Gladys, #13, and the Whole Crazy Love Thing

MAN--I am here to tell you that I am glad that it is FRIDAY! Even if it is Friday 13th!

Before I say anything else, I would like to offer up a prayer for the 50 people killed in the Continental airplane crash last night in New York and their families. One of the women that died was a 9/11 widow and I read where one family member is seeking comfort in the fact that they are now together again. How random is that to think that both were victims of airplane crashes? Things like that make you seriously consider the odd twists of fate that occur. A frequent traveler myself, I find events such as this to be both traumatic and frightening. Life is short and you never know when the Big Guy is going to call you home, so I always say a quick little prayer going up and a mental thanks whenever I land.

Friday the 13th really freaks some people out! To be afraid of it is called : paraskavedekatriaphobia. I do not consider myself to be superstitious but I have some friends that are! It is estimated that between 17 and 21 million Americans have an issue with this day. The whole "don't let a black cat cross your path or walk under a ladder or step on a crack" thing is a bit over the top for me. Still, it makes you want to be a little extra cautious, because WHAT IF? Here are a few facts:

One theory states that it is a modern amalgamation of two older superstitions: that thirteen is an unlucky number and that Friday is an unlucky day.

* In numerology, the number twelve is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours of the clock, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve Apostles of Jesus, twelve gods of Olympus, etc., whereas the number thirteen was considered irregular, transgressing this completeness. There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper or a Norse myth, that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners.[5]
* Friday has been considered an unlucky day at least since the 14th century's The Canterbury Tales,[3] and many other professions have regarded Friday as an unlucky day to undertake journeys or begin new projects. Black Friday has been associated with stock market crashes and other disasters since the 1800s.[6][9] It has also been suggested that Friday was the day that Jesus was crucified.

Has anyone ever heard of Gladys? She is this 88 year old lady in Austin, TX. Please look to the right of the page and go to Alley Jackson's latest post. This lady called in to Ellen DeGeneres show and then Ellen called her again because she was hilarious. I was roaring by myself this morning in my office (yes, a little You Tube will get your Friday off to a great start!). My favorite thing Gladys said was "I love Jesus but I drink a little!" I thought, me too, Gladys, me too! Ellen could not breath. Gladys went on to clarify that she doesn't drink much, just enough to keep her blood thin. Me too, Gladys! Me too! Anyways, check that out--old people are really awesome. Maybe I'll own a nursing home one day just to hang out with old people for a living. Such perspective! Love my grandparents (Hey Gran!) Gran is my most devoted blog reader.

Tomorrow is VALENTINE'S DAY! Happy Love Day to all! I hope everyone gets hugs and kisses, if not from a boyfriend or girlfriend, but from a good friend or at least your dog or cat. I formally asked John to be my Valentine, because you cannot simply ASSUME that one will be your Valentine (I could not have ANYONE else ask him could I???) He accepted, so that was big. So as not to embarrass him, I'll just say John is a pretty swell fella.

We do not make a big "to do" over Valentine's Day, we find it to be a fun holiday in which to celebrate LOVE! You can never get reservations on the day of, unless weeks/months in advance, and in my opinion--you need to love each other every day- all year! Besides, I like to be surprised and it would be tough to get me on Vday =) We spend under $20 on each and do cards-works for me! I have a small jar of flowers on my desk he picked up the other night when he cooked for me, now that's a good man! (It is an unspoken fact that John is the better cook--I'm too embarrassed to blog about the Mexican casserole incident). Naked Art Gallery is having a Vday party tonight so I think we're going to swing by there later...I bought a festive Vday tshirt at Old Navy that I am rockin today...I believe in themes!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!