Glaring at rockets

Happy 4th of July to everyone ... hope you enjoy your holiday.

I'll confess, it's one of my least favorite ones. But, I have my reasons.

It's a good day to get together with friends and family, enjoy a barbecue, and generally have fun, don't get me wrong.

However, I'm just not that big of a fan of fireworks. Sure, the professional shows have their merits, but I have too many memories of being caught in post-work traffic jams to really enjoy the pyro.

But, that's not really my beef with the 4th. What really gets me mad is folks who decide to set off fireworks in their backyards.

I'm not talking bottle rockets or sparklers ... those are fine ... I'm speaking of the super-duper, mega-professional rockets, that somehow, Joe Sixpack gets his hands on, and decides to do a show for the neighbors.

See, my neighborhood is an old one, cookie-cutter homes built in the early 1950's, all pretty close to one another. But, without fail, each and every year, the guy on the corner shoots off a massive display.

Fireworks that launch over the homes of other people.

My neighbor laughed the first year they moved in, which was a particularly dry June. Why? I was outside hosing down my roof. He asked why ... I said ... "You'll see."

I saw him the next day, and all he could say was "Holy Crap ... you were right. It sounded like Baghdad out there."

So, my message to all you amateur pyrotechnicians on this holiday is ... leave the big stuff to the pros ... and let your neighbors live in peace.