By Eric W. Schoen
Wow, I didn’t realize that my February 22 birthday would be so special this year. 2-22-22! I, of course took advantage (what did you expect) of all the special deals you get on your birthday (sharemyvisit.net so you can be prepared). But because of 2-22-22 everyplace from Shoprite to Burger King to Macy’s was running special discounts for everyone to take advantage of even if it wasn’t your birthday.
Readers of this column know I enjoy playing the New York State Lottery. I play quick pick where the machine generates your numbers. I never check my numbers until the following day, but on 2-22-22 when I woke up I looked at my Mega Millions ticket for that night that I bought Sunday. My Mega Millions Mega Ball, randomly generated was 22. How scary is that. Bottom line is if you don’t see this column next week, I hit it big! Don’t worry, I will say goodbye before I head sailing on my yacht!
What is the significance of Feb. 22, 2022? It is a palindrome date and extra intriguing this year because it fell on a Tuesday. This prompted some people to call it “Twosday,” with different celebrations. Little did I know It’s especially big in the wedding industry, due to its perceived luckiness. No marriage plan on the horizon for me.
What did Twosday mean, why was the date actually a fad and how was it celebrated? This day of twos, or “Twosday” as it has been called, is a special day for many reasons. The “two” sounding day actually falls on a Tuesday, and it is a palindrome.
A palindrome means that a word, phrase or date can be read the same way backwards and forwards. In this instance, it works no matter the format you read dates — month-day-year, day-month-year, or year-month-day. The next palindrome date will occur on 1/20/3021, according to The Farmer’s Almanac.
According to the Almanac, some cultures believe that palindrome dates are a sign of good luck.
Some couples decide to get married on palindrome dates as a way to ensure good fortune for their marriages in the years to come.
How did I celebrate ‘Twosday’ It also happened to be National Margarita Day, and frozen strawberry was my margarita of choice. Because it was a Tuesday, I paired that margarita with a couple of tacos paying homage to a very special Taco Tuesday.
But the first and best of my big celebrations took place on Sunday with my ‘second’ father, Adelmo ‘Chubby’ Costantini. Earlier in February Chubby turned 95 years young. He gets younger everyday.
My sister and I would normally celebrate with Chubby and his family at Louie and Johnny’s on Yonkers Avenue. The current situation made us bring the party to him, a delicious feast including his favorite, pork chops with peppers and my favorite, chicken scarpiello off the bone with peppers, sausage and potatoes.
Dinner was finished off with Italian pastries and an apricot hamantashen for me, my favorite from DeLite Bakery. Do you remember when they were on McLean Avenue? We have been picking up pastries and their famous cakes for many years. Two of Chubby’s children were there, with everyone else FaceTiming through the magic of the Internet.
I like to spread out my birthday having intimate dinners with friends and family before and after the actual date, special date that it is this year! But to celebrate with Chubby. That as always is my birthday treat. To you my dear readers, many who reached out with greetings on Facebook and texts, to quote Frank Sinatra, ‘The Best of Everything, That’s What I wish you all!’ Stay healthy, happy, and may our world be filled with Peace!
Hot Topics: Congratulations to all of the United States Olympians and all of those who competed in China. Shame on Russia for doping a fifteen year old. And shame on the Olympic ‘Court’ for not awarding the United States skaters their Silver Medals at the Olympics in China on the Olympic Stage.
And shame on the Olympic Committee for picking Beijing, China with all of its human rights issues as the place to host the Olympics? Can you believe that for an event that requires so much snow all the snow for the Olympics was man made. Bring them back to Lake Placid.
Democrats gather from all over our big state at their Convention last week. When the Governor and Lt. Governor, from opposite sides of the state accept the nomination in front of hundreds of people they don’t have regular contact with they are unmasked. Kinda reminds me of Congressman Jamaal Bowman getting arrested at a Voting Rights rally where everyone was masked except for him. Are our politicians so concerned with having their unmasked faces on camera and in pictures that they ditch the masks?
Now we learn that the Lieutenant Governor nominee has Covid. I hope he gets better fast and thinks about the health and well being of others before he appears maskless. Meanwhile, our poor school children must wear masks. I’m all for science, but studies will show in the years to come that masking our children will hurt their development. The Governor and her advisors must examine this issue immediately. I’m starting to feel that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander!
And poor 95 year old Queen Elizabeth. She sits alone at her husbands funeral. Has minimal contact with her family, is triple vaccinated and always masked and still comes down with Covid.
All this shows is that we still know so little about this virus. And as you learned when you were two years old, wash your hands with soap and hot water scrubbing for 20 seconds, singing Happy Birthday in your head twice. What I find most disgusting is when I am at the gym and men are working out, using the bathroom and not washing their hands. Same goes for diners and staff members at restaurants using the facilities without washing their hands. If I heard one story about a restaurant employee not washing their hands after going to the bathroom I heard a thousand.
Folks, washing your hands after you go to the bathroom predates Covid, the coronavirus and pandemic we currently face.
Merchants must examine the signage they have on their doors regarding mask usage. A lot of it is outdated. The ‘State’ does not require masks to be worn indoors. Individual merchants can establish their own mask policies, and many have. And you must follow them. Don’t want to. Don’t shop at the merchant. It’s that simple.
I started this column off so positive but must finish it with a real story. I’m at Dunkin Donuts off Executive Boulevard. Sign on the door says you must wear a mask. A unmasked man orders coffee. The clerk gives it to him. He wants sweetener. The clerk tells him where they are so he can put them in. He says no, it’s your job to put them in, you have them behind the counter. Put them in. The clerk was brown skin. The man, white is rude and obnoxious.
I normally wouldn’t say anything but the man was clearly racist. The clerk has to put the Equal in? Buddy the sign at the entrance says you must wear a mask. I bring it to his attention. He carries on that the law is lifted and I should mind my business. Trying to explain the rules to this racist man is like talking to a piece of toilet tissue. He leaves and says something nasty to me on the way out.
Was he racist. You bet your life. I felt bad for the clerk. And the people behind me on line applauded me for what I did.
Quintez Brown, 21, was released Wednesday with the help of the Louisville, Kentucky Community Bail Fund, a group co-founded by Black Lives Matter Louisville organizer Chanelle Helm. They put up the $100,000 bail. He is accused of the attempted Murder of Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg, who is Jewish. Greenberg said he and his family have been further traumatized after the activist charged with his attempted murder was released on bail just days after the shooting.
Friends, sadly racism in this country goes both ways! It has to stop.
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
