Too Hot, Brain Melt

[lydamorehouse]

 Happy 4th of July to those that celebrate. 

I can't say that I'm one. It's always difficult in times like these when American discriminatory politics make it very hard to love my country, but, on a much less intellectual level, I'm also just not that into barbeque and fireworks. More often than not I'm at a convention, specifically CONvergence. This year, that starts Thursday of this week. I'm not on any panels this time, but I did get myself a badge, in case I want to attend. 

We'll see if I do. That hotel has terrible parking and the rest of the nearby parking may be eaten up by all the people attending Taste of Minnesota (a music festival) that is scheduled to be on Nicolet Mall this weekend as well. If I take the light rail, I'll probably be sharing it with a lot of music fans. Not that that's a bad thing. It's just more crowds than I'm currently used to. 

Shawn goes in for a colonoscopy tomorrow. She's been having a lot of digestive problems lately, has been very fatigued, and is losing weight without trying. So, this is in advance of her regularly scheduled one, although, by chance, in lines up pretty well with when she was due. It really shows, however, how little we celebrate the 4th that she agreed to have her liquid diet day the day that most Americans are firing up the grill. 

Speaking of that, I'm also a little disappointed that the rain stopped. The national weather service is promising another chance at storms tonight. I should go out and do a little watering again (I was watering when the first storm hit) just to try to encourage things. Maybe wash the car? What else usually guarantees rain?.

Anyway. I'm not feeling especially clever today, but I wanted to post just to stay in the habit and see how all y'all are. How's things? Did you have a good weekend? Doing anything for this holiday, if it's one of yours?

Comments

[sraun]

Taste of Minnesota was July 2nd & 3rd, so it shouldn't be a problem.

If I ever do go to Convergence downtown, my plan is to bus it - the buses on Chicago & Bloomington will drop me off at 7th & Nicollet, I can walk from there.

[lydamorehouse]

Ah! Good news about Taste of Minnesota, at least. The light rail is perfect for me, then.

[pameladean]

We don't celebrate, though I think the generally hot weather and crowds and mosquitoes that come along with fireworks displays made us desist before we actually thought why it might not be something we wanted to do. We used to go with various friends as their children got old enough to be taken to fireworks displays. (Some of the children really DID NOT LIKE IT and I couldn't blame them.)

The first year I lived with David, he had the Fourth off work and we were living in Massachusetts, maybe an hour from Boston. I had some idea that we might drive in to Boston see the fireworks. David, however, wanted to build a print drying rack for his darkroom, and had not had time to even think about it until this holiday. One of our housemates thought he might drive in, but in the end decided that he didn't feel like dealing with Boston traffic. This was before you could watch fireworks on the internet, though sometimes you could on TV.

My family had always celebrated, and I thought of sticking a hot dog on a fork and toasting it over a stove burner, but in the end I did not. It was all quite all right, but the difference in my and David's expectations was interesting. His father taught at Carleton, and I think his parents just used to go along to various staff and faculty celebrations there.

I had a really good Saturday this weekend, having a picnic tea with all the members of a group of very old friends who have been taking turns making high tea for one another for decades. We'd last met in September of last year, and one member hadn't been able to come then. The previous tea was in March of 2020. So that was really lovely. We did a potluck tea rather than saddling one person with everything, and that was lovely too.

My best wishes to Shawn. Digestive woes are not fun.

P.

[lydamorehouse]

Picnic tea sounds utterly delightful.

I will say that in my youth, we tended to celebrate. The town I grew up in was, at the time, small enough that going to fireworks was only a bit of a traffic tangle? I used to like it as a kid. It was a night for outdoors "ooo" and "ahh" and often a bit of music by a local band. I think my biggest problem in the Twin Cities is that I've gotten very irritated by the deregulation of all the fireworks and have now become a "get off my lawn" sort of person when the neighbors set off things in the middle of the street. The loud noises keep me awake (or startle me awake.) I am a 4th of July GRUMP.

[sabotabby]

I kept forgetting there was a holiday and expecting things to be open. Especially because our Lateral Move Celebration fell on the Saturday. I spent the Saturday at the art gallery looking at work by Indigenous artists.

[lydamorehouse]

This is me and Easter. I celebrate Ostara and every time, I'm super confused why the stores are closed on Easter weekend.

Anyway, the art gallery sounds amazing.

If you drive...

[lsanderson]

Their website parking info seems kinda weak. The Millennium is worth checking, as would be the convention center parking (if it's open). The Hilton has a large deep ramp, and there's other ramps close to Orchestra Hall. Most of which won't be cheap, of course.

Re: If you drive...

[lydamorehouse]

I will probably NOT drive. I did the first years at this "new" hotel and regretted it. The light rail literally drops me off at the end of my block, so it's fine. The only hassle is the walk from one end of Nicolet Mall to the other, but it's really not THAT far and the weather is supposed to be decent.

Re: If you drive...

[lsanderson]

Once upon a time, there were free buses on Nicollet Mall -- unless I'm remembering an alternative universe version. Of course, once upon a time, there were stores on Nicollet Mall too. For me, it's rarely the getting there all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed that's the issue, it's dragging myself home at o' dark hundred. Regardless, have fun.

this weekend

[magenta]

We usually go camping on the 4th, but between my arthritis and the weather and the smoke - we cancelled. Feels weird to be in town, except a friend who is out there texted me this morning - a bad storm hit last night but everyone is ok. So I am sort of glad I didn't go.

Re: this weekend

[lydamorehouse]

Oh wow, yeah, sounds like you dodged a bullet. If I may ask, where do you usually camp? Anywhere I should consider visiting on my various state park wanders? (If you'd rather not say, that's fine. I'm just always looking for more local/regional tourism.)

[rachelmanija]

I gardened and flew! An excellent weekend.

[lydamorehouse]

You flew really well, too! I loved the video.

Sounds like an amazing weekend.

[inametaphor]

BBQ, fireworks, and a repressive state never really did it for me, either. The most we “celebrate” is by watching 1776 some years.

I’m not attending CONvergence, as it’s gotten a lot too big for Shoryl and me, but considering I can literally see the hotel from my windows, I’m not *not* attending it either - it tends to come to me.

[lydamorehouse]

Oh my. That sounds very ominous! I'm not sure I'd like a con that aggressive!! :-)

I'm not sure I've ever watched 1776. Maybe next 4th I'll give it a try.

[carbonel]

I love fireworks, even though they're environmentally terrible. I used to walk the four blocks to where the fireworks were held in Richfield, but the town stopped having them, and it's not worth the hassle to cope with parking for someplace further out.

I hope Shawn's colonoscopy doesn't reveal anything too alarming, and if there's anything, that it's treatable.