[magkelly]

I didn't get to go out for fireworks this evening. It's been raining here all night. I think it's finally stopped because the neighbors are over by the lake shooting off rockets finally. The big fireworks were likely cancelled and will go off tomorrow night instead, if there is no rain at 9PM. Eh, no big loss. Instead of eating junk food I ate a turkey, heirloom tomato and bacon sandwich on bakery cottage white bread then I collected a new Spottie and a couple of Taks from Goodwill courtesy of my Dad and the unexpected pocket money he handed me for the holiday. I still have almost $25 left over from that. Could be I'll go get us some BBQ tomorrow for lunch. Not a bad holiday at all.

I'm not fond of the 4th of July anyway. As a kid I loved it but I'm getting older and far less tolerant of heat, mosquitoes, and loud noises. Lately I'm not too comfortable with big crowds either. Every time you turn around there's some violent incident happening. I can barely stand to set foot in the mall lately. I am admittedly getting nervous about being in big public spaces with lots of people. When I was a kid we'd go and park in some spot close enough to see but far enough away from the majority of people that we'd have a dinner picnic and not be disturbed too much. Or we'd go down to one of the little local beaches with some friends and have a day picnic. Or go off to the local military base and join the fun there.

The worst thing I had to worry about then was being pick pocketed or attracting the attention of some pervy guy who thought chatting up 11 year olds in tank tops and shorts was a sexy way to spend an evening. Now? I have to worry some guy is carrying a bomb or a machete in his backpack. I am being paranoid yeah, but ask me if I can stop thinking about it and I'll just smile sheepishly and admit that the thought does occur a lot more often than it probably should. I used to walk all over 3 major cities and think nothing of going into places that most people would not have. I was never afraid, just cautious. Now? I'm always looking over my shoulder, watching people for signs of something weird going on, even when I'm only at the supermarket around the corner. I agreed to go when my BFF's asked but I was secretly glad that it rained. I just didn't want to go but I felt I had to... :P

[Brand X]

Racer stopped by the local Indian reservation fireworks stands and came home with some stuff that goes up high and then blows up, much like the professional displays. It is fun to watch him lighting them and then getting back a safe distance to watch the shells launch. He looks like a teenage boy, and really seems to enjoy it.

Those things come with crappy cardboard tubes to launch them, which fall apart after a couple shells, and sometimes they fall over, and the shells will shoot off in a random direction. So Racer built a pair of launch tubes using some 2" steel exhaust tubing welded to a steel plate. Very stable and safe. He says he also made the tubes about twice as long as the cardboard ones, that it allows for more velocity or something, like the difference between a pistol and a rifle. I really don't know about that kind of thing.

Afterward he stunk like sulfur.

Today he had to go out and pick up all the leftover pieces in the yard. Such a mess.

Happy Birthday America!

[Jean Poitiers]

I have to wait until the 14th to see fireworks ...

[stevebrot]

It could be argued that it's a fork truer to 17th Century English than what's spoken at Oxford and Cambridge currently.

IIRC, many of the original settlers came from the middle counties of England - as did William Shakespeare.

So Jason Robards was probably delivering lines more accurately than Sir ian McKellen. :-P

So true!

And Appalachian English even more so.


Steve

[stevebrot]

He says he also made the tubes about twice as long as the cardboard ones, that it allows for more velocity or something, like the difference between a pistol and a rifle. I really don't know about that kind of thing.

Yep, muzzle velocity is related to barrel length. It good to shoot those things high so that they land on the neighbor's place.


Steve

(...will go out later to pick up the spent fireworks shells out of my yard and gutters...)

[Brand X]

Yep, muzzle velocity is related to barrel length. It good to shoot those things high so that they land on the neighbor's place.


Steve

(...will go out later to pick up the spent fireworks shells out of my yard and gutters...)

Living in the country has certain advantages and 'privileges'. All if the fallout from our private fireworks show landed on our property, shop and house.

The complete lack of regard for neighbors in areas where homes are close together has always confused me. How is it that people cannot respect each other?

If we lived in a subdivision Racer wouldn't be lighting those things off.

[FantasticMrFox]

Did I miss something? When did Racer acquire a new name?

Boy, sitting around in an African national park with only occasional internet access, watching lion cups, elephants, cheetahs and the milky way surely makes one unduly neglect this thread :P

[stevebrot]

Did I miss something? When did Racer acquire a new name?

Brand X is Racer's governor...errrr I mean spouse.


Steve

[Jean Poitiers]

So true!

And Appalachian English even more so.


Steve

Do I hears banjos ... ?! Lets' not go there ...

---------- Post added 07-05-15 at 22:14 ----------

Brand X is Racer's governor...errrr I mean spouse.


Steve

Don't you mean better half ...

[sherrvonne]

Did I miss something? When did Racer acquire a new name?

Boy, sitting around in an African national park with only occasional internet access, watching lion cups, elephants, cheetahs and the milky way surely makes one unduly neglect this thread :P

Lion cups? Sounds dangerous to drink coffee out of.

[AldaCZ]

Anti GAS rule 1. Don't hang out with gearheads :O

You will get infected

[Racer X 69]

Anti GAS rule 1. Don't hang out with gearheads :O

You will get infected

But gassers are cool!

[Racer X 69]

Anti GAS rule 1. Don't hang out with gearheads :O

You will get infected

But gassers are cool!

Guess I'm infected.

[Racer X 69]

Anti GAS rule 1. Don't hang out with gearheads :O

You will get infected

But gassers are cool!

Guess I'm infected.

One of the most famous of all gassers.

The Stone, Woods & Cook Willys gasser.

[Racer X 69]

One really neat thing about the gasser era was the hairsyles. A crew cut or DA for the guys, and a beehive for the girls.