Fourth of July recap...

My 4th of July was filled with parades, candy, baseball and fireworks – just as it should be.

We started the day with the Highland Park parade. Amy was driving my father’s new, camouflaged VW Thing in the procession with a couple of her debutante friends. They were armed with several giant bags of candy, water guns, lays and water balloons. Luckily, by the time they got to us, they were mostly out of their water-based ammo.



My father, with staples still in his lower shin, also watched the parade with us. True to form, he was dressed in an outfit only he could pull off.





Very early on in the parade, someone came up to my dad, handed him a plastic police badge and declared him to be an honorary Highland Park Sheriff for the day. This made my father’s morning, and the white star remained over his right nipple for the rest of the holiday.



My favorite part of the parade, however, was the very beginning when the fire engines turned onto Preston and started blaring their horns and sirens. In unison, Gypsy Kitty and Haskell tilted their noses up towards the sky and started to howl. I had never heard Haskell howl before – if you had asked me on July 3rd, I would have said that he didn’t know how. It was just about the cutest thing I have ever seen. Next year, I’ll be prepared and will do my best to capture it on video.



Here are some of the parade float highlights:

















After the parade, my dad, Trevor and I briefly met up with Amy at Gore Park (the end of the parade route). It was VERY hot, though (Gore Park isn’t known for its overabundance of shade), and we didn’t stay long.

We had lunch at Whole Foods Market (yum…sushi), before heading to Sharper Image to partake in their going-out-of-business-4th-of-July sale. Dad and I are both proud, new owners of filter-less Ionic Breeze Air Purifiers. Awesome. I’ve wanted one for years, and my allergist recommended I buy one last fall. But it is hard to drop a couple hundred dollars on a machine when you work for a nonprofit. It’s easier, however, when they are 70% off. Weeeeee!

The evening was spent up in Frisco at the Roughrider’s game. Apparently, the Roughriders are good this year, because it suddenly dawned on me during the game that they have won every single game I have been to this season. The forth was no exception. We even had a rainbow to boot!





Unlike last year, I did not video tape the fireworks display. I DID, however, make the following film starring the CUTEST, old man I have ever seen. Enjoy:

Hope everyone had a safe and HAPPY 4th of July!