So, you can imagine it's been a heckuva weekend kids. We left the big city for higher altitudes on Thursday of last week and just arrived home today, Monday the 4th day of July, 2011. So, I gotta tell ya, it's been an awesome weekend. I didnt have cell service and it was everything I dreamed it could be. No Crackberry, no email, no work calls, no texts, no spam, nada! Oh man, and when I got down into cell range there were only about 39 emails waiting. WHO emails work stuff on the 4th of JULY anyhow???!
Anyhow, you're probably thinking I am going to write about our trip to Currant Creek. Well, yes and no. Let me sum it up this way, veni, vidi, vici. There? Questions? Comments? Concerns. Yeah, we swam, we fished, we ATV'duh, we ate, we slept, (we loved. *wink wink*), a good time was had by all. I let Josh drive the boat. Not just with me sittin' there either. I let him drive it around at the boat dock waiting for me to get the truck and trailer. His mom about had a conniption fit (is, "conniption" an actual word? It looks funny staring back at me). Anyhow, the kids rode the ATV, at more popsicles than humanly possible, downed cobbler, s'mores, played badmitten, Geezer Golf, just plain wore us out.
Worst part about the trip is I hadn't had time to recharge the airconditioner in Big Green, so we had to use the 2-60 Air conditioner most everywhere we went. But when you're only traveling at 20 mph, it just leaves you desiring more. Anyhow the dog got a haircut from me with scissors and she just looks horrendous. I ain't gonna lie to you. But it was hot and craft scissors or not, it was time. I even have a missing section of skin on my middle finger from cutting her hair with sub-par scissors.
So, now the best part of the weekend. No, not the "Gold" touch-car wash that I splurged on to wash the Creek off of Big Green, it was the fireworks tonight. See they're actually still going on. They are all around us. I guess the State of Utah lifted the moratorium on air-burst fireworks and people's patriotism has just plain grown exponentially as a result. We watched out our back window about seven major undertakings of private fireworks which would rival most small city productions. There are fireworks going off all around us. In the circles and burrows that are at the cardinal points of interest. These are nothing to shake a stick at either. These things really make a wallup and really send your heart to thumping.
So it started out with us doing our el Cheap-o fireworks ($20) in the front yard here. Yeah, the boring poppers and little whispy baby-girl ones. They're so sweet and delicate these little fireworks. But thankfully we didnt end up with snakes. Gosh I hate snakes. They're the dumbest fireworks ever. You pretty much end up stacking them into different shapes and lighting them just to get rid of them and try and make a four headed multi-color dragon snake thing. Anyhow, so then we did sparklers, which I hate even more than snakes. Mostly because it takes about seventeen matches to start the first one, then you're using the one to light the other, and six kids (did we somehow gain two???) are pawing at you for their now half-gone sparkler so they can write their names in the air before burning themselves on the leg.
So it was about this time when the big-boys and non-cheapo's started in. Also the firefighters began responding all around us. The sirens have pretty much gone non-stop. You know, that's what I actually wanted to write about, firemen. See, my dad was a volunteer firemen. He actually joined the fire department after ironically starting the ditch on fire in his back yard and it got a little out of hand. It took them so long to respond, that when he complained about it, (after having put it out mostly already with the hose) he felt compelled to just join the ranks. Well, my dad actually made it up to the Assistant Chief of Riverton City. Which, pretty much comprised all of my formative years between about 1979 and 1989. Well he was also a paramedic since they pulled double duty. He used to carry around this red pager about the size of four of my CrackBerries stacked up and all it would do would make this two-toned pitch. "Eeeeeeee ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......" And then you would hear a loudspeaker that would come on. At least I think there was a loudspeaker. Perhaps his pager in later years actually talked. But I distinctly remember. "Riverton respond, grass fire....12231 South 2240 West...." And off he'd go.
See he had this old white Chevy Scottsdale, yeah, you thought it should have skipped a generation...but it didnt. Anyhow, "Betsy" had a fireman sticker on the bumper which somehow allowed you to speed to the scene of the fire/incident. More often than not, he'd go right to the scene. If it was a fire, he'd have to go to the firestation and get his hurry-ups and coat and stuff. But usually the truck would already be on the road to wherever so he would end up at the house-fire in Ol' Bets'. Anyhow, I think he made five bucks a call. He'd probably waste that 25 dollar a month check on silly stuff like...puffed rice cereal, or a couple tanks of gas to take us deer hunting. I aint gonna lie to you, I think we were probably worse off than I thought growing up. I dont ever remember my dad wanting anything more than a sliding rear window for his truck. That's about the extent of his selfishness to be honest with you.
Anyhow, back to fireworks. So, I remember as a kid, for years and years riding the big red truck in the Riverton City parade. Oh it was great. Sitting up there on that hose bed, just watching people, the siren going, throwing taffy out to other kids. It was pretty much the life. But, once in a while, there would be a need to respond, and they'd toss all us kids off onto another truck and away they'd go.
So, Riverton used to have the volunteers put on the 4th of July fireworks show too. I still remember the first time they put it to music. Not exactly choreographed perfectly, but what do you want... Stadium of Fire? They had like a ten thousand dollar a year budget and that mostly went to selfish things like...well masks and oxygen tanks and stuff for the firefighters. I remember never sitting with my dad during the fireworks shows. Not until we were much older. Mostly because they'd be setting up and shooting off the fireworks, and there would be a call out. Half the guys would take off to the fire, and half would try and keep the show going. Once I remember the whole shootin' match was postponed an hour so they could go put out some house.
Dont get me wrong, I think that the fact that my dad was involved in civic responsibilities made me more appreciative and cognizant of my own. I will remember till the day I die the day he met us at the, "La Fonda's Restaurant" A little place on Redwood Road next to Sharon's TV and Appliance. Now a Jim's Family Restaurant is there. Anyhow, Sharon's had a backroom with naughty movies and I'd sneek a look in there as we went past the door trying to catch a glimpse...where were we??? Oh, anyhow so my dad met us at the restaurant. We were having the, "Nachos Grande" mostly because it was five bucks and my mom would get it and one large soda for all of us to share. Probably a, "Tab" to date this. Anyhow my dad came in. He'd been on a call. Seems two boys found a gun. It belonged to their dad. One boy, the younger one shot his older brother in the leg playing with it. The boy died and I remember my dad somberly saying, "I actually feel worse for the brother, it was an accident, and he'll have to live the rest of his life thinking about how he killed his brother." It really set in for me then. I remember him telling me how they'd responded to a call where a family excavation business had an accident. A trench caved in and the father cut his son's head off with the backhoe trying to dig him out to save him. Real rough stuff. Stuff I probably should have heard about. But it set in real well for me. These firefighters and paramedics really deserve a lot of credit. They do day in and day out what you wish you had the heart for every day.
I'm not gonna lie to you. I really thought I was going to be a firefighter when I graduated school. I took the written exam and scored a 94% and wasn't even in the top 200 applicants (of the 2000 that took it that year). So I didnt even get to take the physical exam. But, I was 18 and had my sights set on joining the Navy anyhow. That just sealed the deal. But anyhow, I think while I was sitting there tonight, watching the going's on I was thinking about a couple of things. Number one of course, God Bless America. No, I really mean that. I've been to 27 different countries and there ain't a one that comes remotely close. No matter how backward we're getting at times. Number two, was the pride when I hear those sirens. I know that some other kids' dads aren't going to be there to watch them do sparklers. They'll be full-time with the County Fire now of course, but those guys work hard so they can respond within minutes to your miss dialed 911 call when you're toddler finds you're phone unattended. Better yet, they'll be there when you're wife smells gasoline coming from the garage while you're on a long one hour run. It's a lot of fun by the way watching the fire truck pull out of the neighborhood and jogging in to find your wife in the circle on the phone.
Anyhow, I just wanted to take a moment and just get some of this out. I was so proud of my dad's service. I remember at the Riverton Town Days how the various teams of firemen would come to the parks throughout the valley and have competitions of skill. Like a relay race but with fire gear. They even had a keg suspended on a wire than they played reverse tug of war with. Shooting it with the two-inch hose. Four men on each side pushing a keg towards the opposing side. Silly, but oddly fun at the same time.
Anyhow, I gotta go now. It's good to be back in town. I'm so thankful for the freedoms we enjoy. I know it's trite, it's been said a thousand times, but I do believe it. I love this nation. I love the way that American's are and think. I love how their selfishness melts away when their neighbors are in need. I had a great weekend. I have a great life. I love this community which I am a part of. I love that I have neighbors that are willing to do their part and ensure the safety and security of my family here while I may do so for them abroad.
OK, seriously, I have to shower now. I'll try and write again when the mood strikes. All the best to you and your's. Enjoy your night and hug your little ones. We'll see you sooner than later.
Always,
J
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