My freakin' awesome 4th

The day started at about 10am chasing down the beautiful small town parade that made it's way through the streets of Sausalito. We cheered for the UCal Alumni marching band (few things make me happier than adults with hobbies), dodged candy being thrown from floats by kids, ate at the fundraiser pancake breakfast, and browsed antique stores.

Later we boarded the boat and explored the Bay, waving at fellow partiers, nibbling on cheese and downing cold drinks. We stayed out through sunset, grilled hot dogs, listened to music, and basked in the sun before anchoring down to watch the fireworks from, well, underneath them. We stood up and leaned against the main mast when they started, arms wrapped around each other, partly for protection against the chilly wind, but mainly just because we like each other's warmth. After the show, as the dozens of other boats paraded back to their slips, we stayed and kissed. Under the lingering firework smoke, slightly illuminated by the lights of our precious city, we kissed slowly, and for a long time. He tugged at my bottom lip with his, and tasted of amber beer with a slight sweetness. His aura made me feel secure, and I alternated lifting up on my toes and lowering myself to flat feet as we pressed against each other.

After the boat crowd cleared we motored in, secured everything, and went off to meet up with friends for one last drink of the night. For a holiday that I've never much cared about, I'm really happy with the way I got to celebrate this 4th. God bless America, and parades, and pancakes, and sailboats, and floppy sunhats, and fireworks.