rex's holiday memories: new year's eve 1981

My older cousin sawed the handle end off of an aluminum baseball bat that year to use as a makeshift bazooka for his assortment mostly legal fireworks. He fired upon us as we ran around the open field. I remained relatively safe most of the evening, as my cat-like swiftness was evident even then. It felt good to be fired upon, and my young ego was embiggened.

Then I got singed by a mere bottle rocket and commenced to yelping like a little bitch.

Later on in high school I would engage in much the same thing every December 31st and 4th of July. The big difference then was that I was quite drunk, and there is no greater pain resisting and ego embiggening agent than alcohol.