Star Spangled Holiday

Started off a hot, humid, and sunny 4th by finishing up the Three Stooges Collection Vol. 5 set. "Fright Night" was Shemp's first Stooges short after Curly had a stroke. Despite the title, the short revolved around not horror, but boxing. A gangster threatens the Stooges if they let their fighter win. They try to soften him up...but when he breaks his hand, they have to handle the gangsters on their own. (I vaguely wonder if this was Shemp's idea - he apparently was a boxing fan.)

As usual, Oaklyn's Fourth of July Town Parade started late. I was at the curb on the corner of Manor and West Clinton at 10AM on the dot...and the parade didn't start for another 40 minutes. I bought a Diet Cherry Coke from Doria's Deli - Mr. Doria had decided to open, since it is the middle of the week. I checked out the crowds, most huddled under awnings or the skinny trees near the Oaklyn (Middle and Elementary) School. I took a look at the decorated bikes in the parking lot across from the Oaklyn Manor Bar. Some of the kids got really creative. One girl festooned her pretty pink bike with glittery garland and red, white, and blue fabric roses. Another kid had a foam noodle "tent" over her bike. There was even an older adult on a decorated motorized rider. (She later won a "grand prize" as the oldest participant in the Decorated Bike Contest!) There was even a family pulling a kids' pool as a float.

The theme of the parade was "Saluting Our Veterans." Most of the attractions were either veterans marching from the VFW and American Legion, the area string bands, or all of the many local little league teams throwing candy. Kids scrambled for Tootsie Rolls (fruit-flavored and chocolate), hard candy, small boxes of Nerds and Dots, Laffy Taffy, bubble gum, and Dum Dum and Charms lollypops. I kept some lollypops, Tootsie Rolls, and a box of Dots for myself. I don't like bubble gum, and taffy gets stuck in my teeth, so I gave those to the kids.

Followed the crowd down to the School for the awarding of the float prizes and the free refreshments. The new mayor seemed nervous and unused to making speeches; he lacked the easy-going personality of Oaklyn's former mayor. The girl who sang "The Star Spangled Banner" was pretty good; she looked like she was just a teenager. I think one of the churches won first place in the float competition; the Oaklyn Library came in third, as they did last year. They had the after-parade refreshments in the school parking lot this year instead of behind it. I grabbed two hot dogs, a couple of pretzel rods, and a can of Diet Sierra Mist, and headed back to my place.

I was a little bored at this point. I ran into Andrew and his family coming from the parade. I went to the VFW on his suggestion, but they were all just talking and eating hot dogs. I just came from eating hot dogs. I went for a short walk in the park, checking out the fried greenery and watching fishermen down by the river. I took 4th of July-themed shots of the American Girl and Disney Animator's Collection dolls on my porch. (I did my best to angle it to avoid getting all the mess from the cut-down trees and brush.)

Ran Yankee Doodle Dandy while cleaning the kitchen. I did this one last year as well; my family watched it every Fourth when I was little. James Cagney won an Oscar as turn of the 20th century playwright/actor/producer/composer George M. Cohan. He was so integral to developing Broadway as we know it, there's now a statue of him in Times Square. Walter Huston is his more down-to-earth father; Joan Leslie is his sweet wife.

Thankfully after yesterday, work wasn't really that bad. It was still really busy when I arrived at 2:30. We were out of the Giveway Game pieces, too - we had to give out IOUs on the receipts! By 4PM, most people had gone to barbecues or parties, and left us quiet for the rest of the day. I left without a relief when a manager took over for me.

My original plan for the evening was to make crab cakes at home and finish Yankee Doodle Dandy. I got a call on my cell phone almost as soon as I got in and changed. It was Rose. She, Craig, and Khai were at Dad and Uncle Ken's. Khai was in the pool, and they were going to make burgers and salad for dinner. Did I want to join them?

That was fine by me, too. I'd make the crab cakes tomorrow. Craig picked me up, and we headed over to Uncle Ken and Dad's. Rose was just pulling Khai out of the pool when we arrived. My littlest nephew had a busy day. He saw Audubon's 4th of July Parade and got tons of candy. He got to ride in a fire truck. He swam in his grandfather's pool. He visited his other grandparents.

Poor kid was already kind of tired when we trooped inside for dinner. He was so pooped, he fell off the high bar stool by the kitchen island! Good thing he landed on his hands on the soft rug under the stools and was more surprised than hurt. I looked at some of the great photos Dad used for the screensaver on his TV. Some of the ones of Jessa were adorable. I liked the one of her about 8 or 9 years old sprawled in the walkway of Dad's house in Ft. Lauderdale, her full backpack beside her. I used to feel like that after school, too. ; )

We had a delicious dinner. Craig cooked burgers on the barbecue. Rose made lobster salad with some of the seafood Mom and Dad gave us a few weeks ago, and a cucumber salad using a yummy Asian salad dressing that gave it a nice sesame/ginger tinge. They also brought some of that yummy sweet Jersey corn. Jodie provided plenty of fresh fruit - cherries, blueberries, pineapple, peaches, and nectarines.

Jodie, Rose, Craig, and I pushed Khai down to CVS in his stroller around 9. We were going to watch the fireworks from the CVS parking lot. It was really crazy down there. There were people parked all over the lot and sitting on the entire sidewalk, from Collingswood down to the bar two blocks away! We did manage to find a spot on the mulch under the CVS sign.

The fireworks didn't start until almost 9:30. By that time, we'd been joined by Jodie's son Jesse and his girlfriend Dana, who gave everyone Twizzlers. I went to CVS intending to buy water; their shelves were so empty, I ended up with a York Peppermint Patty instead.

I loved the fireworks when they did finally start. They were as gorgeous as ever. Collingswood always does amazing fireworks. I love the ones that go off in shapes, like ovals and hearts. Khai was completely amazed. He oohed and wowed until he finally got too tired and started to nod off. His parents took him home to beat the crowds; Jesse and Dana followed them. Jodie and I were the only ones who stayed for the whole show, and I think even she was getting tired. (She must have said five times that the fireworks were going to end before they actually did.)

I walked as far as Hillcrest with Jodie, then strolled the rest of the way home on my own. Thankfully, it waited until I was long out of the shower and online to finally unleash the rain that had been predicted all day.

Hope all of my American readers had an equally great Fourth (and our neighbors to the north enjoyed their Canada Day on Sunday)!