Many years ago we used to spend Independence Day at our friend Robyn’s house in South Roanoke. It was in the perfect place to have a cook out and watch the fireworks over Victory Stadium following a performance by the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra against the backdrop of Mill Mountain.

One year, after several green bottle beers, the sparklers came out. The fireworks were over and everyone who parked in the neighborhood was leaving.

I had a sparkler in my hand and my Zippo. I looked down at my Converse high tops and then looked at the sparkler. I thought “hmmm”. I took two sparklers, poked one through the eyelets of each sneaker, lit them, and began running around the yard. It caught on. We had sparkler races around the yard in the darkness with the squealing of tires as people slammed on their brakes to see why lights were dancing through the night. I miss sparkler races.

Got my wife’s Yamaha scooter out of mothballs this weekend. Started with no problem and seems to be in good working order. It does need a state inspection, current sticker expired in June . . . of 2010. Would like to go riding with her, though it does look odd, her on the 125 cc scooter and me following behind on my Harley.

I think I might go out ride my Harley now, on July 4th, cause I’m an American!

I am just finishing off a growler of Imperial Ale from Whole Foods. Probably not the best time to be blogging, but what the hell . . . Memorial Day.

Memorial Day. I see posts on Facebook about people being at the pool, grilling, pictures of people at the pool, pictures of the food people are grilling, pictures of the sauces people are using on the food they are grilling, people talking about what movies they are going to see on this long holiday weekend.

What fun.

My cousin was in Viet Nam. When he came home he drank, a lot . . . beer, liquor, a lot.

He used to get drunk and tell stories of the things he saw and did in Viet Nam. I was a teenager listening to these stories. I felt bad for my cousin, because of the experiences he went through in Viet Nam. I can remember my cousin in much happier times. He taught me to play “Wildwood Flower” on the guitar.

After I moved away from my home town I received word my cousin left his house one day, drove to a nearby river, parked his car, a put a bullet in his temple. No note, no goodbye to his wife and children.

But, we all knew why.

It’s not about the war, it’s about the Warrior.
Some we have lost to the battle, some we have lost because the battle followed them home and some still carry the battle scars.

The next big holiday on the horizon is July 4th, Independence Day. Be sure to stock up for grilling . . . and get some sun screen, you would not want to burn by the pool.

Please note, the “rapture” did not occur today at 6 pm. Harold Camping was wrong, again (he first predicted the rapture would happen in 1994)

Also note that there are millions of people who believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and expect him to appear in the clouds someday to take the faithful to Heaven.

Harold Camping also believes this. The only reason Camping is considered a nut job is that he predicted a specific date and time

What do you believe and why do you believe it?

Please note, Harold Camping is an elderly, multi-millionaire white guy. Is there an elderly multi-millionaire white guy you believe without question?