When did men stop wearing hats? '50s? '60s?

Before then, a man was supposed to take off his hat when talking to a woman, right?

Sixties, pretty much. I think I heard that Kennedy was the last president to wear a hat on his way to inauguration, though he took it off during the actual ceremony.

And yes. Doff your hat when greeting a woman, take it off for a longer conversation. Also, take off the hat when going indoors. (When I was stage managing Brighton Beach Memoirs, we had such hat trouble with the male actors. The stage was set up on three levels -- house upstairs, house downstairs, and porch/street -- and people frequently walked into or out of the house. There was a coat/hat rack right inside the door, and each male character had a hat that he had to put on every time he went outside and take off every time he went inside, and none of them could ever remember it. Then we got into lighting problems when we realized that the baseball cap that the teenage boy character wore would cast a shadow on his face with the lighting, so he had to not only remember to put on the hat, but to put it on way on the back of his head.)

President's Day is the beginning of Midwinter Break in Emmett's school district, aka "Ski Week."

They get a Midwinter Break? And then also a spring break? We usually got Presidents Day off, and then nothing else until spring break, which was usually either the week before or the week after Easter.

So we did go to see the cyclists. It was fun but OMG almost as many cars as cyclists. My sister got a great photo of Lance Armstrong, actually. And now of course it's lovely outside, so I'm no longer so scared of the drive home.

In MA, we got February and April vacations (3rd week of each), and then were in school until late June. In in my head it was because of heating bills.

They get a Midwinter Break? And then also a spring break?

Yep. Plus two weeks for xmas. But I think they start earlier (usually last week of August) so it's the same amount of schooldays. Since it's not superhot in the Bay Area there's not the big cost savings you get in the South by keeping the air conditioning off for an extra week.

So even public schools get a week off at Presidents Day in the Bay Area? And I thought it was just for the kids from private schools. I had a whole justification in my head based on how only people wealthy enough to afford private school tuition would consider a week off in Feb to go skiing a NEED. But clearly I was wrong. Crazy. Well we Southern Californians do not get a Feb break.

mac is off for this full week. While they get a break in December, I think this one is the semester break.

Well we survived Hotel for Dogs, but we skipped pizza - too full on popcorn and soda. mac was teary twice in the film. The kids are orphans, are repeatedly told no one wants them, and then they are split up at one point. poor noodle. He seems fine now, but I am staying close and giving extra hugs and comfort. Why must all kids in kid's movies deal with separation from family?

But I think they start earlier (usually last week of August) so it's the same amount of schooldays. Since it's not superhot in the Bay Area there's not the big cost savings you get in the South by keeping the air conditioning off for an extra week.

Ah. My schools never had air conditioning. We went from the Wednesday after Labor Day until the end of June.

Aww, noodle. Yes, extra hugs and comfort are in order.

I don't know why! It's kinda weird, actually.

Awesome about the cyclists, Burrell.

Why must all kids in kid's movies deal with separation from family?

I know! Every movie, no matter what the plot. I don't get it. For the longest time my kids wouldn't watch movies because they couldn't take whatever trauma was thrown at them in the first 10 minutes.

The worst is Nemo, but luckily we had been warned so we knew to skip the opener.