Friday 5 July 2013

The Fourth!

This is the second-hardest holiday to be an expat American, ranking right up there with Thanksgiving. It's just another day in France. We get our own fireworks here in 10 days, so it is something to look forward to. Plus, there are tons of American parties going on all over the city, and as I found out last year, the California Cantina food truck runs out of tacos and burgers really early.

Ages ago, when I was still a Manhattanite, I worked in a high-rise building with lofty views. Depending on where the fireworks happened that year, we could get really great views of the pyrotechnics. What was also very cool was all the other fireworks you cold see. The vista was as such where you could see lots of other shows going on in New Jersey and Long Island and Brooklyn, all going off at about the same time.

july 4 2007 (9)

Also, I remember this particular year as the last time I rollerbladed. I was actually pretty good at it and did the West Side Highway from 59th st down to the Battery and back all the time, but this particular day I fell victim of uneven pavement and gravel on the lesser kept East River bike path and went flying, and I banged my knees up bad enough to drag the blades over to the nearest Goodwill, bloodstains and all. My doctor, months later upon seeing my still-scarred knees, congratulated me on that decision.

I would host a little unofficial party up in the office suite every 4th just as night was falling, and then we'd be able to take the elevator down and run to the subway station before the masses made their way over from the east river view, and we'd have cozy chairs to boot. Sweetness.

While I normally frown upon camera shake, I liked this:
july 4 2007 (8)

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Oh, and this building was built in the 1930's and had windows that actually opened. All the way. Like, you could hang out them. 53 stories up. They just don't make them like that anymore.

No one puts on a show like New York does.

july 4 2007 (12)

The air gets so smoky you can get to the point where it obscures some of the show.

july 4 2007 (24)

I hope that everyone had an fantastic 4th, filled with BBQ and booze and good friends and fireworks.


















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