I bought a bottle of yeast, a bottle of shampoo (with a $2 off coupon) and some bar soap. Total bill was $18.02 and the two ladies behind me in line gave me the pennies for the cashier. YAY!
As predicted, I didn’t do a whole lot on the holiday. I baked some whole wheat bread for me and a friend. (Which is why I had to get the yeast. I measured the flour out and discovered I didn’t have any yeast left in the pantry.) I spent the day doing chores, futzing around, knitting. The whole wheat bread takes all day to make. (It rises 4 TIMES!)
Sometime in the afternoon, boyfriend fixes up my bike and we discuss going downtown to the Mall for the fireworks. Let me tell you something, in the 9 summers I’ve lived in the DC Metro area, I’ve never been all the way down to the Mall on 4th of July. I hate crowds. I’m not phobic. I just like dislike people and crowds in general. I’m awful when it comes to leaving a hockey game. I race out of the stadium to the metro gates. I cannot get away from people soon enough.
But I’m game. I’m a little worried that I’m out of shape for this and the roads are slick from a downpour a few hours earlier. It’s still drizzling at 8:30pm and I’m wondering about brakes. I’m riding really slow the whole time to ensure my brakes will actually stop when I need them. The roads are closed everywhere so it’s actually a pretty easy ride to the Mall.
The fireworks are great. I’ve seen other fireworks up close, which I HIGHLY recommend. But these are beautifully done with special colors and super sparkly ones. I almost missed the red star at the beginning, but I caught it just in time. Very pretty.
Riding back, I almost get hit with a Roman Candle. Stupid kid is like 5 years old, shooting things across the street. ARGH. No, I’m not wearing a helmet, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Magnesium balls are white hot and would have melted right through. (Roman candle wars are dangerous stuff!)
I just don’t understand the appeal of spending all that extra money when you can run down to the Mall for free. It’s what we pay taxes for. Don’t get me wrong. I am a pyromaniac and considered get a technician’s license. But there’s a free show on the Mall. FREE. Why pay more and risk your fingers and limbs for some up close fun?
(Now if only I could find that Dutch PSA about fireworks safety. It’s two hands signing out the PSA narrative to be careful, but the hands are maimed. Missing fingers from an explosion. Very compelling.)
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
the risk is part of the fun… we had a great time with our mostly legal fireworks, but I sure was missing the stuff available to me growing up in Oklahoma. Free is nice, but home with friends doing you’re own thing is super nice too. Missed ya, but sounds like you had a great time too!
When I lived in DC, I would head down to the Mall for the fireworks. I would ‘camp out’ close to the Capitol building (I don’t think you can now, but this was pre 9/11). A mini picnic, a radio to hear the music choreographed to the fireworks, it was a great way to spend the evening!