What I did on my Fourth of July

[cleolinda]

So. In terms of things I actually did: We didn't end up going to the party, because it started to rain, and The Lovely Emily and Brett the Vet and I sat around eating homemade ice cream and fudge sauce until figured out what we did want to do. (Valkyrie and Mr. Typo were going to meet us later.) The rain kept coming and going, so we decided to head downtown to the Mellow Mushroom, get a pizza, and maybe try to get a good spot for the fireworks if the rain didn't kill them entirely.

We ended up at a table outside in a damp breeze, which was actually really nice. The three of us then held a vote to decide what toppings we wanted. Now, as you have probably discovered for yourself, pizza toppings are one of the great diplomatic matters of our times. Nobody likes anchovies, yes. That we all agree on. But I don't like mushrooms, and I haven't ever since I was a child, dating back to the day when I was three years old and finally noticed that the sliced, canned mushrooms in Mom's spaghetti sauce looked a lot like severed ears. Look, I don't know. Em was up for pepperoni or sausage, but not both. And so on. Finally, a motion was put forward to try a combination of Italian sausage and fresh--not, in this case, dried--tomatoes. A vote was taken; the motion was passed; and after some filibustering from our waiter, who was a little too mellow, our order was sent on for ratification.

It was a really good pizza.

Em and Brett split a pitcher of Redhook, but I stuck to a Coke, because--well, I was about to blame it on the Sol Azteca Margarita of Doom from Friday night, but I just don't like beer, quite honestly. I like Long Islands and whiskey sours and fuzzy navels and things that taste good, dammit. Ooo, and Cosmos. Shut up.

In the middle of this, the traffic there at the 20th St./12th Ave. intersection, we had a drive-by firecrackering. Seriously, someone just threw a lit string of firecrackers out onto the sidewalk; it sounded like a dozen gunshots, and I nearly had a heart attack, because I compulsively imagine terrible things like hold-ups and carjackings wherever I go anyway.

Once Valkyrie and Mr. Typo showed up, we grabbed some free copies of the Black and White, and used them as impromptu ground-covering on the grubby sidewalk outside the Ruby Tuesday's across the street (which I'm sure the B&W staff will be pleased to hear). The weird thing was, fairly big fireworks would go off here and there, but they were clearly just fireworks people had bought; the city fireworks never start until nine. Usually there's about 15-20 minutes of "patriotic" music (I remember being 12, and even then thinking to myself, "'Born in the U.S.A,' the hell?"). I've never been that into fireworks, maybe because I've never really had a good view of them. We used to stand out on our deck at the Mayfair house and squint up at the treetop skyline in the distance, and every now and then you'd see a peek of color.

Before that, when I was a kid, we'd drive into downtown Homewood and sit on the curb on top of this hill, at the intersection where the funeral home was. If you think that's morbid, consider that the name of the funeral home was John-Rideout. But someone would always bring a radio and turn it on so we could all listen to the musical accompaniment, which might or might not be in time with the fireworks this year. You could see them pretty well on that hill, actually.

I hadn't watched the fireworks in several years; I was behind on the new technological advances in Stuff That Done Blowed Up Real Purty. There were red sparkles that moved in opposite directions, and broad gold swirls like brush pen strokes, even green and magenta smiley faces at the end, and then they let about half the fireworks go all at once in this orgy of color and spark, and it was awesome. And then everyone got up and left--oh, look, there's another drive-by firecrackering--and traffic was hellish, so we took shelter in the Ruby Tuesday's to wait for it to die down.

While we're on the subject, I would like to apologize to the waiter who served us last night. I mean, we behaved ourselves just fine and all, but the place was sort of quiet and we just sat down at a table near the bar once we realized the bar was full, and... I'm not sure we were supposed to do that. I think that section might have been closed off. Oops. And of course, three of us were stuffed with pizza from the restaurant across the street, and the other two had had dinner with their families, and... yeah. We ordered one drink each. And Brett ordered a dessert, which was good. And then Em helped him with it... rather than get one of her own, which was bad (from a restaurant point of view, of course). I left the poor guy two dollars for a four-dollar drink--the Ruby Relaxer, which tasted like the juice in a can of fruit cocktail. I don't know how they got pineapple and coconut and cranberry to taste like the pale, flabby split grapes and diced pears you find captive in a can of Del Monte, but they managed. It was actually pretty good, in a weird, nostalgic way.

(A drink I liked better, which I fortuitously made myself at Em's house earlier in the week: orange vodka in equal parts orange juice and cranberry juice. I don't know if it has a name, but it was good.)

And then we all went back to my house and watched Chappelle's Show until we were too tired to stand each other anymore. This is what it's like to be grown-up, kids. Enjoying your clubbing while you still can.

Comments

[illmantrim.livejournal.com]

sounds as quiet as my own 4th

[http://users.livejournal.com/aviva___/]

Hi! I usually just lurk, and read your posts and M15M (which i think are HILARIOUS). I just wanted to ask if I could friend you maybe. if you don't mind. *peaks from behind a corner* please?... I'll beg! and offer money. of which i have none, so it'll be monopoly money. maybe i can just give you park place? And I spent the 4th in Canada which was... weird.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hee. Of course you can friend! I love new friends. I just wish I had more room to friend people back.

[quizzicalsphinx.livejournal.com]

The Mellow Mushroom bugs me a little. The waiters are all the sort of people I aspired to be in high school: cool, utterly unperturbed, yet faintly arrogant people who gave off the subtle vibe that I was simply not cool enough to be at the Mushroom and shouldn't I be hanging out across the street with the rest of the fountain-rats? Not a nice attitude toward someone who may or may not tip you later. I once tipped my waiter a condom, so he wouldn't reproduce.

[gniko.livejournal.com]

I spent the first half of the fourth in a restaurant, serving hungover guests at our hotel. Apparently there were three weddings (no funeral) and the bulk of the families involved spent the night - they all wanted food, and they all wanted it now. Or later. Or more water. And then they ordered Bloody Mary's.

Consolation was one of the grooms was insanely beautiful and would smile when he asked for things ;)

Walked home from work about 5 and passed out as I started some laundry. :P I think I woke up around 9.30 in time for the fireworks, completely missed the party on the Hill I said I would go to because the bus system mostly shut down while the fireworks were going and spent a lame night watching Edward Scissorhands and eating pasta roni.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

HEE. That is so awesome.

There was a very cool-type chick on hostess duty, but she was really nice and got us an outdoor table. And then the waiter was so very drugged-out and harried with the huge Fourth of July crowd that he was apologizing every five seconds. But then, I always go with groups of people, and maybe that's why we get better service--lots of tips.

[jai-eu-froid.livejournal.com]

That was a fun read, I wish I went to downtown and drove my friends...

but that would involve breaking the no driving others for six months law!

It sounds like that is the kind of 4th of July I would like to have that is pretty cool...

But I did get to order the enchanting chicken strips off the pretty princess menu now available at your local Dennys! (I am a guy so everyone started freaking out when my pink ranch and pink soda came out; I thought it was great fun)

I also hate California where it didn't rain you are lucky

[http://users.livejournal.com/bellereve_/]

Deciding which toppings for a pizza is ALWAYS a great dipolomatic matter. Glad yours didn't end with someone throwing the parmesan cheese at someone else ;)

[edda.livejournal.com]

I am a great lover of mushrooms; if I am ever in your vicinity and there is a pizza before you studded with such, I will save you from the evil fungus.

Your Fourth was still slightly more eventful than mine.

[daiseechain.livejournal.com]

But I don't like mushrooms, and I haven't ever since I was a child, dating back to the day when I was three years old and finally noticed that the sliced, canned mushrooms in Mom's spaghetti sauce looked a lot like severed ears. Look, I don't know.

You're right not to trust them. I used to work in a mushroom picking factory. The ones that went into the cans were the ones that had fallen on the floor and trodden on. They just wash them off the floor at the end of the day and collect them up. That's why they always come in 'sauce', so you can't tell how bad they really are. Fresh mushrooms are ok though.

[jai-eu-froid.livejournal.com]

...

I never liked mushrooms either...but some jackass always wants the spaghetti sauce with them.

[alpheratz.livejournal.com]

Nothing to do with your entry, but dammit, you have the best Galadriel screencaps...

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hee. Well, some of them are Decipher cards, like my crazy Galadriel one, but I think the really good screen caps came from War of the Ring or Council of Elrond--try here: http://www.councilofelrond.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=My_eGallery&file=index&do=showgall&gid=544 .

[madusa.livejournal.com]

Well thanks alpheratz for asking that!
Hee!

Nice 4th.

[shirade.livejournal.com]

Seriously, someone just threw a lit string of firecrackers out onto the sidewalk; it sounded like a dozen gunshots, and I nearly had a heart attack, because I compulsively imagine terrible things like hold-ups and carjackings wherever I go anyway.


I probably would freak out too, except for I live where I live and the boonies around her think it's the fourth of July from the beginning of June to the beginning of August. I swear, it's like 1:30 in the afternoon on the SIXTH OF JULY and people are still shooting off rockets and drinking beer.

Stupid boonies.....actually, last week I went into a gas station at like 9 and the moment I entered the door I burped rather loud (I don't care, it was 9 and I had had three sodas) and this old hick with no teeth turns around and goes, "Hoo-wee! I like a girl with good tone."

So, boonies are EVIL!! *goes outside to stamp on their drunken heads and steal their Blackcats*

Shortcut to Mushrooms

[shirade.livejournal.com]

How can you NOT love mushrooms?? Pippin loves them!!!

No, hahaha, I always have loved them. There's a little family store named Parsons that handpicks them. They're so yummy. I used to pick my own, too, so I have fond mushroom memories. DON'T RUIN THEM!!! *runs away*

[madusa.livejournal.com]

Eh.And I thought rude service was a predominant part of my city.
You're quite right. It's always good to go to a restaurant with a group of people,the service is usually quicker, more efficient (and in my experience,a lot more polite)
Oh yeah I'm a mushroom hater too. We should start a Mushroom Haters Anonymous. Quite a few dishes served in restaurants here, have this liberal sprinkling of mushrooms, which I completely detest, especially the Indian versions of Chinese and Mexican foods and pizza. BLEH. Heaven knows how old the damn mushrooms are and where they come from. And after reading daiseechain's post, I'm off mushrooms forevah!
Umm when I have eaten mushrooms, I've always thought of fungus(not surprisingly) and dirty feet.

[rachnye.livejournal.com]

I can't eat mushrooms either! They smell and taste like death. (cause they're decomposers, get it?) My entire family likes to tease me about this, mostly by calling them deathrooms.

[dolcediva.livejournal.com]

I *swear* one of those fireworks that was a something in a circle looked like a rabbit. I think it was supposed to be one of the heart ones, but it totally looked like M. Lapin.

"Sol Azteca Margarita of Doom". Ha ha. They really are.