the Fifth of July

I had a surprisingly lovely Fourth, given the weather. Went to gdaniels's (and now msarty's!) annual barbecue, which was as fabulous as always. Got to see some folks I haven't seen in years, and enjoy the fabulous mint lemonade and guacamole and some yummy kosher dogs. Sadly, I had to leave before they started up the sno-cone machine, but it was a lovely time.

I got home, picked up my fabulous backpack chair and some cheese and crackers, and headed down to Mem Drive to hang out with fireworks people. I had too many encampments to choose from, but ended up mostly staying with awhyzip and buckydt, with visits to ablock's fabulous tremontstshul encampment and the alfie1981 clan.

It was definitely on the cold and rainy side, but just when I was almost ready to give up and go home gedalia took a few of us in to a friend's nearby high-up apartment to dry out and warm up. I think they stayed there for the show, but I had to go back to rescue my stuff when Camp On-Ramp (we were right by the on-ramp, near the Longfellow) folded and combined with Tremont St. But buckydt was kind enough to share an umbrella and some body heat with me, and we managed to wait it out until the fireworks, which were just spectacular. There were some fabulous combinations of colors and patterns I've never seen before, and we were close enough to have pieces of shell hitting us. So amazing to be so close that the lights just fill the entire sky. I kept alternating between feeling my jaw drop from awe, and just laughing aloud from sheer delight.

the Fifth of July

I had a surprisingly lovely Fourth, given the weather. Went to gdaniels's (and now msarty's!) annual barbecue, which was as fabulous as always. Got to see some folks I haven't seen in years, and enjoy the fabulous mint lemonade and guacamole and some yummy kosher dogs. Sadly, I had to leave before they started up the sno-cone machine, but it was a lovely time.

I got home, picked up my fabulous backpack chair and some cheese and crackers, and headed down to Mem Drive to hang out with fireworks people. I had too many encampments to choose from, but ended up mostly staying with awhyzip and buckydt, with visits to ablock's fabulous tremontstshul encampment and the alfie1981 clan.

It was definitely on the cold and rainy side, but just when I was almost ready to give up and go home gedalia took a few of us in to a friend's nearby high-up apartment to dry out and warm up. I think they stayed there for the show, but I had to go back to rescue my stuff when Camp On-Ramp (we were right by the on-ramp, near the Longfellow) folded and combined with Tremont St. But buckydt was kind enough to share an umbrella and some body heat with me, and we managed to wait it out until the fireworks, which were just spectacular. There were some fabulous combinations of colors and patterns I've never seen before, and we were close enough to have pieces of shell hitting us. So amazing to be so close that the lights just fill the entire sky. I kept alternating between feeling my jaw drop from awe, and just laughing aloud from sheer delight.