Five Things to Know Today, Dec. 16

Let's hear it for Friday! Here are some things to know as you head into the day and the weekend.

The weather: Rain or not? It's 50-50, according to the National Weather Service. There'll be some fog before 9 a.m. and it will be mostly cloudy all day, with a high of about 67. The low tonight will be around 45 degrees.

Gas prices: Nationwide, gas prices are almost four cents lower than a week ago, according to AAA. Check Lilburn Patch's traffic and gas page for the lowest prices in the area.

Remember when? So you're married and you have your own bank account. Used to be different. Georgia law barred married women from having a separate account from their husbands until 1861. That year, the law was changed to allow a wife to have her own funds -- as long as they totaled less than $1,000. That's about $24,000 in today's dollars.

You call that coffee? You know everything had to start somewhere, but where? In the case of those odd vending machines for coffee that you still find here and there, it was in Minnesota in 1884. Just twenty years after the end of the Civil War, a fellow from Minneapolis named William H. Fruen patented the first vending machines for liquids. Putting in a coin dispensed a fixed amount of liquid. No word on how long the world had to wait for the little plastic cups.

More chocolate. Because it's still nine days till Christmas, there's a need for the sweet-toothed among us to get a fix now rather than waiting any longer. So it's the perfect time to observe National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day, The holiday's origins are shrouded in mystery, but it just makes sense: Chocolate improves the mood and relieves stress, important qualities as the days get shorter and darker and holiday responsibilities grow. Goobers, anyone?