Because It's Just Not A Holiday

Until someone gets shot. 

 

Welcome to the Central Valley.Took both my O's and a mini van full of mexican in-laws to the downtown waterfront for fireworks.  Just as the finale finishes, the crowd starts screaming and coming towards us in a wave.  GREAT. 

 

Sister-in-Law has baby and where is Big O who's got elderly mother in law OKAY.

 

I've established that everyone is on their feet, not going to be trampled, but piggy and the blanket and the stupid bags for the lawnchairs are still down.  Scoop it all up and move to join my group on our 4-5 block hike back to the cars. 

 

Or, we can wait while Sister-in-law, who has passed off little O to favorite nephew, marches back into the fleeing crowd to pin down a cop to find out what just happened.  Frankly, I don't care what just happened, I just want to put my babies to bed and find a shot of something.  However, she finds a man in blue, gets the skinny, and thank you, NOW can we get the fuck on down the road?  Obnoxious brother in law takes off without waiting for his elderly mother, just takes his own kid, favorite nephew carrying MY child, along with alternate sister in law and her child and they are moooving on. 

 

This leaves my Honey, Big O, SIL, elderly MIL, and favorite teenage niece about a half a block behind.  We are making good progress until SIL spots someone having trouble in the crowd.  Nobody is helping them, so SIL makes a U turn,  whips out her cell phone and calls 911 for them. 

 

THIS I don't have a problem with, but OBIL is still moving.  We finally get him to stop and wait.  These two guys have sandwiched this woman between them because she's fainted and they don't want to lay her down to be trampled by the crowd, which is still moving at a pretty fast pace.   OBIL just wants to go.  I have to pry the only adult lawn chair we have from his hands so we can offer these poor people some relief until EMS gets there.  Cop or EMS guy finally shows, he can give the ambulance directions, and we are free!!!   Wait for my lawn chair back?  Hell, no. 

 

I asked Big O stick to elderly MIL so she has a young spry runner, and he is stuck like glue to a responsible adult.  Best of Both worlds.  Motherhumming OBIL has taken off again, AGAIN with my daughter in his half of the group. 

 

I am not pissed that we stopped to help or that I lost a lawn chair.  (I always lose them one way or another)  But we did NOT need to stop and pump the cop for info, and motherhumming inconsiderate OBIL could have waited for his own freaking mother. 

 

Big O declares it the worst fourth in the history of mankind, and demands that we go to my parent's sleepy hick town for next year.  Little O says she doesn't want to go back there (the waterfront), it was scary. 

 

Nothing mentioned on the news when we get home.  Just another day in the Valley.