My parents spent the last week visiting Paul and I. It was a vacation for everyone – them to a cooler climate, Paul and I from work. August is a great time to visit Washington. The weather’s warm and the sun is shining, we get a break from our trademark rain and everyone can get outside.

I picked Mom and Dad up from the airport on a sunny Saturday afternoon. We drove north, passing through Seattle and ending up in Everett for a lunch of fish and chips at Ivar’s (side note, Ivar’s has the most fabulous fish and chips that I believe exist in the entire world. Delicious!). Then we made our way back to my house so they could unpack. Paul got home from work and grilled hamburgers for everyone, which we ate along with chips and watermelon slices in the backyard. As the sun set, Paul built a fire in our fire pit and we roasted marshmallows for s’mores.

Sunday we decided to spend downtown in Seattle. Our first stop was Agua Verde Paddle Club for a light Mexican lunch. Paul and I like Agua Verde both for its food and the kayak rentals offered there. After lunch we went over to the Ballard locks (officially known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks). The locks were built as a way to link Puget Sound with Lake Washington. Boats from the lake enter into the locks and are lowered as much as twenty-six feet to be even with the Sound, and boats from the sound rise up to the lake. The grounds are beautiful, too. Leading up to the locks is the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden, which was beautiful with all the blooming flowers as we walked through. 

After the locks we went up to Kerry Park, which looks back on Seattle and also gives a great view of the ferry boats leaving and coming into Seattle from Bainbridge Island and Bremerton. We sat awhile in the late afternoon sun, then decided it was time to pick up things for dinner and head home. We stopped first at Pinkabella Cupcakes at the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood to pick up some cupcakes for our dessert, then went on to Central Market in Mill Creek for steaks. Paul makes the best espresso-rubbed filets that I’ve ever eaten, and they’re a huge treat for us. He made them for my parents last year when they visited and my mom confided that she had wished for steaks again. Back at home, Paul prepared the dinners, along with mojitos to drink. The meal was the perfect end to a wonderful day.

On Monday, we all piled into Paul’s Chrysler Aspen (it’s huge!) for a trip around the Olympic Peninsula. We took the ferry boat from Edmonds to Kingston, then had lunch at a very crowded Subway in Port Angeles and drove over to Lake Crescent for a hike to Marymere Falls. The hike back to the falls is beautiful. The trail is shaded by the tall trees all around it and the ground is covered with gigantic ferns and other plants growing free. We came to a clearing where a stream ran by, and Mom, Dad, and Paul gathered stones to skip rocks along the stream. 

                                                 Mom, Dad, and I at the stream



We continued on up to the falls, and it was beautiful! We stood for a long time, admiring the water cascading down, feeling the spray on our faces. 

We got back to the car and continued on our drive around the peninsula. We went through the Twilight-made-famous Forks, WA (none of us had read the books, so we weren’t all that excited) and then stumbled upon Ruby Beach. The name sounded familiar and I was pretty sure I’d been there before. As we walked down the cliff to the sand we confirmed it: Paul and I had been to Ruby Beach back in 2009, when we came to the peninsula on vacation. Back then it had been gray out, threatening rain, but this time it was sunny, clear, and beautiful. We walked across the sand, admiring the beach. Paul snapped photos as we went along. 

Ruby Beach was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Already I can’t wait to go back. 

Tuesday, everyone was a little tired from our adventures on the peninsula, so we packed a picnic lunch and drove to Lake Padden near Bellingham. It’s a great place to relax with a book, take a walk (we walked around the entire lake), or swim. The weather was fantastic again, sunny and warm. We set out chairs and towels on the grassy shore, under a tree for shade, and read into the afternoon. After our walk, we decided ice cream sounded good, so we gathered our things and drove into town for some Dairy Queen. 

We were so close to the Canadian border, Paul and I couldn’t resist driving up to the Peace Arch to show my parents the pretty gardens around the border crossing. We wandered around, Dad snapping photos of the Peace Arch and Mom pointing out to me the names of the different flowers. I’ve been to Canada, but I’d never actually taken that much time to explore the park. Now I realize how beautiful it is. 

On Wednesday, we saw history.

I’d gotten tickets for us to
go to the Mariners game with my cousins, so that my dad could see some of his extended family. I adore my cousins, and we all love baseball, so it was a perfect activity to share. Paul and I like to park at Pacific Place and walk to the stadium, which worked out great this time because we got into Seattle early and walked with Mom and Dad down to Pike Place Market. The market is famous for its fish throwers, and it also has great fresh locally grown produce and other things. I love wandering through the market and discovering all the different things at each stall. Paul bought a bag of freshly made mini donuts, still warm. We ate those along with fresh fruit as we looked out over the water. 

From the market we walked through the city to Safeco Field, where we met up with my cousins. We found our seats, got our hot dogs and sodas, and relaxed for a game in the afternoon sun. Since it was a Wednesday, the seats around us stayed fairly empty for the whole game, and it was warm with just enough breeze to keep us from getting too hot. 

Anyone who follows baseball knows the rest: Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez pitched the first perfect game in Mariners history, the 23rd perfect game in baseball history. And we were there. We got to see it. Around the eighth inning, the energy in the stands hit an all-time high in my experience. Everyone was on their feet, clapping, cheering. And when the final pitch was thrown, the final out was called, there was an eruption of cheers and excited noise. I was grinning from ear to ear. Getting to witness the moment, surrounded by people I loved, was beyond anything I’d expected for the day.

Thursday promised to be the hottest day of the year on record in the Seattle area…well, until Friday, that is. Paul had to go back to work, so Mom, Dad, and I headed down to have lunch and get away from the heat at the Kirkland waterfront. We discovered this great place called George’s, that I will definitely be back to. Our food was delicious and the portions were more than generous. We ate and then sat on a bench looking out over Lake Washington until it got too hot to be in the sun, then we headed back to the car. I stopped at Lighthouse Park, which is in Mukilteo by the ferry terminal. We stood by the seawall for awhile, watching the ferry boats load and unload (and enjoying the sight of a seal frolicking in the waters!) and then Mom found us a bench in the shade. It was too perfect. We sat there, nice and cool, occasionally seeing the seal, watching some divers get suited up, and laughing at a couple that kept trying to get their reluctant dog into the water.

Friday was just as hot as promised, so we decided it was a good day to do some shopping. We had lunch at Bellevue Square and browsed the stores, then made our way back north to Marysville. We cooled off further with Blizzards from Dairy Queen, then ventured over to Tulalip Casino. We are used to the casinos in Vegas, so Tulalip was a bit smoky for us, but we stuck around to play for awhile. Dad gave me a twenty-dollar bill to play with, and I had pretty good luck on a penny machine and cashed out at fifty dollars. I gave Dad back his twenty, put five more dollars into the slot machine (which I promptly lost) and kept the remaining twenty-five. After gambling, we went home to clean up and get ready for dinner at Anthony’s. As soon as Paul got home from work, we were off. Anthony’s is my favorite seafood restaurant in the Northwest and probably my favorite restaurant in the Northwest of any kind. It was peach season at Anthony’s. I got a peach Cosmo and a peach salad to start, Mom and Dad sipped peach iced tea, and Paul had a peachy drop (like a lemon drop, only with peaches). For dinner we had halibut, which was perfection. Even though everyone was full, we ordered and managed to eat our entire desserts (key lime pie for Mom and me, Bailey’s chocolate mousse for Dad, and peach ice cream for Paul). We went home and I’m not sure if I slept or lapsed into a food coma.

Saturday came all too soon and it was time for Mom and Dad to go home. We all went to Starbucks, where we sipped coffee and talked until Paul had to leave for work. Then Mom, Dad, and I loaded up and drove to Tacoma for one last visit with my cousins, as well as my aunt. We all met at BJ’s Brewery for lunch and catching up, then we headed to the airport. I dropped off Mom and Dad, and after many hugs, thank-yous, and love-yous, I pulled into traffic and made my way north.

I got to revisit the airport much sooner than I anticipated: when I was just about into Seattle, I noticed Dad’s sunglasses sitting in my cupholder. Luckily I was able to reach him by cell as I got turned around, and I swung back into the airport so he wouldn’t have to leave without his glasses. We hugged again, and this time I merged into traffic and drove home.

I had a fantastic week with my parents and I love it when they come to visit me. They treated Paul and I to many meals, snacks, and activities, and I really appreciate that. We had a week full of fun and I have tons of great memories now. I love living in the Northwest, and I like showing my parents some of what makes this place so special to me.

On Sunday, Paul and I finally went to see The Dark Knight Rises. I am a fan of pretty much all things Batman and had been looking forward to going to the movie, but we’d had other things to do and just hadn’t gotten to the movies yet. But Sunday was scorching hot (at least by Pacific NW standards) and temperatures soared into the mid-90s, so we sought refuge from the heat at the theater.

The thing about going to the movies is, it isn’t cheap. By the time you buy tickets and popcorn and a Diet Coke, you’ve spent a small fortune on the cinema experience (Well, except for that one time that my friend Kristy and I sneaked in boxes of candy we’d gotten from Fred Meyer and chicken sandwiches off the Jack in the Box value menu. That time wasn’t all that expensive). If I’m paying good money to watch a movie, I want it to be in a nice, quiet theater with no interruptions from fellow audience members.

The previews were finishing up and the lights were dimming for the beginning of the movie when a man walked into the theater, wheeling a stroller. “Oh, no,” I muttered to Paul. A stroller-sized child was NOT old enough for this sort of movie. The man parked the stroller by a handicap chair and walked back out of the theater.

“It’s ok,” Paul whispered back sarcastically. “He was just leaving the kid here.”

I wondered at this for a moment, and then the man returned, leading a little girl by the hand. She was probably three or four. AWESOME. I was already getting cranky. I don’t hate kids, but I do hate adults who don’t know what venues and situations are and are not appropriate for their small children. Kids that age were not going to appreciate the movie. They weren’t going to understand anything beyond that there was Batman, and bad guys. The plot and goings on were going to sail right over their heads.

Just when I thought I couldn’t get any more horrified, Parent of the Year plunked the older of his two small children in the seat next to me and took the seat at the end of our aisle, holding the smaller child on his lap. I was not about to spend thirty bucks to be irritated for two hours and forty-four minutes. Knowing I was being rude, I leaned over and said to the man, “Could you please not sit there?”

“Why?” he asked, clearly surprised

I should’ve lied and said I was saving the seats. That our friends had those seats and would be right back, or not, or whatever. But instead I was honest and gestured to his children and said, “Because your kids will be loud.” I’m sure I offended him, but I didn’t care. He faced the screen, not bothering to reply to my request to sit somewhere else. I kicked myself for not lying about my reasons. Damn truth gets you nowhere.

The movie started, and I sat back in my chair and munched some popcorn. I’d been upsold to the gigantic tub size for a few cents more, so we had plenty and I decided that for every sound those kids made, I was throwing a piece at Parent of the Year.

I needn’t have worried, though. Within five minutes, the older kid was asking questions and making little squealing noises, and Parent of the Year grudgingly gathered up his children and headed out of the theater. Victory! I was a little surprised he gave up that easily though, and began wondering if he’d even bought tickets for this movie or if he’d just ducked into the theater. Either way, I was glad to see him go, both for my own benefit and for the benefit of the little girls that were now spared Bane nightmares. The rest of the movie was excellent and I was able to view it sans distractions.

Parents, come on. Little kids don’t belong at violent PG-13 movies. They belong in the next theater over watching Ice Age. I’m fine with the interruptions that come with being in a place where children are expected to be, like fast food restaurants, parks, these types of places. But when I go to see a movie that is not meant for kids, I expect that there will not be kids. I am childless for good reasons, one of which is that I like being able to decide on a whim to go see a movie on a Sunday afternoon without having to arrange a babysitter or pick something child-appropriate. To those who made a decision to be a parent, BE ONE. Accept that by choosing to have children, you’re going to have to sacrifice some things for awhile. I urge you to make these sacrifices. If you can’t do it for your kids, do it because if you don’t, the childless people in movie theaters are going to throw food at you.

Today the utterly fantastic Kate of All Things Kate has been kind enough to feature me as a guest writer for her blog! Kate’s blog is like her style: sophisticated yet down-to-earth and fun. I’m honored to have been able to write for her. Go here and check it out and get my take on the must-have fashion accessory for this season and EVERY season.

Even though it is chilly and rainy this morning in the Northwest, I still decided to go ahead with my summer reading list post. For most of the country, the weather is warm and sunny, and people are lounging by pools with their books and their iced tea. And, if you’re in the Seattle area like me, you can use this list when you curl up with your hot latte to read while the rain falls outside.

The lastest memoir by my favoritest author ever, Jen Lancaster, this book is hilarious. I originally bought the hardcover edition since Kindle has had some issues with footnotes, but that’s been resolved now so the Kindle edition is just as satisfying. The book is filled with short stories so it’s a quick read, and as always I adore the narcissistic-yet-lovable Jen.

This was another book I read extremely quickly. After Grace races into a burning school to save her daughter Jenny from the flames, she wakes up in the hospital to find both she and Jenny are caught outside of their badly damaged bodies, watching the aftermath of the fire – which is determined to be arson – unfold.

What’s a girl to do when her father gets her an exotic bird (instead of a car!) for her 16th birthday? How does she cope when her therapist refuses to attend couples’ therapy with her to work on their therapist-client relationship? Babe Walker has a host of problems, outlined in this hilarious book.

I’ve been a Grisham fan for ages, and ‘The Litigators’ does not disappoint. Fast-track lawyer David Zinc flees his job with a fancy downtown firm, and after spending the day binge-drinking, stumbles upon the ambulance-chasing firm of Finley and Figg. When the ’boutique firm’ (as they call themselves) jump headfirst into litigation against a drug company, the easy money they anticipate winning seems too good to be true….and probably is.

Happy Reading!

Over the last couple of days at work, all the employees that work in my area have been attending meetings to boost employee morale and help us keep a positive attitude amid challenging and sometimes frustrating working conditions. During the course of the meeting, the instructor (others have called him Trainer Dude, so I’l go with that) discussed the people that are constantly negative and complaining. He told us that he calls these people “Poopy” and says that they want to smear their poopiness all around onto the happy people.

Toward the end of the meeting, Trainer Dude said that it was very important to be self aware, and that Poopy people may not KNOW that they are Poopy. I felt bad for the Poopy people. I mean, if Trainer Dude is right and people avoid the Poopies, how will they ever know what they are? So, for this reason, I designed an at-home self check for being Poopy.

Saturday was my 28th birthday!

Last spring, I was thinking about my birthday and was feeling a little sad about being far away from my family. My dad and I share the same birthday, and spending the day without him would just feel odd. Even though this is my third summer in the Northwest, I’ve been able to see my dad each year so far. The first year I lived here, Paul and I flew back to California for 4th of July, which wasn’t my exact birthday but was very close to it. Last year, my mom and dad came to visit us and celebrate birthdays.

Paul had to work on my birthday, so I brought up the idea of me flying to California for the weekend. He didn’t mind, so I called my parents and asked what they thought. They were both excited and my dad bought my plane ticket for me on the spot as we spoke on the phone.

Ever since that phone call, I’ve been super excited for my trip back. I love my home in the Northwest and I am happy we moved here, but I’m close to my family and I really miss them. And, birthdays at my parents’ house are a blast! My parents throw great parties with lots of people. It’s always loud and chaotic and everyone usually ends up laughing til they have tears streaming down their faces at one point or another.

I left for California on Friday night after work. I’ve only flown by myself once before, but I felt pretty relaxed in spite of the fact that I’m not wild about flying. My sister pointed out to me that I was more likely to be attacked by a donkey than be involved in a plane crash, but still, I much prefer cars to planes. This particular flight wasn’t bad at all though. I had a window seat, so I could look out at the city lights below me, and the man who sat next to me was a nice older guy with a poodle in his carry-on bag. He teased me, asking me if I liked pet rats.

When the plane landed in Ontario, I was off in a matter of minutes. I had a seat near the front of the plane, and now that I’ve experienced sitting near the front I can say that it’s the only way to go. Last one on, first one off. The terminal at Ontario isn’t very large, so I was able to make my way through it fairly quickly. My parents were waiting for me as I rode down the escalator toward the exit. I love the moment when I first see them when I arrive after being away. The first hug, the big smiles all around….it’s a great moment.

Dad drove us home, and since it was pretty late we went to bed nearly as soon as we got to Apple Valley. In the morning, Dad and I went out to breakfast together. This is a birthday tradition with Dad and my siblings and I. On each kid’s birthday, Dad would take them out to breakfast. We talked and ate way too much food, then ran a couple errands and went home to get ready for our birthday party that night.

As usual, the house was packed. My brother and sister came over with their respective significant others, and my friends Keri and Jenn both came. We’ve been friends for nearly nine years, when we started working together in 411. Mom’s best friend Debbie came with her husband. It was a loud, fun crowd of people.

To prepare for the party, Mom made a TON of food! We had fruit bowls and veggie trays, potato salad (my favorite, I don’t like potato salad at ALL unless it’s my mom’s, in which case I can’t get enough of it!), and watermelon (Mom had sliced open the watermelon and made the rind into a basket, then hollowed it out, balled the watermelon itself, and put the balls into the rind basket. So cute!). My brother Steve grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, my sister Melissa brought mini corn dog muffins that she’d made as well as cookie dough truffles, and her boyfriend Doug brought pasta salad. I fixed some margaritas and Keri and I watched, enthralled, as my sister’s boyfriend expertly cut up an onion for my mom. We were impressed that he had actual culinary-grade knife skills and was able to make the onion slices so pretty.

My dad and I opened our presents while everyone watched (thanks for the gifts, everyone!) and then we ate the barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner, along with helping ourselves throughout the night to the variety of other foods available. I was stuffed but I couldn’t stop eating! We eventually took a break from eating and all hung out chatting for quite awhile, and then it was time for birthday cake. Dad and I each had our own (Dad’s was chocolate with chocolate fudge frosting, and mine was chocolate with cream cheese frosting) and everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’ for us and watched us blow out the candles.

We even had some natural entertainment that night. As the sun set, Mom noticed a pretty awesome lightning storm in the distance. Those of us that weren’t scared of lightning went outside to watch as bolts of lighning continuously lit up the dark night sky. It was pretty impressive. I tried to capture it on video with my phone, but the picture came out terrible and all you can see is darkness, with flashes of light in it. I love thunder and lightning.

It was nearly one in the morning by the time everyone went home, and Mom, Dad, and I went to bed. I woke up around seven in the morning when I heard my mom say, “Oh, Steve’s here!” My brother works the night shift as a security guard in the emergency room of one of the local hospitals, so he had dropped by after getting off work. I threw on clothes and went to see him. We talked for awhile, and then he fell asleep in the armchair. Dad and I decided to go to the store and get some eggs and bacon to have for breakfast, and my parents cooked me a breakfast that we enjoyed outside on their back patio. Ahhh California, I love your weather. Steve woke up after a bit and joined us outside.

Not long after Steve decided to head home to get a little more sleep, Melissa came by and we hung out talking until it was time for me to leave for the airport. My parents drove me, and although I was a little sad to be leaving so soon I was more happy that we’d had such a fun time together. The time-to-go-home part is getting a little easier over time. I was through security in under five minutes, and got to settle in and watch people struggle with boarding procedures. They had a hard time understanding that they couldn’t get on the plane when first-class passengers were called and they were not first-class. They had an even harder time figuring out why they weren’t allowed to board when the attendant called for rows 25 and up, and they were assigned a seat in row 12. It was great entertainment. I’d purposely selected a seat in row 10, the furthest forward available when I did my check-in and printed my boarding pass, so I among the last people called to board and got to watch the mayhem.

All in all, I had a terrific birthday and I am SO grateful to Mom and Dad for the plane ticket and for making sure I had such a fun time. I got to have both a great party on my birthday, and some nice quiet family time the day after. I’m definitely tired today but it is beyond worth it, I get a huge smile on my face whenever I think about the weekend. This was definitely one of my favorite birthdays and trips back to SoCal.

                                                           Jenn, Me, and Keri

This week has been a crazy one at work, due to the visits of several higher-ups who were in town from back east to conduct a series of meetings. With these visits came the understanding that we as the Customer Advocacy team should look nice and behave ourselves (which of course we would do anyway). We have a dress code anyways, but we always take it up a notch when there are executives around.

Coincidentally, meeting week was also the first full week of truly nice summer weather. The boys were at a disadvantage because there was no way they could get out of wearing dress slacks, but since I’m a girl I can wear dresses and chose to do so all week long. Normally in summertime I opt to wear a cute pair of sandals with dresses, but yesterday I was looking around in my closet and came across a pair of absolutely adorable black peep toe slingbacks that I wore to my sister’s graduation years ago. I don’t wear open-toe shoes much in winter or even spring because we get so much rain, but since the weather forecast for the day was promising I decided to pull them out and wear them. “Why don’t I wear these more often?” I wondered to myself as I admired my feet in the ridiculously cute shoes.

I spent most of the morning sitting down: sitting at my desk, sitting in an uncomfortable chair during the All Employee Meeting, sitting in the big oversize chairs in the lobby on my break. Sitting sitting sitting. I didn’t pack anything for lunch, so I went out and got a sandwich during my lunch break. Because of the meetings, when I got back I had lost my parking spot and there were literally no available spaces anywhere near the entrance to the office. Since the weather was nice, I parked in the farthest parking lot from the front door. I had a long walk back inside but I didn’t mind, since it was sunny and warm out.

As I walked along, I suddenly remembered why I hardly wear those fabulous slingback heels. With each step, the cruel shoes would pinch my toes painfully as some sort of unwarranted punishment for walking. As Monica once said on ‘Friends’, “These shoes hate feet and want them to die!”

Step by painful step, I made my way back to the office and up the stairs. I slipped the shoes off under my desk to give my feet a break, thinking that if I did then I could wear them later and I’d be ok. I went for a walk on my break, but I put on the pair of sneakers that I keep under my desk for days that I don’t have on comfortable walking shoes. I’m sure that I was making one hell of a fashion statement wearing Nikes with my flowered skirt and wrap blouse. Oh yes, I was a vision. Models in Milan will be on the runway in Nike shoes with flowing skirts next season, fo sho.

At the end of the day, I reluctantly slipped my feet back into the heels and made my way down the staircase, through the lobby, and out onto the skybridge leading to the parking lot. I could already tell this wasn’t going to be a nice walk. My car was in BFE and the only way to get there was to limp, step by painful step, with my toes being agonizingly pinched. I plodded along, wincing with each step I took. I tried taking smaller steps, but it just prolongued the pain.

I have never been so glad to make it to my car and sit down. I drove home, and immediately upon setting foot in the door I pulled the shoes off my achy feet. Then I went straight to the closet and put the shoes carefully away.

After all, they may be painful, but they are SUPER cute! I’m standing on the right in this photo.

Last Wednesday was the 4th of July, which is one of my favorite holidays. The weather’s nice (yes, usually even here in rainy Washington), and there are barbecues to attend and fireworks to watch. To me, the day feels like the official ushering-in of summer.

This year, since the holiday fell right smack in the middle of the week, Paul and I collectively decided that it would not be practical to try and go out to watch a firework display. We both had to work in the morning, and since the sun sets so late here, we’d be guaranteed to get home way too late if we ventured out after dark. We decided to get out during the day though, and enjoy the warm sunshine after enduring weeks of wet, chilly weather in June. Paul has a fairly new car, a Chrysler Crossfire convertible, and we really enjoy going out in the car on nice days.

We had a very pleasant day. We ended up at Redmond Town Center for lunch (for those wondering, we ate at the Desert Fire restaurant, which is tasty enough but not nearly worth the price). After lunch we got cold drinks at Starbucks and sat on a bench in the sun, in front of some fountains. There were a few kids playing in the water and we relaxed and watched them for awhile.

After it got a little too warm sitting out in the sun, we went back to the car and made our way to Bothell, where we took a nice afternoon walk on the Sammamish River Trail. I love getting out and walking on nice days. The weather was perfect and it felt great to get a little exercise while we spent time together.

We stopped at the store on our way home and got a watermelon and two slices of berry pie to go with the burgers we planned to grill (well, Paul did the grilling) for dinner. As we were eating, I thought about how it really felt like a perfect 4th of July, save for the fact that we wouldn’t be seeing any fireworks.

Around 9:15, we were watching tv when we started to hear some explosions outside. When I was growing up, it was illegal to launch your own fireworks, so we really didn’t hear too many being set off. In Snohomish County though, they’re legal, and in the last couple years I’ve gotten used to a couple neighbors deciding to buy a couple explosives and hearing some random booms. The first summer we stayed home, I was anxious as hell and convinced that the neighbors were going to burn down our apartment complex. By now I’m pretty  comfortable that there will be no fires, and I’m more used to it.

Well, I thought I was more used to it.

Paul went to the window and announced that he could actually see fireworks. I got up and looked for myself, and saw actual big fireworks exploding in the sky. These weren’t just little ones being set off in someone’s driveway, it was like watching a planned display.

The sounds grew more numerous and we walked out into the front yard to see what was going on. As we stood there, the fireworks grew more plentiful and soon there were bright splashes of color all around us. Paul went in and grabbed his camera so he could snap pictures of fireworks above our house.

 I’d never seen anything like it. I could turn in a full circle and see fireworks rising above the neighborhood at every angle. As the sun dipped lower and night began to fall, the fireworks just multiplied. By then there were constant explosions echoing down our street. We walked to a little park area near our house and stood there for a long time, watching in amazement. There were people in the park setting off fireworks, and people in the distance. It was like every neighborhood within view had at least a few people with a pretty decent stash of explosives.

“Look, the moon,” I said, pointing. The moon was rising in the sky, full and bright. Paul took some pictures of it, surrounded by fireworks. I don’t know yet how the photos turned out, but the visual effect was pretty breathtaking.

A little before 11pm I finally decided I needed to go in the house and get ready for bed. The fireworks displays were still in full swing. I went in the house, where the cats were not nearly as thrilled with the unexpected celebrations as I was. They calmed down quickly once I shut some windows and climbed into bed.

And I drifted off to sleep, the fireworks booming outside my window.

Yesterday was the ten-year anniversary of my graduation from high school (thank you Nicole for pointing this out….I didn’t actually remember the date myself and I am far too lazy to get into my storage stuff and find my graduation announcements to confirm the date). Ten years ago I donned my cap and gown and accepted my high school diploma, ready to take the first step into adulthood.