Nashville, TN., 4:56 p.m., Nashville, TN., 4:57 p.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Johnathon here.  Sorry if I haven't written; it's getting to be too much of an effort here.  I hope you understand.  Mentally, I'm great; it's physically that is an entirely different story altogther. 

My disease is getting harder and harder to live with.  This was the first year I didn't get to partake in the festivities; I had to be a spectator.  That was very hard to take; it was all I could do to keep from crying.

Secondly, I am in so much pain it's not funny.  Yeah, I have pain with my disease; it feels like someone's been using my muscles as rubber bands or been punching them nonstop; I try to be cheerful, but it's hard when my muscles are begging for mercy!

Now, the festivities of the past few days were enough to take my mind off my troubles (at least for a little while, anyway).  The parade rocked, and so did the music that went on all day. 

I especially loved the flyover with the B-52 and the B2-Spirit; boy, I had to take out my hearing aids when that plane screamed overhead; they would have probably shattered them, it was so laud!!  When the planes passed (roared?) overhead, the crowd went nuts, including me; that was pretty cool!

I also loved the fireworks.  I saw fireworks on Thursday night, again on Friday night, and then the coupe de grace last night.  They were the best (or were until a thunderstorm blew in; you should have seen everyone scrambling for cover)! 

This is when I wished my chair had rocket boosters on the back, so I could get to shelter in a matter of seconds!  LOL  Let's just say I got soaked, as did a lot of people; it was disGUSTing!!

I also got chilled.  Not good!  (Not sick, but I do have a minor cold.  Nothing serious, but mom and dad are watching me like a hawk, plus loading me up with cold meds!)

Mom and dad are making me stay in at home while they take care of me.  Grandpere', grandmere', and the other kids went back to the festival; today is the last day.  Fireworks again tonight; hopefully they won't get rained on again like they did last night!  I will be able to hear them; I just won't be able to see them, darn it!  Maybe someone will upload them at YouTube; that way, I can watch 'em and see what I missed!  :/

It's kinda nice not having little brothers or sisters in my hair, or the older ones bossing me around.  It's also nice having mom and dad pay attention solely to me; I hate having to compete for their attention when the other kids are around; it's the pits!

One of the worst offenders is my sister, Ronee'.  She's not bad, but she's pretty bossy; sometimes she gets the big head (and I'm not talkin' about her poofy hair!!) and she thinks she's all that; I hate that when she gets like this!!  It's nice not hearing her yammerin' all of the time (or singing)!! 

I think she's gotten this way since her successful audition for AGT; while I am happy for her, I hope this doesn't give her a swollen ego and get impossible to live with (and at times she already is)!!

Anyway, back to what I was writing about before my mind decided to jump the tracks and go wandering (it does that on occasion):  I enjoyed the festival, but I am a little pink.  NOT bad, to where I am positively glowing, but I definitely got some sun.  I'm not my usual pale self.  :)

I am sorry the fourth is over.  You get this big build up, then it's here, on top of you, and then, it's...gone.  And what is left?  Nothing but empty firework or firecracker shells, candy wrappers, paper, and whatnot littering the ground, sunburn, and hoarse voices from all the yelling you did while at the parade and again while watching the fireworks.  I feel like a sparkler that's stopped sparkling or worse, a dud of a firework.

I get this same feeling at Christmas, and I hate it!  Why do the big holidays have to do that to people?  Why can't holidays like Christmas or July Fourth go on for days or weeks?  That would be cool; I wouldn't mind fireworks going on for an entire week!  :)

Now we may hear distant fireworks as celebrations continue, but nothing like they were for a few days prior to July Fourth, or especially last night!  Last night, after we got home, I kept hearing fireworks going off (or seeing the sky light up) well after one a.m.!  It was hard to sleep!

Well, I am going to go lie down; nothing to do, but sleep.  Besides, I'm still worn out from the past few days.  I will write in here again soon; until then, this is your exhausted friend, Johnathon, saying so long and God bless!

~Love, your friend, Johnathon.  :(

Bring on some more fireworks!  I need some cheering up here!!!!