4th of July Pity Party

American down to my toes

Vince is in the USA for some meetings in New York next week. But before that, he is in California to spend the long 4th of July weekend with our sons. First they will meet in Monterey where my younger son Nick is stationed with the Marines. There is a big 4th of July parade in Monterey and Nick will be marching in it. Then the three of them will go sailing in Half Moon Bay and probably take in some of the uber-patriotic food and festivities at the downtown Monterey street festival before they head up to Oakland where my older son Alex lives just in time for some fireworks somewhere over San Francisco Bay.

I am beginning to regret my decision not to accompany Vince to the USA. But (as my reasoning went at the time) I had already been to the US to see our sons twice since Alex was in Africa with us last Christmas and I will probably go back again before Nick comes here for this year's Christmas holiday. It'll be no big deal. And besides, my rear end is just starting to recover its feeling after the last endless butt-numbing flight from Joburg to San Francisco in April.

When Vince and I discussed his upcoming trip last month, my butt was still mostly numb and I guess I let it influence my decision to stay behind. (Nobody hops on a plane for 20+ hours without really thinking about it first.) But now that the reality has sunk in that I will be without family in South Africa for the 4th of July, I am having some decider's remorse. Boohoo. Time for a pity party!

4th of July = beach

I never used to be so nostalgic about the 4th of July. Patriotic, sure, but nostalgic, no.

And it's not that I particularly feel tied to the Macy's fireworks display which I've seen many times over NY's Hudson and East River on park benches and from a boat. (Although they truly are the best!) I have spent the 4th in cities out of the country before - in Paris and London and Dublin and last year in Joburg - which meant no fireworks whatsoever on any river from any vantage point. (Although one time I was actually flying home from Europe at night on the evening of the 4th of July and had an aerial view of all the fireworks going off all across the tri-state area. Unexpected and quite something to see!)

CHQ parade & symphony concert

In the USA I have cheated on New York with other big cities too on the 4th - Boston (great live music on the Esplanade to accompany their awesome fireworks,) Washington DC (great music too and a "monumental" background.). On the west coast, I have seen the fireworks myself before over San Francisco Bay and even further (north)west in Anchorage where the fireworks do not even start until almost midnight after the sun finally goes down!

flares line the lake perimeter for the fireworks display

Even though I do equate the 4th of July with the beach,  I have two-timed the Jersey Shore plenty of times with other beach towns - Chatham, Edgartown, Block Island, Nantucket. And I've even snuck out on the beach altogether with a lake of all things! In Chautauqua - fireworks and flares.



And it's not like I have nothing to do on the day itself. I am going to the US Embassy 4th of July party in Pretoria. I will be surrounded by plenty of red, white, and blue Americans ... some of them even Marines. I sure hope that when I do, I will be able to shake off this melancholia and feel better about my decision to be independent on Independence Day. Once again I turn to my Facebook albums for solace. Here are some pictures I scraped off from celebrations past to help me cope ...

Southside Johnny at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park. A local Jersey Shore ritual, Southside performs there before every 4th of July.

The parade in Mantoloking.

With its Grand Marshal and Mrs.

And veterans.

Aly in the Manto parade

Vintage cars and red firetrucks and decorated bikes.

After the parade there are games at the yacht club.

Have to have some John Philips Sousa to accompany the...

... barbeque at the yacht club, along with kayak and canoe races, a memorial mile run and a flag-raising ceremony.

Red White and Beer.

Gathering on the beach after dark in Point Pleasant to watch the fireworks over the Atlantic Ocean.

We brought some of our own too.













Oooohaaaah!

Back to the beach the next morning in Mantoloking for the Memorial Paddle-Out.

Lots of house and cocktail parties! Here I am on my way into the July Governor's cocktail party at Mantoloking Yacht Club.















There's a regatta, the Barton Handicap in Barnegat Bay,

a sailing selfie

And more sailing just for fun.

summer jewelry!

That's Governor Pataki!

Had to get in some baseball if the Yankees were in town.

A requisite stroll on the boardwalk over the weekend for some games and rides.

Hmmm. That's a lot of nostalgia for a little ol' American Embassy celebration in Africa to live up to. I better start thinking of this 4th of July as just another Independence Day out of town ... Way out of town.

God bless America!