I spent a festive Independence Day, four day weekend, with my grandchildren, my daughter and son-in-law. We went to an American Celebration Festival. We watched a Patriotic Parade. We had a bonfire, ate S'mores, barbecued...the works. There were sparklers, bang snap pop something or others that had the trio (ages 9,8,6) laughing and prancing. BUT...
At dusk, on the Fourth, there was a fog rolling across the area. A fine drizzle, by nightfall became a marginal monsoon. We retreated indoors. Doubtful that there would be a display of fireworks on the river (Muskingham), we all resigned ourselves to the possibility that the fireworks would be postponed until the following evening.
My daughter and spouse retired to their wing, closed the door. The four of us bathed, jammied up, brushed teeth and all congregated in Tess' room to surf channels, maybe watch a movie. Todd began playing something or other on my computer; Tanner was connected to his DS. Tess and I practiced her knitting. The television screen flickered with the movie upon which we all agreed...The Wizard of Oz. (Gotta love the witches and those stylin' red bling shoes!)
Suddenly, Todd said, "Hey, Meme (may-may)...do you hear that?" Tess responded, "I saw the sky light up!" Tanner removed his thumb from his mouth and screeched, "FIREWORKS!" We couldn't believe that Tiff and Gary didn't hear/see the sky!
At 10 P.M., three children and their grandmother (yes me, thank you very much), crept down the stairs in the dark, shushing each other, then raced out of the door, ducked in the rain and jumped into my car! We were clad in our pajamas, barefooted (carrying slippers not to soak them) and don't you dare repeat this, but, I had on NO MAKE-UP! The children watched the sky, we all ooooooed and ahhhhhhed as I followed Todd's suggestion to "follow the sky, Meme! Just drive towards where we see the fireworks!" I did! We headed for the brilliant sky celebrating yet another Independence Day...the weather be damned! We made it to the section of town, where on the river, the firework were launched. We remained in the car (ah...jammies and worse...no make-up?) and watched with wonder. Each year, we have been together watching Fireworks on the Fourth. Each year we marvel as if we had never experienced a noisy, well-lit sky bursting before us! The finale was amazing. "Okay, we better head home", I attempted to say as Todd, excitedly exclaimed, "No Meme! There are more...over there...let's go!" His little finger pointed up and over. So, we raced toward fireworks...s-o-m-e-w-h-e-r-e. We saw what we could from a moving, lost car. Driving on the ground, with my eyes to the sky, left me totally disoriented and lost!
The family has lived in Zanesville, Ohio (two hour drive from me) for only a few months. I can navigate my way from my home (where they lived 2 minutes from my door prior to Z-ville) to their home and to a few places in Zanesville (ie...Mall, Duncan Falls Elementary School). Given the dark night, poor lighting, rain and having the navigational skills of Columbus (the man thought that he landed in India!), I was definitely in over my head! "So, I think that I'm a little lost. Do any of you recognize where we are?" What was I thinking? Nine, eight, six years old? Seriously? Todd reminded me, "Hey, Meme! We're just kids!" Gee, I hadn't thought of that. Finally, he said, "Why don't you use the GPS?" I had forgotten that I took one along. It was balanced in my console on top of my Lady Antebellum discs!
Tess quickly retrieved the Magellan. "Here Meme! We won't be lost anymore!" Tanner, removing his thumb from his mouth again, volunteered, "Meme doesn't know how to use that. She told me once." How about that? And I thought that children don't listen!
Todd snatched the contraption. "I'm the oldest. Let me do this!" After a few clicks, I heard a definite robotic female voice, "Proceed to the highlighted route. Make first legal U-turn..."
With more turns than the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups at Disney, we managed with Ms. Magellan, to get home...oh, at about 1 A.M. As we pulled into the driveway of still unaware parents, we High-Fived and called ourselves not "Storm Chasers", but "Firework Chasers". As we calmed, Todd asked, "Hey, Meme. Don't teenagers sneak out at night sometimes?"
My only response:
"Todd, you're too young for this and I'm too old! Or at least, I should know better!"
