Cheap Thrills

Let me just say: Oregon fireworks SUCK. No wonder everybody sneaks across the state line to Washington to buy them off the reservation or at the numerous fireworks stands and tents. Which take credit cards and are even labeled, "Illegal Fireworks (in Oregon)."

In Oregon, if it shoots into the air is is not permitted to explode, and if it explodes, it is not permitted to shoot into the air. This means that for nearly my entire life, lo these many, many years, I have been under the impression that fireworks were just spinny flashy things on the ground, or fountains of sparks, or things that popped or whistled. But not both.

We were told that this neighborhood sounds like a practice range on the Fourth, and they were not kidding. We sat in the back yard last night at dusk and tonight also, and were rewarded with free fireworks displays in nearly every direction, courtesy our neighbors. We may have a party next year and invite our similarly cheapskate friends over -- you don't have to drive anywhere (other than to our house of course), no parking woes, no sitting around surrounded by beer-swilling loudmouths, and no waiting in endless lines to pee or buy a snack. We have two bathrooms! And rarely drink anything stronger than French roast.

Delia obliged us by sleeping through the whole thing despite the fact that our neighbors two houses down shot off tons of loud fireworks in this direction (down the street rather than the other way which would have been on the curve and at someone's house). We have a HEPA filter and both bathroom fans going full bore to dampen the noise a bit which helps I think. Plus she is a heavy sleeper at night, and the siding guy has been hammering on the house for a month so she's kind of over the whole loud noise thing. :)

Let's see if it works, I tried to upload an image rather than go through Picasa which has become an albatross around my neck these days. It tries to take over the whole computer I swear... "May I detect some media for you?" Bugger off....