July 4, 2014

by - 10:02 AM

So, yesterday Jack ran away again. He's home now, so no need to turn on the evening news, but that little devil dog, he sure likes to try and take out a good holiday by turning it into a story about the search and retrieval of him.



Really quick, because this is not the highlight of my Independence Day -- Jackers has a line, a good, strong, green-as-Katy-Perry's-hair-so-you-can't-freakin'-miss-it, line. Jack also has cute albeit sad puppy eyes. The ones that say "trust me, I love you, I'd never leave you." You know what I'm talking about.  He doesn't really trick me with those eyes anymore, but on a good day, a really good "sad puppy eyes" day, he can pull one over on a well-meaning person who just wants a cute dog to have a nice holiday, too.

And because I'm a helicopter mom, it takes me approximately .00034 seconds to realize where the eff is Jack? The story only proceeds to get better because as I'm stomping across the yard, yelling to Ryan that the phone number of Jack's tag is his and does he know where his phone is (!?!), I see Jacks' collar,  you know, the one with his name and our phone number engraved on it, laying in a puddle in the yard.

Sonuvabish.

Anyway, the story has a happy ending. I hopped in the car, drove about 30 feet and met Jack as he crossed the street like a ding-dong, not even bothering to check both ways or anything. And so, in the words of J.K. Rowling -- all was well.

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Remember that one time (or twelve times) that I wrote about the tragic phenomena that takes aging, throws it at a holiday and immediately yells, "nope!" while cackling madly?

I have great news, you guys. Somehow, Independence Day is powerfully resilient to that phenomena. I don't have huge expectations for the 4th and I don't hype myself up about for weeks beforehand and maybe that's the secret ingredient -- my plans are simple: probably going to get drunk, lay on the beach all day, and show up for some boom-pop-fireworks somewhere around dark. Easy.

Anything extra is just that, extra. And it's good.

Let's start with the first extra, maybe the coolest extra -- we live on Lake Michigan. WE LIVE ON LAKE MICHIGAN! That's a firework all on it's own.

But the parade was cool, too. I suggest that if you're going to a parade, bring a couple of kids. They'll collect candy on your behalf and people won't give you any side-eye for jumping in front of 3-year-olds for that banana Laffy Taffy.


Remember Grace? She did this at my wedding last summer. And this is her best friend, who is visiting the US for the very first time. Seems apropo, yes? Come see us when we shine the brightest. 

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So, Lake Michigan. That firework that booms just a little louder and brighter than all the others --




Ry's sister, Tammy, and I parked ourselves at the beach in the afternoon and really considered staying for the duration. See that glass of juice, though? My nose is just about the same color and when crayola colors start appearing on your face, you go ahead and hit the road. 

We came back though --






Because, you know, fireworks. On Lake Michigan. 



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Cheers, you guys. I hope your 4th was explosive. Har-har. 

And PS - a little lookeroo at how Ry spends his Independence day:

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