Happy National Whatever You Want it to Call it Day

Today, in case you didn't know, was National Cookie Day. And yes, I ate cookies all day today. I would like someone to give me the recipe for those oatmeal cookies with butterscotch bits in them. Oh, my goodness, I ate two of them, but I could easily have eaten six. And two macadamia white chocolate chip cookies, two little cookie press cookies, the kind my mother used to make at Christmas, and one little chocolate chip cookie, and yet, I am sitting here tempted to eat one of the sugary "holiday" cookies (AKA Christmas cookies) I got at Aldi last week, sugar cookies, all red and green and sugary and some with chocolate on them. Will this ever stop? I must resist. I don't remember there being all these eccentric national days for everything when I was growing up, but now it seems like every day I'm hearing about another crazy national day of something or other. It's actually kind of redundant at times. There are a whole bunch of crazy ideas for the second Friday after Thanksgiving. It's also called National Black Friday Day. Did you know that? I didn't. It's also National Bartender Day and Bathtub Party Day. The first Friday in December is Faux Fur Friday. Sometimes it falls on the 4th. Something about all this makes me wonder if any of it is official. Probably just something with which to amuse ourselves, as always--that or buy something. We are always looking for new ways to amuse ourselves, aren't we? And a day invented by some entrepreneur to call attention to his or her product or service he or she is selling. National Cookie Day is a wonderful idea, don't get me wrong. I like Pi Day too, don't you? That's March 14, because, well, if you want to know why, you can ask AI. I don't understand it, and if you are mathematical, you probably already know. If you're not, join the club. I just like the idea of eating pie that day, or any day, really, I just can't eat it now, because I've been eating cookies all day. This could also have been National Old Car Day for me. I had to go get two new tires on the front of my old car and now it's making a noise I have to attend to as soon as possible, but I'm going to wait until I'm out of school for Christmas. I'm out of school for Christmas, not for Winter, so I am really annoyed when people call it "winter break." It's Christmas Vacation. But I digress. Yes, National Old Car Day. I could call it National Spend-a-Fortune-on-Your-Car Day, but that would be a bit cumbersome. The one guy that works at the garage I take it to now for everything including gas is because it's the only full-service station left in Topeka, and I know it won't be there forever. The owner said you can't make any money doing it. I wonder why. I am going there because nobody ever told me you were supposed to check your oil every week or so, which has now become my new reality, and I don't want to check my oil. I want a guy to do it. So, I'm willing to pay nearly 45 cents more a gallon for gas to get the full service. By the way, I encourage you to go there. It's Darrell's Auto Service, 4300 SW 21st St., Topeka, Kansas. Do it now, while you still can. It's so great. Down with self-service gas stations. It's a scam. Why would anyone prefer self- service to full service? Why? Tell me why. I know. Because it's cheaper. Is that all anyone cares about anymore? Life was better before self-service. I now realize I have apparently been initiated into a subculture of people who don't believe in buying new cars, but also realize you will spend probably a couple of thousand dollars or more a year (I'll have to ask him again the amount he quoted me) keeping your old car running. And they have all the know-how on how to keep your old car running. I believe that. How else could people drive these antique cars around town? I don't know. I did take one of my old cars to be serviced so much that they finally told me they couldn't do anything else for it, and that I should take it back to the dealership, which is what I ended up doing. Well, I think I traded it in for a Nissan. It was a Ford. I haven't driven anything but Nissans for a few years now. And this guy today wants to tell me that I can't remember whether it's Honda or Toyota that he says is better, but I won't hold that against him. Well, it's time for me to get ready for bed. I guess I've made my point. I really like that verse that says, "This is the day that the LORD has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24), and I'm going to try to keep that in the forefront of my mind, especially around the holiday season. So, I guess that's what I'll try to do in the morning. It is Friday, too, which we all celebrate quite a bit at school. I learned a new word in Spanish today: "reto"; it means "challenge.” I never heard it in my life. I am learning so much from the boy I'm helping with English. He gave a presentation yesterday and I was so proud of him, my heart swelled up with joy. I love my work and this has been a lifetime dream come true. I never knew how anyone could love a job, but that is just one more thing Jesus has done for me. Have a good night. Love, Carolyn