Happy Independence Day

For me it's not so much a nifty fireworks display as it is a mosquito endurance test. Despite my best efforts of a hoodie, long pants and fuzzy slippers I still managed to get eaten alive by the pesky things. And that's just standing on my own balcony.

Every year the kidlet (I'm going to have to think of another name for her now that she's 14) and I watch the city fireworks display from our house because frankly, the last thing I want to do this late at night is fight traffic and eejits who should never be allowed to handle flammable items.

This year the display was pretty nice. There were a couple chandelier-types that made us 'Ooohhh' involuntarily. We decided to leave off the radio station music that coordinates with the show because they play the same tired old songs every year and while I admit I get a little tingly patriotic feeling during a stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, I do not want to subject my ears to whatever country patriotic song du jour is.

We don't usually let fireworks off ourselves. I think this might stem from my fear of things that explode along with things that might set me on fire. I remember one year when I was younger and my sister was a mere 2 or 3 years old I was handed 2 lit sparklers. I was so afraid of the sparks flying off of them that I immediately tossed them as far away from me as possible. Unfortunately I tossed them directly at my sister. It was totally unintentional - I mean really now, did my parents honestly believe I meant to set her alight? They must have because I got into a lot of trouble for that.

Another reason I don't particularly like going to public fireworks displays has to do with a very vivid memory I have of my mother taking me to on in Palm Springs. I must have been about 4 or 5 and we went to this display/rodeo with some friends of hers.

The rodeo was fun and when it grew dark we settled in the bleachers to watch the show. I reember there was some kind of message that was on a fence of some kind that was made of fireworks and when they lit up it spelled out something... "Happy 4th" or something.. I'm not sure, I couldn't read yet. Anyway, the next thing I knew the stadium was filled with this awful.. sickly-sweet putrid smoke that burned my eyes terribly. People were screaming, terrified and panicking as they tried to run in every direction trying to get away from the horrible smoke.

Somehow my mom got me out of there but we were separated from her friends. Being such a young age I of course had no idea what had happened. I just remember vividly how scared I was and how my eyes stung so badly. Even now as I write this I still smell that acrid stench. Later I learned that some pranksters had thrown canisters of tear gas into the stadium.

I don't know if they were ever caught, but it was enough to put me off going to public fireworks for a long time.

So yeah, Happy 4th of July everyone :) I'm off to look for some neosporin.