thank you casey and esther

I had a pretty good 4th weekend.

Hung out with Fernie at the pool at Benderson. Janine came too, she really loves that baby and I think Fern really likes her too. Shy people only like to talk to each other; it's weird… The baby pool was perfect Fern could get in and out by her self and I got some chillax time in the sun. To boot the prices and quality of the concessions at the pool were amazing ($5 for snacks for all, and the chips had flaxseed in em). The hot dog was made out of something I wouldn't be ashamed to say I fed my kid too.

PUBLIC NOTE TO SELF: Always buy the Jewish version of "bad for you" food, it's just better. There's real meat in the hotdogs, real sugar in the Pepsi.... I don't know why they don't do this for other kinds of people, but I'll fake being jewish at bbq's if it'll rid me of some diet guilt.

Got an armband at the carnival for Fern so she could ride everything non stop…and she stopped pretty early. There was a lil baby boy in our entourage and Fern would pet his face like a puppy every once and a while, it was tender. In the middle of everything Fern and I were stranded with all the stuff and she had go to the potty so I had to teach her how to pee "on the side of the road" style between some carnival vehicles. Which must not be easy if you're the girl peeing, and down right scary for a guy trying to teach a girl how to do it for the first time, but we go it done.

Before we got to the carnival in Riverside, Fern and I bought flags and stuff to see the fireworks. We found out that there's no tax on flags, and we kept screaming that at the top of our lungs it while we waved ours. I made sure she really knew what the holiday was for (this time, ask me about Memorial day some time) and i think she really got into it. Man I love that baby and now she loves being an American, I like it that that's what this holiday can be for someone...

And since it was the 4th we stayed up until "are you serious" o'clock until Fern got all "why so serious" on me, but she passed out in the short car ride home so everything was alright.

Went to the beach on Monday with some homies and it was almost a catastrophe but I have sweet assed friends. I did this thing where I get all anxious about something happening without other people there and messaged a ton of humans, then everyone called back at the same time and I didn't want to uninvited anyone. : \ Still I thought the two groups that did want to go might mix well, and i was wrongish. everyone was cool, but clearly some friends didn't have as good a time because the others were there. I gotta be more patient. I'm coming to find this to be a montra that would help me a lot in life.

On the completely up side, being that bereft of clothes for that long was fuuuuuun. Ok, I look a lot better now. I have to say it feels good to be naked in public finally, and being around people who are just as comfortable was key. My friend Josh wore a skin tight american flag man-kini and is blessed by the gods of Wang so I got to see a lot of fun reactions from strange girls. I've decided that flirting is what guys who can't hang their penis' out have to do to convince women sex might be fun. Jokes take a lot to get a girl to giggle the way they do when they spy a fat lazy hamster in his hammock. Just saying.

Later I went to a bbq and grilled what was left of the beach clams and drank really good beer. So even though I missed a few things I was invited to I still had some serious fun.

I guess the thing that stuck with me the most over this weekend is that if you don't take the time to celebrate what is good in things that you have or are all get to have or be is the worst of what's wrong with everything. I felt really American this weekend and I felt good about it coming from a guy like me it's a big step I guess. I think that if everyone would allow them selves to feel good about anything every once in a while, it'd make life a lot brighter...

Ok peeps. Hope you had a fun 4th. We'll chat again soon.