my fourth of july was completely uneventful. other than von hollering happy fourth! at me (and then rushing off to a glassblowing session), and the distant booming of fireworks through the night, it could have been nearly any other day. a pity: of all the cities to be in for a fourth of july, this could have been the most exciting one, for the sheer number of things to do - inane and educational, cheesy and unusual, expensive and free-to-all. i pored over boston harbour fest brochures about starlight and fireworks and whalewatching cruises, and tours of houses and museums and gardens and aquariums, and lectures and demonstrations (the art of ringing the changes!) and reenactments of historical events (dress up in colonial period garb, one if by sea two is by land! (or is it the other way round) and apparently you can even go on a ship and throw tea overboard (me: but the water pollution! the poor aquatic life! rikita: my dear girl, they'd fish the crates up afterwards.)) but all of them seemed too much effort. i had thought perhaps i might go down to the old state house in the morning to hear them proclaim the declaration and then walk around in boston but i decided that what i needed was plenty of sleep, a few hours of quiet work, the daily allotment of radio, and fireworks in the evening. i got the sleep and the radio and even a little work done, but it rained all afternoon and into the evening and i didn't want to see fireworks that much. so i stayed in and consoled myself with the fact that rikita rents british movies every fourth of july, and went to bed.