also celebrates the uniqueness of all styles of hair.

Hairstylists receive training that gives them experience with a variety of textures, styles, and colors. No matter your style, your hairstylist knows the latest cuts and fashions to make your favorite looks come true. They also know how to keep your hair healthy and manageable, too. Whether you like it short, piled high, or sassy, stylists spend their days honing their skills so you look your best.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Celebrate your hairstylist by thanking them for their kindness or lending ear. Their morale-boosting, confidence building and self-esteem building talents allow us to look our best. Send flowers, give an appreciation card, leave an extra special tip, or maybe send a gift!  Order a gift card for future cuts and share your hairstyle, along with the first name of your hairstylist on social media using #HairstylistAppreciationDay.

 

Weather ~ My Mountain ~ Picture of the Day ~ Arizona State Capital ~ Loaded Potato Bites ~ National Zipper Day

Good 51º cloud cover morning. 

Yesterday stayed sunny and we topped at 86º!

This was my mountain first thing with some sun coming through the clouds and hitting on some trees, the yellow part. The sun comes up from the mountain behind me and sets behind this one....

Picture of the Day ... LOL. Great cronavirus mask, especially since today is National Zipper Day! (shared by Dave Clark, LASD ret)

Interesting about Arizona's state capital...

Phoenix is the capital and the largest city in the U.S. state of Arizona. The city is the county seat of Maricopa County. It is the largest capital city in the United States and the only capital with over more than million people. The city is along the normally dry Salt River. It became a city on February 25 1881. People who live in Phoenix are known as Phoenicians.

Phoenix had about 1,475,834 people in 2005. It is the fifth-largest city in the United States in the 2000 census. Phoenix is a very large city. It has an area of 515 square miles. This makes it the 10th largest city by area. As of 2006, the Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was the 13th-largest in the United States, with an estimated 4,039,182 people.

As early as 700 AD, the Hohokam people lived in the land that would become Phoenix. The Hohokam created about 135 miles (217 km) of irrigation canals. This let them grow things on the land.

Arizona’s capital city might have been called “Salina,” “Stonewall,” or even “Pumpkinville,” had it not been for a spurious English “Lord” named Darrell Duppa. Duppa was a well-educated world traveler who, it was rumored, was given a substantial allowance by his wealthy English relatives to remain permanently at large.

His raucous lifestyle, highlighted by epic bouts with dipsomania was, no doubt, a source of embarrassment to his relatives and contributed to his banishment to Arizona. It was said “Lord” Duppa was fluent in seven languages. Unfortunately for his listeners, the erudite eccentric spoke all seven in the same paragraph.

A committee was chosen to select a name for the new settlement on the banks of the Salt River one sunny October day in 1870. An intrepid group of entrepreneurs led by Jack Swilling had cleaned out some prehistoric canals dug by the now-vanished Hohokam people; an irrigation company had been organized and plans were being made to develop farms. Soon the arid valley would grow crops to supply the military post at Fort McDowell and the mining camps throughout the Bradshaw Mountains. Now they decided it was time to give the place a name.

Swilling wanted to call the new settlement “Stonewall,” after his hero, the late “Stonewall” Jackson. Another member chose Salina for the Salt River. Still another wanted Pumpkinville for the wild pumpkins growing in the area. When Duppa’s turn came, he arose and waxed eloquently on the ancient civilization that had once flourished on the land where they stood. He predicted the rise of another great civilization on the same site. In his inimitable elocutionary style Duppa compared the phenomenon to the mythical Phoenix bird in Egypt that lived 500 years, then rose from its own funeral pyre to flourish again.

Needless to say, Duppa’s proposal carried the day.

From Mr. Food

These rich and creamy Loaded Potato Bites are everything you love about a loaded baked potato! What a super change of pace to team with your main dish favorites!

 

• 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes, warmed (see Note)
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup bacon bits
• 2 egg yolks, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, cheese, scallions, and bacon bits. Using your hands, roll the mashed potato mixture into 1-inch balls. Flatten slightly and place on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with egg yolk.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

** You can used leftover mashed potatoes, make a new batch, or just use instant. Just remember to season them the way you like them!

Historically this date.....

1945 – World War II – Fuehrerbunker: Adolf Hitler marries his longtime partner Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker and designates Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor. Both Hitler and Braun will commit suicide the next day.

1945 – The Dachau concentration camp is liberated by United States troops.

1945 – The Italian commune of Fornovo di Taro is liberated from German forces by Brazilian forces.

1967 – After refusing induction into the United States Army the day before (citing religious reasons), Muhammad Ali is stripped of his boxing title.

1986 – A fire at the Central library of the City of Los Angeles Public Library damages or destroys 400,000 books and other items.

1992 – Los Angeles riots: Riots in Los Angeles, California, following the acquittal of police officers charged with excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next three days 53 people are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed.

2004 – Oldsmobile builds its final car ending 107 years of production.

2011 – Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Kate Middleton.

And births this date include....

1917 – Celeste Holm, American actress (d.2012)

1951 – Dale Earnhardt, American race car driver (d. 2001)

1954 – Jerry Seinfeld, American comedian

1958 – Michelle Pfeiffer, American actress

1958 – Eve Plumb, American actress

1970 – Andre Agassi, American tennis player

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Hump Day. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Zipper Day commemorates April 29, 1913, when the patent for the modern zipper was issued. The day celebrates something that we often do not think about and may automatically take for granted.

The first attempt at creating the zipper came from the inventor of the sewing machine. In 1851, Elias Howe received a patent for the “Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure.” However, Howe never marketed his invention and missed the recognition he may have received.

Forty-two years later, Whitcomb Judson began selling the “Clasp Locker.” Very similar to Elias Howe’s patent, this device served as a more complicated hook-and-eye shoe fastener. Judson started the Universal Fastener Company where he manufactured his new device and debuted it at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. There he met with very little success. Because Judson put his invention before the public for sale, he earned credit as its creator.

In 1906, the Universal Fastener Company also hired Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American electrical engineer. He was highly skilled and known for his devotion to the company. On April 29, 1913, he was granted a patent for the modern zipper, known then as the “Separable Fastener.” He submitted modifications to his invention in 1917. Today we wear designs quite similar to the ones Sundback created in his patent. While he may have called them a separable fastener, we know them as zippers. 

By 1923, B.F. Goodrich popularized the word zipper as it applied to use in the boots and pouches it made. The company even copyrighted the name for a time.  

 

NATIONAL ZIPPER DAY HISTORY

The day commemorates the date in 1913 when the zipper was patented by Gideon Sundback on April 29, 1913.