Friday, July 3, 2009

Happy Birthday, America

I always offer one piece of advice before the 4th of July. I realize that most of my friends don't really need to hear this, and will just take it for the humor value. However, it is an important message:

Don't go out on the fourth with a fifth, or you might not be around to go forth on the fifth.

Someone sent me this little video, asking that I share it for the 4th of July, and I thought this would be the best way to do that. I loved it. Thanks, Sherman.


We're still deciding what to do on the Fourth of July. Since that's tomorrow, we don't have a lot of time left to decide. Let me explain how these decisions are made in our house. I explain to John about a week or so early what I want. He thinks about it for a week or so and then, at the last minute, tells me what we're actually going to do.

The last two years we have climbed the hill behind us, up the ridge behind our neighbor Doug's house. From there we can watch the tiny firework displays spring up in about eight or ten tiny little towns spread out on the plains and valleys beneath the foothills where we live. It's pretty cool. You can't hear them, and they're very far away, but there's no traffic. When they're done, you just climb down the hill and you're home. I understand John's appreciation of the ease of it. He's also not an overly social person, so I know he's more comfortable without the crowds of strangers.

However—and to me this is a big however—it's been about seven years since he's taken me to see them in person anywhere. In fact, it's been longer than that since he's done it. I went with someone some of the kids about six or seven years ago. I like to sit close enough to feel the booms and smell the sulphur. I want to hear the crowd go "ooh" and "aah" around me. I've learned that I don't have to have this every year, but I guess I need it occasionally. This year I've been pretty upset about the political situation, and maybe that's why I need it.

So tomorrow I'll stand around and ask, looking hopeful. I do have a trump card. I can always offer to drive myself. He hates that.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Dear John and Kathleen,
We enjoyed your blog very much- the music as well as the witty remarks. John, have you convinced your wife that she can hear the oohs and aahs from up the hill???

Sharon and Marvin said...

We were in the same boat...what to do and then we decided to just get dressed and hit the road. We ended up in Long Beach and totally enjoyed the day at the Aquarium of the Pacific, walked along the LB pier, had a picnic from "Dave's Barbeque" [the best] and watched fireworks go off in the bay next to the Queen Mary. Promise to share pictures soon. And yes, we could hear the boom, ohhs, and aahs, sitting on a hill below the light house. It was a marvelous day, except for the 2 hour drive from LB to SM.