If this were in German, I could make up a word for it.

One of the great things about the German language is that if you don't know the word for the concept you're trying to express, you can just make one up. I need to make up a word to describe the feeling of being on a bus, which you have taken instead of waiting 45 more minutes for the next train, only to find yourself stuck in traffic long enough to helplessly watch that train that you didn't wait the 45 minutes for go past where you are stuck in traffic, and you realize that waiting that extra 45 minutes actually would have saved you time in the long run. There ought to be a word for that, because that word would explain why, for the first time in my 4 summers in Chicago, I missed the Independence Eve concert that goes along with the fireworks.

I ended up by the aquarium, where I figured I could at least get a different view of things, and that was actually pretty cool. A few people had brought along radios and I could hear tiny bits of the concert as it was broadcast, but unfortunately the closest radio to me was on a blues station. Nevertheless, I got to play around with the "fireworks" setting on my digital camera, and I really love that feature. It lengthens the exposure so you get to see more of the bloom. I've promised myself that by next year, I'll have a tripod so the pictures are even better. On the other hand, I do sort of enjoy the whole "abstract art" of it all, especially that first picture. Meanwhile, enjoy!



I still haven't figured out how to post consecutive photos and be sure they don't do anything weird when they overlap. If the post looks strange, just consider it more abstract art.