1.  Welcome to the third Monday in February or, as those of us in America know it, Presidents’ Day.

2.  Encyclopedia Britannica teaches that this particular holiday (originally called Washington’s Birthday) celebrated – not a shocker here – George Washington’s birthday on February 22. In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday bill, moving a number of federal holidays to Monday seeing as everybody loves a three day weekend and a birthday “observed” is just as fine when said person is super dead.

3.  Abraham Lincoln’s birthday was on February 12 so some folks were all we should combine them and honor both birthdays. Congress shot that suggestion down but commercialism got the last laugh when Presidents’ Day sales in retail resulted in “Presidents’ Day” becoming the popularly accepted name.

4.  All this to say that here I am, smack dab in the middle of Presidents’ Day, and I’ve got more than a few thoughts running through my head.

5.  Like, what would George Washington think of [big air quotes here] “government” as we’ve seen it over the last few months? I’m no historical scholar. Matter of fact, I’m fairly certain any social studies minded elementary student could school me on our first president. I’d also be willing to wager Washington would be appalled.

6.  And what about Abraham Lincoln? How would the president who abolished slavery feel watching insurrectionists carry the Confederate Flag through the U.S. Capitol? Would he have looked at that crowd and wondered what we’d done for the last 160 years? I’d be hard pressed to explain any of it.

7.  Some understand it to be a celebration of the birthdays and lives of all U.S. presidents and that just muddies the waters further. So I’d like to say to all the presidents who haven’t incited a violent coup attempt, happy Presidents’ Day. We appreciate it.

8.  Those last two sentences kill me.

9.  I can honestly say I’ve given precisely zero thought to what might be on a Presidents’ Day sale this year. Zilch. Nada.

10.  I do however greatly appreciate the three day weekend. We needed the break, man. As evidenced by the fact that I’m finishing this at four in the afternoon, for Pete’s sake.