I always say that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but Independence Day has a lot going for it every year…might be a strong # 2.
Dave and Col always host a BBQ. In addition to it being July 4th, the 3rd is Moms birthday and the 4th is Marie’s. This year the BBQ was actually on the 3rd, but close enough. We always have a fun time with the family.
The morning of July 4 is the Annual Marlton Mayor’s Cup 5k run. This year I set a new personal best at 23:36. I was very excited. I had hopes that I would finish in the top 3 for my age group but there were a lot of good runners this year.
Last year my time would’ve been good enough, but this year it wasn’t. I was still very happy with the time though. It’s funny, I don’t know what anybody else is thinking, but I definitively know that I take this as a serious competition. I was nervous at the beginning. And near the end when I was passed by an older looking guy I was sizing him up trying to determine if he was in my age group. Not wanting to take any chances I sprinted to the finish line. The last thing I want is to finish fourth by 1 second and miss out on a dollar store medal. It’s so stupid, but for some reason it matters in my head.
At noon I watched the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest with Julia. Pam and Susie are disgusted by it. But we love it. It has become our little 4th of July tradition. It is such a spectacle and so ridiculous that we can’t help but being entertained. I had two favorite moments:
Then because of the holiday there was afternoon Yankees game. I love baseball, especially weekday afternoons. I listened to the game while I cleaned up the basement – something I have been trying to get to for a couple months. I don’t necessarily like organizing the basement, but when a project like that is complete I always feel such a sense of accomplishment. It’s a meaningless task, but I’m so satisfied that I got to delete it off my To Do List. The Yanks lost, but it was still a great day.
We met Pam’s cousin Bev and her family at Grounds for Sculpture today. Bev and Fred are a bit older than us, but are easy to hang out with. They have 2 girls, Cayla and Sarah, that are only a few years older than Susie and Julia. They all seem to get along well. Attached are some pictures of the 4 girls. Grounds for Sculpture was a good place to spend the day with family that you don’t get a lot of time with.
Jeff Girgenti 