happy birthday, 'merica.

I know it's not officially the 4th, but I will not be at work tomorrow and therefore will not be blogging. How I love national holidays.

It's kind of crazy being in DC for the 4th. Everyone is so.... patriotic. This is my first Independence Day not spent in southern Florida in many, many years and it's kind of weird. I usually spend the 4th laying out on the beach, eating some barbeque with my ridiculous family and getting a wee bit hammered without letting Nanny know, and then heading back to the beach to watch the fireworks be lit off a barge out in the Atlantic. This year will most definitely involve the barbeque, drunkeness, and fireworks, but no beach. Boo. I'm headed to a big barbeque at a coworker's house in Georgetown and then over to Sam's rooftop to watch the fireworks. The goal is to avoid the mess of the Mall, but I've got to admit that it'd be pretty cool to see everything from that level. I think I'd want to sit on the steps of the Lincoln, but it's just not worth staking out a spot at noon. DC puts on one of the best shows in the country, so we should be fine viewing it from Chinatown.

Besides the food, I think my favorite part of the 4th is just that everyone seems genuinely happy. The 4th doesn't bring the stress of gift-giving like Christmas, people want to be outside, and *most* people get over all the political bullshit and enjoy being American, at least for a day. I can't wait to hear the Star Spangled Banner butchered by over the top singers, make a cake that looks like a flag, wear my white jeans, and listen to Bruce Springsteen.