Have you signed up for the Good Morning Polk! Newsletter yet? No? You’re missing out. Make sure to sign up here. Reminder: if you signed up and aren’t yet receiving it, there might be a good reason for that. Check your spam folder. Some folks have been seeing it there…
The Birthday Season
The other day, I used my Good Morning Polk message to pay tribute to my mother on her birthday, and the season continues today with my sister being the latest to celebrate.
We have The Birthday Season in my family, a stretch of time when three weeks of cake and presents usher end the close of winter and beginning of spring, usually with some sort of craziness happening by the time my birthday come around.
Kendall on the other hand gets to play it safe right in between Mom’s extravaganza and my reminder of the importance of disaster preparedness.
My sister, being a few years older than me, lives in DC with her husband, daughter and son, and they are probably some of the coolest people I know.
I would be slightly more expansive about my sister, but we have this unspoken agreement that I don’t dig into that particular garden too deeply. Mostly because I’m not one to want to exploit tmnt niece and nephew.
I will at least tell a story – one of my favorite from South Carolina days before she graduated and went off to college – involving a trip to Dairy Queen.
At random times during our teenaged years, Kendall and I would declare temporary peace between our older sister/younger brother styled Cold War and after school would find something to do together. She was 16 or 17 at the time, and commanded the keys to the family’s Isuzu Trooper we lovinginly called The Wookie, due to its constantly squeaking brakes.
Our short-lived truce between our households that afternoon was being celebrated at a Dairy Queen on Lady’s Island, South Carolina, and we had combined our pocket change to make the purchase.
This part of the story requires some bit of a description of my sister. We had at the time a similar facial structure and height. She’s under five feet in height.
At, I dunno, 13 at the time I’d not yet hit that summer growth spurt and reached my “average” height, so was around the same size.
At first, I’ll admit the feeling of being “that guy who pays in pennies” was weighing heavy on my conscious. The poor cashier was going to spend a decent amount of time counting it all out.
We were ordering our delicious frozen treats when that feeling completely changed. The cashier, probably a grade or so above Kendall at Beaufort High School, made a fatal mistake. She asked if we were twins.
Suffice to say, no measure of guilt has ever crossed my mind again when pocket change is what I have left to pay for a couple gallons of gas to get me home.
Twins. Pft.
Happy birthday, sis! May you enjoy this day with some soft serve and remembering old times fondly.
-Kevin the Editor
Several people have expressed their desire to support Polk.Today via a contribution of some kind, but don’t feel comfortable using PayPal to do so. Those who do? Use the link. But you know what? I totally understand why you might not want to contribute via online payments. I have to have credit card processing of some kind, and it is convenient for me, but not so much for you. Totally understood. If you want to make a contribution of some kind to help keep Polk.Today free for all, you can mail a check directly to my office box at 113 N. Main St., Ste. 2, Cedartown, Ga., 30125. Those who give at least $60 will of course receive a free subscription to Kevintheeditor.com when it launches later this month. Thanks to everyone who has given so far! E-mail me at kevin@polk.today anytime you want to chat.
Today’s forecast
Sunday Funday requires a forecast that is nice. If you can stand a little chill in the air through the afternoon, today’s high of 61 will certainly be something to enjoy here in Polk County. However, those who have plants or seedlings out to get some sun better bring them in for the overnight hours. It’s supposed to be down to 31 for the low heading into Monday. Expect much nicer weather for the week ahead, starting with a high of 67 to open the week, a high of 68 on Tuesday, and up to 72 on Wednesday.
In fact, expect 70 degree weather after Wednesday through week’s end. Chances of rain return for next weekend, but temps should say in the mid-70s.
Something to Watch for Brunch
For those who haven’t seen the latest from SpaceX, SN 10 successfully landed after demonstrating the belly flop maneuver once again, but did blow up spectacularly less than half an hour later.
Something to Read on a Sunny Afternoon
Inequality of all kinds is a problem in America. Gender inequality might be one of the most immediate in impact during the pandemic. Women have it hard right now. We all owe them a huge debt of gratitude. (From Time.com)
On the Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” President Biden announces new voting rights order.
A Tech story you want to know about: Microsoft Exchange servers are suffering ongoing attacks from Chinese hackers. Note that I said ongoing. The hacking groups haven’t stopped despite Microsoft knowing what’s up.
Speaking of Presidents, the Fulton DA is bringing in some heavy guns in the RICO case being developed against former President Trump. (AJC.com)
Gov. Cuomo in New York has another ex-aide accusing him of inappropriate conduct.
An item I missed from earlier in the week: check out this chariot found near Pompeii.
Why maybe mass vaccination sites aren’t a perfect system. Thousands in Oakland got the wrong dose.
Because we can’t have nice things: a person was shot and killed at the Memorial site in Minneapolis for George Floyd.
Idaho? Not usually a place you hear a lot of news from. Especially when it comes to protests.
