Stellar Performance

Well we returned late last night from our annual Fourth of July blow up the sky event with the family.

As usual, it was a smash. You know, it is amazing how much one can buy on a limited budget. I focused on all the bargain nightworks instead of grabbing some of the bigger stuff. All in all, it was still pretty, though much shorter than our usual display.

See you can get the most bang for your buck.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Anyway, Mom contributed a good deal to the stash this year to help make the event the stellar performance it was. However, our numbers were much fewer this year.

Sometimes I hate it that the kids are all getting older. My nieces and nephews are gradually drifting away one by one. The oldest is living in Colorado and quite busy. One is away at school out-of-state. One lives out of town and has a girlfriend, so he decided to spend this year with her family. One is busy working in Arkansas.

Basically that left two kids - four if you count me and my sister. This resulted in the smaller stash, which resulted in the shorter time frame.

I guess that's probably a good thing, considering the Fourth was on a Saturday this year and we had to get up early for church in the morning.

But it was so neat. God joined in on the fireworks display and showed up all of us. Just to the south was a big storm system that moved slowly from the west to the east. All evening we had clear skies over us but a gorgeous lightning display just above the treetops. It was like God was saying, "Let's just see what I can do." So neat!

I guess you can say that the entire evening offered a stellar performance. Happy Birthday, United States of America!

Fireworks Extravaganza Review

Hooray and Happy Independence Day!

Last night we had a great time blowing up the sky. I like to buy the big night stuff - yes, my yearly weakness. However, it does seem like each year there's always a couple of items I purchase that disappoint me and vow never to waste my money on that particular one again.

Everything I bought this year I absolutely loved! And I didn't spend my usual fortune to do it.

There were a couple of pieces I bought again that seem to be good crowd pleasers every year, and they aren't real expensive. These would be "Above the Law" and "Perpetual Motion".

A couple of fountains we bought just blew us away. "Behemoth" is kinda pricey for a fountain ($13) but I highly recommend this one. It reminds me of the Energizer Bunny - it keeps going, and going, and going...you get the drift. It is really tall too, so all the crackling crystalizing sparkling showers go higher than any other fountain I've ever seen. TRULY a masterpiece of fountains.

Then there was a surprisingly small, reasonably priced skyward item that was fantastic - "Crackling Color Palm". It had fountain-like effects with several exploding shots with following trails of silver and gold. Quite spectacular!

My all-time favorite is still "One Bad Mother". I just love the continual bursts and crackling plumes of little dancing amoebas filling the sky. We usually call them something else, but I'll keep this post "G"-rated for now.

We didn't go quite as long as usual, since it was my sister's year to go to her in-laws, but we had a good time with cousins, my aunt and uncle, parents, and all the next generation kids. I think we just may have talked them into coming to our usual bash we'll have again next year.

Until then, celebrate our freedom until we can once again blow up the sky next year!

The Waiting Game

We bought our fireworks this evening. Now the waiting game begins.

When my son was younger I used to spend some money on the cute little fireworks like snappers, snakes, lady fingers, little tanks, etc. Now I don't bother. It's all the big stuff, baby.

I love those 500 gram ones. The tall ones pack a real wallop and go on for long enough that I get to have time to light it, run away, and still get to sit down and enjoy it for a little bit. Got a 36 shot this year. Hee-hee-hee! Let's see what that baby can do, eh?

My son actually spent less but I think he ended up with more. He was a little wiser with his purchases this year.

I spent less this year too, but not so much because I wanted to. After buying the new house, furnishing and decorating (my decor was out of date and didn't really match the look of the new house) my savings looks a little peaked. Oh well - there's always next year.

Three days and counting. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Being Braindead and Blowing Up The Sky

I'm having a braindead moment.

I've been so busy the last few weeks that I can hardly see straight. Work at the office has been insane. My son was gone last week and is now back home. I'm freaking out because it is almost Independence Day. I mean come on! June just started like YESTERDAY. How can it possibly be over?

Of course that means it is time to blow up the sky. Yes, the famous family tradition. We live in an area that sells the REALLY good stuff. Fireworks are my one big weakness on which we spend hundreds of dollars a year. And don't start with me - I'm well aware that many people feel it is like taking a match to dollar bills. You're just burning up hard-earned money. That may be true, but sometimes you have to live a little and just have some fun.

So Independence Day is the one time we plan for every year. I have no qualms about plunking down good money for some really incredible displays. The tradition seems to have been picked up by my son. Last year he spent almost a hundred dollars of his own money. Yes, the baton has been passed. I'm so proud.

Sometimes you've got to blow caution to the wind and let your hair down. Just make sure it doesn't catch on fire. You know, it is probably best that you keep it in a ponytail or bun until after the fireworks show.

We usually get together with my family and pool resources to have one incredible personal fireworks display. It lasts for hours and hours. Then the boys usually start a funeral pyre for one of the action figures chosen for sacrifice that particular year and burn up most of the leftover tubes and such so that there is little left to discard but ashes once we are finished.

I'm not yet ready for it all this year. We haven't even begun to buy our explosives. Hopefully I'll have time to go out tomorrow evening after work and pick up some choice items. My son has already started compiling his list. Sure hope he's compiled his money too.

I only hope I'm not braindead come the 4th!