An American Birthday Bash

Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet! 

The younger kids probably don’t know what the in the name of James Madison am I talking about? But if you’re a forty-something (or more) like me you remember that catchy jingle that was a 1970s’ ode to the good ol’ USA. Most of my family probably would consider the Mount Rushmore of Americana faves as football (me and two sisters do love baseball though), chicken, vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and definitely FORD! But I digress, and here are a few thoughts as we celebrate our nation’s 239th birthday:

1. Today is the first of California’s Free Fishing Days (the other coming on Sept. 5), so take your son or daughter or gather a few buddies who don’t fish much and wet a line somewhere. There is water in this state and there are plenty of trout, catfish, bass and others that swim hungry for a meal.

2. Grill whatever you damn well please today. But make sure you do throw a few hot dogs (as the commercial implored us to) on the barbie. I know I’ll make sure to indulge on a couple over the course of the holiday weekend.

3. Take some time on Sunday to watch the final of the Women’s World Cup with team USA against Japan in a rematch of a classic 2011 final. I’m not the biggest soccer fan either, but these ladies work just as hard as your baseball-playing Dodgers, Angels, Giants, Padres and this editor’s Athletics and deserve your full attention with the championship of the planet at stake in Vancouver.

4. Stating the obvious here, but please be careful around the grill and with both not drinking and driving (duh) but also safely shooting off your fireworks. Yes, we have water but our state is full of scorched earth. Too many wildfires and burning homes are born out of carelessness.

5. Remember the struggles of our Founding Fathers to create this powerful but flawed nation, plus all of the patriots who fought to preserve the Declaration of Independence.

Enjoy the party, and save me a piece of apple pie!