Well, it was a fun, long Independence Weekend here in the land known as 60005.

It started out Friday night roasting hotdogs over the firepit with family and friends. On Saturday we did all the usual work around the house and the gardens, and then went to the southern suburbs for a going-away party given in honor of a coworker who’s moving to London for 2 years. Oh, and we drank margaritas.

July 4th was Lisa’s birthday. I made breakfast and then we sought out a pool where we could lay out and catch some sun. It turned out that everyone in town had the same idea: we couldn’t get near Pioneer or Frontier pools, so we decided to use our backyard instead. About 5 minutes after we got home the sky clouded up and it started raining. So much for working on the tan. 🙂

Dinner on the 4th was at the All-American favorite, Superdawg in Wheeling. We followed that up with a quick visit to Frontier Days in Arlington Heights, and then we went home and walked to see the fireworks at Melas Park in Mt Prospect. It was an awesome, very full day.

On July 5th, Arlington Heights held its annual Independence Day Parade. This year Lisa and I walked in the parade as part of the Metropolis Performing Arts Center‘s float. It was a warm, sunny day (well into the 90s), but there was a nice breeze that kept us cool. There was a huge crowd along the 1.5 mile path, and the kids were all over us as we handed out frisbees and candy.

This was the second time I walked in the parade; the first time was in 2004 when I was a member of the ABC/25 board and we walked alongside a VW Thing (which we borrowed from somebody). I wrote a blog posting about the experience, and reading it now I realized some of the observations I made then still apply today:

– Tootsie Rolls fly very quickly with little effort.
– Frisbees are the most popular giveaway I’ve ever encountered.
– When a grandma says “Can I have one (meaning aforementioned Frisbees) for my granddaughter?” Don’t pull your arm back in a Frisbee-golf overhand manner– people will duck, thinking you’re serious.
– People like it when you hand them toys or candy. They do not like it when you give them leaflets.
– When in a parade, try to avoid walking behind the vehicle. There’s carbon monoxide back there, and you will get lightheaded.
– Also, try to avoid being behind an animal shelter’s float. Your shoes will thank you.
– All those beauty pageant contestants were right: it is hard to keep smiling all that time.

We followed up the parade with a breakfast burrito at Eddie’s, and pretty much relaxed the rest of the day.

So it’s back to the office for a couple days, and then the real vacation starts..