Random Randomness and Then Some Tunes

I can't believe that we are half way through with summer vacation. It seems totally impossible. This summer vacation is just flying by and I am feeling rather gypped.

I have tried my hardest to do something fun with my two little girls every day-- even if all we did was go and get a snow-cone. I want them to be able to say, when they lay down for bed at night,  that they did one fun thing that day.

Am I spoiling them?

Yes.

So what?

Life is too short to not try and make a fun memory with the people you love on a daily basis. It doesn't have to cost money to do that either. It just requires you making an effort to be present in the moment. Whatever the moment is, be present. And that my friends, is a hard thing for us to do. This generation that has been taught that multi-tasking is how you represent your level of success. And in reality when we are "multi-tasking" we are missing out on the most important moments that are happening right in front of our nose.

Be present people, and make a fun memory daily.

***
The fourth of July is my favorite holiday. And not for any other reason that its an excuse to be lazy. People expect you to take a nap on the 4th. They expect you to lay around in the sun, eating yourself into a coma and just being with the people you love. I got to do all of that. I worked the early morning shift at work which, oddly enough, makes me happy. I ate a sweet french toast breakfast cooked by Jefe and actually took a nap at 930am.

I got to hang out with my friends and family at the parade -- and I forgot to put sunscreen on my feet of all places and got a rather lovely sunburn. I watched a ridiculous amount of stupid floats cars come by in the parade throwing out tons of candy. Which apparently must have been an extremely rare form of candy judging by the amount of adults rushing around trying to get the candy.


My favorite part of this holiday is the water parade AFTER the real parade. Oh. My. Word. I love it like a fat kids loves cake. After the parade is over, they wait about 15 minutes to allow everyone time to get out of dodge that doesn't want to get wet. Then the real fun starts.

Floats designed specifically for the water parade come down the road and its a giant town water fight. I love watching my entire town play together, getting wet. It absolutely sends me over the moon. They have the construction trucks that shoot water hundreds of feet in the "water parade" and they are spraying the crowd as fast as the crowd is spraying them back.

People will take tarps and line their pickup trucks with the tarps and then fill up the entire back of the trucks with water to then be used to fill bucket after bucket to dump on people. It seriously is the happiest thing in the world for me to watch.

My town.

My town playing together, bonding.

It's seriously the best place to live. Period.

After the water fight, we ate The Worlds Best Corn dogs which, frankly ARE the worlds best corn dogs. They are so freaking good they put you in a corn dog coma.


Which is totally worth the bazillion calories those puppies have. Seriously people. These things are so damn good.  Fresh cornmeal batter on a giant dog, deep fried on the spot and then drizzled with honey and mustard (my personal favorite). I didn't think I would be able to eat the entire monstrosity, but oh my heavens, I did. And it was good.

It was an absolutely wonderful day culminated by the firework show of the century. My neighbors, apparently, were having a contest to see who could out do each other with their fireworks. It ended up being a finale type of display for over an hour. I didn't mind it at first, and had a great time sitting on my porch watching them respond to each other, trying to one each other up. But, the later the hour got, the more panicked I got because all I could see was that looming hour of 3:45am staring me in the face. I had to work this morning and staying up until 11 or so makes it rather difficult to get out of bed.

I love the 4th of July for all those reasons listed above and about seventy bazillion more. I have wonderful memories associated with this holiday. Happy memories that leave me with that happy, peaceful feeling whenever I think about them. I love where I live. I love this country. And I love that my family is together. We made it and that, in and of itself is reason enough to celebrate. Every. Single. Day.

Amen.

***
1. Wonderwall - Ryan Adams
2.  Shout Out Loud - Amos Lee
3. Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye
4. Dirty Rain (acoustic) - Ryan Adams
5. In Need of A Miracle - New Radicals
6. This Love (Acoustic) - Maroon 5
7. Sweetest Thing - U2
8. Mercy (Live) - Dave Matthews Band
9. Wanted - Hunter Hayes
10. Colors - Amos Lee

Bonus Track: She Will Be Loved (Acoustic) - Maroon 5