This Old MacDonald Has a Franchise

The morning was sunny and the roads were dry. A clean fresh feeling fell over me, following a string of rain drenched summer days here in Ireland. Yesterday I finished listening to my last audio book, and so as I drove, I focused on the playful bantering coming from the radio.

Two DJs were mocking a local car dealership who had set out to increase their sales by using red white and blue balloons and banners, creating a faux celebration hoopla for the 4th of July. An otherwise uneventful day in Ireland.

Smiling, I pulled over and dialed into the radio show and thanked them for making me homesick.

Soon news reports were repeating for the gazillionth time that a recession has descended upon Ireland.

In a quirky twist, reported the newsperson, one company's policital correctness had backfired when they terminated a rather large number of employees explaining that as the company must downsize they had hoped to limit such financial burden on nearby households, where many husbands and wives were both employed at this one factory. Thus, the company proceeded to terminate one partner in each married couple. Future hiring policy would prohibit husbands and wives from being hired within the company.

The following morning, five of the now-jobless women, wives of husbands employed by said company, marched into court and began divorce proceedings. Apparently, given the choice of your husband or your job, they chose the job.

I'm a bit perplexed by that choice.

What would you choose?

Our day ended with sloshy puddles. While it may have started sunny nostalgic of my California 4ths of July, I cut my work day short, took the girls to the library, checked out more audio books and soon set out to early dinner as our Independence treat. In keeping Americana style, we dined at McDonalds...or Ol'MacDonalds as wee lassie Cutipie says.

Eating a Big Mac at Old MacDonalds will have to suffice for our Irish American 4th of July.

There's always next year for the BBQ. Enjoy your 4th!