RANDOM AF! The Adventures of Random Gurl on Independence Day

The fourth of July is a big deal in a small town such as mine. Activities deeply rooted in tradition fill the day, and lost relatives from all over the state and the country come into town to experience the nostalgia and drink a crap-ton of beer.

This year I watched the coaster races with my children, took in the parade, and enjoyed the fireworks after dark. It was generally a good day.

In the case of the races, "watched" may not be entirely accurate. I watched and applauded the racers with my inlaws. My children hung out on the second floor of a hotel and may have occasionally looked out the window. One of them fell asleep and the rest lounged in big, overstuffed chairs with their phones. But still. I was proud of myself for getting them out of the house, up to Old Bisbee, parked at the old high school, up a huge hill, down 100 some stairs and across the street to my uncle's hotel before the eight-o-clock start time.

An out-of-town family had rented the entire hotel for their reunion, and when I came downstairs from the second floor, they thought it was odd that someone was there who they didn't know. I assured them I was just watching the races, that I was family to the owner, and they conceded I didn't look suspicious, and that they were only trying to make sure random people weren't walking through. Seriously? It's a hotel. In a historic town. On the fourth of July. Random people are going to come in. Just because you rented every room does not give you the right to police the property, accost and harass me, a person who has every right to be there.

So I was a little miffed.

I got over it. We got to chatting with one of the family members (they were all wearing yellow shirts that read, "Bisbee Wanna-Bees"), and she gave me the nickname "Random Girl."

I'm still a little miffed. Apparently. But I got to thinking I might like this nickname. I am pretty random at times, in my writing especially, but also in general. I certainly fixate on random things, like Cthulu, space cats, orange creme popsicles, synchronicity, bunnies, shopping lists in trash cans, Spirited Away, free Circus tickets, cannibals, impermanence, frozen baby mice, President Trump (okay, not random) and more recently (and also not random), Thai soccer teams trapped in flooded caves. HFS this needs to be resolved. I've been in a constant state of anxiety since they were lost, and every morning and every night I check the news to find out what is happening. I also prayed. More than once. And I don't pray, people. But please, please God or whoever or whatever, keep it from raining in Thailand for a few more days.

I'm out.

R. Gurl