Make your Memorial Day worthy of remembrance.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: There's something about holiday weekends that appeal to almost everyone, but where most people, like Red, look forward to having an extra "weekend" day, we suspect that few people see it the same way that Black does.
Memorial Day weekend is more than just a holiday weekend, it's also the "unofficial" start to summer. For some, that means getting away for the weekend, whether for mini-vacations or visiting friends or family, while for others, it could be a day trip. But even if it's as simple as inviting friends or family to a barbeque or picnic, this year will be special as life's slowly starting to return to some level of normalcy (whatever that is!) for people who have been vaccinated. (Although we still need to be "smart" about it.) Which, in itself, is something to celebrate. Not that Red needed a reason,
I'm not sure yet how what I'm doing this weekend, but I may go to my local AMC movie theater for the first time in over a year, which would make this a very memorable Memorial Day weekend. Or maybe just enjoy at home a great movie that honors those in the military. Or both! But I'm looking forward to being able to leisurely spend time in the kitchen (vs. hectic weekday meal preparation) and might even try some new recipes inspired by Memorial Day.
Well, we all need breaks from the craziness of our weeks and, let's face it, many weekends are often spent catching up from the week, so can be just as exhausting as the week itself. However, it sounds like Red's weekend will (hopefully) be spent doing things she loves. And the same for Black, but maybe not as you might imagine,
I can relate to you looking forward to leisure time in the kitchen, as I am looking forward to an extra day of uninterrupted work time at my computer. In fact, the only things on my calendar this holiday weekend are to put in an appearance at a Saturday evening birthday party in the building and an "appointment" on Memorial Day at 3 p.m. to observe the national moment of remembrance. So, it sounds like we both will be doing what we love best this weekend.
Most workaholics can rationalize working all the time. At least to themselves.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: “Gizmos” already blurred the lines between the workweek and the weekend, but the WFH (working from home) “revolution” caused by the pandemic has destroyed the line; except for people like Black, who have always treated every day as a workday.
So, is being a workaholic a bad thing? Well, we both agree that having two days where we (hopefully) get time to do what we enjoy is exactly what weekends are all about. And while Black will admit that she doesn’t love every aspect of her work life, there’s nothing she rather be doing. (And points out to Red that could also be said of parenting.) Regardless, Red has always found Black’s total love of work a bit perplexing, and she’s definitely not the only one who has used the phrase “she needs to get a life” when describing her sister. Black, of course, sees it very differently,
Whether it’s just a regular weekend or, even better, a long holiday weekend, I look forward to the “time off” to work on strategic projects needing large blocks of uninterrupted time or one of my passion projects. From the outside, others might see it as “working”, but I am doing what makes me happy.
Red knows better than to argue with Black and wasn’t surprised that she could make being a workaholic sound like a good thing. But since Black lives alone and never had children (although she always finds time for Red’s girls), our priorities and ideas about a “wonderful weekend” are very different,
While it often seems like my weekends are as busy as my weekdays because I’m catching up on all the personal things I don’t have the time to do during the week, it makes me appreciate the “time off” even more – whether escaping to a movie (ok, my passion is popcorn), going for a Dunkin coffee (it brings back memories of growing up in New York), reading, or climbing into bed to watch some old episodes of Downton Abbey.
So, while Black may roll her eyes at what Red chooses to do with her quiet time, she'd be the first to point out we all have very different ways of spending our weekends, but we should all do whatever makes us happy. Wouldn’t you agree?
We all “celebrate” Memorial Day differently, but we all should remember it’s a day to honor those who gave their lives serving this country.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Memorial Day may be the unofficial start of summer, and Red remembers celebrating over the years with family get-togethers, barbeques, and pool parties; whereas Black “celebrates” most holidays by having a quiet day to work uninterrupted, but it’s important never to forget the significance of the holiday.
For Red,
It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the festivities, but as a lover of history, I was fascinated to learn the history of Memorial Day goes back to the Civil War. But what’s most important is that we each find a way to remember that Memorial Day honors those men and women who’ve given their lives for this country.While Black believes,
Today is a day to put aside politics and think about patriotism. It is about gratitude. About sacrifice. About honoring those who paid the greatest price for believing in something that is bigger than all of us.
Think about what the day means to you or read the words of others who pay respect to fallen members of the military (here and here). And join us in observing the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 p.m. local time.
What were the odds a Kentucky Derby winner would “sit out” the second of the Triple Crown races?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Everybody loves a good sports comeback story, but what about when the story’s about someone (or, in this case, some horse) that no one ever expected to even be in the race, let alone win; but while Red’s amazed by the story, Black’s more focused on the initial mindset and subsequent decisions.
While growing up, Red would watch the Kentucky Derby with our dad, although now she’s more interested in movies about horse racing. In fact, one of her favorite movies is “Seabiscuit,” which tells the real-life story of a horse (not to mention a jockey and a trainer) that overcame all odds by beating the Triple Crown winner War Admiral by four lengths in a two-horse special race.
Even if the movie is on in the background (she’ll never convince Black it’s just “white noise” and not distracting), the recreated scenes in the movie always make Red stop and watch. But nothing quite prepared her for watching the real-life video of Rich Strike seemingly coming out of nowhere, as she was far back in the field for much of the race.
Watching Rich Strike expertly and elegantly weaving, at increasing speed, in and out of the “lanes” at Churchill Downs left me in awe of the athleticism of the horse and skill of the jockey. But, at the same time, I couldn’t help but laugh as it reminded me of busy Texas highways with drivers that insist on ducking and weaving through traffic at high speeds.
Black, on the other hand, appreciates the statistics – Rich Strike was not only a long shot (80-1), but the second greatest longshot in Derby history, with a first-time Kentucky Derby jockey and trainer. And what that meant was, against all odds, including not training at a high-profile stable and without an extremely wealthy owner, they came to the gate a bunch of “no names” but with an extraordinary combination of ability, preparation, and a commitment to never give up.
Less than a week later, Rich Strike’s owner, Rick Dawson, shocked the horse racing world by announcing they wouldn’t be running the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, explaining it was part of the original plan to give Rich Strike more recovery time and rest between races. And when Red asked her if she believed that, Black explained,
If it is true, it makes sense. And, even if it was not part of the original plan, it still makes sense. After the Kentucky Derby, they said they only enter races they think they can win. So, following that logic, they will get more press if they do not run the Preakness than if they do and do not win. And, will get more excitement going (and time to train) if they run Belmont. Regardless, stating they are doing what is the right decision for the horse is something great to see.
Even though there will not be a Triple Crown contender this year, this season already has a winner that will go down in history … with a made-for-movies Cinderella story.