A Mid-Week Fourth

First of all, I think it should be illegal for the Fourth of July to fall on a weekday. Take a few more days from February, add a few to June, I don't care, just make it so it's on a weekend. Or at the least, not a Wednesday, smack in the middle of the week.

However, that being said, I would definitely be ok with having more Wednesdays off; it's a great way to break up the work week.

Tuesday I was frantically trying to get things done, and every few minutes I'd remember that I didn't have to work the next day. Yay! I stayed up late and slept in some before starting my day of relaxation. My friend, Shana, and I had vague plans which ended up being perfect.

As I've said before, the Fourth is one of my favorite holidays. I just love it. And as much as I prefer to be in North Carolina for it, I'm happy with the way mine turned out this year.

We started on her apartment's rooftop pool, which was wonderful. It was a HOT but clear day. We laid out, talked, read, and took many dunks in the pool.

We had a late lunch at a seafood restaurant where I had very refreshing sweet tea vodka lemonade...in a mason jar! (Which I really wanted to steal but had no purse to put it in.)

I went home after that to shower, clean a little, and take a very quick nap. Then it was time to go back out, in the opposite direction of the hoards of people, and meet S in Friendship Heights for more food.

We went to Clyde's, which has several locations around D.C., but we realized we'd never been to any. It was decorated like an old train car, and had a model train track hanging from the ceiling, which was a lot of fun.

We were still too full from our lunch and opted for splitting a few appetizers, then desert and a few drinks. All whilst wearing our most patriotic attire, of course.

As we left, we could hear fireworks in the distance, but all in all were happy we chose the activities we did.

Especially when you consider that at 9 p.m. it was still 98 degrees.

NC Summer Vacation, Part 2: Baby, you're a firework

Yes, I just channeled Katy Perry. It's ok if you hate me a little. 

We tend to do things big in the south, particularly when it comes to explosives. Now, I know this isn't a strictly southern thing, but I swear our accents get thicker when lighting a fuse or throwing a firecracker in the pool and I just don't think it would be the same anywhere else.

This year the sister and brother-in-law got a nice haul from the Other Carolina and combined with ours we had a nice selection. I don't have a ton of photos as I was too busy watching the display, but here are a few.

Mike and Joey working on one of the "works on land and water" fire boats.

Testing it in the water and leaving its mark, too.

Joey inspecting the tank after he and Mike decided to "ramp it."

Brief pause in the picture parade to throw to the video footage. So you can hear just how passionate my family is about our explosives.

Me and Joey conducting our annual tank battle.

Both of which I lost.

Daddy and his "launch tubes."

Ground display.

Aiming for the sky.

Melissa as Lady Liberty.

Sparklers! My favorite part.

McKinley

Jordan

Me, a bit blurry, but I like it.

With the nieces. Shortly before Jordan burned her foot.
And thus the reason I probably won't be a chaperone next year.

After all the oohs and ahhs were said, and all the fingers counted, it was just a good night.

NC Summer Vacation, Part 1: Fourth (or Second) of July

As I mention every year, the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. I'll steal from my post last year to summarize why that is so:

Though our independence was hardly easy or bloodless, there is something in our celebration of it that is pure and wholesome. Just a day to be thankful for what we have and why we have it, to gather and eat and enjoy the sun, and later in the dark, the fireworks!

This year I headed south because there just really is no other place I'd rather be. Since both the parents had to work on the actual day -- which should be a felony -- we celebrated on the Saturday before. But it didn't matter as we still had the same good time consisting of great food, pleasant company, a cool pool, and plenty of less-than-legal fireworks. 

Mom's picture-perfect dining room table decor.

Snack table.

Some of the decor.

Red, white, and blue lanterns.

One of the pinwheels that I staple gunned (!) along the pool railing.

Dinner

Brisket

My red, white, and blue for the day.

Joey wedged his way into my float.

Sun was in his eyes. (I'm probably a bad sister for posting this.)

Michelle and Joey

Nieces and friend.

Sisters

We snacked, we lounged, we swam, we talked, we ate. And then we tried to keep all our limbs attached. But that's a post for another day.

Better late than never

The Fourth of July is one of my most favorite holidays. Though our independence was hardly easy or bloodless, there is something in our celebration of it that is pure and wholesome. Just a day to be thankful for what we have and why we have it, to gather and eat and enjoy the sun, and later in the dark, the fireworks!

The last time I was in D.C. for the Fourth was five years ago, on my first visit to D.C. ever:

Lovely Karey and me (I'm looking a bit rough after two months in Europe and an 8-hour flight.)

This year instead of going home the little brother came to see me. It was a busy weekend:

Brunch at Le Pain Quotidien, Spy Museum, Cosi, Arlington Cemetery, Sweetgreen, rest, Mexican dinner, The Hangover, sleep, brunch at Eastern Market, Potomac Cruise, Georgetown, lunch at Uno, nap, Rosslyn, fireworks, sleep, IHOP, Target, the end.

No pictures at the Spy Museum but it was highly enjoyable. Neither of us had been and it was fun (and air conditioned) and we learned a lot of neat stuff. After he got his much-loved "man sandwich" at Cosi, we headed to Arlington Cemetery. This visit was nice because in addition to the Changing of the Guard ceremony, we also got to see a wreath ceremony that a high school participated in.

On the Fourth we started in Georgetown with a cruise along the Potomac. The last time he was hear we did a Duck tour, but this allowed us to go even further on the river and see DC from a different angle. Then we walked around Georgetown for a bit before going home for a rest and then on to Rosslyn for fireworks!

Our boat

Georgetown University as seen from the river

Me and a fountain at Georgetown Harbor

A Joe wearing a Sloppy Joe's shirt reading a Bangkok Joe's menu. The number of his friends who didn't "get" this is astounding.

Supposedly less crowded than the Mall, we settled in front of the Netherlands Carillon near the Iwo Jima memorial, surrounded by people and an elementary school group that kept us entertained for hours. The fireworks were beautiful and over too soon, but worth the trip.

While I'm glad I did a DC Fourth as a resident, and got to share it with the little brother, I think I'll be heading South next year. Can't go letting the parents have a "no kids, no fun" Fourth again, after all.

"Time to do what the British couldn't." (Joey, re: sinking his boat)

The plan since February-ish was for the parents to come up to D.C. for the Fourth. Due to work obligations, this changed at the last minute. I decided instead of staying up here, family-less, I would go home. The Fourth is one of my favorite holidays and even the pull of fireworks on the Mall couldn't compare with burgers on the grill and less-than-legal fireworks. With just barely a week to spare, I splurged on a plane ticket, and set my sights Southward. I got home Thursday night and it was go go go until I got back to D.C. on Sunday night.

I spent a lovely Friday afternoon with the little brother, shopping and then treating him to lunch. His girlfriend had apparently joked with him in the past about how he should offer to pay when he has a meal with me or my sister, but I strongly disagree. Maybe it's because I'm in the middle, so I get to be older and younger, but I think it's the older sibling's job to pay when you go out to eat. And when I'm 90 and he's 87, I'll still pay for lunch.

Friday night we all had dinner and then went to the local mall to see the fireworks. Short show, but good.
Saturday was spent by the pool at home, the perfect Independence Day. Capped off with food galore, the last hour of Jaws, and of course, more fireworks! (Including a record amount of sparklers, pops, and snakes.)

The father and brother are PYROS with a capital P-Y-R-O-S. And thank God, for them, it wouldn't be the Fourth of July without it. This year we had Joey's attempt to blow up a small wooden boat -- christened the Black Pearl -- in the pool. (And don't think the cruel injustice of the fact that we aren't allowed to climb over the sides of the pool, but the boy can set fire to a wooden boat in it, has escaped me.) But it was only an attempt as it never really blew up.

And then we had a wide array of fireworks courtesy of the Lesser Carolina. No trees, dogs, or spectators were harmed in the process. (Though there were a few close calls.)
And did I mention the package of glow bracelets I got from Michael's for a $1, that turned our backyard into a rave? Sort of.

Sunday was mainly spent lazing at home until my flight left in the evening. And that was my Fourth. It was back to the grind on Monday in what has ended up being a surprisingly busy week at work. But that's ok because next week is CHICAGO!

Day 186: "The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive." (Thoams Jefferson)

I love the Fourth of July. Love it. The food. The fireworks. The history. The founding fathers. The Declaration of Independence. The fireworks. (It's the one day of the year I indulge my inner-pyro by gleefully watching other people blow things up.)

To honor all things red, white, and blue I made a patriotic desert trifle. (If you are thinking of Rachel and her trifle with "beef sauteed with peas and onions," I love you.)

For someone's who's cooking follies have been well-documented in this blog, it was quite good. And that's just not my cocky self saying so, the family thought so too. And I don't have one of those families who says nice things because they are family. (Do those even exist in real life? I feel life would be far less interesting.)