America Rocks

Go visit Forkland for a solid rant. I especially like the part where he referred to the congressmen as chuckleheads. this is what makes America great (the freedoms, such as the freedom to elect chuckleheads and then refer to them as such, not the chuckleheads themselves. Although arguably the ability to be chucklehead is another thing that makes America great. No matter how much of a chucklehead you are, you aren't getting sent to the gulag for it.)

Also, visit Photos from the Wasteland for some nice fireworks. The Widge loves these pictures.

speaking of the Widge, and also the holiday, he was in a parade!see, thats him in the wagon. Its a kids parade, and basically all the kids in the region assemble at 5th street with their decorated bikes and wagons and strollers, and march the five short blocks up to the courthouse. Why bother? Because theres pizza!
I love this photo. And not just because my thumb makes an appearance (and shockingly not in the lens-covering way that it usually shows up). Widge loved the pizza, which was his second favorite part of the day. His favorite, of course, was the fire truck.
Apparently there aren't too many fires in town, because there seems to always be a fire truck parked in the square for local children to investigate. On the other hand there are also at least three fire houses in the town, or at least the greater town area. And its a little town. Anyway, we also got to hang out with bearded guys:
left to right: Beardo, Widge, Bearded Guy #2. Peter the Great, in an effort to modernize Russia, ordered all the noblemen to cut off their beards, or pa a serious beard tax. If he (Peter) saw a bearded nobleman in the street, the Tsar would hack that facial hair right off, on the spot. In America, you're free to have a beard. So much so that every word in the last sentence was linked to a bearded American (for those of you too smart to click each link). That must be a swell level of freedom for folks who are both capable of and interested in growing a beard. For me, personally, nothing special.

In other news: new sandbox! I made a whole new...well I didn't make it. But I painted the brand new...except the parts that I had help with.Whatever, the point is we have a new sandbox, one so big that all the trucks, shove;s, buckets and the Widgie fit inside simultaneously. its hard to tell in this photo because there aren't any trucks. The one problem we had, as the Widge points out, is that we "need more sand!"

hope you all had a freedom-filled fourth, and are enjoying the simple pleasures of summertime!