Independence Day Rituals

cgrab

cgrab

Pattern Altitude
Joined
May 2, 2014
Messages
2,162
Location
Huntsville AL
Display Name
Display name:
cgrab
This July Fourth as with those in the past, I will attend an afternoon pool party and cookout with fellow veterans and my heroes (their wives). We will raise a toast to my roommate, my next door neighbor, and several others whose sacrifice has kept this country free. Afterward I will go to a concert and enjoy the fireworks.

I have my own ritual for the morning....

I will arise and walk the dog as usual and then set up a table in front of the garage. I will put a couple of cups of pure gas in my generator and run it dry, sharpen my knives, and my axes and mattocks. After that and when the generator is quiet, I will put on some JPS music and clean my guns. I don't shoot all of them during the year so this guarantees that they all get a good cleaning once a year.

Happy Independence Day Y'all
 
cgrab said:
This July Fourth as with those in the past, I will attend an afternoon pool party and cookout with fellow veterans and my heroes (their wives). We will raise a toast to my roommate, my next door neighbor, and several others whose sacrifice has kept this country free. Afterward I will go to a concert and enjoy the fireworks.

I have my own ritual for the morning....

I will arise and walk the dog as usual and then set up a table in front of the garage. I will put a couple of cups of pure gas in my generator and run it dry, sharpen my knives, and my axes and mattocks. After that and when the generator is quiet, I will put on some JPS music and clean my guns. I don't shoot all of them during the year so this guarantees that they all get a good cleaning once a year.

Happy Independence Day Y'all
Click to expand...
I have an issue with your ritual. You really should go shoot the ones you haven’t shot in the last year before you clean them.

Seriously though, it’s an odd ritual, but I kind of like it.
 
As usual, go to parents and go boating and cook hotdogs.

This time will be inviting a coworker and former Royal Marine to come party with the colonials.
 
Running the Peachtree Road Race. Just me and 59,999 of my closest friends, plus a couple thousand volunteers and a few hundred first responders.

Last year we had a jet flyover before the first start wave. I'm sure that woke up everyone sleeping in those expensive apartments in Buckhead.
 
Start the day (early, before the heat of the day) with a volunteer flight to Yuma with my son to deliver blood platelets. Fireworks will have to wait until Friday night, when the Arizona Diamondbacks have their annual post-game fireworks show (there's no game on the Fourth this year). We'll gather with some neighbors on the roof of our building to enjoy the show.

fireworks.jpg
 
Once upon a time, on the 4th my son and I would go to the gun club and make some noise putting a few rounds downrange. Seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate the revolution. The club is closed now, though, and my son is working in Georgia. Oh well.

This year it will probably be just a dip in the pool and hotdogs on the grill.
 
I usually work, but always take time to think of my grandpa, he was born on July 4, 1892, he taught me a lot about trees, land, creeks, mountains, I remember his birthdays, and good times growing up.
 
Not leaving the house. The tourists are in town so I'm going to get groceries today and won't leave the house again until Saturday.

The plan for this year is to try and clean the house enough to find all the parts for all the projects I have in flight and put the rest away. (Bathroom remodel, CNC 'mill', CNC 'laser cutter', 3d printing a power supply for the plane, etc)
 
FormerHangie said:
Running the Peachtree Road Race. Just me and 59,999 of my closest friends, plus a couple thousand volunteers and a few hundred first responders.

Last year we had a jet flyover before the first start wave. I'm sure that woke up everyone sleeping in those expensive apartments in Buckhead.
Click to expand...

I’ll be out there with you. My 15th in a row.
 
Go to the lake, enjoy the afternoon, cook burgers, eat said burgers, and watch fireworks on the lake in the evening. Then back to the shore for refreshments and enjoy the breeze. Laugh and converse with family and friends into the wee hours and go to bed. Then spend the next 3 days doing it all over again minus the fireworks.
 
flhrci said:
Uhhhh....sounds safe enough.
Click to expand...

Just a case for use as a GPU. Safer than it is now with exposed 120V wiring. If I'm ever happy with the design I'll share it.
Take one 27V '37A' Power supply, attach wires, realize it would better if it had a box and a volt/amp meter and some binding posts, spend next 3 months refining the hole positions.
powersupplybox1a.pngHTB10zdGfF9gSKJjSspbq6zeNXXaD.jpg
 
Dave Theisen said:
I’ll be out there with you. My 15th in a row.
Click to expand...

FormerHangie said:
Running the Peachtree Road Race. Just me and 59,999 of my closest friends, plus a couple thousand volunteers and a few hundred first responders.
Click to expand...

What wave(s) are y'all in? They dropped me to "G" this year after an underwhelming performance last year. This will be #20 or so for me.
 
kyleb said:
What wave(s) are y'all in? They dropped me to "G" this year after an underwhelming performance last year. This will be #20 or so for me.
Click to expand...

Me too, I'm G 22884. I was up in E a couple of years ago but I'm getting slower as I get older.

Looks like this is going to be a hot one. A few years ago I did this race in 59:44, but that's the one and only time I broke an hour, and it's not likely I'll do it again. As warm as this year will be, it's not a day for personal bests.

@Dave Theisen you can look it up here: https://admin.chronotrack.com/user/...026.213210131.1560719707-842253492.1526481416
 
Burgers, hotdogs, potato salad...the works, followed by watermelon and strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Sometimes we will go to one of the local firework displays but other times we just stay at home and may light off a few of our own.
 
I'm G21463 this year.

I'll be the sweaty 54 year old laboring up the hill. When I was in my 30's and 40's I had a pretty good string of under 1:00 Peachtrees, but it would take a cool day with me hauling 5-10 fewer pounds to get back there now. Between the heat, crowds, and hills, it is a tough go.
 
I have no rituals for the 4th. As a kid we always went to the parade where my job was to watch for the start of the parade so everyone could stand up as the flag passed. There was a little bit of a carnival, but we went to the pool for the afternoon, then back over to the ball field for fireworks. They shot the fireworks off in the back of the field and I'm amazed at how small that is now.

My boss is off all week doing fireworks shows in central Indiana
 
kyleb said:
I'm G21463 this year.

I'll be the sweaty 54 year old laboring up the hill. When I was in my 30's and 40's I had a pretty good string of under 1:00 Peachtrees, but it would take a cool day with me hauling 5-10 fewer pounds to get back there now. Between the heat, crowds, and hills, it is a tough go.
Click to expand...

You left out the humidity. :D

I looked back at Athlinks, it was 2013 when I got it done in less than an hour. This year's not apt to be fast, I've been sodding the back yard and my running has been suffering, plus I pulled a muscle in my back last week and I may have to take some walk breaks.

Dave Theisen said:
View attachment 75601 @kyleb and @FormerHangie , I’m actually way back in K this year, by far my worst start. But then I remembered I’m paying the price for the different strategy I adopted last year. :).
Click to expand...

At the end of a lot of races, it seems to be in vogue to offer the runners a slice of pizza. That is the last thing I want when I get through with a run.
 
FormerHangie said:
At the end of a lot of races, it seems to be in vogue to offer the runners a slice of pizza. That is the last thing I want when I get through with a run.
Click to expand...

I'm luck in that regard. SWMBO works for a little soft drink company based in Atlanta. They have a hospitality tent at the end of the race and if you're wearing their red race shirt, you are admitted to the tent. All of the beverages you want, plus bagels, muffins, fruit, cookies, etc. It is a nice way to relax and recharge after the race.
 
We usually go to Satterwhite Point's fireworks show by boat. However, wife and I both have a nagging feeling we should miss it this year, like something is going to go wrong. Last year's show kinda sucked compared to past shows anyway.
 
Dave Theisen said:
It was free! I took a beer from anyone along the course who’d give me one. :)
Click to expand...
kyleb said:
One year, I accepted a jell-o shot from a bystander. I aspirated it and choked and sputtered the remaining 5 miles. ;-)
Click to expand...

LOL! What sort of road race is this? I take it that it's not that serious of an event.
 
Traditional family cook out on cape cod.
 
SkyDog58 said:
LOL! What sort of road race is this? I take it that it's not that serious of an event.
Click to expand...

For the guys and gals at the front of the field, it is a very serious race. For the rest of us pluggers, it's more of an event than a race.

Last year I came in 381st out of 1719 in my age/sex group. So you want to stop for a beer, maybe it drops you 20 places, no big deal.
 
SkyDog58 said:
LOL! What sort of road race is this? I take it that it's not that serious of an event.
Click to expand...

With 60,000 runners, it’s the largest 10K in the world. You go from the Kenyans blistering up the course up front, to folks in the back that have no intention of running a single step, with everything you can imagine in between. Lots of costumes, firemen (and women) running in full turnout gear, and more Red, White and Blue garb than you can imagine. I’ve seen a guy run the entire race backwards.

As for myself, I’ve run everywhere from Time group B, on back to K this year. I take it as seriously as I’ve trained for that particular year. If I’m not going for a specific goal, I’ll just have fun with it. It’s been a while since I’ve been under an hour, and with my schedule, this year won’t be an exception. But I always promise I’ll do it again next year. :)

In getting back to the theme of this thread, this will be the 5th year of my most important tradition, stopping at the top of Cardiac Hill and taking pictures with and thanking some of the fine folks at Piedmont Hospital that saved my life. :)
 
Pilawt said:
Start the day (early, before the heat of the day) with a volunteer flight to Yuma with my son to deliver blood platelets. Fireworks will have to wait until Friday night, when the Arizona Diamondbacks have their annual post-game fireworks show (there's no game on the Fourth this year). We'll gather with some neighbors on the roof of our building to enjoy the show.

View attachment 75593
Click to expand...


My platelet run is July 5th to Flagstaff.

And my wife and I will be enjoying the show from Central and Camelback!

Howdy, neighbor!!
 
Half Fast said:
Once upon a time, on the 4th my son and I would go to the gun club and make some noise putting a few rounds downrange. Seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate the revolution. The club is closed now, though, and my son is working in Georgia. Oh well.

This year it will probably be just a dip in the pool and hotdogs on the grill.
Click to expand...

I like your old game. However, our gun club is closed for the day, so I'll have to do something else. My wife hasn't told me what that will be, yet.
 
SkyDog58 said:
LOL! What sort of road race is this? I take it that it's not that serious of an event.
Click to expand...

From where I sit (or run) it is the most fun, patriotic thing going. I'm not a particularly sentimental person, but my eyes usually moisten with pride when they sing the 'Banner prior to the race and I look out over tens of thousands of people who are there to run a race celebrating the USA.

As mentioned earlier, there is a military fly-over to begin the event. People line both sides of Peachtree Street all the way from the Northern suburbs to the big park in Midtown (which is still a bit north of "downtown"). Kids, clergy dousing runners with holy water, dogs, people handing out beer, Publix handing out doughnuts, runners running up cardiac hill (see Dave's post) which runs alongside Piedmont Hospital and also the Shepherd (sp?) spinal center. I always make a point of giving high fives to kids and to the amazing people who roll themselves out from the two hospitals to watch the race. It is the most wonderful experience I can imagine while running a 10K in the middle of the Summer in Atlanta, GA.

The race finishes at a big park, where there are snack and drink give-aways. There's also a bar in the park, but the fast drunks get there first and take up all of the good spaces. ;-) There are many other bars and restaurants near the finish, and they get packed with runners. Not a good morning to be there unless you can handle a bit of funk.

And then you wear your finisher T shirt around town the rest of the day.
 
FormerHangie said:
Running the Peachtree Road Race. Just me and 59,999 of my closest friends, plus a couple thousand volunteers and a few hundred first responders.

Last year we had a jet flyover before the first start wave. I'm sure that woke up everyone sleeping in those expensive apartments in Buckhead.
Click to expand...

Ditto.

Temps mean this year won't be one of the easier years.



Wayne
 
DTLA with 100,000 of my closest friends.

Nauga,
the con man
 
We live on the lake so all will be descending on us. Our first several years, we had over 40 stay with us - mostly college kids and at times, I must say it was amusing. Nowadays, more like 20 and with my 5 grandchild (ages 1-5) that’s more than enough people. We will do the usual - barbecue and watch fireworks. I learned a long time ago, someone has to stay sober on the 4th and that’s usually means me. No problem - my hangovers are simply becoming intolerable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top