Talk of the Town: What a difference a day makes!

We know that New Year’s Day is Jan. 1, that Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is the third Monday in January and that Inauguration Day is Jan. 20, every four years. The next is Jan. 20, 2009.

January is also unofficially National Careers in Cosmetology Month, National Eye Health Care Month, National Fiber Focus Month, National Hobby Month, National Soup Month, Hot Tea Month, Oatmeal Month, Prune Breakfast Month, and goodness knows what else month.

January also has a selection of quirky holidays that can only be described as a little “bizarre.”

For example, Jan. 10 is Peculiar People Day, in honor of uniquely different people.

Extraordinary, unusual, strange, odd, uncommon, intriguing, different, abnormal, and quirky ?— these are all things that we think of to describe the word “peculiar.” Most of these characteristics can be viewed as good, or not so good. Today is a day to look for the good in your “peculiar” acquaintances.

If you are peculiar, this is your day to be honored and appreciated. Chances are, you will find something peculiar about yourself, if you look hard enough. If you can’t find anything peculiar about yourself, then give some recognition and appreciation to your quirky friends and family.

Jan. 18 is unofficially, Fruitcake Toss Day — your opportunity to finally throw away the old fruitcake. After the holidays are over, it’s time to bring in the new, and toss out the old. Today is the day that the fruit cake goes! Yippee!

There is no one way to toss out the old fruitcake. Why not make a little fun out of it? Gather up a few friends who also are fortunate enough to have received a fruitcake for the holidays. Go out to a field and see who can toss it the farthest. Caution: do not toss the cake at anyone. This weighty steel-like mass of sugar, flour and fruits could injure someone, if they are hit by it.

Important note: Fruitcake Tossing runs counter to the tradition of many people to pass the fruitcake around from one person to the next. In this tradition, the person who is holding the fruitcake on New Year’s, must store it away until the next Christmas season.

Jan. 30 is “National Annoying Answering Machine Greetings Day.”

An annoying greeting is the kind that rambles on and on. You know what I’m talking about. You’re ready to leave your name and call back number and their message is telling you they’re not home, but hiking or biking or golfing or whatever. Please people! Spare us. Just make it brief and let us get on with life.

So, National Annoying Answering Machine Greeting Day is a day to end those musical or talky answering machine greetings that force you to wait before getting down to business.

How to stop it. Try explaining in detail what you’re making for dinner down to the latest boring detail before leaving your message, or tell them what you’re been doing all day. But remember, always be polite.

The 14th Annual Collector Car Show presented by the Santa Cruz Valley Car Nuts is slotted for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Tubac Golf Resort, 1 Otero Road, Tubac, featuring approximately 500 vehicles, including, but most certainly not limited to, street rods, motorcycles, trucks and antique collector cars.

One antique car in this year’s show is a 1913 Ford owned by Tom and Amy Reese of Green Valley. Tom has owned the car for 60 years and obtained it in January 1948 from the original owner, a veterinarian in Middleton, Wis.

Tom said the first owner drove the Ford until the late teens and drove it occasionally as a second car until the 20s.

Tom’s brother-in-law, a farmer in the Middleton area, related that he remembers a Dr. Teckham coming to their farm to treat their animals with the Model T in what must have been as late as the early 1920s.

Tom says the Ford is one of many survivors of the 15 million Model T cars built.

“The T was arguably the most popular car ever built,” he adds. “ It has been reported that many as 50,000 still remain in the hands of enthusiastic owners. This popularity has resulted in the continued manufacture and availability of nearly all repair parts for Model T cars.”

Other car show participants come from all over Arizona, as well as New Mexico, California, Colorado and other states.

There will be three trophies awarded in each of the 22 classes of vehicles at 3 p.m.

The show is open to the public and a $3 admission is being asked to benefit local schools. Proceeds from the 2008 show will be used for college scholarships, the “Grad Nite Car” and other school-related activities. (Each year the Car Nuts donate a car that is given away to one lucky graduating Sahuarita High School senior).

Other charities that receive money from the event include the Amado Community Food Bank, Hands of a Friend in Green Valley and social service groups in Nogales and Tucson. Spectator parking will be provided and signs will be posted to direct the public where to park.

Hot dogs, hamburgers, barbecue sandwiches and beverages will be for sale by the Tubac Golf Resort. No dogs, alcohol or music are permitted on the show grounds.

A 50/50 raffle will be conducted from the show opening until close and tickets are $1.

Vans will take shoppers to the Village of Tubac from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

To get to the Tubac Golf Resort from Green Valley and Sahuarita, take Interstate 19 south to Exit 40. Turn left and follow the signs or call 1-800-848-7893 or visit www.tubacgolfresort.com

On Friday evening, many of the classic cars will gather at the Green Valley Mall at about 4:45 p.m. where they will take off for a short cruise through Green Valley to the Green Valley Elks Lodge #2592 to enjoy dinner prior to the next day’s event.

Debussy and Mozart are featured in “Keyboard Classics and Comments” at the next monthly talk/performance by Ann-Marie Schaffer, at 10 a.m. Monday in the Parish Hall of St. Francis-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, 600 S. La Canada Dr.

The subject for this month will be “Debussy and Mozart” - how unlike yet similar their music is. These sessions are free and open to the public. Call Ann-Marie Schaffer for further information at 625-1609.

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740