There is nothing to celebrate.

We probably won’t see any fireworks, though. It’s supposed to be foggy.

Hope Trump melts during his speech and the nobody is there to throw a bucket of cold water on him.
I’m not going to let that creep ruin my day. My second son was born on the 4th of July so it’s been an extra special day for us. 🎉 We’ll have a good time drinking Margaritas.

Don’t let MAGA ruin your day. It’s not about Trump, as much as he wants to make it so.

it seems there are so many of us (me included) feeling blah, down, blue, pissed, etc and not in the "spirit"

but i think it's great that some of the real patriots (not the fake magat types) can get beyond the darkness of late and celebrate. i just don't have the energy or the heart for it. plus the weather is too hot and lots of storms. so...

We'll watch the 10am parade in town, hit a local park for a food vendor gathering, home to rest up a bit, then a block party for more food and shenanigans. 10pm park down at the fairgrounds for the city fireworks show. Should be a great day! 🍔 🎇🎆 🍺🍉 🇺🇸 😀

It is so horribly depressing.

We set up a water slide bounce house in our driveway for the kids. All the neighbors set up tables and BBQ on our front lawns with food for everyone to share.

It's great that we live on a one way street close to downtown so there is little to no traffic.

I will be making BBQ ribs and chicken
BBQ beans corn bread and honey butter pasta artichoke salad and a mozzarella tomato and basil dish
I prefer not to stand over a hot grill
Will make it in early am and put in a large crackpots

Tri colored pasta spirals, thin sliced baby cucumbers, grilled juillien tomatoes in olive oil drained, sliced black olives, grilled artichoke hearts in oil drained and a good balsamic vinigaett. I get all my ingredients at Trader Joe's makes a large batch for about 10 bucks. The hardest part is cooking the pasta lol
Always al dente.

You can get as drunk as you want, walk home, and not worry about driving!

Hanging out with like-minded folks is better than being sad. As Joe Hill said, "Don't mourn, organize!"

this week it falls on the Fourth. So we might have a special sort of lunch, maybe BBQ chicken and potato salad and baked beans. Some kind of typical holiday fare. Then we'll probably watch our murder shows, especially Dateline. Then I'll come home and have the cat in my lap as the fireworks are going off. So it sounds like a pretty good day.

Best wishes to you and yours 🙏

with my Revolutionary War fighter plane just like George Washington did in 1776!!!






On a serious note, I never celebrate July 4th. I was saying last night what a stark contrast from teenage/young adult me to quinquagenarian me. I couldn't wait for July 4th as a teen and young adult. I also live near Niagara Falls State Park and the park shoots off fireworks every Friday or Saturday night during the summer at 10pm so there's nothing special about fireworks for me.


I watch this documentary that's on YouTube every July 4th called The White House Inside Story. It's worth the 1 hour 54 minutes to watch.

(the air/exhaust has to fit into a screened window, unlike last year so it may be challenging but I just can't wait any longer!). I am hoping the sounds of the portable a/c will mute any firecrackers---though they are intensely "verboten" this year (as last) due to wildfires. The ozone and wildfire particulates are so bad, I don't have any desire to go to a cookout or do so myself (though my sweet doggy girl would undoubtedly love a ribeye! LOL)

Later, listen to some good music or catch up on some streaming series or movies--or I suppose I could read a bunch of medical journals piling up the past weeks. I will strive to go to bed early, regardless.

I'm betting there are some doing more interesting things... If so, enjoy!

I remember some scary posts w pics anout 2+ yrs ago of the at smoke, and particles from several areas.

May your area, and beyond stay safe !!

--mostly in Southern Colorado. Still, the entire region gets the aftermath when there are multiple fires blowing particulates, and this intense heat with seasonal ozone issues only magnifies. Those with respiratory issues really suffer and those in the direct path of these fires (and sadly, that includes the wildlife) are in my thoughts, hopes, and prayers. Sadly, with climate change we will all face some hardships no matter where we live. I likewise feel for those on the East Coast without a way to cool off and who may face life-threatening conditions with this blast of heat.

For those who do wish to memorialize and commemorate the 4th (not really "celebrate" this year, I think), I wish you all a nice day. I can remember 1976 (especially the tall ships in NYC harbor)--despite being quite young-- when the nation really DID celebrate, so I am lucky.

Later we'll comfort our dogs during the fireworks. I predict it will be bad this year.

Prob some though.

Way too much division.

Are coming over. I’m making submarine sandwiches and homemade potato chips and they are bringing the liquor and the potato salad and the dessert. We plan to watch Hamilton after.

My mom made homemade potato chips! 🥰

use fans to keep the air moving, have plenty of cold drinks on hand.

Probably lounge around the house, read a lot, play some computer games, scratch my dog's belly.

A day pretty much like today.

It's my son's Bday, so we're having a party for him.

Certainly not going to be anything like 1976, however.

Every day this cadre of evil remains in the people’s house I don’t feel like celebrating anything including this year. I love fireworks and I bet they’ll be extra special but no it just makes me sad. Like watching a sparkly funeral procession for our country.


However if trump dies I’ll celebrate my ass off and that kind of celebration requires the pulling out the 20” inch zong bong. It would be a blast. Party all night.

I have something special for that happy moment!

Peace ☮️

I'm not letting current events get me down. Baseball and fireworks with my wife.

...we never made that big a deal out of the 4th.
Even if we grill or something, we do that so often in the summer, that it's not anything special on the 4th.
Our city did the fireworks last weekend, and I don't play with fireworks, so it should be pretty much a normal Saturday.
Plus, I can't get on board with the "funeral" analogy. As disgusting as The Failure's administration is, I'm not going to let it spoil my day-to-day life.

Too hot and too depressing

in the backyard.

the county Democratic party float....then, hang with my husband and kids and ignore the rest of the bullshit going on.

We're making gyros (found ground lamb at Hy Vee) and my oldest son is home. Got two of my three boys here, plus the husband and we'll have a great time together. We can watch the fireworks from our yard, so that will be good too.

I need something to occupy the time.

to go watch the fireworks at a local golf course.

And I won’t hang out the flag, either. I want to feel happy on our country’s birthday but I am angry and disillusioned instead.

I will post a flag here and wish all DUers a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

For when IT finally happens

Firemen's fair is in full swing this week, started July 1 with the firemen's parade.

Tomorrow night, fireworks (weather willing)

Although I've witnessed fireworks in NYC and aboard boats, to me, there's no place like my old home town, where I grew up and went to the schools.

Local brewery to see a Pink Floyd tribute band at night. Gardening and hammock time in between.

Peace ☮️

No AC, just three fans. Basic minimal living, low carbon footprint……my choice.

Peace ☮️

Be sitting with her.

Getting up early to do outside chores before it is beastly HOT. I will pick blueberries and my husband will work on that dead tree that fell. Then inside, hot dogs for supper because we like them.

Will not watch any crap on TV. Please let us know if he actually keels over in the heat.

Came early before 4th of July cruise that departs under fireworks tomorrow night.
Not sensed any chatter about the sesquicentennial.
Long, short walk from Northern Ave to our hotel. Had to stop frequently. We are not young. Passersby offered water and one from a grill walked up two cold cups. That struck me more about the patriots from my olde town than any celebration.
A lot of good Americans will will it on. Haven't given up on what will come out of the wreckage.
Wouldn't it be nice if we faced reality and make it better.
Happy Birthday.

I'll watch the fireworks from across the river in Arlington, VA and cook up some kosher Hebrew National hot dogs

But with my hip recovery going slow and parking may be far away not going.

Nighttime last few years my golden has been more and more afraid so we stay home with him and turn tv on loud.

Husband and I will grill some Hebrew National hot dogs and enjoy beans and corn on the cob. Glow it up with a martini and work a jigsaw puzzle.

We are hoping to celebrate Independence Day in November!

I definitely don't feel like celebrating but will take a long walk with my dog. He's a gsp and points at the fireworks when they go off which is pretty amusing.

It looks like she’ll be making landfall in Oahu within the next few hours. What an amazing achievement!

I’m genuinely thrilled.

Strength, grace, perseverance, and resilience. Great qualities for life's journey.

Excellent idea, AverageJoe!

Didn’t know who she is…..thanks!

Peace ☮️

Once about 61 yrs ago, staying over at neighbor's summer home in the countryside I rowed out to the middle of the lake at night. Tall fir trees surrounding a lot of it.
Laid back against the tire, and looked up at the stars.
Glorious!

I very purposely arranged to be involved in project for which a minimum of 48 hours of incarceration, not having to do anything more strenuous than type, and listening to my favorite genre of music are very much to my advantage. I mean, President DuhDon has been making the same speech since 2026.


Rocknation

And hope for no wildfires from dumbasses with their stupid fireworks.

So I'm going to the Great American State Fair!

ETA: Not original, stolen from wherever I saw it earlier...still damn funny.

from everyone.

current events have pretty much sapped my enthusiasm for celebrating but will grill some dogs and have the usual sides. nobody in this house drinks anymore besides me so I don't much either, but I bought a couple canned cocktails that I may indulge in. hang in the pool, light off a handful of leftover fireworks from years prior I have laying around.

last year I was in a skilled nursing facility at this time so there is that to celebrate. whee!

But after the last two episodes of Widow’s Bay.

I usually watch all the Jaws movies during Shark Week.

This year Shark Wees is July 26th to August 1st.

🦈

For your safety and the safety of any timid pets, everybody should stay indoors.

Nothing to celebrate anyway.

I refuse to celebrate

I love the old B&Ws from the 30's and 40's. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

Will the game suck? Probably. But at least I'll get to hang with the "sell the team" crowd!

Got laid off from fucking Walgeens in mid April (bought out by a hedge fund who’s jettisoning staff and stores, and I predict the company will fold as soon as they’ve sucked anything from value from it), my unemployment has about three weeks left, and I’ve had exactly two interviews and was passed over. My son (one leg) is likewise struggling to find a job. Four parrots, three cats, a shitty rental our crap doesn’t even fit in, and wondering where the hell we’re all going to go once we can’t pay rent in a month or two. I have an ex who owes me 17 years’ worth of alimony from a divorce in fucking 2003 (daughter just found his address) and can’t even afford to hire a lawyer to get on his arse and resume paying the debt.

This timeline offers nothing to celebrate and fighting traffic to watch shit blow up would hardly feel like a respite—unless it was the ex--especially because there’s nothing even outside my life to celebrate.

This timeline just sucks in all ways possible.

Good vibes, if you’ve got extra. *sigh*

… he buggered off to Iowa.

Who knows at this point. Daughter is pissed because she tracked him down and he’s bought a house listed on Zillow at $400K, and because he left me with a termite-ridden house and then failed to provide alimony, I lost it and we’ve been hanging on by the skin of our teeth since.

And he’s on wifey #3 now, and has become a holy roller on top of this, which just adds to the irony. What does his Jeebus teach about stiffing your wife on alimony, I wonder…

I dodged a bullet in the ways that matter but man, life shouldn’t be this hard. Guess I should’ve gotten busy to find a replacement in these last 23 years, but my self esteem just took too big a hit to have the nerve to go looking for a proper man. Let me be a cautionary tale, I guess.

To go after him!

So sorry for the clusterfuck you are in.

I just found the old divorce decree and planned to write to the court to see if they’ll enforce it. Glad my daughter is a determined little bitch because now I can pinpoint his address so all they’d have to do is communicate with the court in IA. Fingers crossed!

He is in violation of a court order! And I hope you get interest tacked onto what the asshole owes you!

I know IL would def go after him, but FL is a whole other universe.

I think there was recent legislation passed to rescind passports for those damned deadbeats. Sorry, I don't know the particulars, but a little sleuthing should yield results.

Best of luck to you!

Oh to be a fly on the wall when the asshat is served! Blow his life up! And, whatever he owes for divorce #2 was entered after your court order, so you are 1st to collect! (I'm not a lawyer, just speaking generally from others' experiences.)

Pls keep us posted!

Kudos to your daughter!

I don’t know if he must be receiving benefits before you can collect but the requirements are on line. He can be remarried but you cannot ..I’d check

That’s really great advice! Never occurred to me to think along those lines…

Married 23 miserable years and divorced in 2003. Never brave enough to risk another disaster, so I should be well within the parameters.

Doesn’t affect him at all and $oesnt even notify him when you do it.

Iowa has none but Florida has a 20 year statue from the last payment made or due not sure which. You would file a contempt of court where your divorce is filed and than file that finding with the court in Iowa. Of course you have to serve hime with both
The good thing is you can seize assets. Like a lien on his nice new house.

"The good thing is you can seize assets."

I immediately thought 400k house!

Last edited Sat Jul 4, 2026, 11:49 AM - Edit history (1)

Thanks so much!

The 4th of July is just the day between the 3rd and the 5th, no big deal.

Do some photographs and hyperlapse film of the incredible amount of fireworks that will be going off in my neighborhood.

You can set the parameters to take a picture every two seconds for a certain amount of time, then the pictures make a short video. The parameters are limited by how long the battery lasts. I have done like 450 pictures over 10 minutes and turns into a 10 second video. I usually do sunsets but fireworks are cool to film too.

Haven't had an occasion to use it yet.

I do the slo-mo when it's very breezy, and I'm sitting in our backyard yard with the tree branches moving.

...and watching tomorrow's two World Cup's round of 16 games.

Organic chicken brats from Aldi, and potato salad and key lime pie, both from Trader Joe's, on the menu.

It's going to be hot and rainy, and I don't want to be on the menu for mosquitoes.

I've been cooking for 3 days, so can can just spend time with my ptsd kitties after caring for cl8ent and sis
Did my red/white/blue chili and sweet cornbread today.
Fried chicken couple days. Pasta salad and potato salad yesterday.
I'm pooped lol