dual personalities

Tag: 4th of July

July 5, 2016

Flyover weekend

by chuckofish

All my weekend plans were dashed, because Southwest Airlines canceled daughter #1’s flight and there was nothing else available until Sunday night that didn’t cost $1500.

I tried to rally myself, but was pretty unsuccessful. The OM and I ventured out to Franklin County to stock up on fireworks, which we did, but it was in a rainstorm, so, not much fun.

In fact, the whole weekend was a washout, literally and figuratively. Indeed, it rained all weekend.

Saturday night I watched 21 Jump Street AND 22 Jump Street in a sad attempt to amuse myself.

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Channing Tatum did the trick, but the effects were fleeting. Sunday night I tried again with My Blue Heaven (1990) and Uncle Buck (1989).

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Sigh. Monday morning I got up to watch the V.P. 4th of July Parade on television, only to find out that it had taken place on Saturday morning. Oops.

Thank goodness the boy and daughter #3 came over for the obligatory 4th of July bar-b-que.

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We ate burgers and watermelon and then we drove over to the high school to watch the local flyover fireworks display.IMG_2052When we got home we shot off the fireworks we had bought on Saturday. I felt much better–alls well that ends well, as they say.

And you know what else they say:

Depression is boring, I think
and I would do better to make
some soup and light up the cave.*

Now it is Tuesday and the work week has begun. Oh joy.

*The quote is from the poem “The Fury of Rain Storms” by Anne Sexton.

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July 6, 2015

Our father’s God to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing

by chuckofish

Did you have a pleasant 4th of July? The boy and daughter #3 came over for dinner for All-American burgers and hot dogs. I did not attempt anything too advanced in the culinary category–unlike daughter #2 who did just that back in Maryland…

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Ahem. After dinner we headed over to the high school to watch the local fireworks show held in the park.

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It was clearly the place to be.

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Note that the boy is wearing a patriotic red, white and blue ensemble, which has always been the way we roll on the 4th. After the fireworks display we headed home and the OM unearthed his personal fireworks cache in the basement and we indulged in some sparkler fun.

IMG_1260Good times.

On Sunday I fulfilled my lay reading duties–2 Corinthians 12:2-10. It was a great passage, where Paul talks about Satan tormenting him with a thorn in his flesh, and how he appealed to the Lord three times, that it would leave him, but “he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.'”

Good to remember. I wish I had the kind of memory that could pull out appropriate quotes when needed and on the spur of the moment, not an hour later when I am thinking about it.

Meanwhile the constant rain of last week dissipated and the weather for the three-day weekend was pretty darn glorious. I worked in the yard some, but the mosquitoes were also out in full force, so I spent quite a bit of quality time in the Florida room instead. I am re-reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and enjoying it immensely.

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I always say–a book worth reading is a book worth re-reading and this is a perfect example. When I first read this book back in 1985 or ’86, I raced through it, because I wanted to know what would happen next. Now I am enjoying the writing and savoring the characters. It is a wise book full of truth. (I may have read it another time  during the past 30 years as well, but who’s counting?) I heartily recommend you read or re-read this book. It certainly deserved the Pulitzer Prize it won.

So onward and upward–have a good week!

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July 3, 2015

I hear America singing*

by chuckofish

Chris and Tom

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Well, tomorrow is my big brother’s birthday. Here are some pictures of him celebrating his birthday in the olden days. Time was when he was usually off fishing somewhere. When he found himself in flyover country we would celebrate in fine fashion.

Last year my dual personality and our better halves visited our bro in Michigan. We couldn’t do it this year. I will miss them.

Our fourth of July at home will definitely be low-key. We’ll toast our forefathers and listen to some Sousa marches. Perhaps we will light some sparklers. Yes, it will be pretty lame.

But don’t feel too sorry for me. I plan to binge-watch John Ford’s cavalry trilogy: For Apache (1948  ), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande (1950).

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You could do worse, but hardly much better.

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And here’s good news: Shirley Temple is Star of the Month on TCM! Here’s a list of the movies they’re showing. Time to set your DVR.

Have a great weekend!

*The first edition of Walt Whitman’s book of poems, Leaves of Grass, is published in Brooklyn, New York on July 4, 1855.

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July 2, 2015

“I just want to be your firecracker”*

by chuckofish

The OM used to belong to a fraternal organization that was responsible for putting on the annual flyover 4th of July parade here in town. He was involved for years in the float department and so our daughters were shanghaied into dressing up in embarrassing costumes and riding on the floats.

One year daughter #1 was Tinkerbell on the Peter Pan float.

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In comparison, daughter #2 got away easy dressing up as a hillbilly gal. I have pictures**, but in typical fashion, I am unable to put my hands on them.

I never went to the parade. There is nothing I hate more than getting up in the pre-dawn hours to park God-knows-where to secure a place amidst a large crowd of strangers to watch a parade downtown.

Since it was the OM’s thing, I let him go with it and have father-daughter bonding time. (I did go down to the “den” with respective daughters to get them fitted in their costumes.)

Anyway, the point is, this year for the first time (in a long time) the parade will be televised. Back in the day, I would have really appreciated this.

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This year I will be watching the parade in my pajamas. Mimosas, anyone?

*Ryan Adams

**This is not a conspiracy of not having pictures of the neglected 3rd child. Really. I searched high and low.

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