Free to...

It's the 4th of July and the United States of America celebrates its 235th anniversary of its independence.  In the grand scheme of things, the USA is still a relatively young nation but it has done much in those 235 years.

I'm grateful to be a citizen of this country where I am free to:

• exercise, literally, as I want.  For example, I got up this morning and ran four miles through the forest preserve/swamp near our house.  I ran through the biggest swarm of mosquitoes ever.  I'm looking forward to the delirium of malaria.  Or, as a friend pointed out, West Nile virus.
• bust open my beloved Weber grill, throw on some wood chips, and grill some corn-feed beef and enjoy!
• celebrate the nation's independence by NOT going to the local parades (I loathe, loathe, loathe parades) and by blowing up imported Chinese-made fireworks, adding ever so slightly to our burgeoning national debt.
• handing over $10 to watch the latest Hollywood big summer movie blockbuster and wishing I had rammed a fork in my eye seven minutes into said movie.  Transformers - Dark Side of the Moon, (editorial aside - my apologies for including 'side' in the title as that's wrong and I don't wish to lead any Pink Floyd fans astray, thinking that their music somehow got put into the heinousness that is the movie) I am talking to you.  I beg you.  I warn you.  Don't waste your money on this one.  Don't.  Do.  It.

So, yeah, I'm proud of my country.  In spite of ourselves, we do get things right.  Blagojevich has been found guilty.  The country seems to be coming to its senses about the crazy that is Sarah Palin.  It's good to live here.