After the Explosions

Punch, punch, punch … punch, punch.

Someone was re-shingling Sasha’s roof before seven o’clock in the morning. On a Saturday. After post-midnight firecrackers blistered the streets two doors down.

By the time we finally got out of the house early that afternoon, Puck turned in his first library reading sheet of the summer in exchange for a book prize in the form of “Captain Underpants.” Of course.

After probably our mildest July 4th on record, the following afternoon was still fine. Mild. Light breeze. Impressive. Still, not so mild that Puck and Gloria couldn’t enjoy a viewing of “Frozen” in a chilly basement while I caught a disappointing game upstairs.

Sometime during that game, I contacted Francis. The dead green couch in our basement (circa 1990 from my parents) needed a place to go. We thought of Francis, so I texted him about it.

“Want to burn a couch tomorrow?”

Sometime later … “Is this a trick question?”

He must have thought it was too good to be true. And apparently it was, because Dad was concerned about toxins being released into the air.

Although Francis did add that, “Burning it would also be the most ceremonial I guess…” before he found out that Dad nixed the idea.

Anyway, Gloria had pizza casserole baking in the downstairs oven before the movie, where Theodore continued to finish off the basement with rolls of insulation and drywall.

There were homemade chocolate chip cookies; Gloria brought me a stack from the kitchen. And a set of fresh Reeses peanut butter cups from Theodore just for me. My in-laws know me well.

As the evening wained, I finished reading “Captain Underpants” to Puck, a surprisingly long tale. Then he tied a metal whistle to a long white cord which he repeatedly tried to toss over a tree branch from the deck. Then spent awhile checking out wildlife with a pair of binoculars: reversed. Observed a spider eating a moth on the deck railing. At least he’s easily entertained.

Home to get Puck in bed closer to time after some cranky afternoon moments. The price you pay for late-night fireworks.