The Red, White, and Blue--and 75 Relatives

HAPPY JULY 4TH!!!

Just wanted to wish all of you a most merry and patriotic July 4th, incidentally my second-most favorite holiday.

My family gathers annually for a day of boating/swimming/waterskiing/tubing/kneeboard/wakeboarding/jetskiing/fishing (and let us know if you can think of any other water sport we can do on the lake!) as well as enjoying enormous quantities of homemade Southern food. Hence, I shan't be blogging for a bit, as I'm watching fireworks from a boat, churning ice cream, trying to slalom or playing with my dear cousins. Love you all, back by Wednesday!


P.S. Random story of the day: Atlanta radio station 98.5 is one of my definite favorites, as it plays a goodly selection of old and new hits, mostly rock. The other day the hosts were having one of those inane intellectual contests, this time a search for a synonym for "250th year anniversary." I phoned in excitedly, having just read the word "bicenquinquagenary" in a magazine that morning--how cool is that?! They were amazed and more than slightly disbelieving--they congratulated me and laughed when I admitted the word was featured in a recent issue of "Opera News" in regards to Mozart's 250th year anniversary. Alas...I'm a dork and I didn't win anything, but I still called in and felt helpful. :) Plus, I was on-air--how fun!

P.P.S. My family came to visit me in grandiose Atlanta, and for my dad's birthday we attended a Braves game versus the Baltimore Orioles. The Braves reversed their prior-now awful luck and won, 5 to 3, I think. Afterwards followed a scintillating fireworks show accompanied by loads of 70s music (my dad was convinced it was all for him) and also quite a few raindrops. The fireworks were amazing, but the crowd oohed the loudest for God's fireworks--the lightning bolts every few minutes. Stay tuned for pictures of the game, fireworks and the fancy "755 Club" dining room way up in Turner Field stands.