How to Have a Good Fourth (picture heavy)

1. Enjoy good food and good company

This would be the Fourth of July lunch - jumbo shrimp wrapped in sage leaves and pancetta, with a nice crisp Tolosa chardonnay on the side. (Mom's good company, of course, too, but she was taking the picture.)

Fourth of July dinner - a chicken fry with the whole family! My dad, brother, cousin, and great-uncle were in charge of making the gravy while Grandma supervised. (The second picture is my great-uncle - my grandfather's brother - with hmm...let's see....my grandfather's cousin. I think. The family on that side kind of sprawls a bit.)

2. Break a few laws Responsibly light off a few small firecrackers.

Mostly because they start playing with the good stuff after dark, and they don't let "the girls" play at that point. It's strictly a guy thing in my family - from about the time they are two (only a slight exaggeration), and they wait ohsopatiently for dark:
Oh well, we got to sit all cozy in the chairs and watch the show.

3. I do mean responsibly, though. Alcohol and fireworks do NOT mix. Goofing around or being stupid and fireworks do NOT mix. Any of the above will get you banned from ever lighting one again for life (if you're really lucky). Accidents do happen, though, so #3 is Complete the day with all extremities still attached, even if that means sprinting a bit more than you'd anticipated.
(The fuse was just a bit shorter than we'd expected...)

4. Honor the troops.
Cuz, y'know, without them, there wouldn't be an Independence Day to celebrate. Don't think I really need to explain that one any further.

5. Catch a good ol' all-American baseball game. (Okay, so this is July 5th, don't be picky.)
Especially when it's the biggest rivalry in baseball - a Cubs/Cards game on a gorgeous day in St. Louis - and my beloved Cubbies are in first place in, like, everything, and it's about 45% Cubs fans in Busch Stadium (haha!). Of course, they had to lose that day, just because we were there. Sigh. This is the year, though! Cardinals fans really need to learn the words to "Take Me Out To the Ballgame." Everyone knows it's "root, root, root for the Cubbies" not whatever they were mumbling when they finally realized they should be singing. *Sniff haughtily* At least it was a good game (we were winning until the ninth), and it's still one of the friendliest rivalries in baseball. I saw one person with a clear identity crisis, though. She had on a Cards tshirt with a Cubs jersey over it. Someone please find her, because that lady obviously needs help.

6. Look young enough to get carded at a ballgame. I was a bit miffed that I got carded and my brother (who is two years younger than me) didn't, but even I have to admit that I look like I'm about ten in that photo.

7. Enjoy the people of the Midwest, even if you don't like the weather.

Although I did get TWO thunderstorms while I was there - one the first night and one the last night! Yay!

Now it's back to keeping Chrissy sane during Ragtime tech while also trying to prep Hot Mikado and deal with the paperwork resulting from my garage getting broken into and my bike stolen. At least I get a few extra evenings off this week so I can hit class hard!