Ok, first? I know I'm Canadian and I'm supposed to have a sort of "I'm NOT an American" thing going on. And second? I know it looks bandwagonish to jump on the 'God Bless America bandwagon' but really, I've liked America for a long, long time.

Ever since I realized that they were big and strong and sexy and my country was a little bit too nice and limp wristed. Oh and there was a guy I was all hot after in 1996 and HE was American.... and since I stalked him and am now dating him once again it's all good.

Anyways, I LOVED the 4th of July. These people love themselves some fireworks! All evening on the 4th. ALL EVENING... hours on end of fireworks coming out of people's backyards. And we're in small town Indiana.

Let me tell you though, about the fireworks in Chicago... for whatever reason they were on the 3rd of July... I think because it coordinated with the Taste of Chicago festival. Also, the fireworks company tripled the number of fireworks they were using. It was called the Indpendence Eve Concert and Fireworks with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra.

We started the evening a little dubiously. I was unsure what 'watching the fireworks in Chicago' entailed, but at around 7pm I was sure it wasn't 'sitting in some crazy Chicagoian's apartment and watching them sneak off for a puff'. I am anti-smoking anything that is not tobacco anywhere in my vicinity so I was trying to control my rising hackles and reminding myself that I had no car and no way out of Chicago.... and there was this woman, oh my gawsh this WOMAN who had a speeding freight train where he mouth should have been... she was a sight to behold and a sound to be blocked out.

We left the apartment and headed to the L.... for those of you who have not been to Chicaga (see, I say it the right way) that's the subway/train thingy.... freight train mouth morphs into cruise director from hell.

"Ok people" insert clapping "we're moving out! This way, turn left, keep up Subway People! Ok, everyone together, let's regroup, everyone have their walking buddy?"

It was more humourous than not actually... though the boyfriend may disagree.

But the evening improved markedly when we arrived in the heart of Chicago. Let me sum it up:

We were at Grant Pier. On a yacht called the Eminence Front. Sipping cocktails. With the MOST perfect view of the fireworks. This is a picture of Grant Park Pier... SEE... we were in the heart of those boats, tied right to the pier so that the 'ones who were not as cool' could look onto the boat and wish they were so.

So I had my cocktail, my boyfriend, a cool place to sit (it was one of those very large cruiser style yachts with the fancy cabin below and People With Too Much Money up on topside) and the fireworks were GREAT. There were three big boat/yachts tied right together and the three owners did canonballs into the water during the finale. Well, one had a case of premature ejumpulation... but they all managed to get into the water.

There were other minor incidences to punctuate the night... we had typical obnoxious rich-boy who hadn't partied enough in his paid for college days who stomped off to hit the bong while his trophy Married the Money wife made excuses for him. We had the two 19 year old looking lesbians putting on a show on the boat next to us while a boyfriend of one looked on like he'd been replaced (the whole freaking pier saw that display let me tell you... my not so inner mother was screaming "put the clothes back on, what would your mother say, you're going to live to regret this", and many other motherisms that the hoochies needed to hear.

The evening was pretty cool.... more on the actual 4th of July celebrations later... I'm off for my morning coffee in downtown La Porte, Indiana.