The 4th!

Better yet, lets start with the 3rd. I drove out to the Isle of Long at around 8pm Tues night after I got an oil change where the mechanic promptly ripped off the cover of my muffler and handed it to me. Apparently it was dangling off and it's not so necessary. We'll see. In any case, we were on the LIE by 8:30 and at our destination before 10 which was quite the accomplishment since we basically traversed the length of 495. We get there and proceed to eat A's mom out of house and home. Luckily we brought our own 'beverages' otherwise I'm sure we would have consumed every ounce of alcohol in her house. Because thats what we do. We headed down to the beach nearby with a full bottle and a bag backed to the brim with fireworks. We dubbed W Robin Hood Prince of Thieves* because he looked like he was carrying a bow and arrow from behind. Guess you had to be there. Anyway, we setup camp on the beach at this campfire already inhabited by a few neighborhood kids with one chaperone. We chatted, we shared fireworks, all was peaceful in Nottingham (*see previous reference) until voices started rising from afar. Three of our friends were by the water chatting with the chaperone and he apparently decided that it was a good time to discuss political views. DOn't we all know NOT to discuss politics when there is alcohol involved? HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO. Earth to. Needless to say, there were opposing views and there wasn't going to be a middle ground. Long story short, a beer can was thrown and we decided it was best to head back to the casa and away from the intoxicated lunatic/chaperone asap. Way to set a good example for the kids pops. The worse part is the kids didn't seem surprised at his outburst. Apparently this is normal behavior for him? How sad, when teenagers have to apologize for their parents 3 times their age.

Being a glass half full kinda group we brought the positive energy back up and hung out at the compound for a few more hours until bedtime. We got up the next day and prepped for a jaunt to a farily unexplored area of Fire Island. Tt couldn't have been more Castaway if we tried. Sans the drama and being stranded part. The 9 of us played tag football, ate lots of hot dawgs with stellar onion sauce, and participated in general merriment until the rain clouds approached and once again beat a hasty retreat to the mainland.

Back at A's dad's house, we ate more, relaxed more, laughed more, until we couldn't anymore. The rain kept us from lighting off the remainder of our contraband fireworks and for the last time on this trip we made a hasty retreat back to the big city. We were fortunate to catch the fireworks show as we drove over the Manhattan Bridge. Traffic came to a complete stop. People got out of their cars. It was quite a sight. There were big explosions of sound and color in either direction of the dark sky.

After a few lost bags, and redirects, I got home, pounced on my bed and announced to myself, "yet another successful summer shenanigan." Good stories. Great friends. Every opportunity I get to hang out and engage with people I learn more. The whole picture kinda comes together as far as who people are and why. Does that make sense? It's always easy to make assumptions about others when you don't know better. We all do. Maybe that's why I'd rather leave myself as an open book. That way people have the correct information to make their assumptions because I know when left to my own devices and when lacking details I create outlandish assumptions that have little semblance to reality. Oh that imagination of mine.