Your Fourth

Paul seems to have disappeared.

Here's a cop-out Ping for the day: how are you spending your Fourth this year? As usual, my mother-brother-and-sister-in-law are in town (along with my BIL's girlfriend). They've spent the day hanging out, watching movies and playing games. Huyen and I did some work in the kitchen for the block party on our street this afternoon. She made a cold spaghetti salad (our go-to dish for get-togethers) and I made (vegan) chocolate chip cookies (they came out wonderfully). The block party runs from 3pm until midnight with a break at 9ish to go watch the fireworks. We'll be there for a few hours, I'm sure. Parties where you can walk a few steps home are good ones.

Beyond that, I'll just be glad when the Fourth is over so that we can stop listening to all the fireworks people have been setting off for the past week.