Relax...It's just America's Birthday

Skirting conventional American custom, I decided against planning one thing. There would be no city to be at, no reason to get dressed up, and no obligations familial or otherwise. I did my part as an American by living slow, playing video games, consuming hot dogs, watching baseball, and...um...that's about it.

- Taking advantage of my early exit from the office on Friday, I made my fourth visit to the DMV in the past seven months. This time around, I got my address changed. For a fee of five dollars, I now have two minor inaccuracies to correct. My zip code is wrong and I think my middle initial should be a different letter. I don't consider this a major thing...Unless I get charged for ID fraud to myself, that is. Is that possible?

- We have found the front yard of Lane Tech to be a nice place to have a game of catch. The greenspace is nearby, the yard is fairly open, and you get to see a lot of crotch rockets whiz by. Hopefully the janitors will neaten up that yard. We found a dead squirrel, a headless pigeon, and a page of phone numbers from Hustler just this week. I'd hate to trip into a pile of something unknown.

- Throwing and catching things for sport was the most patriotic thing I did this weekend.

- This is one of the weekends where it would have been nice to have a significant other. Long summer weekend like this always mean good times with those close to you. Hmmm...is it about time I give up the 'happy-to-be-alone' game? Probably...

- Ben Sheets was straight dealing on the Cubs today. When the Cubs travel to Milwaukee, Miller Park becomes Wrigley Field North. Their cheers make the game seem like a home game for their Cubs. The fans in Milwaukee have to deal with all the classic annoying traits we Northsiders have grown to love. The home fans will go home this week thinking that everybody from Chicago is an ass. It goes a long way in fostering negative feelings between the cities. The sellouts at the park are nice...but I'd like to see Milwaukee fans sell the park out for once.

- I'm going to hear about this week's series against the cubs at work all day long. I'm glad we got the first game. That will shut the fans up for a little while longer.

- This year's edition of the Fourth of July was relaxing. I sat around, cooked out, and made my way back to the old neighborhood for some lakefront action. We overshot our party and got to see the various cookouts along Belmont Harbor. Plenty of families were having a grande old time with their bocce ball, volleyball, cookouts, and booze. When we got to the end of the harbor, I noticed that a bunch of people at the last cookout were wearing 'White Pride' T-shirts. Instead of running off, I choose to keep on walking by. Nobody was looking for a fight...this is a Happy Holiday. America can get along if everybody minds their own business.

- The constant sound of fireworks popping is nice. I never heard any of this at the highrise. I forget that kids like to blow things up at night. I miss those years. By the end of the summer, I'm going gather a few friends and have a classic bottle-rocket war. It would be a good way to commermorate my childhood.

What's a holiday weekend without any pictures? Here are a few:


No cookout formalities needed. We bought meat and buns and fed them to the grill. No chips, salad, sodas, or cotton candy. Just the meat.


I lived by this harbor for almost two years. Yesterday was the first time I stepped foot here. I neglected a lot of nice things around the old place. Oops.


With cans of Pabst on the grass near our feet, we tossed the ball by the lake. My Van Halen shirt elicited a few comments from the ladies. The shirt still works.

Well...the weekend means only one thing: Summer is now officially in decline. Enjoy it while it last, folks. Around these parts, it started way too late.

. . [~] . 0 (Grumble) Grumbles .