Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Happy 4th

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I like organized fireworks displays. Chicago's is fantastic, with the Grant Park Symphony adding music to the art show in the night sky over Lake Michigan. However, the "bombs" going off in my neighborhood are far from delightful. Apparently people have a bunch of money to burn and blow up. The booms are louder, and the neighbors are more inconsiderate about where they shoot the damn things off with each passing year. It scares the shit out of pets and other animals. My parents have to sedate their little dog and my Bearded Dragon flattens in the bottom of her tank and turns a dark color because she is afraid. Poor things. There are no nightbirds singing in recent nights, and we won't hear them again till all this bullcrap stops.

Call me unpatriotic, but this is the holiday I like the least anymore. (Halloween being next on my least favorite holiday list.) I have to have windows closed even if weather is nice because of the noise, and because of all the sulfur in the air. Being asthmatic, it makes me wheeze. I did watch the Chicago fireworks on television, so I am not a total party-pooper. It was a fantastic show, as always and the livingroom sofa is the best seat. We went downtown only a couple of times for the fireworks display and there are just too many people. When it's all over with, people flood through Grant Park, down Michigan Avenue in droves, like scenes from a Godzilla movie. Then takes forever to drive home, so we just stay home now and watch it on tv.

6 comments:

Poodles said...

I agree with the whole private firework displays. Luckily my dogs aren't afraid, but they are annoying none the less, especially here in Utah where we have drought conditions. The money spent on fighting the resulting fires is absurd!

Stardust said...

poodles rule,

I didn't mention in my post all the clean-up that is required after everyone else has their "fun". Bottle rocket sticks, exploded paper and other items strewn all in our yard and even in the pool. Can't sit outside for fear of being hit with something. A couple years ago, the idiot neighbors next door, and the people down a bit behind us were shooting bottle rockets AT each other's yards and that required sailing them over our backyard. Isn't that neighborly?
I would just go away for the weekend to somewhere secluded, but we need to stick around in case one of these lunatics sets our roof or wooded deck on fire!

Andrea said...

That sucks that your neighbors aren't more considerate.
I haven't gone to see a fireworks show in forever, pretty much since I was a kid. I'd kinda like to take my boys, but it would not be fun for the baby!
We don't have a family pet either, but I can imagine that all those poor things get scared to death.

Stardust said...

I don't know why these fireworks are even considered to be illegal when the law enforcement does absolutely nothing about it even when it is going off all around them. It seems like they have the attitude there are just too many to keep up with so they don't bother responding at all.

Poodles said...

Stardust,
My neighbor behind us set their garbage can on fire on Wednesday. Firemen came and all. Dumbasses!

Stardust said...

poodles, LOL! I am waiting for a neighbor behind us to torch his house. You should see the evening "bonfires" he builds in this wood burning thing on his patio. He has flames going sometimes as tall as the eaves. I am waiting for one of those flames one day to jump over to his roof...and WOOOSH! yeee hawwww!