Yesterday was hot. Driving in the car, I suddenly realized it was almost summer. What happened to Spring? I'm not stuck in Holy Week anymore, now I don't seem to know where I am or what day it is. I know it's almost the end of May because I have to get my car inspected and the "service engine soon" light is on, and they will not inspect it with that little glitch. I've been praying that it would go out - that worked last year, but nothing so far. What day is it? is harder than the name of the current month. My Uncle Joe, in his late 80's, goes to Castle Point for check-ups. The sanity test they give him is (1) What day is it? (2) What month is it? (3) What year is it? and (4) Who is the President? He passes each time, giving the right answers to the first three and to the fourth, he responds "that asshole" and they let that slide. Today is Wednesday, May 28, 2008 and it is the birthday of Rachael, who is 22 today. I write the birthdays on the calendar. It is my little ritual on New Year's Eve to get the new calendar and the old calendar and transport the names and birthdays to the new year. Each year is different, new babies, new weddings (I like to remember the anniversaries as well) and sometimes losses. I enjoy sending cards. When I was a kid, my father's Aunt Sadie would send a birthday card to each niece and nephew and inside the card would be a dime. Somehow that made a lasting impression on me and I am almost obsessive about getting cards out. I wonder how Aunt Sadie remembered all those names and dates and what had started down that road. And I wonder how crowded my calendar will be in the coming years. But lately I don't ponder on what day of the week is it. Instead I get these memories of things in the past that stick in my head. Today it is that cans use to come with a key to be used for their opening. Coffee had a key that you unsnapped from the top of the container and fitted carefully into the tab and slowly, slowly and carefully wound the key around the top until it came back to the start and the lid was released. Sardines had this key as well and I'm trying to think if anything else had that magic key to open it. To get the date right, all I have to do is point the mouse at the bottom of this screen. What foods used to open with a key is a little harder to find.