Independence Day

Going to Bakersfield every 4th of July has been a tradition in my family since I was about 5. My grandparents have a huge pool with a diving board, and we swam until we were water-logged and sunburned. We then stuffed our faces with barbecued hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and baked beans. Homemade ice cream usually followed for dessert. As it got dark, we'd light off those expensive ground fireworks that were illegal in the county I grew up in. In Bakersfield though, they had little fireworks stands on every corner. We would head on over to Linda's house who lived about two miles away from my grandparents, and right across the street from the college where the big fireworks were launched. For some reason, 4th of July in Bakersfield in a really huge deal, kind of like the east coast. People have block parties, and launch bottle rockets, and almost every house has an American flag either draped out front, or in my grandparents case, atop a flagpole. People sit on their front lawns with Uncle Sam tophats, and party favors anxiously awaiting the grand display of fireworks the city puts on from the college. And I mean grand in every sense of the word. It's a thirty five minute show of some of the most beautiful fireworks I've ever seen. They come right over our head, since we are right across the street and all. During the finale, the entire sky lit up, so much so, the Jared asked if the sun was coming up. It's amazing. I'm so glad I'm able to share this with my kids. Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays, and I have some of the best memories of my childhood in Bakersfield on that day. After the kids fell asleep on the way home last night, we finished off the day listening to Team America's theme song, "America, Fuck Yeah". You can't beat it. You just can't.