Happy 4th of July!

When I get home from work today, there will be 150 people in my back yard, eating mountains of food and waiting for the big fireworks display. My husband loves the 4th of July and has a party every year. He has spent the last 3 days cooking and setting up. There is 50 pounds of barbequed pulled pork, 30 pounds of smoked chicken quarters, 20 slabs of beef ribs, 500 boiled shrimp, and about 10 pounds of fresh-made coleslaw. Then there's the huge fireworks display that he's spent weeks putting together "just so". He's a crazy man, I tell you.

It is SO not "my thing". All those people, most of whom I don't even know. They're friends of his from high school, customers of his lawn service, hunting buddies, fellow airboaters, pool league teammates...my husband is a very social animal. (I do get to catch up with relatives that we don't see other than at this party, and I really look forward to Aunt Peggy's orzo pasta salad!) Rick knows it's not "my thing", and provides special accommodations to ease my discomfort. No one is allowed to park in my spot in the driveway. He puts a "Reserved for Wife" sign on the table and chairs with the best view. And best of all, he rents a Port-O-Let. You might think "eww", but seriously, do the math: 150 people, with an average bathroom requirement of maybe 3 or 4 times each in the 6 or 7 hours they're there (depending on how much they're drinking), that's roughly 500 times people would be traipsing through my house, flushing the toilet and (theoretically) washing their hands. And maybe rummaging through the medicine cabinets and critiquing the way I make my bed! No, thank you!

I asked Rick last night if he knew what my favorite part about the 4th of July was. He said, "The 5th of July?" Made me laugh. I said, "No, although that's probably a close second." My favorite thing about the 4th of July is how much HE enjoys it. He loves to cook for a lot of people. He loves to socialize. He loves to blow things up. So he loves the 4th of July. And I love him. So there.
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My Big Boy's Big Toy

My husband is an avid airboater. Loves big, loud things that go fast. Calls the alligators that populate the St. John's River where he normally runs, "redneck speed bumps". Loves to camp out and sit by a fire swatting mosquitoes and cook steaks on a makeshift grill.

Me? Not so much. I'm really not the "pee in the woods" kind of gal. Fires are nice, as are steaks on the grill, but I'd just as soon have an air-conditioned bathroom 30 seconds behind me!

I did go out on the airboat with Rick once. He'd been offering to take me out for years, and I'd always declined. That one time, it was right around our anniversary, so I told him it was his anniversary present. It was okay. Not horrible. But not something I can say I really enjoyed.

To be honest, he's probably just as happy that I DON'T want to go all the time. That's his relaxation time, his alone-time or out-with-the-guys time. Likely not as much fun if he has to watch out for what I might be getting into, or listen to me whining about having to pee in the woods! I can stay home in my air-conditioning, reading or watching TV, and he can go out and run those redneck speed bumps. Better for our sanity and our marriage!

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