Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July, or so they would have you believe! That is until you head over to the West Side at 8pm expecting to cozy up to the Hudson and watch some fireworks. First of all, they tell you that you can access 12th Avenue at 42nd street. Well you fight the crowds of Time Square,
then walk the 4 blocks to 11th Avenue only to come up against a barricade, 20,000 or so people and uncooperative cops. After being pushed and shoved for 20 minutes, groped and hit on by Chanderina the trany I finally get instructed that the only open access to 12th Avenue is 32nd St. So the choice is either walk down 10 blocks, stay at 11 & 42 and look at the back of a building or go home. Fine, I’ll walk the 10 blocks! More pushing and shoving, more barricades, but eventually we make it down to 32nd. Something still isn’t right thought. Thousands of people are congregating on 32 & 11. Why isn’t anyone making their way to the river? More cops, more barricades! We make our way in as close as we can. No buildings in front of us but no idea if we’ll be able to see the action. What I could see was the back of people’s heads. Also, the spot we ended up in apparently was a recent rest stop for a horse. Body odor and horse droppings don’t make a good mix. Add in the New York heat and I am a miserable bastard. Too late to go back now, we’re completely surrounded, we’re in for the long haul. 20 long, hot, foot killing minutes later the fireworks start. Surprisingly we can see them. They are amazing. Truly a magnificent display of American patriotism and Chinese pyrotechnic ingenuity.

It would have been the best 15 minute display I’d ever seen if it hadn’t lasted 30 minutes! After 10 minutes of explosions, they all start to look the same and your feet start to remind you that they were designed for someone 25 Lbs lighter.

At least we have the long walk back to the subway station and the packed ride to look forward too. Happy 4th of July.