Teppy! Yes indeed, and it's marvelous! Thank you so much!

Happy 4th! I hope everyone has a lovely day.

I am starting the day off right because yesterday I bought some adorable butter-yellow crocs [link] and wore them this morning to walk the dog through the wet grass in the park. Not only are they the most comfortable shoes EVER CREATED, they are light and waterpoof! Hooray for Lori and Kat and their shoe pimping!

Sheryl! I didn't get to congratulate you on the house yet, so: congrats!

Did you see upthread that yesterday I saw your American döppleganger?

No, no, I didn't. Um, not until now, that you pointed me towards it. Huh. I had no idea that this is how I look or dress, let alone that this is who I should date. The closest to a pirate I've ever had a blind date with was, um - no, I can't think of anyone who is even close. Maybe that's what I've been doing wrong all these years. It's a shame that they're so hard to come by, though, since, well, murder by pirates is good.

Also, I'm trying to figure out where I can get a pocket constitution. I just don't want to order 20 of them (for $20). I used to be able to get them for free... but how?

I think that most national parks/monuments have them. Not sure how much help that is for you, though.

I should emphasize, if I didn't enough already, that your döppleganger was very very pretty, just like you; she was just surprising to me because she didn't look piratical in the least. But there her pirate was, clearly devoted and doting upon her. So now I want a pirate for you, because you deserve to be doted upon as well.

Hil, I hope you get over your jet-lag soon.

Everybody kept telling me that it's worse on the direction of back-to-Israel than to-the-USA, but for me, it was the opposite (and Allyson can tell about how I fell asleep mid-sentence in front of her. Um, twice. The second time, in an apartment full of people. While I was talking and laughing with them). But all the advice I got was what everybody already said - trying to stick to the sleeping - and eating! - shcedule of your current timezone. It helped me on the (relatively short) difference between West and East Coast - I didn't even feel that there was a time difference then.

Thanks, JZ. It's lovely to read that.

Giant parade is done for another year. Not so many planes as last year, but a giant air tanker went over at treetop level, very cool, and the local news chopper decided that the airspace right above our house was the perfect venue for pretty pictures of the library and the parade route. Chopper downwash is an interesting thing.

So that's the public celebrations over in my town. Salt Lake will have a bigass fireworks show tonight, but the rest of today is quiet time. Unless any friends of ours want our company out-and-abouting.

In Rochester/outlying areas, the big celebration seems to be on the third, not the 4th.

I am however looking forward to my yearly tradition of watching thw Bauer Barbeque (perhaps only Jesse will know what I am talking about)

Aw, I forgot! We get GL in the mornings, here. How's the new apartment coming together? What did you decide to do about the cat(s)?

BUT, in speaking of fireworks this company, a sort of SoCal local company, is a family-run, fifth generation outfit that does a ton of the big shows around the country

I did a few shows with Pyro Spectaculars back in the late '90's. Pretty fun stuff. I was working on my Pyro Certification for California at the time but decided not to pursue it after my 4th or 5th show. There just isn't any hearing protection good enough to really protect you at close range when the mortars are firing and my hearing to my career.