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4th of July is lazy time this year

American flags are lined up along the streets in my subdivision for the holiday. A real estate company sponsors this every year. Some one goes along and places one little plastic American flag in each yard, and when you drive down the street it looks like we're so patriotic. I've not seen another subdivision do this. The neighborhood association isn't having a cookout, or get together, or anything like that--but they decorate the yards nicely. It's something different.

The 4th of July always calls me to the bar-be-cue pit. I haven't picked up any bar-be-cueing meat yet though. We have better than half a chance of rain the next few days. This year may end up meatless, or maybe I'll do the drive through somewhere they do meat right. Not lots of pre-planning going into this year's celebration. Guess it makes up for the years I've over planned.

The biggest mess of meat I ever cooked was in the 1980s for a 4th celebration. I was manager of an apartment complex with 60 units, and I cooked two briskets for the pool party. It doesn't sound like much, but that's a lot of pounds of pink fatty meat. I can still remember the hunks in super large aluminum foil pans--not very sturdy-- with beer to marinade--sloshing around every time the pans moved--, and spices floating about. Seems like I remember spilling that mess more than once. No more cooking meat for 120! Once was enough.

I like to watch fireworks, but I don't think I have a good view from home this year--too many trees. I can always watch them on the television. It's a better view, and you can listen to the patiotic music simulcast, and there's no traffic to deal with afterwards!

My poor "Big Bad John" hates fireworks. When an 85-pound dog wants to hide under your feet, you can't ignore him. I need to remember to give him his doggie Valium in time before the noise starts. "Shadow" is fine with loud booms, but "John" goes nuts.

Just kind of glossing over this holiday, because I'm almost superstitous about it. For many years, somthing bad would happen over the weekend. One year the electric transformer that was located in our alley, blew up and the stuff landed in our yard. My Dad was mowing at the time, and he was lucky he didn't get burned. Anyhow, I tread lightly on this holiday. It's a good one to celebrate with lots of friends and family. Don't have that kind of life going on this year, but I'll make due. Even without a regular job, it's nice to have a holiday.

I got a lead on a job at the Dallas location of the UT Southwest Medical for a part time job. The ad said they were looking for people with a mental diagnosis to serve as peer counselor or job counselor with a goup of similarly afflicted people. I planned to go by Friday, but I had one of my long sleeping spells. I went to bed Thursday night, and I didn't wake up till Saturday morning. That just happens sometime. So UT Southwest Medical on my list for first thing on Tuesday.

It seems like most businesses are taking off Monday and working on Tuesday. The city's fireworks display is going on Sunday night. Every day is pretty much the same for me. A job would help break the monotony, and bring in some well needed income. In the meantime, it's housework and gardening. The sunflower row is in full bloom, and the watermellon patch is flowering. I don't claim to have a green thumb, but at least it's not brown this year.

I'm journaling in a spiral notebook. I write a lot differently when I use pen and paper. There were some things I needed to get off of my chest, but keep secret at the same time. If anyone ever read my spiral notebook journals, I'd be embarrassed. Some things we never outgrow.