July 31 Mama Sinz and the God of Writing

Happy Birthday Julie! 

Julie is the mother of one of my oldest and dearest friends, Heidi. I have known Julie ever since Heidi and I became friends back in middle school. 

My favorite memories of Julie have to be back from all of the times I would hang out at their house as a kid. They always had the best food, open arms and a comfy couch to chill with Heidi on. Another wonderful memory of Julie I have is from her daughters wedding this past June. It was a beautiful weekend and I am so glad we all got to share it.

Love you Julie!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

Jimmy Hoffa Disappears

On July 31, 1975, James Riddle Hoffa, one of the most influential American labor leaders of the 20th century, disappears in Detroit, Michigan, never to be heard from again. Though he is popularly believed to have been the victim of a Mafia hit, conclusive evidence was never found, and Hoffa's death remains shrouded in mystery to this day.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

J.K. Rowling

July 31, 1965

LOVE LOVE HER!

July 30 - New to the Family Paul

Happy Birthday Paul!!!

Paul is the newest family member to one of my adopted families the Strands. He is the husband of one of my best friends Brittany! 

My favorite memory of Paul is at his and Brittany's wedding. There is nothing better than seeing your best friend marry the love of her life. I will also say a very touching moment was when Paul sent a special note to Brittany right before she walked down to marry him. I couldn't be more happy for the two of them! <3

Welcome to the family Paul! 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

Johnson Signs Medicare into Law

On this day in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Medicare, a health insurance program for elderly Americans, into law. At the bill-signing ceremony, which took place at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, former President Harry S. Truman was enrolled as Medicare's first beneficiary and received the first Medicare card. Johnson wanted to recognize Truman, who, in 1945, had become the first president to propose national health insurance, an initiative that was opposed at the time by Congress.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Arnold Schwarzeneger

July 301947

July 29 Brent + Alesha = Forever!

Happy Birthday Brent!!

Brent is the brother of one of my best friends Jessica Brown. I met Brent at a trip to their families cabin. 

My favorite memory of Brent is from a time we all went to his families cabin. One night we all decided to go the best all you can eat taco joint in town, The Blacksmith. This crazy night involved tequila shots, karaoke, lots of drinking and my favorite part the napkin dance; now a Dundore family tradition! This was also the night Brent got the wonderful tattoo below.

I love you so much Brent! I can't wait to see you on Friday!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

NASA Created

On this day in 1958, the U.S. Congress passes legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a civilian agency responsible for coordinating America's activities in space. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Tim Gunn

July 29, 1953

July 28 Singing Telegram Day

Happy Singing Telegram Day!

A devoted fan sent the first-ever singing telegram to Rudy Vallee in Hollywood, California, on July 28, 1933, to celebrate the popular singer and bandleader's 32^nd birthday.

This was always my favorite part of the movie... lol

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

The 14th Amendment Adopted

Following its ratification by the necessary three-quarters of U.S. states, the 14th Amendment, guaranteeing to African Americans citizenship and all its privileges, is officially adopted into the U.S. Constitution.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Beatrix Potter

July 28, 1866

July 27 Happy Insomnia Day

Happy Insomnia Day!

I feel this is quite fitting since I am on a 11 day work streak and am working 10 hour days... 

Intriguingly, July 27^th is also Seven Sleepers Day in certain regions of the world, honoring the legendary septet of young lads who supposedly fell asleep in an ancient Middle Eastern cave and continue to doze until the final day of the world. The Seven Sleepers legend has existed since ancient times in both Christian and Islamic traditions.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

First Jet makes Test Flight

On this day in 1949, the world's first jet-propelled airliner, the British De Havilland Comet, makes its maiden test-flight in England. The jet engine would ultimately revolutionize the airline industry, shrinking air travel time in half by enabling planes to climb faster and fly higher.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Maya Rudolph

July 27, 1972

July 26 - Happy Birthday Bert!

Happy Birthday Bert!!!

So we are going to pretend I am his friend and that we met while I was taking my dog Barkley on a walk down Sesame Street. We hit it off right away mostly due to the fact that we both liked to poke fun at his roommate Ernie. 

Best Friends

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

Jul 26, 1775:

U.S. postal system established

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Sandra Bullock

July 26, 1964

Why yes we do! 

July 15 - Christmas in July?

Happy Christmas in July! 

Well I am just guessing that Christmas in July is on the 25th of July, that would make sense right? Anways we are half way to Christmas!!! And to winter.... 

Santa looking good in his Jesus sandals! 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

First Test Tube Baby

On this day in 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the world's first baby to be conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) is born at Oldham and District General Hospital in Manchester, England, to parents Lesley and Peter Brown. The healthy baby was delivered shortly before midnight by caesarean section and weighed in at five pounds, 12 ounces.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Matt LeBlanc

July 25, 1967

July 24 - National Tequila Day

Happy National Tequila Day!!

My favorite day of the year! Tequila is by far my favorite liquor. I like it in shots, on the rocks, in a margarita really any way is good to me. 

mmmm

Tequila is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, 65 kilometres (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands (Los Altos) of the western Mexican state of Jalisco.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

Mormons Settle Salt Lake Valley

After 17 months and many miles of travel, Brigham Young leads 148 Mormon pioneers into Utah's Valley of the Great Salt Lake. Gazing over the parched earth of the remote location, Young declared, "This is the place," and the pioneers began preparations for the thousands of Mormon migrants who would follow. Seeking religious and political freedom, the Mormons began planning their great migration from the east after the murder of Joseph Smith, the Christian sect's founder and first leader.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Jennifer Lopez

July 24, 1969

Stop trying to be something you're not. We want Jenny from the Block back!

July 23 Happy National Hot Dog Day and Happy Birthday HP!

Happy National Hot Dog Day!!

What a better day to live in Chicago than on National Hot Dog Day! I will admit when I first moved to Chicago I was a ketchup and dill relish only kind of girl but Chicago has for sure changed me for the better. While I do still enjoy my ketchup and relish I also add all the Chicago fixings! 

They really are that mean!

How to make a Chicago Style Hot Dog:

1. Char a Vienna Beef Red Hot hot dog. 

2. Get yourself a poppyseed bun, add hot dog. 

3. Top with: yellow mustard, sweet lime green pickle relish, it's not good unless it's lime green, chopped onion, tomato wedges, dill pickle spear, two sport peppers - HOT, dash of celery salt and last add ketchup if you grew up in Wisconsin, but you must pretend you are asking for ketchup for your fries and SNEAK it on...! VERY IMPORTANT! They WILL yell at you! 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

Sweet Child O' Mine

Guns N' Roses, the band that made its big popular breakthrough on July 23, 1988, when their first hit single, "Sweet Child O' Mine" entered the Billboard Top 40.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Happy Birthday Harr... I mean Daniel Radcliffe!!

July 23, 1989

Why yes I have a blanket with is face on it...

July 22 - Middle School Savior Heidi

Happy Birthday Heidi!!! 

I met Heidi when we were in dance together in middle school. I think the first year we were in class together we did a dance to girls just wanna have fun and had horrific purple bell bottom unitard costumes. 

Heidi and I have been friends for almost 13 years so you can imagine all of the fun memories I have of Heidi but there is always one that will stand out in my mind. In middle school I'll be honest I went through a really rough time. The few friends I had I lost by 7th grade for various reasons and soon found myself sitting alone at lunch. What was even worse is I was the girl everyone wanted to pick on, I got called shrimp boobs, got put in trash cans, called four eyes and even had kids throw water on me at lunch. Needless to say I was quite a depressed child. Luckily for me I had an escape, dance. And it was because of that escape I found Heidi, we quickly became friends and our friendship grew outside of just dance. One day she invited me to sit at her lunch table with her friends, and to no big surprise they said no. Heidi being the brave 7th grader that she was said fine, then I am not sitting with you either. So for a few days, until her friends broke down and let me sit with them, we sat alone together at lunch.  I cannot thank Heidi enough for her brave stand, it truly made a difference in my life at a time when I really needed it. 

I love you so much Heidi! I hope you have a WONDERFUL Birthday!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

Lincoln tells his cabinet about Emancipation Proclamation 

On this day in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln informs his chief advisors and cabinet that he will issue a proclamation to free slaves, but adds that he will wait until the Union Army has achieved a substantial military victory to make the announcement.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

David Spade

July 22, 1964

July 21 - National Ice Cream Day! And the Saddest Day of My Life...

Happy National Ice Cream Day!

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July as National Ice Cream Month. He also established National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday in the month.

Love her.

Charles E. Minches of St. Louis, Missouri is credited with inventing the ice cream cone. On July 23, 1904 at the World's Fair in St. Louis, he filled a pastry cone with two scoops of ice cream to make the first ice cream cone. There is some controversy over this claim. Italo Marchiony of New York City filed a patent for the ice cream cone months before the fair opened. And, he was selling lemon ice in cones as early as 1896. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

RIP Harry Potter

The Last Harry Potter Book was Released

aka saddest day of my life... :(

I feel ya... omg so sad...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Robin Williams

July 21, 1951

I seriously love him...

July 20 - Neighbor Matt and Sleepover Queen Brittany

Happy Birthday Brittany and Matt!!!

I met Matt when our families both moved into a new development in our home town. His family, my family and my other neighbors were the first to move into our circle, Emily Circle. 

My favorite memories of Matt are from the nights we all use to play night games as kids. Be it ghost in the grave yard, ware wolves or having a camp fire in someones back yard the summers in that circle are some of my favorite memories. 

I hope life is treating you well! Happy Birthday Matt!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy Birthday Brittany!

I met Brittany in middle school through I think band. We both played flute and sat close to each other in band class. Now Brittany will tell you that at first we didn't get along. I was a pretty dorky kid and Brittany well, wasn't quite at my dork level. lol

My favorite memories of Brittany have got to be from when we would have sleep overs at her parents house. We would always stay up way too late, make TONS of junk food and best of all make really embarrassing home movies, often dragging her kid sister into them. Those sleep overs are some of my favorite memories from middle school and high school.

I love you very much Brittany!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

Armstrong Walks on the Moon

At 10:56 p.m. EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from Earth, speaks these words to more than a billion people listening at home: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Stepping off the lunar landing module Eagle, Armstrong became the first human to walk on the surface of the moon.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Natalie Wood

July 20 , 1938

July 19 - National Raspberry Cake Day

Happy National Raspberry Cake Day!!

Well you guessed it another day I don't know anyone with a birthday. :( Oh well it is National Raspberry Cake Day! To celebrate here is a Royal Raspberry Cake recipe courtesy of Taste of Home: Deliciousness Awaits

Oh my yum!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

The First Raspberry Cake was Made!

Just Kidding...

Rosette Stone Found

Yes it's an actual stone and not just a really expensive learning software. 

On this day in 1799, during Napoleon Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign, a French soldier discovers a black basalt slab inscribed with ancient writing near the town of Rosetta, about 35 miles north of Alexandria. The irregularly shaped stone contained fragments of passages written in three different scripts: Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphics and Egyptian demotic. The ancient Greek on the Rosetta Stone told archaeologists that it was inscribed by priests honoring the king of Egypt, Ptolemy V, in the second century B.C. More startlingly, the Greek passage announced that the three scripts were all of identical meaning. The artifact thus held the key to solving the riddle of hieroglyphics, a written language that had been "dead" for nearly 2,000 years.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Brian May
July 19, 1947

July 18 - Lil' B!!!

Happy Birthday Brandon!!!

I met Brandon through one of my group of friends when he moved back to Chicago. I think we actually met almost exactly a year ago on Garrett's birthday. 

It is really hard to choose a favorite memory of Brandon as I have had sooooo many good times with him but there is one that stands out. One night we were all hanging out at Joe's place and were getting ready to have a scary movie night. And what would a scary movie night be without a fort?!?! The answer is nothing, nothing at all. So Brandon and I made such an amazing fort and watch the scary movie while it stormed outside. It was such a good night!

Brandon, I love you so much! I am so glad we met! I can't imagine my life without you!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

Video of Titanic Wreckage Released

On this day in 1986, new close-up videotapes of the sunken ocean liner Titanic are released to the public. Taken on the first manned expedition to the wreck, the videotapes are stunning in their clarity and detail, showing one of the ship's majestic grand staircases and a coral-covered chandelier swinging slowly in the ocean current.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Vine Diesel

July 18, 1967

Hello....

July 17 - Miss Harper Long

Happy Birthday Harper!!!

I met Harper through my college roommate and good friend Jessica. Harper is Jessi's cousin and her family lives a few towns away from Jessi's family and also owns a cabin the lake over from Jessi's family. 

My favorite memories of Harper are from Jessi's wedding activities. The wonderful party her and her family planned for the wedding shower, the shit show that was her bachelorette party and the most amazing night ever that was her wedding. And we really bonded when I gave her a ride back to Madison after the wedding. I can't wait until the next time we can hang out!

Love you Harper! 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

Disney Land Opens

Disneyland, Walt Disney's metropolis of nostalgia, fantasy, and futurism, opens on July 17, 1955. The $17 million theme park was built on 160 acres of former orange groves in Anaheim, California, and soon brought in staggering profits. Today, Disneyland hosts more than 14 million visitors a year, who spend close to $3 billion.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

David Hasselhoff

July 17, 1952

Sex. That is all. 

July 16 - Dancer Friend Melanie

Happy Birthday Melanie!

I met Melanie when I switched dance studios the summer before my junior year of high school. I, very nervously, joined the advanced classes at the studio right away and met Melanie at my first ballet class at the studio.

Senior Team my Senior Year of High School

My favorite memories of Mel are from doing Senior team together my senior year of high school. I still consider joining that team one of the best decisions of my life. I got such a great group of friends from it and we would have so much fun traveling for competitions, goofing around at the studio and performing our asses off at the summer recital. I will always look back at those years as some of the best of my life and am so glad Melanie was a part of them. 

Love you Mel! Hope you have a wonderful birthday! I am so glad we are both still dancing! 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

First Atomic Bomb Tested in the US

On this day in 1945, at 5:29:45 a.m., the Manhattan Project comes to an explosive end as the first atom bomb is successfully tested in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Will Ferrell

July 16, 1967

July 15

This Day in History:

Ford Motor Company Takes it's First Order

On this day in 1903, the newly formed Ford Motor Company takes its first order from Chicago dentist Ernst Pfenning: an $850 two-cylinder Model A automobile with a tonneau (or backseat). The car, produced at Ford's plant on Mack Street (now Mack Avenue) in Detroit, was delivered to Dr. Pfenning just over a week later.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Buju Banton

July 14

This Day in History:

Billy the Kid is Shot to Death

Sheriff Pat Garrett shoots Henry McCarty, popularly known as Billy the Kid, to death at the Maxwell Ranch in New Mexico. Garrett, who had been tracking the Kid for three months after the gunslinger had escaped from prison only days before his scheduled execution, got a tip that Billy was holed up with friends. While Billy was gone, Garrett waited in the dark in his bedroom. When Billy entered, Garrett shot him to death.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Jane Lynch

July 14, 1960

July 13 - Happy Birthday Star!

Happy Birthday Star!

I met Star through my current job at the American Rhythm Center. Pretty much her entire family taps there so it was enevitable that I met her. 

Did I mention she is an AMAZING tap dancer! 

I have only known Star a few months so I can't say I have a favorite memory of her yet but I will say that I have very much enjoyed getting to know her and hope that our friendship continues to grow.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History:

First World Cup

On July 13, 1930, France defeats Mexico 4-1 and the United States defeats Belgium 3-0 in the first-ever World Cup football matches, played simultaneously in host city Montevideo, Uruguay. The World Cup has since become the world’s most watched sporting event.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday:

Ken Jeong 

July 13, 1969

July 12

This Day in History:

First Marine wins Medal of Honor

Viet Cong ambush Company A of the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, led by U.S.M.C. Lt. Frank Reasoner of Kellogg, Idaho. The Marines had been on a sweep of a suspected Viet Cong area to deter any enemy activity aimed at the nearby airbase at Da Nang.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrity Birthday

Bill Cosby

July 12, 1937

J-E-L-L-O!