Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Tuesday's gone

If the names Duke Lavery and Sean Donely mean anything to you, IM me and we'll chat.

It seems the older I get, the less time I get to spend with aunts and uncles and cousins. The less I see certain friends. The difference may be ever so slight sometimes. But still, I recognize it. So these days, when I do get to see them, I cherish those times.

Lil' Bootay was home from South Carolina for the 4th. It was good to hang out with her Saturday night. The evening's activities included dinner and bowling with friends. And for some unbeknownst reason, me doing my best Joey Gladstone impression, making funny noises whenever I passed the ketchup, salt, and sundry other condiments and amenities to anyone.

Got to spend a lot of time with family the past few days. Saw my Dad on Saturday. Driving home, I realized that since I've moved, I only see him maybe once a month. And then, it's usually just meeting at a restaurant to eat. My parents aren't old, but... I feel like I need to make more of an effort to see him.

Overall, the weekend (meaning Friday thru Tuesday, even though I had to work Monday) was filled with much good food, multiple cookouts, and finally, last night, fireworks. Mom called and said some family was getting together at my fave aunt's house to shoot fireworks and that my uncle from Galveston was supposed to be there. I realized I had not seen any fireworks yet, and wanted to see my uncle, so I put on my pants and went.

I don't know how it is where you live, but here we put on our own fireworks displays. We know all the major fireworks by name. And what most of them do. We also know there has never been a firework created that you can't hold and/or throw, no matter what the warning label may say. Those labels are for children. Not wise, experienced pyrotechnicians like ourselves.

Some may say that's dangerous. I say, you haven't lived until a firecracker has gone off in your hand. Until you've accidentally caught a field, tree, or some structure on fire. Until you've driven down a country road and had bottle rockets shot at your vehicle by some future fireworks aficionado.

It has been my experience that these displays involve the males--I would differentiate here between men and kids, but when it comes to fireworks, the difference is negligible--picking out and lighting the fireworks. While the females sit in the yard or on the porch and watch. They may also occasionally applaud. Or maybe that's just my family.

As I was driving to my aunt's last night, there were many of these homemade displays along the way. When I arrived, I chose to sit and watch rather than participate in the re-creation of the discovery of fire with the other males.

As they shot the final fireworks of the night, the grand finale as it were, I turned to watch my seven-year-old cousin. She watched in wide-eyed amazement at the loud, colorful displays. All the fireworks in the world couldn't compare to the look in her eyes.

It was a perfect way to wind down the holiday. Although I ended up missing my uncle by seconds, according to everyone there. My last remaining single cousin, who is getting married next month, was there with his fiancee. She is the sweetest thing. As much as I hate to be the last single cousin, he could not possibly have done any better.

They had been to New York recently. My cousin told me they ate at the diner that Monk's on Seinfeld is modeled after and he thought of me. I like that I'm the biggest Seinfeld fan that any of my friends or family know. Really like it. Probably more than I should.

Driving home last night with the radio up and the sunroof open, I just wanted to keep driving. Take a detour and put in another CD and just keep going. To somewhere. Anywhere. But it was already 11:30. And I had to work this morning. Nights like that, I wish would never end.

But they always do.

"Are you alone? Can you talk to an old friend? Right or wrong, I had to hear your voice again. Unwritten law, protocol, says to leave the past alone..."

18 comments:

  1. They mean something to me however I don't IM

    Glad you had such a great weekend even though you had to work Monday, and saw your parents who aren't old but....and your cousin and LiL Bootay. Beginning to feel that I know your life the way some people say they know mine

    Last Wednesday's GH was the Rosetta Stone. It was at the Q's after the funeral. Edward almost had a breakdown because when Justus came to Port Charles it was for his father, Edward's black son's Bradley's funeral

    Luke reminded him that Bradley's body had been found at Luke and Laura's. Edward & Luke got along which made Tracey happy. Tracey and Luke were happy.


    Lukce went to see Laura. What's his name, the Cassadine son just had a baby, so Laura is a grandmother.

    Laura didn't move while Luke was there. However once he left, she moved her hand to where his was.
    Luke never mentioned Lucky

    Patrick and Carly were doing a revenge sleeping together when Robin rang the doorbell

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  2. I have one word for you: Country.

    Ahhh Alabama in the summer, gotta love it.

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  3. Good Recap by Pia.
    Personally, I would like to know more about the "noises" you made while passing the ketchup and salt and stuff.... and why? Tell Lil' Bootay I said hi the next time you talk to her, will ya?

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  4. Our fireworks celebrations sound identical.

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  5. Fireworks are illegal here in CO...statewide ban. But that didn't stop my neighbors and many others from driving up to WY to buy fireworks and shooting them off.

    Idiot neighbor was letting his kids shoot them straight at our house! shudda called the cops. This is the same neighbor who did something at work to mess up his back and he couldn't work for a year...once he got well enough to work he wrecks his motorcycyle and can't work again...where did he get the $$ for the fireworks???

    But I remember shooting off fireworks when I was a kid. One day on the way home, my dad pulls the truck over because there's a box on the side of the road...it was filled with fireworks! We had those for like 3 years it was great, they were great. But we never had fire bans.

    My 4th was spent mostly at MIL's house...nice time.

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  6. I will sit back and applaud your fireworks. My cousins come home to my grandma's house every year (she has a big farm, so the chances of killing a non-family member are much less) to put off fireworks.

    Hey, I tried to find you on IM, but you were away. I had this brilliant idea for a book, but it involves you in a way. I wanted to present the idea to you, see how it jived. Would you mind emailing me at cs94wahoo at gmail dot com? If not, I understand. It's kind of out of the blue. But I think we could be famous. Seriously. :)

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  7. Pia: Oh, I wish I could have seen that Laura moment. Excellent recap. Maybe you should try this daily.

    HeatherB: Yes, country. Can't entirely deny that.

    GroovieC: Well, my friend's girlfriend's child was present. So I guess I was trying to be entertaining. They were sort of like little Jetsons spaceship noises. Perhaps I'll do an audioblog.

    That's two votes for Pia!

    Melanie: Cheerleaders like fireworks? ;-)

    Renee: Fireworks is high up on the budget list. No matter how bad things may be going otherwise, come July 4th, we'll round up some cash for fireworks.

    Wyoming illegal fireworks scam. Is that anything like the Michigan deposit bottle scam?

    Carmen: To put off fireworks? :) I've never heard it said like that.

    This idea of yours... it doesn't involve me posing for pictures does it?

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  8. Oh goodness...here in PA, the ultra conservative north, anything that leaves the ground is considered illegal. But, there are the renegades and that's fun.

    The city of Harrisburg sets off fireworks and I can see them from my house. So, I can easily avoid the crowds and the hour drive home which really only takes 15 minutes.

    Glad you go to see family and glad no one lost a finger or hand with the fireworks!!!

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  9. My best friend is the manager of a title pawn store here. She said she had customer on Monday pawn the title to his car because he had spent his whole paycheck on fireworks and did not have food to eat for the week. Only in the south....

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  10. Family and fireworks the perfect way to celebrate the holiday.

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  11. Sounds like a fantastic Fourth! Nick and I didn't watch any fireworks. I've only done the "home show" once, and that was at my aunt's up in Missouri. My uncles bought TONS of fireworks, and we did a show every night for three nights. Scared Elle to pieces.

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  12. Not quite like the Michigan deposit scam. ;o) The only ones getting rich are the fireworks dealers on the CO/WY border. Seriously, they set up a stand at the very first exit when you get to WY with HUGE tents selling everything that is out there.

    And as far as I know No fat mail carriers are thrown out the door and JFK's golf clubs are not part of the deal.

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  13. Carnealian: I'm glad they made the fireworks convenient for you :)

    Groovie: Hahaha! Love that story. Fits in perfectly with this post and the comments.

    Linda: Hard to argue that.

    Lass: My dog used to get really scared of them. I heard some people put their dogs on valuum around the 4th of July.

    Renee: If you say so. Still, I'm not leaving my car with any psychotic mechanic until well after the holiday.

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  14. Increadible. I also spent the evening with family (well, my sister and several VERY close friends) setting off big firework displays on my sister's driveway. We played old country songs and sang along... we ooooo'd and aaaaaa'd... we cheered and yelled.

    "Small" gatherings like that are often more fantastic than the big productions put on by large organizations. I had more fun with my drunk cousin and giggly sister than I would have had anywhere else.

    I also think of you when Seinfeld comes on.

    Happy belated 4th, Bone.

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  15. I had a good fourth-say the fireworks after a minor league ball game--can't get more american than that (watching a chinese invention explode while eating german invented hot dogs and saurkraut after watching an game invented by yankees).

    One thing I've noticed about the south--it seems that every other state sells fireworks. I grew up in NC (fireworks were illegal), but you only had to drive down to SC. They're illegal in GA (I think) cause as soon as you cross the 'bama line, there's firework stand! just an observation.

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  16. There is nothing wrong with some people who put their dogs on valuum...

    ;-)

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  17. Blondie: Perhaps that should be on my tombstone: "When you think of Seinfeld, I hope you think of me."

    Good to see you around. Long time, no hear.

    Sage: I think you're right. There's a huge stand just across the Tennessee line. Perhaps they used to be illegal here as well.

    OCG: Oh, so you've heard of this, too? ;-)

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  18. You wrote:

    Driving home last night with the radio up and the sunroof open, I just wanted to keep driving. Take a detour and put in another CD and just keep going. To somewhere. Anywhere. But it was already 11:30. And I had to work this morning. Nights like that, I wish would never end.


    I enjoyed that paragraph...I haven't felt that way in a looong time about driving. Well, out in the country I feel that way, but not in the city.

    Glad you had a great time.

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