Independence Day Now

Yesterday being Independence Day (as I feel the urge to say instead of the Fourth of July), it is maybe too timely of me to discuss the occasion, but I had a passably notable experience. Up until a couple days ago, I had no plans at all except that a couple of possibilities were presented to me. Things solidified the day before, and I would venture to say that the plan played out in a very satisfactory way, although whether alternate plans were superior is beyond my ability to say.

What we ( which is to say myself and four close friends) did was to go out to Northridge, which lies at the northernmost reaches of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. There was to be found a free fireworks display. As it turned out, the event was under the auspices of a church, but we five did not bear any ill will on that account. Although the fireworks were not to be until after sunset, of course, we  made our way up early.

We began with an early dinner (or ought I say a late lunch? For me there had been no lunch as yet). We went to TGI Fridays for some reason. This must be what one does beginning in their thirties. I had a hamburger. I was denied permission to order alcohol on account of my long-expired license. My new one cannot arrive soon enough, as I said then. The food was ample and tolerable in taste. After leaving there we procured snacks for the rest of the evening, and I bought a new pair of flip-flops to replace the pair which chose this inopportune time to fail permanently.

The fireworks themselves (and the interminable buildup of singing and solemn pageantry) were all really rather pleasant. It has been some time since my life held much conventional society of the kind I grew up with, and it is a more pleasant thing than I might have expected. We even got out of the parking lot and home in a reasonable time. After watching a TV show and a movie (and talking for several hours), my Independence Day was through.