Thursday, 4/17

47 percent, huh? That's quite the number.

Odds are you weren't listening at 2:35 yesterday afternoon, or that if you were you don't even remember my “Weird Fact of the Day”, but it's a number that simultaneously did and did not surprise me in any way, shape, or form--

Because of their costs, 47% of Americans who usually color Easter eggs will not be doing so this year.

Like I said, I'm not surprised; thanks to everything from bird flu to confusing economic policies eggs have remained stubbornly high in price, and I can see why people have wanted to cut back. But to NOT follow the traditional coloring of eggs?

Well, that would almost be akin to not making cookies during Christmas. And that's kinda sad.

I also find it a bit interesting because Americans, collectively, are slated to spend 24 billion dollars on the holiday, which includes everything from ham to chocolate bunnies to that fake grass you'll be picking out of your carpet for the next six months. I'm wondering if that total now represents the ceiling for Easter spending in this country, and the fact that eggs are anywhere from one to six (depending upon where you live and what kind you buy) dollars more expensive than at this time last year represents the point at which people throw up their hands and say...

“Okay. Enough”.

While it hasn't affected me in real life, I have had a little fun with it during our “Easter Parade of Colors” contest. When I give qualifiers two egg colors, sometimes one of those color is white because, as I tell them, eggs are so expensive that it shot our budget and we couldn't afford that many colors. It gets a laugh, because I think a lot of listeners relate to it.

Hopefully, it doesn't affect you too much. After all, everyone has their favorite Easter tradition, and I know that for a lot of people that involve the coloring of eggs. So if you have to give something up for Easter, make it that fake grass that you';ll still be finding int your carpet for the next six months.

Spend it on the eggs instead.

*****

I have tomorrow off, so when you come by here to read a new one of these you'll have to remind yourself that “Oh, Jim has today off”. Back with something new on Monday.

Enjoy your chocolate bunnies and, if you're splurging, your eggs!

(jim@wmqt.com)