Firecracker Memories

** for weeks, strategically marking those fireworks stands that advertised "Buy 1, Get 2 Free"

**FINALLY going to the fireworks stand and getting a dollar to pickout whatever I wanted

**impatiently waiting for the sun to even start to set so you could start setting off your stash. You start with the lame stuff like smoke bombs that work just as well in the daytime.

** 6 year old self goal: Write your name as many times in the sky with a sparkler without burning the crap out of your fingers. Failing most of the time.

** for several years, totally convinced that those whistling chaser whizzer things could actually see me and give chase.

**personal favorite: Roman Candles. Not aimed at my head.

** our next door neighbor always loved to tell us the story about how he once blew off one of his fingers (or was it his eye??) by playing dangerously with blackcats. Now it's going to bug me, was it his finger or his eye? Did he wear a patch? Or were his fingers wonky? You would think this is something I would remember; however, you never went to my old neighborhood. It's possible it was both.

**laying back on a blanket with my arms folded behind my head, watching the "big" fireworks boom over a small lake at the neighborhood display, fairly certain one of the streams of flame were going to keep going and fall on me. Not really caring anyway.

Happy Fourth of July Everybody.