July 4, 2019

[Ziggy]

What are you all doing today? Or, if you're busy so you're reading this on the 5th... What did you do yesterday?

[Ack]

Cooking ribs tonight and probably watching fireworks on TV. I used to live close enough to Turner Field to watch the ones there, but both the Atlanta Braves and I moved, so now I tend not to see much.

[SamuraiMegas]

I'm day drinking and going to a party. Hope everyone has a great day and stays safe. Happy 4th!

[Markies]

I tried to beat Contra without dying.

Contra is probably the most American game I can think of. Shirtless buff dudes with huge guns running around a jungle killing anything that moves and saving the world from aliens. It's also perseverance against all adversary, finding a way to survive no matter what comes at you and the will to adapt to the world around you.

I got to Level 6 in about 6 hours and I tapped out. My thumb and back started killing me, so I'm going to play something easier after a break.

I find fireworks rather boring and the ability to sit in my apartment without talking to anybody is really appealing to me at the moment.

Also, I slept 10 hours last night. I do love holidays.

[Nemoide]

I spent most of the daytime replacing batteries in old game cartridges. I've never attempted desoldering anything before, nor any serious game repair. I'm still a solder-novice, but I'm glad to report that the save functions seem to be working which means I didn't destroy my games!

Then in the evening I went to a friend's BBQ/DDR party. She has a DDR machine in her basement and we played a good amount of 5th mix and DDRMAX 2. Plus fireworks! Good times!

[samsonlonghair]

I slept in because I didn't have to go to work. When I woke up I cut a sprig of mint out of my garden, and made some mint iced tea. I took the dog for a walk. I exercised.

After sunset, I cruised up and down the James River Bridge and watched renegades on both sides of the river set off illegal fireworks. I could see the blue lights chasing after the pyromaniacs. Everytime the blue lights would go one way, someone else would start setting off fireworks on the other side of the river. I noticed Storm clouds overhead, but there was very little precipitation.

I drove down to Victory boulevard to see the city's big fireworks show, but the city officials called it off due to twelve drops of rain. I drove back home, and I noticed that someone was setting off fireworks just a few blocks away from me. I took a walk to go scope it out. I met my neighbors, Breeyan and his father, Ralph. Breeyan had driven all the way to South Carolina to buy some fireworks. He was dropping the fireworks into a metal tube. After he lit the fuse, Breeyan's fireworks shot up into the sky and exploded into a combustible chemical cacophony! I shook Breeyan's hand and told him that I was impressed that he managed to outdo the whole City of Newport News with his fireworks show. Breeyan offered me a hamburger and a hotdog. I don't usually eat processed meat, but I decided to be gracious since he was so gracious to me.

Overall, it was a pretty good day.

[8bit]

Played some SNES (DKC2, Mega Man 7 and Mario Kart) with my son yesterday afternoon before heading to the pool for bbq and fireworks. Was a good day!

[Ziggy]

I guess I did the standard 4th of July thing. BBQ with family, day drank, and watched some fireworks.

I don't know what it's like in other areas of the country, but fireworks have always been nuts in my area. Some years and crazier than others, but even on the most tame year, once the sun goes down you can expect to see a good show no matter where you live on LI. Some years are so nuts in my neighborhood that you don't even have a second in between blasts to speak to someone right next to you!

I had a couple of beers during the day, and I made a few slushy drinks. I had a Pina Colada for the first time and wasn't a huge fan, but I had a few Strawberry Daiquiris and enjoyed them. It's like an alcoholic Slurpee. What could be better than that on the 4th of July?

[samsonlonghair]

On the fourth of July, I thought it was pretty cool that my neighbors were setting off pirate fireworks. Last night (a Tuesday night five nights after July 4th) I began to change my opinion on that matter because my neighbors were STILL setting off fireworks.