Pi day

Now, a couple of months ago, Jim and I decided that we needed to have a get together with our friends to celebrate, well, whatever.   To celebrate.  I thought of having a Friday the 13th party, after all there were TWO MONTHS in a row where we had an opportunity for one this year.  But Friday isn’t really that good a day for our group to have a party since many of us have to work on Saturday.    Besides, there are all those horrible movies sort of spoiling the whole thing, and I certainly didn’t want anybody showing up in a hockey mask.

Then I thought it might also be a great idea to have an Ides of March party, but Sunday is not that great a day for a party because lots of us have to work on Monday.   So, my idea of a toga party complete with an effigy of Julius Caesar in the carport that would mutter “Et tu, Brutus?” when it was stabbed sort of fell by the wayside.

It isn’t really proper to celebrate the Vernal Equinox a WHOLE WEEK EARLY, so I didn’t really want to call it an Equinoctical Exravaganza.  Being a little superstitious, the idea of celebrating spring a week early sounded a lot like an invitation for a blizzard or a hard freeze.   We’ve had more than enough of THAT lately.

So, when I sent out the invitations for the party we are having tomorrow, I called it a “Not Friday the 13th Eve of the Ides of March Pre-spring Fling.”  Everybody thought that was a grand reason for a party, and we are all set to gather here, where we plan to eat, drink, have a sauna and make very merry.   Jim is smoking a pork shoulder and we shall present pulled pork.

However, we came across an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, featuring the Exploratorium, a local hands on science museum for kids of all ages.  Tomorrow, which is the 14th of March, is known in some scientific/mathematical circles as Pi Day, since it is 3/14.   It also happens that March 14 is Albert Einstein’s birthday, and all the geeks were gearing up for a big celebration. 

Suddenly, “A Theme was Born”.   To wit, I went to the Pi Search Site and printed out π to 10,000 places.  This afternoon, with the help of my loving spouse, I copied the first 1,000 places onto a roll of cash register tape.  He read, I wrote.  This streamer is now decorating the kitchen, living room, and some of our dining room.  My friend Jeri can’t come to the party because she has a date with her daughter to go hear a fabulous blues artist perform up in St. Louis.   But she came by just in time to help hang the streamer, so I guess I’ll have to forgive her for snubbing our party.  At least her energy is here for it now, and that will have to do.

Of course, I ended the string with the words “ad infinitum,” since pi is a magical number that seems to go on infinitely without repeating itself.

I wish I had a nice big poster of Albert Einstein to feature prominently somewhere, but I guess I am going to have to be content with a 
“Happy Birthday Albert!” banner.  I waited too long to acquire a poster and I’m afraid the local Walmart  and Dollar Stores don’t carry such esoterica.

I am seriously considering making several pies in our square cake pans.   You know, because πr², right? 

Anyway, since we just wasted  productively spent a good two hours on the Pi Project, I will be spending most of tomorrow cleaning house rather than blogging.   So I just thought I’d  post a little post now so that all of you can lift a glass along with us to celebrate!

Salud!  Skoal!  Prosit!  L’chaim!  etc etc etc

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