Independence Day

Today is the day for hot dogs, watermelon and homemade ice cream and the grand finale of fireworks. Lori says they are going to watch the fireworks in Decatur. I have to say that with the bandstand, the bars and restaurants around the square, and usually pretty good fireworks show, it’s one of the best places to spend July 4th. This is my first year since moving back home that I’ll be watching the fireworks at the fairgrounds. Though it’s more complicated than that. The show originates from the fairgrounds but it’s way too crowded to actually get there, so people usually picnic at Meredith College and watch from the campus. This year construction may hamper that choice. For a few years I live across the street and could watch the firework pop in my living room window. One year we didn’t make it downtown in time and just stopped on the over pass. That made for a quick exit. No matter what we end up doing today, it’s sure to be a fun time.

I hear a certain Italian man is begrudgingly celebrating the holiday with Julia. At least she has some American (and Italian) friends over there that can embrace the spirit of the day. I don’t know first hand his reason for being a grump on my 3rd favorite holiday (behind Halloween and my birthday) but this next bit is for him anyway.

This is the day that our nation stands up together to say Hell yes, We Are Americans. We are idealists who conceived of a new nation where equality, freedom, independence, and righteousness were laid as the cornerstones. This is the day that we remember that in the beginning we kicked the ass of our oppressor. Because of the war waged against King George and the strength of the principles set out in the Constitution that create our government, we don’t have to take up arms and overthrow the current administration. In 123 days we exercise our right to choose a new leader.

These days with so much despair over the economy, the erosion of our civil rights, thousands of lives lost for the lies we were told, the heavy fog of apathy hangs in the air. But today, on Independence Day, we celebrate that our country was born with high ideals of perfection. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness– today let those words resonate within all of us. But also these:

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

Let the Revolution begin.

Tempting Fate

Am I tempting fate by saying out loud that I am too excited for this holiday weekend? I love the 4th of July–fireworks, being patriotic (despite hating our current leadership), a picnic, even if it’s just sitting on a blanket with a cooler. It’s also that I had zero weekend last weekend because I helped friends with movie-making stuff. This work week has been especially grueling in anticipation of the holiday.

So I am in a sense starting to pre-game today. Just a little celebration: I am listening to Pandora Radio. If you haven’t found Pandora yet, go clikcky clicky. You type in an artist you already like and it generates a radio station based on your personal taste. As songs play you give them a thumbs up or down and the magic machine learns your tastes. Not only do you hear music you already love, but you discover bands you hadn’t heard of.

Deja Vu–have I said this before? Yes, they should pay me. Anyway, I just heard this song and thought I’d share. I wish I had a music player on Anodyne like Will has on Sordid. I think I’d make an awesome DJ.

Rainn Wilson Worship

This is special for Shane, Michelle and Joe.

See him as Jean Luc Picard, Paulie from the Sopranos and MacGuyver here on EW.

LMAO

Yes, I just used an annoying acronym. I am sleep deprived and cannot access the good part of my brain. Jeff Durbin sent this to me and I thought it was too funny not to share. (Also may be the lack of sleep.) Click it to make it bigger. (that’s what she said . . okay really need sleep . . )

Ah, memories . . .

Last night while watching Family Guy a snippet of the song East Bound and Down played as Stewie and Brain headed to California in an RV Stewie had stolen from Quagmire. Hearing the song naturally triggered my memory and I sang the chorus for Joe who wondered what the hell I was singing. I had the best time detailing the phenomenon that was Smokey and the Bandit. Muscle cars, Truckers, CB radios and bootlegged Coors beer. Yes, bootlegged. You see, back in the day you couldn’t get Coors on the East Coast:

“For much of its history, Coors beer was a regional product mostly confined to the American west by legal restrictions. This made it a novelty on the east coast, and visitors returning from visits to the western states often made a point of bringing back a case. This iconic status was reflected in pop culture: in 1977 the movie Smokey and the Bandit centered on an “illegal” shipment of Coors from Texas to Georgia. Boston Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski was such a big Coors fan that when he loaded up the team plane with multiple cases of Coors for the return trip to the East Coast, some of his teammates jokingly wondered if the plane would be able to successfully take off. The company finally established nationwide distribution in the U.S. in the early 1990s.”

When I moved to California the summer before the 10th grade it was quite a novelty to be able to enjoy a cold Coors beer. Here I am with my new neighbor Jolie showing off my beer for my friends back home. (Mom is loving this post!)

I love that everything you ever wanted to know is on the internet. Here’s the song. You can sing along too . . .

Redneck Rivera

Now I know how Myrtle Beach got that nickname. The beach has changed so much since the old days when my grandparents took Jeff and I every year and we stayed at the Cherokee Inn, which is not even there anymore. I told Joe it looks like a mini-Las Vegas. Which isn’t exactly correct but there was something about all those high-rise hotels painted so brightly! Despite the rain we had a wonderful weekend. Definitely decadent and slightly debaucherous. Here are a few pictures, as promised.

First of all I am obsessed with Joe’s Navigation System. I find that I look at the screen and not the scenery as it passes by. If only you could switch to a satellite image!

The view from a fabulous hotel:

We were right above on of the 5 pools, none of which we went swimming in–LOTS of kids and you know what that means:

And me!

Joe captured this photo of the moon and the waves–really spectacular! (click for a bigger image.)

Friday night we went to dinner and then a karaoke bar, though no one was singing, it was a great spot for people watching. Our favorite group were four adults with at least four children. Three of the adults sat on the patio and ordered drinks while the older or the men kept an eye on the children who were made to sit on the sidewalk. Don’t worry, he could still drink. He’d just come to the railing every few minutes to get a swig.

Saturday morning was rainy so we stayed in and I feel in love with my new favorite pastime–The UFC. That’s right, I am now a huge fan of Ultimate Fighting. It may have been the redneck influence of Myrtle Beach or it may be just my frame of mind currently, but I never thought i would enjoy watching to men beat the crap out of each other. I really can’t explain it. But there was a marathon on Spike TV and now I’m addicted.

The sun came out in the afternoon and we rushed down to the surf. The beach was crowded but I didn’t mind. There was a couple sitting next to us that kept me entertained all afternoon. They talked very loud anyway but the more Bud Light they drank the better and louder their conversation got. The relationship was in the first phase of getting to know each other where you reminisce about how you met etc. The guy says to the girl, “That night we met, we was at the bar, and I stared at your ass for an hour before I got up the nerve to come talk to you.” Then later in the day he says to her, “Hey baby, come get in the water with me I gotta piss.” Priceless.

Joe will say I am leaving out all the best parts of the things I did, like my nightly iPod concerts. And I am trying to find a way to post the video I took with my phone of the Slingshot. It’s a ride the is sort of like sitting on a giant rubber band and being shot into the air. Joe really wanted to ride it, but on the 1st night I stopped traffic on the sidewalk the and just kept saying “Holy Shit! No way. That’s insane.” So this might get an update.

Here’s the hard to see video, but you get the picture:

But all-in-all it was a great getaway. Wonderful food, great hotel and best of all awesome company! (Thanks baby!)

Wishes do come true!

Just like in the movies, I am being whisked away to Myrtle Beach for an exciting and wonderful vacation by a fantastic man. I am over the moon! What did I do to deserve this? I am one lucky girl. Sun, sand and surf–I’ll try to remember to take pictures. In the meantime . . . I was out in the field yesterday day. It’s a really crappy project, but we did get to see an cock fighting farm–always exciting, and the big giant chair:

and this truck so full of trash the sides were bulging out:

and when I got back to the office there was some special Stick by the Sink waiting for me:

Yes, butter.

Desperatly seeking ocean waves

Maybe if everyone concentrates really really hard I will be floating on my new raft here this weekend!

I got cable

and now I know what I’ve been missing. Last night while flipping through my 3000 new channels I paused briefly on CNN’s Nancy Grace just in time to hear Hulk Hogan promising his son Nick he’d have a reality TV show when he is released from prison. I had not heard this breaking news. I feel left out. Katie would tell me to read Perez Hilton. Is there some better source for celebrity gossip that I can keep up with?  Cause you know that in 10 years this will be a version of Trivial Pursuit and I gotta keep up!

Quitting Smoking

Now entering week two of no smoking. Joe and I quit smoking. It’s cause for celebrating, even if just a blog entry. Quitting with someone makes it much easier. Being partners committed to a common goal. Avoiding triggers, like drinking and making choices to do different things. The small change in lifestyle made for a wonderful weekend. Going out for dinners, taking a walk, working our asses off in the gym, and eating ice cream. Joe had to learn the hard way (the crunching sound of missed notes) that I have zero hand-eye coordination and will never learn to play Guitar Hero.  Even if we didn’t get to the water to play with my new float, I really appreciate all the special treats and time together.   Thanks for doing this with me. It’s way past time I did this for good and you being right there with me makes all the difference!