I spent the 4th on the Mall. I ran into friends from college down in NC

I've been to see the fireworks at Taste of Chicago on the 3rd (timed to not compete with the suburbs on the 4th) a few times, and am glad not to do that again. I'm too old for the crowds and heat. The last time was pretty fun though--it was back in 1991 or so, and the 3rd was midweek, so most people were working. We left Mom's house after rush hour and parked at the Grant Park garage around 10:30 or so in the morning, just as Taste was opening for the day. We picked up some early lunch, then headed to State Street to shop at Fields. By 3:00, we dropped off our purchases, grabbed our blanket and our books, then staked out our spot in the park, which was already filling up. The people next to us offered us beer and wine coolers, we read until 5:00 when I headed out and picked up our dinner.

As we finished eating an hour later (took me some time to get back), surrounded by people, someone slipped her arm around my back and said, "Fancy meeting you here!" It was our old neighbors from the block I grew up on, who were sitting two blankets behind us! We moved back to join them, and were able to take our bathroom breaks at the Palmer House, where they were spending a few days (their anniversary present from their kids).

So I'm at a bar, which isostly deserted, because NYC is empty on July 4, and the DJ is playing nothing but Jackson 5 songs. It's kind of awesome.

Seems like all the fireworks I see anymore make some kind of picture.

"Dude! CUTE zombie!"

Well, you are.

Perkins new kitty is cute too.

We're back from 4th of fun. Emmett had a good time because: (a) somebody brought their miniature poodle (Nigel), who was sweet; (b) there was a lot of grilled meat; (c) there was a wide variety of pies; (d) they had a trampoline in the back yard.

I had fun for the same reasons. Matilda had fun playing with Ruby (plus pie and trampoline). JZ had fun with her friends, Ruby and pie.

When I took Emmett to the Lego store earlier in the day I spotted this. So I felt obliged to get it for Matilda. Who is, indeed, contentedly playing with it now.

Emmett has locked himself in his room with his newest Lego acquisition and we shan't see him until bedtime.

Lewis is convinced the Boston 4th was produced by a Jack Russell Terrier with the weird randomness of the shots for the fireworks spectacular.

Hec, I LOVE Matilda's new Lego set.

That's awesome, Hec. What did Emmett get? Owen is officially a Lego nut. We got this last weekend. If you check the box closely, there are sharks with LASERS! I taught Owen how to make the Austin Powers finger quotes when he says "lasers." He wasted not time figuring out how to use one of the Lego guys for bait and feeding him to the shark.

I'll admit that this set was also for me.

What did Emmett get?

Some super cool helicopter in the Agents series.

At the store they also had the Lego Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal sets. The Taj has the most pieces of any Lego set (almost 6,000). They also had the Corner Cafe set we linked too a while back, comparing it to the city in Kiki's Delivery Service.

I have to share with you all the ultimate nerd accessory, the coolest Lego set of all time. EM ordered it for Emmett for xmas and it was backordered for six months! It didn't arrive until school was out. But the Star Wars Special Edition Death Star is the most amazing Lego thing I've ever seen. It has two working elevators, and you can aim the Death Star beam and the guns, and best of all? It has the garbage compactor. And it works. And it has a Lego dianogoa monster (the thing in the water in the garbage compactor). And a special flight bay for Darth Vader's TIE fighter. It's boggling.

This thing is big. I don't know if you can get the scale from the picture but I can't reach my arms around it.

That Death Star set is so cool! I'm in the midst of ordering the figures on ebay--Owen wants Chewbacca. The Agent series is pretty awesome. We'll probably get the command center for Christmas.

The Agent series is pretty awesome. We'll probably get the command center for Christmas.

Emmett's favorites (aside from those mentioned) are in the Batman series: the Batcave and Arkham.

Also, if you haven't played the Lego computer games for Star Wars, Batman and Indiana Jones well they're very very fun.

So I'm at a bar, which is mostly deserted, because NYC is empty on July 4, and the DJ is playing nothing but Jackson 5 songs. It's kind of awesome.

Jealous!

I watched the fireworks from the GWB. It was interesting seeing fireworks silently and basically at eye-level.