July 2, 2006

Yes, I've been taking a bit of a break this weekend from studying and helping Eddie with all the that needs done around for the house for our big project and YES..we went to the Celebrate Freedom 2006 concert last night. We got there around 6ish and stayed till about 11ish. We saw Michael W. Smith and I think he was the last performer. It was a wonderful evening, it actaully "sprinkled" a bit, just enough to cool you off and then quit. Parking is always interesting at South Fork Ranch for this event. We actually parked off the premises in a field and it was sooo much easier to get out. Next year we will definitely do it that way again. The only bad part was the walk carrying our chairs (VERY FAR), but we were walking faster than the cars waiting to leave the parking lot so I guess it was a wash.
They had a really great fireworks display! They had to end it early because the "sparks" from the fireworks were falling into the crowd, but still it lasted at least 25 minutes before they quit. I think the very best fireworks I ever saw was in Washington DC at the Mall. NO... not the shooping mall, the Mall area around the Washington Monument in our nations capital. It was an incredible display, one I am not soon to forget. Of course the trip home afterwards was quite an adventure in mayhem! I lived in VA at the time, and anyone who is familiar with the DC area knows just how close MD, DC and VA are when traveling the 495 loop. My parents had come to visit for the occasions so we all drove to Bethesda to park and take the Subway into the Mall area where all the festivities were happening. Well.... the trip down when without a hitch, it was a bit busy but nothing to overwhelming. What we did not plan for was the trip home. Apparently a "BILLION" (ok, maybe a small over estimate) people all had the same idea of taking the Subway ..... Although the subway in DC is prepared to handle the hussle of every day commuters.. the onslight of a "BILLION" people trying to use it to go back to their cars after the festivites was not one they expected. I remember being almost trampled to death trying to make our way through the crowd and at one point I remember stepping in "puke". Isn't it amazing the things you remember when traveling down memory lane?? When we finally got to the subway, we were smashed against each other worse than sardines! (oh and some of the people standing around us.. yeah, smelled worse than sardines also..lol) There was no room to move or breath, talk about messing with a persons "peresonal" space! We somehow at one point made it onto the Subway and I remember my now ex-husband dropped his phone on the outside of one of the subway cars..we thought is was a loss but someone in that crowd and mess of people was kind enough to reach down beside the subway car's wheels (very dangerous) and pick it up and hand it to him. Amazing, I tell you, of course the battery had fell off and was not usable, but at least the phone was saved. I don't think I will ever forget the experience, and I assure you that the next year, we did not take the trip to DC to watch fireworks....I think it is something eveyone should do "once" in thier lives but that is an experience I am not to quick to want to do again!