And I'm not good on the phone. I'm glad you can fill that role.

Thanks, Jessica.

Timelies all!

I'm sorry, Epic.

Mr S is here for two nights. He and Gary may be going to the local fireworks, but with the boy being so unfocused that may not happen. I'm staying home either way.

I don't regret skipping the parade (I took a nap to sleep off the end of the migraine), and going to Tim's brother and SiL's house did improve my mood. The great-nieces and great-nephew are hilarious and always entertaining.

Now that we're back home, our entire neighborhood smells like smoke and the backyard fireworks are non-stop. The cat is very unhappy.

We didn't go anywhere, but lots of neighbors were setting off fireworks. In particular the neighbor across the road and up a hillside had an impressive quantity of big bright boomers. Skinner was not pleased, but I drugged him and he settled down.

Local town's fireworks show didn't start until just after 11. Not sure what for the delay but it freaked out the cat since we'd just gone to bed.

Chicago’s official fireworks are tonight but last night was our typical boom extravaganza all over the city. It’s actually quite beautiful from up on my friends seventh floor rooftop. At ground level, it looks and sounds sort of like a war zone.

Milwaukee switched to drones for their big fireworks this year, and I’m glad to see that trending. But I won’t deny that there is something really awesome, in the traditional sense, about seeing the whole skyline lit up in dozens of places, all at once.

Still, it’s been kind of a strange holiday in Chicago. Roads and streets feel kind of deserted. Even my friends rooftop, which is normally jampacked on the fourth, was pretty sparsely populated. But I’m glad I went. It was good to socialize and to be with people who are as aghast as I am. Very little in the way of red white and blue rah rah stuff going on, even as fireworks blasted off all around.

I’m also glad I stuck around this weekend because I hear from another friend who is staying at the cabin this weekend that our next-door neighbor was shooting off fireworks until 2 AM. Happy I wasn’t there and especially happy the dog wasn’t there.

Milwaukee switched to drones for their big fireworks this year, and I’m glad to see that trending. But I won’t deny that there is something really awesome, in the traditional sense, about seeing the whole skyline lit up in dozens of places, all at once.

They had drone fireworks displays this year for Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale, and they really are super cool.

I was very impressed that my neighbors stopped the fireworks at 11 last night.

We could be looking at firecrackers for days and days--I hate it so much. speaking of the phones, hope the tech holds out and that I don't end up with a Lucy-at-the-conveyor belt kind of situation doing one today.(Still mostly hate the computerized dialing things..) But I have to try for a while--it's to fill Grijalva's seat in Tucson.

Ugh, watching video of survivors of the Texas flooding and it sounds horrific. People swept into the river in the dark of night, children screaming for help while clinging to trees in the river and people couldn't reach them.

River rose 30 feet in 45 minutes and pulled entire RV parks into the water.

Trump's cutbacks to the weather service seems like they may have contributed to poor warning.

Really not great to elect people who don't(or can't) think ahead.