Independence Day

Here I am all by my lonesome on the 4th of July again. Last year I requested that someone have a Dairy Queen ice cream cone in my honor, and this year I’m craving a bowl of Hard Times chili and an ice cold Blue Moon. So if there’s anyone in the DC area reading this, indulge for me, okay? Particularly since I’m currently eating what passes for microwave lasagna here in Ukraine. (I know it says “lasagna” on the box and has a picture of a piece of lasagna, but what is this?)

Shawn was in charge of planning this year’s Independence Day celebration at the Embassy, so the past few weeks have been a little stressful for him. In fact, last night I could tell he’d reached his limit when I found him staring off into space with this look that just said he was done. And I practically had to push him out the door to take Laika on her post-dinner walk. So I know he’ll just be glad when this evening is over. And he can sit back and pass the planning for next year off to some other junior officer. Ah, the circle of the Foreign Service life.

If you’re in America, enjoy the festivities. I’m sure I’ll stand out on our balcony to watch the fireworks when they inevitably go off around 11pm tonight. Why, you ask? Because it’s a summer night in Kyiv, silly. And fireworks and drunkenness (particularly in combination) are plentiful here.