Culture Clash

Since my early childhood, I've held the 4th of July close to my heart. Most boys I know did--who couldn't love a holiday which encouraged the use of explosives?

My detonations took place in small town America: Clay Center, KS, population just shy of five thousand. Aimee was from a different world--St. Louis, MO, population a whole helluva lot more.

Aimee made her first trip to Clay Center for the 4th in 1999. I treated her to the deliberately-paced (slow) spectacle (meaning non-spectacle) that was Clay Center's 4th celebration. We parked with old high school buddies in a grocery store lot, the same store where those buddies and I worked in our formative years. The city fireworks display launched above the football stadium about 1/4 mile away. After the "show" we lit our own fireworks. Jason bragged about the prowess of the buzz bomb, and then heartily defended the buzz bombs of his youth when the 1999 version sputtered and we all laughed--especially Aimee with that deep, soul-shaking laugh of hers. She spoke of the V.P. Fair in St. Louis, but never to degrade our small town experience. She had a gift that way. Even as one friend snuggled with his fiancée in the bed of a pick-up truck to Cinderella's "You Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone," she simply said, "That's when I knew I was in small town America."

God knows how easy it was to mock Clay Center 4ths...

 We started traveling to Belle Plaine, KS, for the 4th in 2002. Aaron, another high school bud, lives in the open country south of Wichita. Out there, surrounded by well-irrigated corn fields, we can detonate everything we want--and often do. Aimee trooped along, year after year, and finally came to enjoy (I hope), the slower pace and free-wheeling attitude of small town celebrations. All the gunpowder in the world can't mask the simple fact that the 4th of July is really about friends and family. My boys have grown up with Aaron and Jason's kids, splashing in mud puddles, having water gun fights, and finally starting to launch their own fireworks as they've grown older. I told Aimee we'd try and get the crew to go to St. Louis for the V.P. Fair one year. We haven't made it, yet.

I'll head back to Belle Plaine to hang out with Aaron and Jason this year. I'll bring my boys, and they'll run and play with the other kids. I'll go to sleep, alone, in a borrowed bed and wish Aimee was there to enjoy every small town moment of it. 

Holidays are going to be hard.

All of My Fingers...All of My Toes

No major injuries this year during our Fourth of July festivities. (Long time readers will remember several burns sustained last year.) So whew. I'm thankful for that.

After a slew of rejections this weekend (and a few from short-listed stories), I've put the old editing nose to the grindstone, hoping to find my stride in this "summer of slack". Unfortunately, I sort of feel like this guy......when I'm trying to write. There are some ideas in my head, I'm sure. Now to tease them out.

Speaking of the cuter-than-a-puppy Lego zombie, I'll have one to give away with other magnificent prizes when Loathsome, Dark, and Deep is released later this year (or early next). Good times, folks. Good times.

Here's to Fireworks Safety

I feel like I've been out of the loop of late...kind of have. I'm up to my eyeballs in paint (Owen and Max's rooms), carpet (Max's room), and the previously mentioned potions/spy games. Not to mention soccer two nights a week, swimming lessons, drama camp...seriously, aren't I "off" in the summer?

Anyway, we're headed to our Fourth of July celebration today, and I thought I'd leave with a moment of zen from last year:




(Notice how there wasn't a WIP Wednesday? I'm still circling the airfield.)

Accidents are Fun

Some of them, anyway. I won't mention the 2nd degree burns on my left leg. For the past seven years, we've gone to my friend's house south of Wichita, KS to celebrate the 4th of July. Seven years ago, it was only six adults. Now, we collectively have eight kids.

Anyway, my buddy Aaron (yes, he is why I'm "the other Aaron") likes to do little tricks with fireworks. Accidents happen sometimes...



Have a great week.

Remember This:

(this was supposed to go out yesterday..."scheduled post" my @$$)

I'm not the most patriotic guy, but this means something.

Friday Flash Two-fer

I could let my short-short, "The Long Contract" over at Everyday Weirdness stand in for Friday Flash, but, with the 4th of July tomorrow, I couldn't help offering this little ditty:


"The Bet"

Ben says the the fuse is waterproof.

I take the bet. He swallows sparks, and the color burns from his face.

After a dull thump, his mouth opens, blood sputters out, and he mutters, "You owe me," before collasping.


(remember kids, place on ground, light fuse, and get away)