Picture & Video A Day – July 4, 2010 – Fireworks!!!

So, I got to have fun with machine guns, silencers, and lots of other loud things on Saturday.  What was I to do on our actual Independence Day?  I’d actually thought about going shooting again, but in the end I decided I’d stick with just explosives

One of the benefits of living in Las Vegas is the close proximity to the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza.  Think of it as a small casino with a truck stop, liquor store, smoke shop and fireworks emporium all rolled into one   They’re not really actually in Nevada since it’s an Indian reservation which means Nevada and Clark County laws on fireworks don’t apply – only federal laws.  That means you can buy things that fly into the air and go BANG!!! Now, that wouldn’t be so great if you had to take them home to light them off – you don’t want to break the law, do you?  I didn’t think so   Well, there’s even a “launch pad” (really a big, open field) out back where you can set off any fireworks you can buy inside.  I had a blast (pun intended ) and I expect this to be my annual destination on Independence Day from now on   Of course, Moapa and the launch pad are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year so I can go play anytime.  It’s just more fun when there’s a few thousand miscreants to share the fun with

Here’s what I wrote on the page for YouTube:

After moving from San Diego to Las Vegas a few years ago, I’ve become a bit more personally involved in some things. Things like lighting my own damn fireworks on Independence Day. Don’t get me wrong – the professional shows are cool, but there’s something special about lighting that fuse myself.

I guess part of it’s a bit of a rebellious streak that I’ve always had. I just have to do things because I can and most people think it’s too dangerous for the “average person” to do so. Another part of that rebelliousness on this particular holiday goes back to the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. These were men who owned cannons and all the other terrible implements of the soldiers. I can only imagine what would happen if someone told them a bottle rocket was too dangerous for them to deal with as Free Citizens and adults. I have the notion that such a discussion might beget a duel…

The fireworks in this video aren’t mine. I was on a meager budget and those were too expensive for me. I made due with some firecrackers, sparklers, and roman candles, but it was worth the trip and the expense. And it was great to see “Joe Sixpack” out shooting off the shells in this video ;-)

Some people say I’m a “rabble rouser” and that I have issues with doing what I’m told.  OK, there might be a bit of truth in that

4 July 2010 - The first time I've ever been stuck like this

Alas, the night was not all fun and games.  Yours truly found out that the berm that looked so easy to cross wasn’t.  I knew the there was trouble about when the front tires got just over the top and then they kind of sank.  The dirt was seriously loose and the tires found no purchase – I was high centered.  It was bad enough that I could spin the front wheels by hand.  The floor mat did nothing.

So I did what any intelligent (most of the time) GM vehicle owner would do and pressed the blue OnStar button!  Jan was the person who worked with me and the tow truck arrived within about an hour which is quick for where I was   One of the benefits of the OnStar system is that it sends your GPS coordinates to the people in the call center so they actually know where you are.  OnStar and the tow company weren’t the only groups of people who helped out last night – the Moapa security guys were great and offered moral support when they realized they couldn’t pull me out themselves

Hey, I had a good time overall last night.  I still have all my fingers, toes, both eyes, and my car’s OK.  That’s what I call a happy ending

Have fun everyone