Friday Afternoon Interlude (Wednesday Holiday Edition)
Fourth of July’s around the corner, nice long weekend to hang out with the family, finish a couple projects, maybe grill some veggies and meats at the pool. It’s been hot and stormy this year, like New Orleans in D.C. Last weekend was Tent Night at the pool, Ruby’s first shot at camping overnight. She and Rebbie had been backyard camping all week to get ready, and she loved it.
On Saturday, we broke down backyard camp and loaded the tent and tarp and thermarests on the longtail (noting that Wideloaders are in our near future), and pedaled ourselves to the pool. We had a nice dinner and a swim to cool off, and around 7:30 p.m. the announcement was made to set up tents, which we did.
Roundabout 9:00 p.m. lightning was spotted and we all had to retreat to the covered area by the dressing rooms. A few had to defy the order to bring it in, since they hadn’t gotten their rain flies up and there was pretty clearly a squall moving in. So for a couple hours a hundred or so parents, kids, and toddlers hung out under the eave, handed out beers to one another, enjoyed a dramatic storm and hoped our tents were staked well enough.
I got the opportunity to look another parent square in the eye and say, con gravitas, “I see lightning, and it always brings me down. ‘Cause it’s free, and I see that it’s me that’s lost and never found.” The person I said it to looked at me quizzically, but another overheard and gave me the look that said she understood. The storm passed, the stars came out, we had a great night and a splendid morning replete with cantaloupe, coffee, and an early swim. Ruby had a blast, I wasn’t sure if she was ever gonna want to sleep inside again.
There’s 200-ish days left of Bush’s Reign of Error, the Constitution’s in trouble, and there are signs about that we’ve seen the end of the cheap petroleum era. We’re in the beginnings of something else entirely, and what the weather will be like in the new era, no one can say.
“Fourth of July” makes me flash on X, but that’s not the song that’s going through my head this weekend.
No one is united, and all things are untied. That’s what’s going through my head. Exciting, and not entirely in a good way, but given a choice between uncertain existence and certain doom, uncertainty’s alright by me.
Enjoy the bonus interview and… aw hell, ya know, that’s just not enough X.
Have a great holiday weekend, and remember, must not think bad thoughts!
Tags: Entertaining Interludes
