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{Katie’s Baby Blog} Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day from our little Valentine!!!

She is so excited to celebrate at her daycare (aka my Moms) with her friends! They made cute little bags to drop their Valentines in and get sweet treats for snack! My favorite part is that they all dress up in their cute Valentines Day outfits!

We are going to celebrate Sunday with chocolate covered strawberries…two of her favorite things- chocolate and strawberries; and our favorite dinner, Chicken Parm and spaghetti!

anndddd hopefully we both get flowers from our Valentine, Tim!

<3

Closings and Cancellations: 2-11-21

Schools:

Frederick County Public Schools – All virtual -day of instruction, employees encouraged to telework.  Staff who must report to buildings are on a two-hour delayed arrival. Daycare programs operating in FCPS facilities will make independent decisions about their operating status.

Montgomery County Public Schools – Virtual learning will continue as scheduled. Childcare in MCPS schools and all in-person activities and appointments are delayed until 11:30 a.m. MCPS offices and school offices will open on time. There is no scheduled meal distribution today.

Carrol County Public Schools – Schools will be closed , for students. Offices will be opening at noon. Liberal leave is in effect.

Washington County Schools – Virtual instruction for students. WCPS meal sites open – Code V for staff

Howard County Public Schools – Virtual instruction,  all buildings closed and meal services canceled.

Frederick Christian Academy will Open at 10:00 AM
New Life Christian School – Virtual Only

Loudoun County Schools – Schools and Administrative Offices are closed Today,  All activities on school campuses are cancelled at this time. Scheduled activities on school campuses may be allowed after 4 p.m. An announcement will be made by noon.

Clarke County Schools – Asynchronous virtual day for all students.

Berkeley County Schools – closed

Greencastle-Antrim School District – Franklin, PA  Closed

Gettysburg Area School District  –    two-hour delay. All Instruction K-12; in-person, remote.  GASD online, will operate on a two-hour delay.  Buildings and offices will also operate on a two-hour delay.

Hagerstown Community College opening at 10.

Hood College – will operate on an all virtual schedule.

Frederick County Government  will open at 10AM

Frederick Community College will open at 11AM

Gettysburg Area School District  –    two-hour delay. All Instruction K-12; in-person, remote.  GASD online, will operate on a two-hour delay.  Buildings and offices will also operate on a two-hour delay.

Thurmont Child Care Center – open at 8:30AM

Government

OPM – FBI Winchester: First shift has a 2 hour delay or unscheduled leave. Federal agencies are open with the option to allow unscheduled leave or telework.

State of Maryland – Liberal leave for non essential employees

Fort Detrick will open at 10 am.

Frederick County Government  will open at 10AM

Frederick County Circuit and District Courts will open at 10:00 a.m.; staff report 9:30 a.m.

Howard County Circuit Court and District  will open at 10:30 a.m.; staff report 10:00 a.m.; all cases scheduled prior to 10:30 a.m. will be heard at 10:30 a.m.

Howard County District Court will open at 10:00 a.m.; staff report 9:30 a.m.

Washington County District Court will open at 10:00 a.m.; staff report 9:30 a.m

Washington County Circuit Court – opening at 10AM – All remote hearings on time.

FCB Bank – Delayed opening, opening at 10AM.

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why We Give Chocolate On Valentine’s Day

Try going into any retail store right now & not seeing pink & red boxes of chocolate on display on almost every aisle. You couldn’t do it! Because chocolate’s become one of the standard Valentine’s Day gifts, alongside flowers & jewelry. But chocolate didn’t develop its romantic reputation overnight. It took centuries of Mayans, myths, and marketing to tie chocolate to Valentine’s Day.

The ancient Mayans were the first to bond love & chocolate. Around 500 BCE, centuries before the first Feast of St. Valentine, the Mayans were using cocoa beans to brew an early version of hot chocolate that was an important part of Mayan wedding rituals, where the bride & groom would each sip the warm beverage during the ceremony. That ritual presaged chocolate’s future status as a universal expression of love.

The Aztecs, however, did not see chocolate as a wholesome treat. Legend has it that emperor Montezuma II would binge on loads of cocoa beans to fuel his romantic endeavors. But, while chocolate does contain small amounts of tryptophan & phenylethylamine (two compounds associated with love & desire), scientists say there really aren’t enough of either chemical to actually make chocolate a powerful aphrodisiac.

Tales of chocolate’s amorous side-effects persisted nevertheless, and that may explain why candy-sellers embraced the sweet treats as Valentine’s Day became popular. Cadbury’s first heart-shaped box of chocolates, which debuted in 1861, was an instant success with its embellished packaging featuring cupids & flowers. And, once the box was empty, it could then be used to hold keepsakes like locks of hair & love letters.

Cadbury made the mistake, however, of not patenting their heart-shaped chocolate box. So, all the rest of the candy industry began producing their own versions. And, it wasn’t long after that chocolates became synonymous with this newly-commercialized holiday known as Valentine’s Day.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What Happens To The Losing Super Bowl Team’s Merchandise

Following a big win in a major sporting event, such as this year’s Super Bowl, fans will try to score championship merchandise as quickly as possible. So, to meet that demand, manufacturers make & stock two different sets of T-shirts, hats, and other gear ahead of time declaring each team the champion. This was done so that the winner’s apparel (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in this year’s case) could be able to quickly stock clothing racks & get tossed to players on the field once the game concluded. But, what happens now to the Chiefs’ versions?

They’re destined for greatness in their own way: charity.

A charitable organization called Good360, based in Alexandria, VA, actually handles all the excess merchandise & distributes it to less fortunate people overseas. The losing team’s apparel is held in inventory locations across the U.S. Following the game, Good360 will determine exactly how much surplus product is available & then determine where the goods can go to do the most good.

While no exact count following this year’s big game has been announced yet, past merchandise has been plentiful. For example, based on strong sales following the 2007 NFC Championship win by the Chicago Bears, Sports Authority printed more than 15,000 shirts proclaiming a Bears Super Bowl victory, well-before the game ever started. And then, of course…the Colts beat the Bears, 29-17.

This past year has been unlike any other before, but the coronavirus pandemic actually isn’t expected to affect the donating process this year. Well, except that cloth face masks are now among the items being donated.

So, even though Kansas City may have come up short last night, Chiefs fans can still take heart: at least the spoils of losing won’t go to waste, but actually to a good, worthy cause.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

{Katie’s Baby Blog} Snow Days!

Last year Lily loved the snow as a 1 year old! we only had one light snow day, but she had so much fun and liked being dragged around in her little sled.

This year, she changed her mind about it! She saw my husband, Tim, outside shoveling and begged me to go outside to play with Daddy in the snow. So I said “okay” and we got her all bundled up. She was surprisingly okay with all the snow gear on and walking in the big boots, but when she finally got outside she was not a fan of the snow!

She hated walking in it because it was “too slippery” and her face was too cold. So Tim took her to the playground and she tolerated swinging on the swing in the snow.  I was inside the house watching because I have no winter coats/gear that are big enough to go over my pregnant belly and, it was nice to stay warm!

I saw Tim put her in a sled and take her back to a big hill and I thought that it looked like she was having fun, sledding, but it wasn’t too much longer that they were heading back inside the house.

I asked her what she thought and she said “I don’t like the snow, Mommy, my face is cold and it’s too slippery!”  and Tim said, that she cried a little and reluctantly said she was having fun….maybe next year!!

At least she looked super cute in her little snow outfit!

This is where she likes to be…warm…inside…with food 🙂

<3 Katie Ryan

 

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why QBs Say “Hut” & “Hike”

Have you ever been watching a football game & wondered why the quarterback yells “hut” or “hike” just before starting a play?

“Hut” descends from the military. In the service, “hut” often replaces a syllable in a word to make it sharper & more distinct. Think about a drill sergeant screaming “atten-hut!” at cadets. It seems to focus the hearer, which can be particularly beneficial whether you’re gearing up for a strenuous march or you’re in danger of being squashed by a 300-pound lineman.

Hut originated during World War II, and was adopted in the 1950s by football players. Because a lot of players & coaches were former soldiers, it makes the word’s evolution fairly easy to plot. “Hut” is a clean, concise word that can be barked across distances, which helps quarterbacks who need to be heard.

So, where did the military get “hut” from? Animal herders. Words like “hip”, “hup”, and “hep” date back centuries; “hup” was in use in the early 18th century, and “hut” in the 19th century. The military adopted their own variations early in the 20th century before they ultimately settled on “hut”.

That other football staple, “hike”, comes from football legend John Heisman, who started shouting it to avoid being tricked during the 1890-1891 season when he played for the University of Pennsylvania. As the center responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, he usually got scratched on his leg as a signal to start the play. But, when an opposing player nefariously touched his leg & made him flip the ball, it made him mess up. So, saying “hike” (which means to pull or raise with a sudden motion) eliminated any leg-rubbing deception.

Other terms, like “blue 42”, are alternate signals meant to change up an offensive play or confuse the opposing team in the hope of scoring. And, while there still may be a lot of confusing things about football, at least why they say “hike” & “hut” isn’t anymore.

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Airtron Heating & Air Conditioning

TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne: Choosing Happiness and Breaking History

Maryland’s own TJ Osborne becomes the first openly gay country music artist signed to a major label. “I want to get to the height of my career being completely who I am,” says TJ.

TJ sat down for an exclusive interview with Time Magazine and decided it was time to value his own happiness over anything else. He’s known about his sexuality since he was a teenager and is very comfortable being gay. TJ claims, “I find myself being guarded for not wanting to talk about something that I personally don’t have a problem with. That feels so strange.”

Believe it or not, the pandemic and long periods of self-reflection is what inspired TJ to tell his story. He realized that the perfect moment to tell the world would never come, so he decided to create that moment on his own.

Osborne admits, people may ask, “‘Why does this even need to be talked about?’ and personally, I agree with that.  But for me to show up at an awards show with a man would be jaw-dropping to people.”

Many family members and close friends have known for years and have continued to support TJ unconditionally. Including the other half of Brothers Osborne, John. “If I had to have all my money and success erased for my brother to be truly fulfilled in life, I wouldn’t even think about it.  Not for a second.”

The support of many other country music artists continues to pour out on social media. Including but not limited to…Dan + Shay, Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves, Davisson Brothers Band, Chris Young, Ty Herndon and so many more.

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