~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
July 26th, 2014

★~ Today’s Quote: “And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,  They danced by the light of the moon.” ― Edward Lear, The Owl and the Pussycat

★~ National Dance Day:

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“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.”
― William W. Purkey

★~ National Day of the Cowboy:

National Day of the Cowboy was started as a way to contribute to the preservation of America’s rich cowboy heritage.

The lack of any real written law in the Wild West made it very important for cowboys to create their own guidelines on how to live. These rules became known as the “Code of the West” – rules that were not written as statutes, but were always respected on the range.

• Live each day with honesty and courage.
• Take pride in your work. Always do your best.
• Stay curious. Study hard and learn all you can.
• Do what has to be done and finish what you start.
• Be tough, but fair.
• When you make a promise, keep it.
• Be clean in thought, word, deed, and dress.
• Practice tolerance and understanding of others.
• Be willing to stand up for what is right.
• Be an excellent steward of the land and its animals.

★~ Coffee Milkshake Day:

Coffee Lovers REJOICE! Beat the July heat and celebrate Coffee Milkshake Day by sipping your favorite brew—frozen instead of steaming hot.

★~ Today in History:

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♥~ 1903 – Horatio Nelson Jackson, a 31-year-old San Francisco physician and auto enthusiast, completed the first successful automobile drive across the United States — in a slighly used Winton. Jackson was accompanied by Sewall Crocker, who served as mechanic and backup driver on the cross-country trip. The trip took 63 days, 12 hours, and 30 minutes (they had left San Francisco on May 23); cost $8,000; and left a transcontinental trail littered with broken parts, tools, clothes, flat tires and tears. At the time, there were no gas stations and less than 150 miles (240 kilometers) of paved roads between coasts

♥~ 1969 – Sharon Sites Adams, at age 31, achieved her goal of becoming the first woman to sail solo across the Pacific Ocean. Adams sailed 5,618 miles in her 31-foot Sea Harp from Yokohama, Japan to San Diego, California in 74 days (she left Yokohama on May 12).

♥~ 1969 – The Archies entered the Billboard Hot 100 with “Sugar Sugar.” The Archies singing voices, from the TV cartoon show, were all provided by studio backups Ron Dante and Toni Wine. One of the hand-clappers was Ray Stevens. It was the top song of 1969.

★~Born Today:

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♥~ 1856 – George Bernard Shaw playwright: Pygmalion; died Nov 2, 1950

♥~  1875 – Carl (Gustav) Jung Swiss founder of analytic psychology.

♥~ 1902 – Gracie (Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie) Allen vaudeville, radio, TV, stage actress w/husband, George Burns: The Burns and Allen Show; College Swing, Honolulu, Two Girls and a Sailor, We’re Not Dressing; died Aug 27, 1964

♥~ 1943 – Mick (Michael) Jagger singer: group: The Rolling Stones: 41 hits [1964-89], 5 gold records, 8 number one hits [U.S.]: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, Get Off of My Cloud, Paint It, Black, Ruby Tuesday, Honky Tonk Women, Brown Sugar, Angie, Miss You; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer

♥~ 1949 – Roger Taylor (Meadows-Taylor) musician: drums: group: Queen: Seven Seas of Rhye, Killer Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, You’re My Best Friend, Somebody to Love, Another One Bites the Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Radio Ga-Ga; solo: LPs: Fun in Space, Strange Frontier

♥~ 1964 – Sandra Bullock Academy Award-winnning actress: The Blind Side [2010]; Speed, Speed 2: Cruise Control, The Net, While You Were Sleeping, A Time to Kill, Hope Floats, Forces of Nature, Miss Congeniality, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous, Fool Proof, Exactly 3:30, The Chambermaid, Premonition

♥~ 1968 –  Singer Jeannie C. Riley recorded “Harper Valley P.T.A.” The Tom. T. Hall song skyrocketed to #1 and became the country music Single of the Year.

♥~ 1996 – Amy Van Dyken became the first American woman to win four gold medals at a single Olympics as she captured the 50-meter freestyle in Atlanta.

★~ Elevator Gallimaufry:

Everyone loves a beautiful bathroom, right? On Friday after Cousin Carla, Cole and I completed the cupcake tour I suggested our next adventure should be exploring the bathroom on the 96th floor of the John Hancock building. I’d heard it was amazing. We quickly found out the only way to visit the bathroom is by way of having a drinks at the 96th floor bar; suffice to say that is was a very pricey bathroom visit.

The view from the bathroom was in fact awesome the only troubling thing was there were a lot of  people taking pictures which held up the line and Cousin Carla and I didn’t just come for the view, ya know. Frankly, my favorite part of the bathroom visit was the nifty hand dryer but maybe that was because I’d seen Lake Michigan and the hand dryers were new to me. Cole reported that there was no view in the Men’s room

Of-course, in order to get to the the 96th floor of the John Hancock Building you have to take an elevator and I thought this might be a good time to review some elevator etiquette.

Elevators are a goldmine for armchair anthropologists. Where else can you find a random sampling of 10 to 15 human beings with wildly different standards of personal space and personal hygiene forcibly commingled in such an awkward, tightly packed cube? Forget the dinner table — the elevator is where good manners matter the most.

In the 1960s, a scientist named Edward Hall invented the field of proxemics, the study of how humans use personal space as an important form of nonverbal communication. Hall’s experiments found that people — OK, American people — divide their personal space into four categories [source: Inglis-Arkell]:
Public space = at least 12 feet (3.6 meters) away
Social space = at least 4 feet (1 meter) away
Personal space = at least 1.5 feet (48 centimeters) away
Intimate space = way too close for anybody you don’t want to make out with
The elevator laughs at your definitions of personal and public space. “In here,” it proclaims, “we’re all equally uncomfortable!” To make the best out of your 40-second trip in vertical transportation hell, to the 96th floor of the Hancock building here are a few suggested rules.

Cue Up: 
At the Hancock they have attendants to help you form a line but not everyone is a good listener. If you’ve ever worked in an office building with one functioning elevator, you will be familiar with Mr. Oblivious. He’s the one who walks into a crowded lobby and waltzes straight up to the elevator doors (pressing the already pressed “up” button, of course) seemingly unaware of the snaking line of impatient people fantasizing about creative ways to hurt him. Then there’s Contestant No. 1 who thinks he’s on some sort of hidden-camera game show called “Guess That Elevator!” This guy ignores the rule of etiquette concerning multiple elevators. If there are four elevators in a busy building, you don’t split up into four groups like you’re betting on which one will “ding!” next. You should wait in a single-file line and board available elevators on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Ladies First, Unless They’re Second:  
The answer: It depends on the context. In a social situation — riding up to visit the bathroom room  — it’s customary for ladies to board and exit first.  In the workplace, women and men expect to be treated as equals. In an elevator, that means you should be equally unfriendly to everyone. If you’re a dude and you’re first in line, board first.
Of course, this may vary by U.S. region or country. If you’re female, and your male colleague steps aside so you can board first, say thank you and enjoy the courtesy.

Door Holding: 
What Would Gandhi Do? Ignore for a moment the hotly debated issue of whether the “door close” button even works. We’ll leave that to the experts. Our question is simple: Do you or do you not hold the door for a late-arriving passenger?
First there’s the “do unto others” and “karma” camp, who argue that you should hold the door open under all circumstances. Compassion and simple decency, they say, should override any complaints about wasted time. Then there are the hardliners who argue that no door should be held open under any circumstance, letting the wheels (or in this case, the doors) of fate decide.
Here’s a general policy — three different rules for three distinct situations:
If you are alone in the elevator, you should always hold the door.
If there are a few other people in the elevator, but you are the designated “button pusher,” use your discretion. (Did the person see your face? Do they seem desperate? Is it your boss?)
If the elevator is very full, let the doors close, but make a lame, shrugging “Sorry!” face.

When in Doubt, Spread Out:
Two people on an elevator should stand on opposite sides of the car.
Three to four should gravitate to the corners.
Five or more should space themselves evenly, face forward, keeping hands and arms straight down to avoid contact.
More than 10 should check the posted weight limit.

Don’t Face the Back, Weirdo:
Even if you ignore all other rules of elevator etiquette — you cut the line, talk loudly on your cell phone and travel a grand total of one floor — do not break this one: Face the doors. Most people can deal with standing way too close to someone for a few seconds, if that someone’s face is pointed in a neutral, parallel direction. If you turn around and put your back to the door, it creates an awkwardly confrontational standing situation. Or, your fellow riders might think you’re from another planet.
The whole “facing forward in the elevator” thing apparently came from the mid-1800s when elevators had a back row of benches [source: NPR]. (This seems like a custom that should be revived). The only exception to this front-facing rule might be standing with your back against one side of the elevator, but only in a noncrowded car situation.

Know the Difference Between Smiling and Staring: 
In an elevator, the correct place to stare is at your phone or the door, unless there’s a TV screen inside. Yes, elevators are giant dangling yo-yos of awkwardness, but one way to dissolve a little of the tension of traveling in a tight space with strangers is to give everyone a generic nodding smile. It’s an effective nonverbal way of saying, “Hi, I’m normal. Excuse me while I invade your intimate space.” The key to a good nodding smile is to keep eye contact to a minimum. After that, shift your attention immediately to something else. Anything else. Your smartphone. The exciting parade of numbers over the door. The scrawled inspection log. Researchers have found that in elevators, men tend to make no eye contact with anyone, while women do a quick glance around (probably to make sure no creeps are on board) [source: Driver].
All the more reason NOT to go back for seconds on eye contact. Staring is second only to passing gas on the list of elevator no-nos. The only exception is if you’re commenting on something mundane, like your elevator mate’s cool earrings or overstuffed briefcase. Then it’s right back to the inspection log before things get weird.

Own Those Buttons: 
There’s a unique power dynamic that only exists inside elevators. The car is divided between the normal powerless riders and [cue dramatic music] the Button Master. If three or fewer people board an elevator, there is no need for a Button Master. Each passenger is expected to push his own button before gravitating toward his lonely corner. But if four or more people squeeze into the box, someone must wrest the proverbial Excalibur from the stone and accept their true, if temporary, calling as Master of the Buttons! Know this first — you will receive no wage as Button Master. No one is going to give you one of those cool 1920s red bellhop hats with the chin strap, either. Your job is simple, but the responsibility is sacred. As each new person boards the elevator, you are to ask, “What floor?” and press the button for the corresponding floor. Don’t try to be cute and say things like, “As you wish, sir!” or “At your service!” Even if you’re not originally chosen as Button Master, you need to be ready to carry the flag if the anointed one unexpectedly exits. As a rule, the person closest to the first Button Master is Vice Button Master and assumes the post when the first man or woman departs.

Switch Your Phone to ‘Elevator Mode’:
What, you didn’t know your smartphone had an “elevator mode?” OK, it’s not as much of a “mode” as a state of being. A state of being in your pocket, preferably off.
We definitely don’t want to be trapped in an elevator listening to one side of an extremely private phone conversation about what you will do to Sandra if she ever tries to pull that kind of crap again. (Well, most of us don’t. Some will prick up their ears to learn more about Sandra’s fate – not what you want, either.) If you are on the phone when boarding an elevator, tell the other person you’ll call them back in a second. Same thing if you get a phone call while riding the elevator. Texting, however, is perfectly acceptable, as long as you’re not the Button Master. Duty calls!

Save a Life, Step Out:
An overpacked elevator can be a scary place, especially if you’re squeezed against the back wall of the car. Claustrophobia aside, there’s the issue of successfully exiting the elevator when it gets to your floor. If your fellow passengers are ignorant of basic elevator etiquette, you might have to fight your way out with a mix of elbow jabs and clench-toothed exclamations of “Excuse me!”
Here’s the rule. The two people standing closest to the door of the elevator should step out of the car at each requested stop and hold the doors open with one hand so passengers can exit without resorting to trampling.
When the car is approaching your destination, announce in a calm, friendly voice, “My floor is next”. Most decent people will make room for you leave. For the rest, say hello to Mr. Elbow!  For those of waiting to board , when the doors to an elevator open it’s not unusual for people to want to exit through those doors before you board so step back and let them off.

Next we will talk about revolving doors.

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We are off to the Randolph Street Market to treasure hunt.  I will catch up with your comments on previous posts and share more reveiting pictures and videos as soon as Cousin Carla gives me a minute to catch my breath. Sheesh. And Cole wishes just once that she would be ready at our departure time. Unbelievable. 😀 Good thing she keeps our fruit bowls filled.

Have a wonderful Saturday,

Odd Loves Company,