Small Town USA, Oh the Fourth!

So I get asked quite often why I stay in such a small town in the middle of Wyoming when I could easily get a job more in tune with my knowledge base and degrees....anywhere else. Today was one of those reasons I stay. I love living in small towns because there's still a sense of community and general amiability amongst the citizenry. Laramie is quite renowned around these parts for its Freedom Has A Birthday event thrown annually in Washington Park. Literally half the town's population shows up to participate and have fun. There's free watermelon and icecream cones and someone's always grilling hamburgers and hotdogs and of course bratwurst sausages. Yumm! I ended up buying both a burger and a brat and demanded the brat come with sauerkraut and the burger come with everything because otherwise what's the point right? I met up with some friends and ambled about the park looking at all the booths and sampling free stuff as I went. You know that scene in Pollyanna where she goes to the fair, yeah it's kinda like that. And if you don't know the scene-how on earth are you getting all my references. Seriously, I drop movie references like big ol' raindrops in a thunderstorm. Tsk, reading my blog without getting all the weird similes would be like watching Robin Hood: Men in Tights without watching Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and the original Robin Hood with Errol Flynn...it'd make sense and be great but not nearly as funny!
Okay, so the wardrobe department. My mother will be proud to know I wore an outfit she put together when I was back in Missouri visiting her. A deep blue stretchy tank top with a white holey shirt over it rocked a modern 80's look while the blue and white slashed skirt made me feel like I should be yachting or something. So I wore a red scarf of my grandmother's around my neck to be more patriotic and I paired the ensemble with a pair of shoes my mom gave me years ago. Original 70s Dr. Scholl's sandals with the wooden soles and tan leather straps. Oh yeah, I was awesome! Regrettably I failed to put on makeup or do much with my hair so I opted for a ponytail and baseball cap. And don't tell my mother I forgot the matching earrings, necklace, bracelet and hair doodad...I think it'd break her heart.
Now I am proud enough of my heritage to admit I am an utterly white girl, but that truth in turns makes me accept that my skin views sunlight as a plague and excessive sun exposure generally leads to hangover like symptoms. I normally am a very cheery person,  but if I get hot, sweaty, hungry and/or tired you'd be surprised how quickly I transform into a bear and practically snarl at people. With that in mind, I dug out my trusty RadioFlyer wagon (that's right, straight out of my childhood with Snoopy stickers and dings all up and down it) and proceeded to load it with my nearly indestructible bag of questionable fashion sense, my black steampunk designed parasol, my well used camp chair and an old cooler for bottles of water. Oh yeah, hopping out of my truck and walking to the park I looked like a sophisticated adult but my shadow dragging the slightly rusted wagon reminded me of my inner 5yr old!
And I am happy to admit, I was able to keep my complexion pale (no pinks or burning sensations!) and my disposition remained very cheery all day. Well, until the vast amounts of inhaled fresh air caught up to me and I passed out into a nap around 5pm and didn't wake up til 8pm when it was time for my Saferide dispatch shift. That's right people, tonight I'll be able to listen to the boom of fireworks late, late into the night and I will be able to know exactly where all the great parties had been, as I arrange for deliriously happy folk to get home. Yep, I'm such a party animal. Happy Fourth everyone! Whoo!