An Independence Mish-Mash

After a hard day of earning a living yesterday,  I sat down to finish Metroid Prime, my latest favorite video game.  While slamming back pizza and Pepsi I meticulously worked on dispatching Meta Ridley while on my way to the final boss battle with the game's namesake. As I was vanquishing Metroid Prime I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that to beat it Samus Aran had to stand in the beast's Phazon excrement and blast it back at it to beat it.  Man was it fun!  (I believe Samus Aran could be the greatest video game hero going, as is partially evidenced by this cool picture!)

I started off this morning with one of the best meals that, ironically, is also one of the most under appreciated; scrambled eggs and buttered toast.  Scrambled eggs done right can't be beat in my book.  I also perused Max Brook's, The Zombie Survival Guide, to catch up on my zombie lore after participating in a Blogger Coffee Shop thread about surviving a zombie apocalypse a few days ago.  Then I slipped the mp3's buds in my ears and commenced upon hours of yard work  As I stained my bare feet green, I was regaled with th music of Warren C. Haynes and Gov't Mule and the super group Chickenfoot.  Haynes proves a fat Gibson tone sounds incredible in the hands of a master, and  Joe Satriani's Ibanez screamed at me while Sammy Hagar wailed about his "sexy little thang".

The rest of this day will be spent getting ready to receive some family and friends tomorrow; the 4th of July, Independence Day.  There will be country style barbecue ribs, grilled corn on the cob, potato salad, baked beans, sweet tea and my favorite, apple pie.  There should be good conversation and all around good times.  We'll rap thing up with fireworks "that emit showers of sparks", and if we're lucky, maybe some of the "good stuff" as well (the real fireworks are illegal here in Florida, but somehow that regulation isn't enforced with vigor, if you know what I mean). 

I don't know if the Founding Fathers even thought that a guy like me would enjoy freedom as I've outlined here when they fomented a revolution by declaring independence from the control of England.  They probably couldn't imagine the technical advancements that make our lives the pursuit of happiness they are today, but I'm sure they knew freedom would lead to an infinite potential.  They seemed to know that all people yearn to be free, and that their efforts could lead to a dude like myself working hard to enjoy that freedom.  While other folks around the world suffer under a tyranny that suppresses their freedom, I look forward to the opportunity to fully express my freedom everyday.  I take that for granted.  As I'm downing some of Americana's finest culinary fixins tomorrow, I'll be thankful for those who understood the value of freedom and fought that I might enjoy it everyday.