Well, it started last night. It's actually a little later than usual this year - I blame the poor economy. There's just not as much discretionary income to go around this year over last or the year before, so cutbacks have to be made. In a way, I was a little disappointed, as one of the little rituals of summer didn't happen in the same way as years past...
What am I referring to? Why, the first "holy shit what was that [rummage for a gun] oh never mind the Fourth of July is coming up it's just illegal fireworks" moment... Every year around the beginning of June someone starts the salvo - usually it's only one or two individual rockets to see if the cops are paying attention at first. This typically sends me in a random "WTF was that" frenzy for a couple of minutes, at least until I come to my senses and remember that, oh yeah, it's warm out that means summer which means July 4th which means fireworks.
I guess in a way it's good - keeps the reflexes sharp and tests reaction times and such...
This year, though, I heard the opening salvos and shrugged it off. I think part of my reduced reaction this year is because it happened so late in the season - usually there's bottle rockets going off mid-May, and the first noticeable fireworks the first week of June. Last night was the first time this year I heard anything, and it was a pretty substantial volley - at least a dozen decent sized rockets if not more. I'm guessing it's the sustained barrage that kept the ZOMG at bay - had it been gunfire, this would have been TEOTWAWKI at the least...
One thing's for sure this time of year - those expensive gunshot detectors in Boston are getting a good workout...
That is all.
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9 comments:
I thought fireworks were illegal in Massachusetts...?
wv: gunkings. No foolin'!
If the detectors work at all.
Have you heard of an apprehension yet?
My Neighbor's kid set off a big sompin' or other the other night. He asked me if it was OK...I said it would be if I could stand on my porch and watch.
The Mrs. Came STORMING out of the house saing "WTF WAS THAT???"
Good laughs! I like loud noises.
I don't get too jumpy by them, as I'm always carrying anyway, or have a gun close at hand, so even if it is the zombies or goblins, I'll let them come to me, and they can get some all the same! : ]
"Rummage for a gun"???
You fail, sir! It's always *reach* for a gun!
wolfwalker,
Yes, fireworks are very illegal in MA. Which is why it is oh-so-shocking to hear them go off. I mean, it's illegal!
Weerd,
I don't mind them - once I realize what it is. The realization time is getting shorter, which is good, but I don't want it to dull the reaction time.
ZerCool,
Fireworks sound like long arms, which I don't have close at hand. If I'm getting into a skirmish with a longarm, my P3AT makes a mighty poor choice - I'm going for the Bushie or the Mossberg...
Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement... :)
Draw and strategically retreat, while laying down a withering cover fire of ... uh ... seven rounds of .380.
You need one of those movie-pistols. Endless ammo and drops bad guys from 100 yards without using the sights, while taking incoming full-auto fire from three bad guys!
"Gun fire detectors?" Isn't that why we use subsonic .22s?
"Illegal fireworks"? More and more every day I thank my now departed grandfather for dragging my ass from Los Angelos, California to podunk, Alabama. "Illegal fireworks"....poor Jay.
I sympathize...in the Live Free state fireworks can be outlawed by town, and I live in a town where fireworks are illegal. Therefore, just like guns in parts of Boston, I hear fireworks all the time in this season. When they started this year, the first one sounded like a shotgun, followed by a rimfire rifle, followed by a centerfire handgun...easy to see how a fellow gunny could 'rummage' (no disparaging comments there - you hit the nail on the head!) for his firearm in the first few milliseconds.
Yes, in some places such things are illegal - despite the reference & reverence related to the national anthem, of all things! Therefore you will hear them all the time in this season.
Hidden message in your post: you are a Dad & husband; you were looking out for your family and acted so, if only for a few seconds. That counts big time!
The only time I've had that WTF moment with fireworks was back in 2007. Someone decided it would be fun to set one off in my building's parking lot - only a couple of weeks after the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech.
If I could have figured out who it was, I'd have strangled the bastard. It was Way Too Damn Soon.
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