Caterwauling

Trippy

Originally uploaded by dcwriterdawn

I was just thinking about my favorite Fourth of July. It was in D.C. (of course). But I spent it at home.

It was 2006, just three months before my grandfather died. This time of year is pretty crummy for me anyway — it was my great-uncle Stan’s birthday on the 2nd, my beloved great-grandmother was born on July 3 (she would have been 101 this year), and my grandmother passed away on the 4th. (She’s been gone 10 years this year, and I’m still broken.) Uncle Stan died on the 5th.

Anyway, I was in a great new apartment in 2006 — I would be in it less than a year, as my pending inheritance of Mommy precluded me from keeping my pretty little 1BR because I KNEW she wouldn’t get off her ass and find a job and keep her place in Pittsburgh.

I wasn’t even resentful about it at the time. I am now. But back then, you just did what you had to. I often wonder whether I would have been in less of a “help the needy” frame of mind had I been a registered Republican. 😉

Anyway, I usually went to Five Guys on “cookout” holidays. Always got a little cheeseburger and a cheese dog. That July Fourth was no different. (I had leftover sushi today. Goodbye tradition yet again.)

I remember sitting in my cute apartment, snug and happy as I watched the Capitol Fourth special on the local PBS channel and occasionally popped out to my balcony to see a very tiny corner of the live fireworks.

i remember typing back and forth with some dude who lived on U Street. He wanted so badly to meet me but I wasn’t ready for that. My life was great but my sexuality was a little down in the dumps around that time.

All in all, it was just a carefree time. I think it was a Sunday, which was why I didn’t brave the crowds and join the festivities. I guess I always thought I would have another chance.

Not so much.

Anyway, here I sit, three apartments later, wondering when my own Independence Day will arrive. And here’s a toast that I don’t explode into a red, white and blue blaze of glory in the meantime.

“Well, she lit up the sky that Fourth of July
By the time that the firemen come
They just put out the flames and took down some names
And sent me to the county home
Now I ain’t sayin’ it’s right, or it’s wrong
But maybe it’s the only way
Talk about your revolution
It’s Independence Day..”

— Martina McBride, “Independence Day”

So I asked the over-extended houseguest if she had any plans today. She looked at me like I had three heads and wondered why on earth I would think she was doing anything today.

Um because normal people might hop in the car and do something on a holiday, independent of the person they will be living with until the end of time?

She said she thought we could do something together.

Um because that happens when?

As for me, I saved a very arduous project for the weekend — transcribing two hours of video. Which would be fine if it hasn’t taken me over an hour to knock out nine minutes of film. This is looking like a 12-hour project and I wish, wish, wish I’d had the motivation during the week to do this.

It’s the first beautiful day here in weeks and there are fireworks on the beach later. My deal with myself is to try to knock out the first hour of this video and then go see what’s happening on the ocean. I guess I’ll have a tagalong, and unfortunately not the cookie variety!