DAILY DIRT: ‘I just wanna lie on the beach and eat hot dogs. That’s all I’ve ever wanted’

So, what is the most important warm weather holiday? Memorial Day or July 4? Or possibly Labor Day? … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 622 of The Daily Dirt.

1. It’s Memorial Day and summer is so close we can now feel it.

To get us all even more in the mood, here are five views that should do just that:

“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing … and the lawnmower is broken.” — author James Dent.

“I just wanna lie on the beach and eat hot dogs. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” — Kevin Malone, “The Office.”

“Some of the best memories are made in flip-flops.” — author Kellie Elmore.

“Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.” — author Jenny Han.

“Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.”– sportscaster Al Bernstein.

2. Here a few items you can discuss at today’s family picnic while waiting on grandpa to finish grilling those hot dogs.

Did you know that …

• You’re not allowed to play Bingo for more than five hours in North Carolina … AND you are not permitted to be involved in two separate Bingo sessions with a 48-hour window?
• Billboards have been outlawed in Hawaii since 1927. Hawaii was the first state to ban roadside advertising, and did so long before it became a state in 1959. Surprisingly, Vermont followed suit in 1968, Maine in 1978 and Alaska in 1998. All those states felt it was an important part of preserving their natural beauty. The more I think about, the more I like the concept.
• Pawnbrokers in Delaware are not permitted to accept artificial limbs or wheelchairs.

Some of the newer acronyms you need to know:

ELI5: “Explain like I’m 5.”

IIRC: “If I remember correctly.”

AFAIK: “As far as I know.”

TL;DR: “Too long; didn’t read.”

FTFU: “Fixed that for you.”

3. The three most interesting items I came across over the weekend:

Gold medal: Most people average 7.8 million blinks of their eyes per year. That’s about 15 per minute.

Silver medal: There are more than 700 versions of “Cinderella.” (How that can even be possible?)

Bronze medal: Lucille Ball auditioned for the role of Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone with the Wind.” (Well, obviously, they chose the right girl in Vivien Leigh. In all, 1,400 girls auditioned for the famous role.)

Steve Thought O’ The Day – Speaking of “Gone with the Wind,” George Reeves, the original TV “Superman,” played Scarlett O’Hara suitor Stuart Tarleton in the famous 1939 film. That was his movie debut. In addition, the Stuart Tarleton character was listed incorrectly in the film credits as “Brent Tarleton.” Reeves’s role was a minor one in the early part of the film.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He will eat enough hot dogs today to feed a small village.