Happy 4th of July!!! What's everyone up to this weekend?

Oh - is it one of these (it's a chain):

http://www.okdiners.com/

There's one near Newark on the northbound A1 - I always insist on stopping there now, whenever we're driving back home from in-laws after a visit!!!  And it's really good!  Real ice cream milk shakes & all!  (Not like powdered McDonalds sh*te, nor like some weird & runny British milk shakes I've had.)

I honestly don't know I just know its about 30 mins from where we live. I will let you know when we get back from there this afternoon whats it called & how it was!!       I have a feeling I will need to do alot of extra stuff at the gym this whole week to make up for my overindulgence there though!!       I have nearly 3 weeks before my next Dietitians apt so I think I can work it off hopefully!!    

Hope Everyone Has A Wonderful Day!!

Enjoy, shugga!  If it's part of that chain, I always get a burger & fries plus one of their milkshakes.  Yum!   Please do report back. 

Cadenza, isn't there something your DH could do today to help you celebrate?  At least hamburgers & potato salad or something? *Hugs*

:/ I'm working at the hotel today and tomorrow. Tonight's 3pm-11pm, and then tomorrow's 7am-3pm. I would really don't want to be there, and not just because it's the 4th. My mom's birthday is tomorrow, and it always makes me sentimental and emotional. She passed away when I was a teenager, but, I don't suppose it ever stops hurting. Plus, I'm all congested and full of cold. This is definitely one of the days I wish I was still in San Diego!   

We are sitting here trying to figure out what time Starbucks and Target, etc. are opening. The stores will all pretty much be open but no one likes to say what time!
Other than that no particular celebration. (Bad time of the year for us)

I have a pack of ribs in the freezer we can cook that should be good.  We'll probably go for that later--not really in the mood for anything right now.

Last year was fun, we went for an overnight stay at a favourite place of ours and went to dinner at a nearby steakhouse.  To be honest, the food isn't the greatest, but it's full of Americana kitsch with the waitresses all dressed in cowboy hats and bandanas.  It's a fairly silly cowboy-themed place and seemed appropriate for the Fourth.

We had to laugh b/c the waitress there handed us a quiz and said that the winner would get free meal tickets.  She said "I don't know if you know this, but it's Independence Day in the US, and we're doing this in their honour." We had a laugh about it and had a ball with the quiz, which asked us to name all fifty states and then match certain presidents to their terms of office.  Thanks to learning the song "Fifty Nifty United States" in grade school, I was able to list all of the states (in alphabetical order, no less) and I'm positive we got the presidents right.  I still feel cheated b/c we never got a gift certificate in the mail.  I think they thought we cheated or didn't send it since we weren't locals (even though we eat there several times a year).  You can't tell me any Brit did better on the quiz than we did--they made it hard.

It was a really fun night.  Nothing big, but just a lovely evening with my family.  We made the waitress take a picture for us.

not to make a flamewar,but am i the only person who thinks it a bit odd for an american to celebrate 4th of july while living in england?

not to make a flamewar,but am i the only person who thinks it a bit odd for an american to celebrate 4th of july while living in england?

I don't really see why it would be considered odd. It isn't a holiday about hating the British, it is about celebrating the birth of our nation. But let's be honest, even that is a stretch... most people just enjoy the sunshine, the BBQs, the fireworks and the friends! No reason to suddenly stop celebrating just because you've moved somewhere else. I've lived here for 4 years and this is my first year not doing anything but I've always celebrated with my English friends... we've gone to the local American diner, had a BBQ, gone clubbing wearing uncle sam hats, etc. No one was offended by it and it was just a bit of fun.

I am sorry to those of you for whom this a hard time of year.    That's end of November and through February for me.  Most of my happy childhood memories are associated with this time of year (summer/4th of July/etc), and it's still my favourite time.  And I'm over the moon that we're actually having reasonably fine summer weather here this year.

not to make a flamewar,but am i the only person who thinks it a bit odd for an american to celebrate 4th of july while living in england?

Lol!  I hope no one flames you for that!  

I don't really see why it would be considered odd. It isn't a holiday about hating the British, it is about celebrating the birth of our nation. But let's be honest, even that is a stretch... most people just enjoy the sunshine, the BBQs, the fireworks and the friends! No reason to suddenly stop celebrating just because you've moved somewhere else.

Agreed.  I didn't forget all about my being American when I moved here.  Plus the British have had 234 years to get over it.    And I've yet to meet one who doesn't love a party.  They just all wish they could have tomorrow off as a paid public national holiday - I know I do!  I think I have some English neighbours (whom I don't know) who must be celebrating in our honour cos they are blasting their stereo right now, just like they were having a 4th of July BBQ.  

Oh wait - I do have tomorrow off!  Lol!  (but most don't)  I'm too giddy.  

I don't really see why it would be considered odd. It isn't a holiday about hating the British, it is about celebrating the birth of our nation.

technically it is...

They've been under the subjugation of Britain for years. They have to live in fear of the British soldiers; they are under the rule of King George III. They have to abide by laws that have been enacted (which are blatently unfair to them), and have to pay taxes; the British seem to be getting richer, while they are getting poorer.

They've decided to do something about it.

This is the day that they adopt the Declaration of Independence, which will allow them to finally break from the rule of Britain, and will allow them to have their own government.

The colonists are tired of the British, and they decide they are not going to be pushed around any more.

wasnt tryin to offend, i just find it amusing that people celebrate a day when america broke their independance from england..by celebrating IN ENGLAND, lol.

Lol!  I hope no one flames you for that

for some reason I believe I should take cover in ..3..2..1..

It was a loooooong time ago. I don't think there are any bitter feelings in 2010. 

Dh & I are going to a American Style diner that we have neither been to about 30 mins away from where we live I'm excited hopes it good.      Then when we get home I will call my family.

Oh - is it one of these (it's a chain):

http://www.okdiners.com/

There's one near Newark on the northbound A1 - I always insist on stopping there now, whenever we're driving back home from in-laws after a visit!!!  And it's really good!  Real ice cream milk shakes & all!  (Not like powdered McDonalds sh*te, nor like some weird & runny British milk shakes I've had.)

We just got back from our lunch an it was called Arbuckles in Downham Market. Dh & I both liked it but I have one complaintent though. the strawberry milkshake I ordered I thought was going to be a thick proper milkshake made with vanilla ice cream instead it was a strawberry milk in a tall glass an it was way to sweet I couldn't even drink it.      The food was really good though we would definitely eat there again!!    

It was a loooooong time ago. I don't think there are any bitter feelings in 2010.  

Exactly. I live down the road from an Indian restaurant called 'Last Days of the Raj' but it doesn't seem to stop any English people from eating there

If you genuinely have always celebrated the 4th as a day of hating the British than I can understand how it would be weird. But most people I know, me included, just see it as a day to be proud to be American and to get to spend time with friends and family. I don't see an issue  with doing that outside of the US and as I said, my English friends have always been happy to join in the celebrations!

Sorry that shake wasn't any good for you, shugga!  You should check out that link I put up for the OK-Diner American chain - there might be one near-ish to you, I'm not sure.  But the milkshakes there are seriously good - they do them individually in a blender, just like in an old-timey American soda fountain type place, bring you some in a tall glass with a straw & the rest in the metal bit that they blended it in. 

Sorry that shake wasn't any good for you, shugga!  You should check out that link I put up for the OK-Diner American chain - there might be one near-ish to you, I'm not sure.  But the milkshakes there are seriously good - they do them individually in a blender, just like in an old-timey American soda fountain type place, bring you some in a tall glass with a straw & the rest in the metal bit that they blended it in. 

Another  for the OK Diner, except for the time Mr MLG spilled his full banana milkshake all over the table! He was so upset at the mess as he'd been so looking forward to it! I seem to remember another one sorted it out, once the table got cleaned! 

We had our BBQ yesterday because we had a few people coming from out of town that had to work on Monday.  We ended up with somewhere between 30-40 people over and one of my friends had been in touch with the local paper (I guess as sort of a surprise for us) and they even sent a photographer around lol.  It was a bigger party than we were expecting, and we had to borrow another grill from a neighbor to get all the food cooked.  It was a great day, and my kids had the best nights sleep ever after all that playing and food Today has been a day spent lounging around in our jammies devouring all the leftovers.