Happy Fourth of July!

Happy birthday, America! It's the Fourth of July, and celebration is everywhere. To join in a bit, we took the doggie on a nice walk along the beach promenade this morning. Then we got in some more provision shopping, as we made a spur of the moment decision to throw some burgers on the grill tonight, after all. 

Given that the decadron is still keeping me from sleeping more than a few hours, I was pretty tired after that. So we went home, had a quiet lunch on the deck, followed by some much-needed deadheading and weeding. Not surprisingly, I needed a nap afterwards. To conserve energy, I spent the rest of the afternoon resting or napping, reading or watching documentaries. In the meantime, DH got some more energy (after his own nap, I believe...) and mowed the lawn. It looks really nice again now, that the grass doesn't come up to the doggie's elbows any more. 

Then DH came and woke me up to show off his handy cutting work, and to gently convince me to get dinner going. Well, after I finally roused myself I showed myself to be suitably impressed by his burst of grass cutting energy, and agreed to get the food going. I even managed to make some of our favorite cannellini bean dip with lemon, garlic, and rosemary, as well as some black bean salad with corn, red peppers, and cilantro. Yum, I like those beans -- and they make for great baby bird snacks later that are full of the protein and fiber I so desperately need these days! Finally, I spiced up the burger meat and DH threw it on the grill. 

Dinner was delectable, but since I had been so lazy all afternoon, I sort of got a late start. This mattered mostly because we had wanted to meet our friends 2l and Starman, plus their dog Mr. Shnubbins at a nearby beach from where we wanted to view the fireworks. But by the time we had finally eaten and put away the leftovers, it was very late. So we ran out the house in great haste, but we made it to the beach on time. 2l and Starman had already been camping out there for a while and had saved us a spot, so all we needed to do was settle in. They even brought water bottles and cookies for the humans, as well as  doggie water and treats for Mr. Shnubbins and BJ. It was awesome!

That spot on the beach is fabulous for fireworks-watching for several reasons. First, it is nowhere near as crowded as the main beach from the which the fireworks are set off. Second, it is easier to sneak in the doggies, as well. Third, you have a really nice panorama of the overall bay that includes unobstructed views of various neighboring fireworks. So we got quite the show, as we enjoyed the refreshing evening breeze and watched the lovely fireworks. 

It was a nice ending to a nice day. Even if needed to rest quite a bit, I still got a bunch of things done and even managed to go out to see the fireworks. Hey, I even carried two camping chairs, while having the dog on the leash from where DH had to drop me off because the road was closed all the way to the beach. Then I scaled a railing that pretty high, after I had lifted the doggie and chairs over to 2l and Ken who were waiting the other side. Calisthenics in the evening! On the way back, though, I let DH be the mule and carry the chairs... I've got my limits, after all. 

So now I'm wired, and waiting for the Ativan to kick in and quiet down the energy from the steroids. You've gotta love the decadron for its anti-nausea properties and the energy it gives, but I also hate it at the same time for the sleep problems it causes me. The flushed face I don't mind, as it gives me that 'healthy' glow ... but I do need my sleep in the long run.