I’m going to be standing in Renaissance garb on hot asphalt in blazing 90-degree weather letting yelling brats and their parental units hurl overripe tomatoes at my face.
Normally, I’d be parked in front of the air conditioner with pitcher of lemonade and a good book. Arrgh.
(Our group got an offer to work a community event… it’ll mean some extra money, at least, but dammit, I wanted a day off. 
)
Getting plastered hopefully.
Well, I’m going to be moving out of my parents’ house and moving in with my boyfriend for the summer… Seems like the perfect thing to do on “Independence” Day, don’t you think? 
Pool party. I’m rethinking it, though. The forecast here in the desert for the 4th is 111-116 degrees. Hot dogs barbecued, guests parboiled.
My boyfriend and I will be going to a 12:05pm Washington Nationals game downtown, and then will probably end up local for live music and fireworks. We debated staying in DC for the festivities, but the crowds and heat can definitely make the effort not worth it.
I was 3. 
I turned 4 a little over two months later.
On a more somber note, the bicentennial was exactly 2 weeks before the apartment fire that cost my family everything we owned (including our cat), save the contents of one closet. Luckily none of us were hurt, which is all that mattered. 
Pfft. You don’t know from crowds.
As like most years, I’m staying the hell away from the hatch shell. I did that schtick twice, and regretted it the both times. I’ll probably spend the day at the community pool, then watch the last two episodes of Drive (gack! Postponed until the 13th!), then watch the fireworks from the roof of my building.
1976? I was in Kansas, enjoying a picnic with about 12,476 of my relatives. One of my younger cousins had discovered a really funny joke, and told it to me. Again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again…
I don’t remember the Bicentennial very much, as I was under the age of reason at the time. I recall that we were living in the sleepy town of Santa Maria, CA, at the time, and my father showed me the Bicentennial quarter design.
This year, weather permitting, I’m considering going to Old Town Fairfax. DC/NoVa Dopers are welcome to meet up. (Hi Misnomer!)
Not so fast. You’re old too. 
I missed the 70s entirely, due to not being born yet, and all. What do I win?
This year will be the usual. BBQ, spend some time in the pool, then fireworks.
I am going to RoboCup at Georgia Tech. Sure to be the geekiest event I have ever attended. Yay!
Then fireworks at either Centennial Olympic Park, or Lenox Mall. I really don’t know which one is better, and both have very mediocre music beforehand. A coin toss most likely.
Sleeping late, then doing some horse-related cleaning followed by cleaning bird and bunny houses (we have house rabbits), napping with daHubby then dinner. Nothing special.
Sleeping late, then doing some horse-related cleaning followed by cleaning bird and bunny houses (we have house rabbits), perhaps a quick shag then more napping!
A gold-plated, personalized, engraved invitation to get the hell off of my lawn.
Laze around, probably and then hit the County Fair for barbecue, assorted junk food, farm animals and fireworks.
Laying naked by the pool, playing backgammon and drinking margarittas. Pretty much what I do most weekends.
July 4, 1976 I spent in Fredericksburg, VA - my home town. Town’s tourism motto “Where America Grew Up.” Geo. Washington lived near town as a boy, his mother lived in town, as did James Monroe, and a bunch of Washington’s relatives. The fireworks over the river were spectacular.
Working. 
Hopefully seeing Knocked Up or Sicko afterwards… perks up
Hmm… well, the fiancée lives in Georgetown and wanted to watch the fireworks on the Mall. After having done that once or twice, I think I can do without the 3-4 hour one-way trip into and out of DC (thanks to traffic) or riding a cramed and still slow Metro just to spend the day around a million strangers in the lovely July heat.
Instead, it looks like we’ll be having a cook-out with my brothers at my mom’s place.
What!? You mean you don’t get the Fourth of July off up in Canada?
I’ll be off from work (yeah!). My mom and dad are having a barbecue at their house and my aunt and uncle from Seattle are visiting to join us, so we’ll do that in the daytime. At night my sister and I will light off fireworks.
We’re so smart that we get it three days early. And we’ve arranged not to pay taxes to Washington, either.
Damn, maybe Michael Moore was right about you guys.