I typically like the 4th of July. Picnics, friends, just hanging out and relaxing. A day off in the middle of the week isn't so bad either! While I'm not a huge fan of shooting off fireworks (which my neighbors have been doing in the street every night at 11:30 this week) particularly the illegal ones from Wisconsin that people blow their hands off...I do love watching fireworks. I'm also not that much of a stick in the mud that I don't appreciate my neighbors shooting off their ill gotten gains. I'd prefer them to shoot them off around 10 not midnight but beggars can't be choosers I guess.

Maybe it's the small town romantic in my head that has a hope of sharing a blanket in the moonlight as the colorful bursts of light burst artistically across the inky black sky. I love the crackle ones that bump into each other and snap like rice krispies. I love watching kids eyes as they carefully hold their sparklers.

I love the finale...the big burst of colors...the ones that make shapes...I'm a traditionalist though and you can keep the orange out of my fireworks display...not a huge fan of odd colors...although green is okay provided you wait to shoot off a red one (I don't like my holiday colors mixing either)

I've always loved the fireworks high in the sky mostly because being short makes it sometimes difficult to see the ground displays.

Last year I stayed in and watched them on tv from Navy Pier in Chicago on WGN. I enjoyed the music, and didn't mind not jostling the crowd at navy pier however somehow...something was missing.

I don't know if mom will want to go to see the fireworks. We usually go to the lot near Rolling Meadows High School and watch them from there. You can typically see a couple of town's shows at the same time. (Arlington Heights, Palatine and Rolling Meadows) Or there's the small show in Mt Prospect. We'll have to see. I haven't talked to Jerry to see what his plans are. If not I may just call around and see if the cousins are going anywhere and join them. It's kind of odd to be going home without a plan of what I'm going to be doing over the next couple of days.