I came home and got more materials together, worked on writing projects, and then decided I was going to cook on the grill. I bought goods for tomorrow, too, but last night I barbecued chicken and then made a lemon, pea, parmesan summer pasta salad. Pam made an Asian salad, and all together left the best tastes in the mouth. The 30-minute pasta salad was as easy as it claimed to be, and the flavors simply popped.
Beth and Dan invited me over for evening fireworks, as it was Stratford's turn and they live on the marsh side of the Housatonic estuary. Across the way from them is the beaches of Stratford, so they have a great yard to get a fantastic view, but you don't get all the noise and crowds. It was nirvana.
At one point, my colleague Michael said he wanted to get a good photo of his kids, but before he did, he sat down, and I was able to get a photo of him, too. The bugs were absurd, but the company was fantastic. Obviously, the night sky was also lit it up in celebration of 250 years (a short time) of this American story we're telling ourselves (with numerous interpretations of how it is supposed to be).
Yes, the heat was bad. I was drenched from grilling, and I didn't get Karal out for a walk...too cruel. She played some in the backyard, but the heat got to her quick and she wanted back inside. Two more days of it, and hopefully it disappears for a while.
