September is here, bringing a hint of fall and a fresh batch of fun, flavorful, and wonderfully quirky reasons to celebrate. From chocolate milkshakes and cheeseburgers to punctuation, positive thinking, and one hit wonders, Carla has something for just about everyone this month. Thanks to Carla Besosa for once again sharing her humor, local favorites, and unexpected bits of trivia. Take a look and find your reason to celebrate September!
"Happy September! The world shall now transform into everything pumpkin!"
-Keith Wynn
Sept. 3 SKYSCRAPER DAY
This reminds me of Georgia O'Keefe's 1927 oil painting, Radiator Building - Night, New York. A favorite poster that hung in my UVA dorm room for four years.
Sept. 5 BE LATE FOR SOMETHING DAY
Having grown up with "PR time," Puerto Rican time, I am totally on board! Definition: a fluid attitude toward punctuality, where arriving late to social events is normal.
Sept. 7 SALAMI DAY
Genoa is the most popular, however, I recommend trying something more interesting like Trader Joe's Chianti Red Wine Salami, Finocchiona, Soppressata, or the Greek Loukanika.
Sept. 8 AMPERSAND DAY
The word is contracted from "and per se and." Such a big word for a small symbol!
Sept. 11 CLOUD APPRECIATION DAY
Flashback to 5th grade science class: Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus, Nimbus, etc.
Sept. 12 CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE DAY
Some of the better options in Alexandria include The Dairy Godmother (Del Ray), Goodies (Old Town), and Custard Shack (Belle Haven).
Sept. 13 POSITIVE THINKING DAY
Positive thinking reshapes the brain by
altering brain chemistry, reducing stress hormones, and boosting feel-good neurotransmitters. I dedicate this day to our late neighbor, Janis Timberlake, the Maven of Positive Thinking!
Sept. 15 8-TRACK TAPE DAY
Decades ago, I recorded my favorite 45s onto 8-track to preserve them. Wise move! The tapes dry rotted inside the cartridge! If you don't know what an 8-track tape is, you are on your own to look it up.
Sept. 18 CHEESEBURGER DAY
Though ultimately subjective, Yelp favors The Majestic, Jon's Joint, Holy Cow, The Club, and Matt & Tony's. However, I would pick the smashburgers at The Royal.
Sept. 20 STRING CHEESE DAY
String cheese was created in the US, in the '70s. Reminds me of the '90s band, The String Cheese Incident, known for "cheesy" cover songs.
Sept. 23 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SIGN LANGUAGES
At least learn the ASL alphabet; it's not that difficult. You can find it on the internet and teach yourself.
Sept. 24 PUNCTUATION DAY
The apostrophe and the semicolon contend as the most misused punctuation marks. I vote for the apostrophe, which is frequently botched with plurals, contractions, and possessive pronouns. I think people tend to simply avoid the semicolon, unsure what to do with it.
Sept. 25 ONE HIT WONDER DAY
Who doesn't love, Macarena (Los Del Rio), Tainted Love (Soft Cell), Spirit in the Sky (Norman Greenbaum), Take on Me (a-ha), Play that Funky Music (Wild Cherry), and Vehicle (The Ides of March)! It's also LOBSTER DAY. Check out the delightfully perverse 2015 dystopian film The Lobster, starting Colin Farrell. Then ask yourself who's in charge? Who made the rules? And why is everyone following them? Great fodder for thought in many arenas!
Sept. 28 ASK A STUPID QUESTION DAY
Whoever said there's no such thing as a stupid question, has never conducted training.
Sept. 29 INTERNATIONAL COFFEE DAY
Cameron Cafe awaits with cappuccino, lattes, americanos, espresso, or just plain coffee. Make it traditional or bougie!
Carla Besosa has been a Cameron Station resident since 2000, and a Compass contributor for more than 20 years. She earned the title of "Cameron Station Foodie" for the many restaurant reviews she wrote for the newsletter, many of which can be found in The Compass archives on the community website, www.cameronstation.org. Carla is a huge supporter of Cameron Station and very tuned into the fun and delicious ways to enjoy life in and around our community.
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