I hope everyone had a Happy (and dry) Fourth!

After being dutifully criticized for being a Northern Virginian and not taking full advantage of DC minutes away, and having out of town guests in the house, it was about time I headed to a Capitol Fourth for the first time in my life.  

My brother brought his girlfriend back from Florida, therefore forcing me to think about traffic, long lines at the metro, and thousands of people crowded on a grassy lawn in order to enjoy the fireworks in the city that holds the heart of the country.  

An addition of my college roommate, a few other wahoos, and bags full of food (note: do NOT bring glass, it is not allowed, even if it's just jelly!) made the prospects of fun possible.  Once we were on the mall and through security, we plopped ourselves on a patch of grass, near a bandstand, and with a good view of the Washington monument.  Somewhere towards the capitol was the stage and we figured, sure we'll hear the music when it starts.  

Two rain showers, two orange and blue popcorn bags, and two wet bottoms later, the skies cleared for a beautiful show that illuminated the skies and celebrated the independence we have in the United States.  Where else can you have a celebration of India, Texas, Christianity, the Philippines all on the same piece of property?  To note, the grandstand faces the Capitol, so we missed Jimmy Smits, Scott Hamilton, and Taylor Hicks (what a shame), and we would've caught them if we thought our early arrival with no one around was unusual and headed between the stage and the steps...  oh well, it was fun regardless.  

I don't come from a long line of tradition, but what's a Fourth of July without backyard fireworks?   

The collection has grown since we were little.  The fireworks seemed so much bigger when you were two feet tall.  So the cash was doled out for explosives that ranged from sparklers to recalled bangs.  If you looked from far away, you'd think little kids were inhabiting the house hold instead there were a bunch of young adults reminiscing of yester-year spelling out names, playing with matches, and enjoying blueberry pie and cool-whip like it was never going to end.