A comment I didn't send:

[captainsblog]

A relatively new Friend here posted about how society pays more attention to next month's Fathers Day than its distaff predecessor tomorrow, which bugs her because (a) her father is an asshole (enough so she's got an actual tag for that) and (b) the media trivializes the importance of motherhood on this occasion through gag gifts aimed at their stereotypical domestic sides and their fails therein.  I got with most of that, especially the first part of it which I decidedly share, but here's the whole of it for general discussion:

I share your sentiment about the orifice location of our respective paternal units, but I've never had a sense that society devotes more time or more seriousness to Fathers Day. (Nor should it; after all, we Dads didn't gain massive weight- at least not on that account- or deal with morning sickness or have to deal with explusions of large foreign objects out of one of the other of the standard expressways for that purpose.)

If anything, I've sensed more societal pressure on men to observe the May Day than to benefit from the June one. This month's is accompanied by constant guilt-tripping, usually starting the Monday after Easter, from advertising media telling us to shower with flowers and bling-up with jewelry and such.  "Our" day next month is tied to ties and power tools (which I'm far more likely to buy for my beloved than anything pink and girlygirl).  Plus, the June holiday is shared in the ad biz with the spawn- "Dads and Grads"- unlike this weekend's, which never seems to produce similar poetry about "Moms and Proms" despite it being just as accurate on most school calendars.

Eleanor has asked me for a new salad spinner, some seeds, and a third thing which I am too tired and braindead to remember.

We may also be shopping for illegal squirrel deterrents.  Our new main birdfeeder out front is billed as squirrel proof, as was the last one, but that only goes as far as keeping the buggers from eating; it does not stop them from trying, and my land do they try. It often results in one or the other of us opening the bathroom window (a shame, since the gorram heat is still on, here this 7th day of May), possibly spraying a can of compressed air at the little rodent, and, in my case, doing my best imitation of this "self-proclaimed mountain man" and yelling, "G'WON! GIT!"-

Watch on YouTube

-which usually does the trick, if only momentarily, but also scares away the birds.

So, while I was starting to make coffee this morning, the following discussion ensued:

She: You know, with my low-voltage electrical skills, I could probably run a wire....
Me:  ::giggles evilly::
She: You KNOW where this is going, right?
Me: I LOVE where this is going.

I never got much into poisoning pigeons in the park, but I 'd always be okay if we'd do in a squirrel or two;)

Comments

[greenquotebook.livejournal.com]

Turn in your loose seed feeders for caged suet cake holders, and use only hot pepper suet. We had a similar problem with squirrels, but since making the change a few years back, we haven't had a bit of trouble with them. There are plenty of squirrels still around, and they love our birdbaths, but have learned to stay away from the feeders.

[firynze.livejournal.com]

Doesn't always work. We had squirrels with a taste for the hot stuff where I grew up.

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

I never felt that Father's Day was more prominent until my dad died and the day became a fork in the wound. I know my friend whose mother died just after him feels the same about Mother's Day. I think we are simply bugged by the things that bug us.

[mandy-moon.livejournal.com]

How bizarre- I've never heard of anyone believing that Father's Day gets more attention. On Mother's Day we go out to a nice brunch, there are flowers all around, everybody gives mom a nice gift. On Father's Day dad gets a coupon for a free car wash. I've never known it to be any other way with anyone.