Today is the Fourth of July?

Today is the Fourth of July. It is a holiday I continually forget about. I don't mean, I forget about it until a week or so before. I mean, I forget as the day goes on. Here's how it happens. I woke up early with the intention of having a very productive morning. I planned on going to the gym immediately upon waking (which I don't do very often), then going to the Co-op for a decaf coffee and vegan oatmeal raisin cookie, then taking a pretty damn long drive out to Pittsfield ( a nearby town) to get to the only decent photo lab to drop off some Black and White film. I was to do this all before getting to work at 9:45. No problem! I'm organized and enthusiastic. I wake up, throw on some clothes, pack my gym bag and happily drive down to the community center. It immediately becomes clear that they are closed (yes, Fourth of July, of course, I forgot!). So I go home, take a shower, and decide "Well, I can still go get a coffee and cookie and go to the lab". I get in the car and drive to the Co-op. It's closed. Shit! Fourth of July! I forgot. Then with film in hand I begin to drive the 30 minute drive to Pittsfield. In my credit, I did realize about 5 minutes in that they too would be closed for this "most important of holiday's", but seeing as how I'd already wasted my productive morning, I decided to do the drive anyway and just leave the film in the drop box. Arriving in Pittsfield I was confronted with the beginnings of a large 4th of July parade, which was momentarily surprising, seeing as how I'd managed to block it out once more. I guess it just seems like such a joke, I don't assume that anyone pays attention to it. As I pulled up to the lab, I saw a family on their way to the parade and watching the little girls sitting in the back of their red wagon with little American flags in their hands it became pretty obvious that that isn't the case. It's okay, I'll probably forget all about it as soon as I finish this blog.

A few small notes...
-The store next to ours was serving homemade ice cream (as a 4th of July treat) and it reminded me of home in a way that was both wonderful and heartbreaking.
-After a long hiatus, I've started to make books again. I have two book projects in the works. Maybe if I can figure it out, I'll post some photo's of the finished products.
-July 4th has reminded me of the much more important and highly unappreciated July 11th where 711 stores all over the country (or at least in Denver) serve up delicious Slurpees for .11 cents. Summer is rarely better than on that glorious day.
-There are things that I can't figure out how to write about yet, but hope to do so very soon...