2018: By The Numbers

Day #273 of 2018 was the last day of September and, thus, 9/30/2018 was the last day of the third quarter of the year.  Wonderful weather, time spent with family, and capped by a softball game and a teammate's 16th birthday celebration after the game (to bad we could not get her a win on her birthday!) The number for today is 92.... only 92 days left in 2018, and we'll waltz off to classic Tschaikovsky to honor 3/4 time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxHkLdQy5f0

It is usually the case that palindromic days are the best days.  And Day #272 of 2018 was great.  Really great.  From Soccer Community Day through getting all errands done and ending up with a Phillies win.  All in great weather.  9/29/18 was great, and was also National Coffee Day so I am guessing that Americans drank more than the average of 400 million (yes, 400 MILLION) cups of coffee today.  I shared an iced coffee with Anna and I do not usually have any, so I guess I helped the average today.  For today's number, we are going to go with 400,000,000 because I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around such a large number.  For today's song, let's jive to java. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XxsasUHzaQ

The 271st day of 2018 would have been the 80th birthday of musician Ben E. King.  And, on 9/28/18, this makes me think of all of the people in the world who need people to stand by them, and the people in my life who have stood by me when I have needed them (and continue to do so when I am still in need).  So, for today, we hold up 1938 (the year of Ben's birth) as our number of the day and listen to his classic song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwZNL7QVJjE

There were many steps to take on the 270th day of 2018.  9/27/18 was Back to School Night at the girls' High School.  5,933 steps later and I have met all of Anna's teachers and even got to say hello to some of Alexa's as well!  For the number of the day, let's go with 5,933 for the steps for the day (my feet hurt) and I took a long and winding road through the halls of Collingswood HS, so the Beatles can sing me to bed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR4HjTH_fTM

The news made me sad on the 269th day of 2018.  On 9/26/18, it is estimated that 570 people were victims of sexual assault in the US.  This is one person every 98 seconds and this is unacceptable.  I think it is important to note that in multiple studies, it is estimated that fewer than 10% of accusations are false.  And that is with 63% of the incidents going unreported (mainly because people are afraid of the repercussions of reporting, especially the disbelief and shaming.)  We need to believe, we need to support, and we need to educate to reduce this awful behavior.  We need to be better than this.  This is horrible.  The number of today is 570 (and I pray for each and every one of them).  And our song is about believing.  #IBelieveYou. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94MHIeeGwys

I know it's a made up holiday but I'd like to celebrate National Daughters Day.  So, on the 268th day of 2018 I want to smile and think about how much I love them and how proud of them I am for the women that they are becoming.  I also pray for the world into which they are entering and hope they are strong and confident and can avoid the pitfalls of the crazy world.  On 9/25/18, the number of the day is an amalgamation of their birthdays (402601) and this Tim McGraw song made me cry, so we can use it for the song of the day.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1XYn-al8lE

The 267th day of 2018 is also National Punctuation Day!  So, on 9/24/18, let's honor the 14 standard punctuation marks in English Grammar (so number of the day = 14 again!)  And, speaking of grammar, here's a song from my favorite sarcastic grammarian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc

Many sports things happened for the first time in a long time on the 266th day of 2018.  We sat out in the rain for about 6 hours watching three softball tournament games (I guess friendlies do not get rained out....sigh), we watched Carson Wentz return to the field in an NFL game after 9 months of waiting, we saw someone run for 100+ yards for the Seahawks for the first time since 2016 and we're now watching the Lions game, where their RB is 14 yards away from running for 100 yards for the first time since Thanksgiving 2013!  BUT, on 9/23/18, Tiger Wood won on the PGA Tour for the first time in 1,876 days.  I am not OK with the stupid things Tiger has done in his past and his petulance, at times, has grated on me.  But, frankly, he has also been subject to excess criticism and review....and people have claimed he'd never win again.  So I am hoping he has learned from his mistakes and I am hoping this is a redemptive event for him.  So the number of the day...

The 265th day of 2018 was the last partial day of Summer and, as of 9:54, Fall arrived!  So, of course, on 9/22/18, we attending softball AND football on this day that felt like Fall.  AND, at the football game, Penn won AND we saw Usher!  So, for the number of the day, we'll go with 954 to mark the time my favorite season started and, since good news makes me say "yeah!," we will listen to Usher and friends sing Yeah! as well! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxBSyx85Kp8

I knew the 264th day of 2018 was going to be a good one.  Because, on 9/21/18, Sarah and I took 1/2 days at work and we attended the wedding of another dear couple who met in the Penn Band.  And the wedding was great, the food was great, the friends were great, and the fun was great.  But the day started off strangely as a water main break and a car fire took me to work by a far different route.... but I got an amazing view (see my prior post) and I got to work 10 minutes early.  Start to finish, a remarkable day.  So 921 (for 9/21) will be our number of the day.  And this Scottish tune, about taking different roads and getting there early (before ye') is our song (even though, admittedly, it has NO congruence with the wedding AND it seems to have a sad vibe, and I am pretty happy with today.  But, frankly, it is past my bedtime and it's the one I came up with).  GOODNIGHT! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feLT7Btuqpc

On the 263rd day, after 635 days of waiting, the Cleveland Brown fans saw their team win!  I picked the Jets in my pool and was rooting actively for both teams (I identify with BOTH suffering fan bases (even if we did succeed last year!))  So, the number of the day in 635 for the days my friends had to wait AND this CeCe Peniston song says the rest! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk8mm1Qmt-Y

9/19/18 (919) and Day 262 of 2018 (262) was a DOUBLE PALINDROME day!  A great day ensued, good meetings at work, a celebration for a colleague who is soon getting married, and family time in the evening.  A really nice day.  But, though the whole day, I remembered the solemnity of Yom Kippur and thought about things (sins?) for which I need to atone.  At the forefront, is my temper.  I need to temper my temper, if you know what I mean, and will focus on this for the ensuing year!  But, for tonight, let's celebrate 919 (I love palindromes, sorry not sorry) and listen to The Pet Shop Boys singing about sins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRHetRTOD1Q

I did not have a cheeseburger on the 261st day of 2018.  Bummer, since 9/18/18 was National Cheeseburger Day.  It's been a pretty long day, so it's off to bed now holding up 1926 as the number of the day (approx creation of the cheeseburger is estimated to be 1926) and we'll listen to another Jimmy Buffet classic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJi4bln-hHQ

9/17/18 is National Constitution Day!  And, on the 260th day of 2018, I remember the Constitution Celebration that Penn Dining held in the old Civic Center in the Fall of 1987 (yes, 31 years ago) to celebrate its Bicentennial.  It was an amazing event, I remember stringing the wires for the card readers and all the setup required.  AND, I remember Joan Jett and the Blackhearts played a concert!  So, keeping that memory alive, we will have 231 as our number, celebrating the 231st birthday of the Constitution, and my favorite Joan Jett song (because who doesn't love Rock and Roll??) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC8oP4Z_xPw

On the 259th day of 2018, the influence of cell phones in our every day lives became acutely present.  Let's just say, we're all better off when we have our phones with us, but we should also control our use :-).  So, on 9/16/18, our number is the number of cell phones in the US (292.8 million, a 93% penetration in the market!) and, since it's still the Summer, we'll play the appropriate song of Summer 2012, from Carly Rae Jepsen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNaR-rxAic

9/15/18 is National Neonatal Nurse Day!  Being where I used to work, AND the fact that I know a lot of people having babies these days, I know a lot of people who are neonatal nurses or have needed neonatal nurses.  So, on the 258th day of 2018, I am choosing 40,000 as the number of the day since that is NAAN's estimate of the number of babies needing neonatal care each year.  And, I like this Blink 182 song that gives respect to ALL the SMALL things.  Goodnight! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsln18DvWqI

On the 257th day of 2018, Hurricane Florence is dominating the news.  SO, on 9/14/18, let's listen to this Scorpions hit and pray for the 645,000 without power (645,000 being our number of the day). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGfKi6kpdTQ

On the evening of the 256th day of 2018, I found myself being driven by Alexa.  Someone remarked to me it's like "Driving Miss (I said Mr.) Adam."..... so, on 9/13/18, I am thinking about other movies about people being driven.  Our number is 1981 for the release year of the movie Arthur, and our song is its theme.  The Best We Can Do, indeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMdwFkO8xA0

Day #255 has come and gone.  9/12/18 was National Video Games Day.  So let's tip our cap to one of the most classic games in history, PAC MAN!  The number of the day is a Pac Man Perfect Score: 3,333,360!  And this classic 80s song will be a sure earworm for us all! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-MONIvP6kI

9/11/18 was the 254th day of 2018.  Most of what I want to say has already been said on my page (and other pages).  So the number of today is 911 (for reasons totally understandable) and this Coco song is my song of the day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iDxU9eNQ_0

The 253rd day of 2018 was a pretty uneventful Monday.  It was busy as usual, starting with a chiropractor appointment, and ending with a Penn Band Rehearsal out of our Band Room (because of an eventful, leaky 252nd day of 2018).  But the best part of 9/10/18 was returning home to my family.  Because, as Jimmy Buffet sings in our song of the day, "Come Monday, it'll be alright; Come Monday, I'll be holding you tight."  So, on the 37th Monday of the year (37 being our number of the day), I will hold my family tight and hope you can do so as well, tonight! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnKKlf_FGwg

Day #252 (a palindromic day) started off at Old First Reformed UCC, assuring that it would be a good one.  And, despite the cool weather and the rain ALL day, 9/9/2018 was a good day.  I really appreciated Pastor Michael's message this morning.  It was about the labels that people can put on each other and the message that we should ignore these labels and love one another for who we are, even those that may disagree with us.  It was relevant to me as I observe discourse in our society these days.  On Facebook, in politics, in our communities..... I so try to be caring to all I encounter, even those with whom I have major philosophical differences.  But I know I am not perfect, so it is good to have this message reinforced to remind me to try to be others.  The number of today will be the palindromic 252 and I found this Akon song which I think is appropriate for now and into the Midterms in November..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLs-KN6wS6U

In November of 2005, Sarah started to work at Temple.  Now, I had always felt a slight connection to Temple because my dad used to teach there and because they are a prominent institution in Philadelphia (and a competitor for Penn Basketball), but Sarah working there definitely connected our family (and thus, me) more.  On the 251st day of 2018 we enjoyed watching the Owls take on the Bulls of Buffalo and, although we wished for a different outcome, we had a great time and, for the first time, got to be in a Suite in LFF (surrounded by Superbowl Championship vibes).  A great time for us, so we will honor 2005 since that is when Sarah started to work there.  And, here is Temple's Fight Song for us to sing as we head to bed!  T for Temple U! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbZwRmRUO7I

9/7/2018 is the 250th day of 2018.  It was also the 2nd day of school for my kids (only 178 to go).  After work, I came home in the pouring rain and found the kids playing on the Wii.  So, I joined them.  It was fun to play games, even if inside (at least we were dry).  And, yes, I came in last, but fun was had.  The number of today will be 178 and we will hear the Alan Parsons Project sing about games people play.  Have fun this weekend! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLi7Ljcy6n8

On 9/6/2018, it was (I hope) the last 90+ day of 2018.  The 249th day of 2018 is also the opening day of the NFL season and the SUPERBOWL CHAMPION EAGLES are playing the Falcons tonight.  It's been 214 days since the last football game, so that will be our number of the day, and we will turn to Hank Williams, Jr who asks the question, ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL??? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8LLKO0-PAE

So it's Day #248 of 2016.  And 9/5/2018 is the eve of the 12th First Day of School for the Sherr Family.  And, the girls are back in the same school again, for two more years.  How did we get to 9th and 11th grades?  Time moves on and we have 12 (for the 12th year) as our number of the day and, although the movie was pretty bad (even though it DID star Michelle Pfeiffer), this back to school song from Grease 2.  Bed early, pictures tomorrow! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bbTEJCoNxw

Even though we have reached September, it was really hot on 9/4/18.  Day #247 was too hot.  I want this to end.  For the number, we will hold up 103 (the "real feel" temperature today (adding in the humidity - which is also oppressive!)  And this Asia song came on the radio as I was driving to work today and it is appropriate!  HEAT of the moment, indeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDpPoytXVvo

I, myself, have never been a part of a union.  Although I did, in the summers in the early 90s, pay union dues/fees at a catering job.  But, as the summer comes to a close with the Labor Day Weekend I, on the 246th day of 2018, 9/3/18, Labor Day, am thinking about my grandfather and his work with the Postal Union in the 30s.  I am thankful for those who went for me, fighting for better working conditions, for the 40-hour work week, for vacation time.... although I have never been in a union, I know that I benefit each day from the work of those who did.  So, for today's number, we will honor 1886, the year when the AFL was started, and I stole the song of the day, a Pete Seeger special, from my mom's FB page (thanks mom).  Let's thank a union member today! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C13JFv4JfH8

On the 245th day of 2018, the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend, a great family tradition continued.  The Annual Walters Family Picnic was held on 9/2/18 and all three Walters children were there with their families (all six grandchildren and even four boyfriend/girlfriends).  Uncles and Aunts and Cousins and more!  Thirty people in all enjoyed the company, the seafood, the steaks, the fun, the conversation, and the dessert (oh the desserts!)  It is an amazing tradition and it signals (to me) the end of the Summer and the start of the Fall season (even if the weather does not seem to agree).  For our number of the day, we will go with 30, the number of attendees, and Rod Stewart will sing about us Having a Party!  Hope your Labor Day Weekend has been grand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQQgt7PCJuk

The 244th day of 2018 was a pretty quiet one.  Hot and Humid outside again and so I stayed inside and did work and relaxed.  We are 2/3 through the year as we enter the last four months of the year.  So 2/3 will be our number of the day and we will count 1-2-3 with Gloria Estefan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNJf2ySQVZI