A Weird President's Day Weekend

Abe Lincoln's birthday was February 12, 1809.  It's still a state holiday in Illinois.  Illinois also celebrates President's Day on the third Monday in February.  Before President's Day became the national holiday George Washington's birthday on February 22, was also celebrated.  Some states celebrated both February birthdays and some states just celebrated just Washington's birthday.

On June 28, 1968 the United States Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act , changing many federal holidays to move over to Monday from other days of the week. Originally Washington’s Birthday was celebrated on February 22nd each year but was permanently moved in 1968 with the signing of the new Act. So the new date of President’s Day will fall between February 15 and the 21st each year and never on his (Washington’s) actual birthday of February 22nd.

Two really big tourist activities were cancelled last weekend.  The Miami International Boat Show and the Coconut Grove Art Festival took a pandemic break.  Spring Training is starting and there has been a pick up in the traffic.  The tourist season is here, the weather up north has brought down seasonal residents and snow birds and that's a good thing except that the pandemic of 20/21 is still hanging tough and will scramble Spring Break 2021.  Three and four day weekends are good for business and have become essential parts of Florida's business.  Making hay while the sun shines includes the, Emerald Coast, Nature Coast Gulf Coast, Space Coast Suncoast the Florida Keys, and the Gold Coast Beaches from Miami Beach all the way to the Palm Beaches .

My entire work life has been surrounded by folks that didn't have jobs to go to, didn't have a saleable skill, or lost their job and needed another job and in the interim needed money to get by.  Get a job, learn a trade, go back to school, stay in school, graduate, start a business, volunteer, do something.  It's been my experience that most people would rather be occupied and either working or playing at something they like and given the current situation they are looking forward to when the opportunities present themselves again.  Safely. 

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