The milk that never expired

[vilakins]

The expiry date on my (glass) bottle of milk from the farm just down the road was 30 FEB 24. So, never then?

25. Do you know how to swim? When was the last time you went swimming and where?
I do, and everyone used to learn at school, but that no longer happens because schools can't afford their own pools. Certainly there's only one in this town and schools share it with the public (lots of conflict) but that's only their swimming teams, not pupils in general.
The last time for me was on holiday in the Bay of Islands.

26. Tell a Fairy Tale Day - have you ever read any of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales?
Of course! And some of them are a bit grim.

27. John Steinbeck was born today. Have you ever read The Grapes of Wrath?
Yes, back in high school. I never much enjoyed the books I had to read because of the associated analyses and essays expected, so I used to read and enjoy other classes' books without strings attached.

28. National Tooth Fairy Day - did you get coins from the tooth fairy when you were young?
Strangely enough, given that we didn't do Santa Claus, yes! I used to wonder what the fairies did with the little milky teeth, and imagined they built houses with them.

29. It's a Leap Year - what will you do with your extra day? Do you know anyone born on the 29th of February?
LOL, the same as any other day. It's not really an extra day as the calendar is a construct. That reminds me of the calendar riots of 1752 when people thought they'd lost 11 days of their lives. This seems to be a myth based on a satirical painting, but I suppose people who didn't get their birthdays that year were a bit miffed.
I don't know anyone born that day, but friends got married on the 29th because the date was available and they didn't care. They once got the only anniversary card I've ever sent.

Comments

[lilysea]

My understanding is that any calendar riots was because people had to pay an extra 11 days of RENT to their landlords.

[vilakins]

According to Wikipedia, "Provision 6 of the Act ('Times of Payment of Rents, Annuities') stipulated that monthly, quarterly or yearly payments would not become due until the days that originally they would have done had the Julian calendar continued—that is, due dates were deferred by eleven days." It wouldn't surprise me though if gouging landlords might have disobeyed that and demanded a whole month. Actually I was surprised when I looked it up as I thought there had been riots.
[Edit] And come to think of it, due dates being 11 days out from then on must have been a right pain. I'd have reduced the payment for the first term and kept the dates the same.

[jhall1]

I think we still have a legacy of that in the UK, where our tax year ends on 6th April when previously it ended on 25th March, one of the four Quarter Days: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_days

[vilakins]

Yes, I saw that when I was looking at Wikipedia. That date now makes sense. Ours ends in 31 March, doubtless influenced by yours.

[watervole]

I imagine some of the Grimm's stories may have been in Andrew Lang's collections - and I read lots of those.

'

[vilakins]

Were those organised by country, e.g. 'Welsh Fairy Tales', 'French Fairy Tales'? I had several of those.

[igenlode]

My school at least used to march everyone down to the public baths in a crocodile for swimming lessons -- with hindsight, I suppose it must have replaced an entire afternoon's lessons, but presumably teaching primary-school children to swim was felt to be as valuable as having them spend the afternoon colouring in number squares or shuffling flashcards or any of the other unspeakably boring things they made us do at that age....

[vilakins]

It's very valuable, especially in a country where so many people go fishing or boating. That's why I'm surprised that it's not taught as a matter of course any more.

[igenlode]

To be fair, I think most of the people who drown generally do so because they think they *can* swim, and start larking around in flooded quarries or jumping into a river after a dog in difficulties, or something. The ones who know they can't swim at all may be less at risk...

[jaxomsride2]

Our primary school did swimming lessons at the local swimming baths and so did other schools. I used to hate them as I was banned from swimming on medical grounds. I still had to go to the swimming baths as I couldn't stay at school and so had to watch everyone else enjoying the water.

[vilakins]

That's awful! Could you at least take a book?

All the schools I attended (three primaries, three high schools) all had their own pools which certainly made the public pools freely available - here the public have to fit in around swim and dive teams. In summer my sister and I used to go to the public pools in the weekends for more swimming, we loved it so much.

[imhilien]

I'm hopeless at swimming; I never trusted the water when young.

Fairy tales were darker before they became Disney-fied.

[vilakins]

They certainly were; some are serious nightmare territory. I even started giving an example and deleted it because just nope.

I'm frightened of heights which is often a real nuisance (like refusing to walk along cliff paths), but water never scared me. I loved swimming lessons and went to public pools in the weekends for more watery fun. It's odd how different things affect us. I wasn't scared of heights when I was young, but since about age 11 I've been terrified and have no idea why.

[imhilien]

I don't really mind heights but don't seek them out, either. I would never go bunjee jumping.