July 4th - 2008

What an adventure. Started with a trip to the gym. Chest and triceps. Came home for some down time and were confronted with a flash flood. The sky simply opened up and dropped an ocean on us. We were planning to go to dinner with my mother at Chili's. But with the delulge raging, the family voted that I should journey forth, alone, into the storm, and bring the food back to the house. And that was dinner.

Then the fun began. I had purchased way too may fireworks during a drive through Slidell, and surpised everyone with arm loads of rockets and firecrackers and a massive collection of pyrotechnic widgets. In particular, we had a load of fun detonating these huge half-sticks of dynamite in all kinds of odd places. Mostly floating on pieces of scrapwood in the newly-formed rain puddles or in the crook of still-wet trees. And we followed that with two hours of non-stop boom swoosh spark crackle wow. Lots and lots of hardcore fireworkery. Ultimately leading to our discovery that "motars" absolutely the coolest thing I bought. The cool THOOMP noise. The unmatched acceleration of the round. And the always-pleasing bloom of a beautiful aerial fireball. Next year, I'm buying four times as many motar rounds.

A good time had by everyone. The bar has been raised for next year. And God Bless America!