The only time I ever miss my former home is on the 4th of July. The St. Lucie River was a mile wide behind our house, plus we had a 150 ft dock. We enjoyed a V.I.P. view of the fireworks from the end of our pier. Not only could we see the ones from the Roosevelt Bridge a short distance away, but those directly across the river in Rio as well. The night was always a spectacular one! -- It more than topped the Christmas boat parade!
Here, I have to settle for neighbor's illegal fireworks. (There are plenty!) They start going off around 6:00 P.M. and often last until about 3:00 A.M. keeping me awake! Actually they start the week before and end the week after. -- This is one reason I don't want anymore pets. My dog & cat were terrified to go outside. This particular holiday undid a lot of painstaking housebreaking!
A few years back, when the 4th fell on a Saturday, a heavy storm hit the night before. Lightning struck my AT&T box! I was left without a computer, TV, or phone for the entire weekend! Because of the holiday, no one could come out to repair before late Sunday.
Early Saturday A.M., I walked next door to use a neighbor's phone to report it. My neighbor insisted they already knew. "It's probably on a master-board, somewhere," she said.... In other words, turn around and go away.
I told her I wanted to make sure! Good thing I did, there was NO master-board!
At least my lair had electricity! Also there was plenty of reading material to enjoy. Plus the fridge had all of my favorite summer treats to eat. The daytime hours were relatively quiet and serene. Later it sounded like World War IV! Despite everything, I enjoyed the holiday.
Sunday, around 4:00 P.M., the repairman came. He brought my AT&T box inside to show me. It was completely fried! "It's a miracle your house didn't catch fire!" he pointed out. -- Lightning did cause a fire in a neighborhood home in the recent past. The house had to be leveled and rebuilt. Whew!
He replaced the box and soon everything was up and running. The repairman was half out the door when my phone rang. It was my friend, Pat in N. Florida. She thought I was dead! She had been phoning constantly, even during the wee A.M. hours!
"I couldn't even get your answering machine, just a busy signal!" she exclaimed. (My phone was DEAD on this end!) Pat complained to the operator, who told her my line was just busy!!!
Unless there's another issue, I plan to fully enjoy the 4th! I'll have my veggie dogs, potato salad, chips, & pink lemonade for a kitchen table picnic over-looking my back yard. I might also play some patriotic music. My home has huge picture windows, including a high one on the cathedral ceiling. From my recliner, I can watch a movie with one eye, while enjoying the neighborhood fireworks with the other.
No comments:
Post a Comment