It was a grand Fourth of July

We were very low key this year. We went over to our friends Vito and Dierdre up in Park Slope. They have a lovely backyard.

It was raining early in the day but we didn't get there until about four in the afternoon. It had cleared up by then and it was a magnificent summer day in Brooklyn. I was able to put my feet up and sip my lemon water.

Hanging out is a lot different for me. I have always been the drunkest person in the group since I was about 12 years old and now I am the teetotaler while everyone else is getting toasted. Vito has a great selection of fine wines that they were enjoying during the meal and afterward while I was drinking water.

What fun.

The food was great and concentrated on that getting my bad stuff out on the sausages and peppers and the potato salad.

We enjoyed the meal and then a suggestion was made. One of their friends had a roof deck on Eleventh Street and we were invited to go see the fireworks. Now this is a very interesting house. This dude built his house over a parking garage and has about 20 spaces. He rents them out and gets about $8000 a month from them. What is also interesting is that he is good friends with the new mayor and there was a chance he could have been there. Now Dierdre is good friends with the Mayors wife Weezy. She dresses her from her store in Park Slope and she wants her to come style her at Gracie Mansion. Dierdre has kept me away from them because of course she is afraid of what I would say. I told her "Hey don't worry. I am just going to ask him one question. Hey Bill. I just had my store graffiti-ed. That hasn't happened since Dinkins was Mayor. What say you?" Also "Is it true that you once licked Fidel's ball sack?"

Then security would usher me out of the party.

But he didn't show. They said he better dealed them.

The fireworks were pretty great. The only problem was my anxiety. I am not a fan of heights and we were on the 11th floor with only a flimsy handrail. With a bunch of drunken people with me as the only sober one. So it was a test for me. I sucked it up and grabbed a hold of my honey and enjoyed our Nations birthday. Even though I was surrounded with Park Slope Hipster Communists.

The secret to life is enjoying yourself.