Swing Shift Vol 3- Male Performance Issues

The inspiration for this week’s topic comes courtesy of a comment from April:

My ex-husband and I dabbled in the lifestyle. Well, we attempted to anyway. At first we tried just having another woman for both of us, and that was amazing! Then we moved up to couples. Well *one* couple is as far as we got. He couldn’t deal with seeing me with another man. His poor wife tried and tried and tried to keep his dick hard and it just stayed flaccid. Prior to that he’d never had that problem. He told me afterward that he thought he could handle it, but he was wrong. So, after that the only couple experience we had involved me playing with her while the guys watched, then we played with our respective partners. I was a little disappointed, as I wanted to experience this more, but I loved him and respected his uncomfortableness.
Wait, that paragraph was confusing. The wife of the other couple couldn’t get my husband’s dick hard. And she was fucking hot, too! Ok, that’s enough thinking about her……

Unfortunately, this is a topic that I have some personal experience with so I’m, ehem, well qualified.

First of all, April, I think it’s great that you and the other woman respected your ex’s uncomfortableness with the situation.  I couldn’t think of a worse situation than having performance issues and my partner not being understanding.

Forgive me for possibly over-generalizing, but I think that as men, when faced with a naked, hot and willing woman, we’d like to think that “Mr. Happy” is like old-faithful, always ready to go.  I know for me, that’s usually the case.  And then Veronica and I went to our first swingers party.  Since my old hangout is no more, I suppose I should briefly revisit what happened that night.

We had been there for a while and decided to get brave and play together in a public setting.  3 other couples were on the bed and I sat on a chair in the corner, then Veronica got between my legs and started to suck my cock.  Nothing.  5, 10 minutes later, still nothing and I’m beyond frustrated, moving to embarrassed.  And I don’t mean slightly engorged but not enough to fuck yet, I’m talking downright flaccid.  Keep in mind, Veronica used to joke about how fast I could get hard, so this was very unusual for me.  We stopped, found a room that was empty, closed the door, and things were good.  Another couple came into the room and shared the bed [but we didn't play with them, they were just nearby] and while I momentarily lost my erection during that time, Veronica knew a few buttons to push and I gave her a satisfying mouthful while the other couple watched.

And lest you think this was a one time occurrence, it wasn’t until several months [and encounters] later that I came when another man was in the room.  And it wasn’t until another month after that when I could cum with that other man’s wife.  I may have overcome my issues sooner, indeed thought I was going to one particular night, but I stopped fucking her because her husband was having performance issues of his own and I felt it would be rude of me to keep fucking his wife when he couldn’t get it up for Veronica.  I suppose an armchair psychologist could have a field day with my issues when another man is present, but no issues in a FMF 3some situation.

April mentioned her ex having trouble seeing her with another man.  I think that might have been part of it for me.  As much as my conscious self is saying “this is freakin’ awesome!”, there was a subconscious part of me that was saying “Holy shit, what’s going on here?  There’s another nekkid man in the room and he’s fucking my wife!”

I wish I could pinpoint what has changed over the last several months.  What I do know is that I focus more on the woman and make an effort to block out the scene around me.  But not completely, if that makes sense.  I’m certainly aware of the fun Veronica is having, but it’s more on the peripheray of my consciousness.

Ladies, if you’re ever with a man in a situation that might be new or unusual for him and there are performance issues, please, don’t think that it’s you.  I’ve had issues with women I thought were smokin’ hot.  Remember my friend SwingerWife?  The first time she and I fucked, it was in a different room than Veronica and SwingerHusband were in and while I got off to a slow start, all was good in the end.  But when the four of us got together on one bed, performance issues appeared.  So ladies, again, don’t think it’s you.

Men, don’t be ashamed if you find yourself in this situation.  It happens sometimes, for a variety of reasons.  And if you’re thinking about getting into the lifestyle, don’t think that my situation is the norm.  We’ve been with a couple that was newer than us and he was fine.  Some men [like me] have acknowledged that semi-public sex in a swingers party type of situation isn’t their thing.  Many of us have a limit to what we find comfortable and that doesn’t inhibit us.  Don’t try to fight it.

For another take on this, check out this post by Riff Dog.  He has a very funny take on how over-thinking is probably the worst thing that can happen and when Mr. Brain starts to interfere with Mr. Penis, bad things can happen.

Veronica: Performance issues is one of the 8 million reasons I am glad I was born with the XX chromosome.  If I am having nerve issues, no one can really tell.  I know from first hand experience that it can be disheartening and a blow to the old self esteem when your partner has trouble maintaining an erection or having an orgasm, but it’s not you.

I had one partner (Max) who had problems getting erect with me.   They also told us the next day that they couldn’t play anymore because the kids might have overheard something.  However, whenever we log onto SLS, a look at their profile said “Last visit: Today” all the time, so we weren’t buying the whole “we can’t play anymore” line.  It did hurt my feelings for a moment, but after watching Hubman go through similar issues, I knew enough to know that it was not me.

What does really get me is when my partner does not have an orgasm during our encounter.  That usually makes me doubt my bedroom (or futon) skills.   I actually had this happen with our new friend on Friday.  When we were relaxing after sex and Hubman was upstairs dealing with the dog, Sally asked Paul if he had come.  Paul looked sheepish and said that he didn’t.  Sally then smacked Paul and told him “How many times do I tell you you have to have an orgasm for company!”  Paul admitted that he holds back his orgasm because he doesn’t want the sex to end.  I just let him know that if he comes we can always have sex more than once in an evening.  Sally reassured me that he does that all the time, including with her so I did not feel that bad.  However if he does not come the next time we are together,  I might begin to worry.

My feeling is that male performance issues happen.  I also think part of the issue with this in a lifestyle situation is that there is a learning curve for pleasure.  What turns one partner on can be a turnoff for another partner. I would not be concerned about performance issues unless they happened all the time.   Then I would speak to my partner about it.

On a female performance note, I find that condoms mess with my natural moistness and seem to dry me out.  Can any of our sexy readers recommend a condom that doesn’t do that?  Or doesn’t do it as much?  I know that I would appreciate it and so would my friends.

One coping strategy in case a man is having issues is to switch back to your “regular” partners.  Sometimes just a familiar touch, so to speak, is all it takes and then you could try swapping again.  Just an idea…

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Comments?  Thoughts?  Disagree with anything I said?  Don’t be shy, leave a comment!  And I need some more questions.  I have a few for probably another 2 weeks, but will be out of questions after that.  If you want to ask something anonymously, e-mail me at hubman38 at gmail dot com and let me know that if I use your question, you prefer anonymity.

We’re Easy

I suppose the title is not any sort of revelation for many of my readers, right?

Late Thursday night while on the way home from our first date with a new couple, they texted us to say what a nice time they had, which lead to a few more messages back and forth.  We got their last message around the time we got home, to which Veronica replied:

Hubman and I are going to have sex now. Have a good night!

Friday evening, around 8pm, the following exchange took place:

Her: How was the sex last night?

Veronica: Fabulous! How are you?

Her: Good! What are you two doing tonight?

Veronica: Each other.  and you?

Her: LOL… just having some wine, can we watch?  LOL

Veronica: You can do more than watch if you want…

Her: oh ya… would love 2

With that, Veronica picked up the phone and called her.  They arrived around 10:00.  We all came around 11:30.

They are a great couple, fun in and out of bed [well, we didn't actually use the bed, more like the futon and the floor...], live nearby, and there is a mutual desire to get together again.  Woohoo!

Note to self: next time, arrange futon so that I can watch Veronica fuck him while I’m with his gorgeous wife.

And a confession of sorts: I’ve mentioned another couple we’ve seen several times who reads this blog and has asked that we don’t write about them.  I need to thank them for that. Oh, wait, they’re reading: Thanks guys!  Why am I thanking them?  Because not feeling the ‘obligation’ to remember little details while swapping with another couple has freed my mind to just enjoy the moment.  In the past I’ve caught myself thinking about the blog and how to capture moments, while the moments were still happening.  In retrospect, that has taken away from me fully enjoying myself.

The downside?  Well, I don’t think there is any, at least for me.  But you, dear reader, may not read many more blow-by-blow accounts of encounters with others.  We’ll see.

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I’m working on tomorrow’s edition of Swing Shift.  It’ll probably be posted sometime this evening so came back later if you just can’t wait until tomorrow *gigglesnort*.  And if you have any lifestyle-related questions, don’t be afraid to leave a comment or e-mail me.

Continuing with the little series that started back in May, Kimberly aka The Errant Wife is coordinating another group post to be published on Wednesday.  The goal is to have a different theme each month, always posting on the 15th.  This month the ‘theme’ is “”The Door Shut Behind… (me, you, us)”.  It will be interesting to see how each blogger runs with that start.

Wicked Thoughts

Veronica left earlier this morning with Darling Boy.  She’s taking him on an overnight trip to NYC, leaving me at home with Princess Persistent.  They’re going to visit the the FAO Schwarz store, see the Arms and Armor exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art,  have dinner at Mars2112, and maybe check out the observation deck of the Empire State Building in the evening.  Me? I’ll be home with our 3 yr old until sometime Sunday afternoon and attempting to potty train her.  Wish me luck!  Anyway…

Veronica sends DB out to get in the car and she comes to give me a kiss goodbye.  We kiss, and she whispers in my ear…

Tomorrow night, I want you to try fisting me again and when my pussy can’t take any more, make me your little anal slut…

With that, she walked out the door and departed for the city that never sleeps.

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Yesterday I gave a little glimpse into our date with a new couple on Thursday evening.  Apparently, they really liked us.  They came over last night, once the kids were asleep

I hope everyone has a good weekend, I’m off to figure out what to do with my daughter today!

We’re being watched

I come to a stop at a traffic light, reach over with one arm and pull her head towards mine.

We kiss, deeply, devouring each other, releasing some of the tension that had been building for the last hour.  Who cares about the light, if it turns green and I don’t notice, someone will let us know [drivers here aren't called 'Massholes' for nothing, you know...]

What’s that I hear?  I sounds like people cheering like they’re at a ball game.

I break away from her, open my eyes, and notice the SUV in the next lane over.  Their windows are down and they’re all watching us.  Do they think they’re being obnoxious by cheering or that we would be embarrassed?  Hell no!

She turns, faces them, and blows them a big, theatrical kiss and they smile and laugh.

The light turns green and we head off to our next destination of the night.

“I wonder if they realize that our spouses are in the car in front of us?” I ask

We have a good laugh at that and continue our date…

Have a great weekend!

HNT- No Better Way To Wake Up

Veronica pulls back the covers and takes me into her mouth, coating my morning erection with her saliva.  Being the good naughty bloggers that we are, she had already grabbed the camera and opened the blinds before getting started.  Hey, we needed HNT pictures!

She climbs on and rides me for a few minutes, alternately leaning forward so that I can suck her nipples and moving back for me to take some pictures.  I roll her over and climb on, her legs instinctively wrapping around my waist as I drive deep inside her.  In no time at all I feel my orgasm building and release deep inside her.

I roll off her and pull the covers back up a little bit and she snaps a final picture…

*click-click for an action shot, if you dare*

Veronica is also sharing some pictures from this morning and satisfying the will of the people at the same time.

Visit Osbasso to see who else is participating in the more-or-less half nekkid fun and go to The Other HNT if NSFW nekkidness is your thing.

I Should Have Griped Sooner

On Sunday I wrote about feeling a little restless in the lifestyle, and the desire to find another couple to play with.

No joke, within 36 hrs of publishing that post, 5 different couples contacted us.  Even more surprising is that 3 of them come to us via swinglifestyle, which has been dormant for us for several months.  Let’s consider our prospects together, shall we?

First, there is the young couple from Rhode Island.  And by young, I mean really young!  Like he’s 23 and she’s 22 kinda young.  Plus, they’re both smokers.  So they get a polite rejection.

Then there is the hot hot hot couple.  From 60+ miles away in New Hampshire   Maybe if we didn’t have kids that cost us $15/hr for a sitter we’d consider them, but it’s just not practical.  Which is exactly what I tell them- they’re hot and we’d like to meet, but they’re too far away.

Next, a couple from reasonably close by.  But we’re not just seeing a connection, so we polite reject them.

Oh, this next one is fun, courtesy of Swappernet.  Before I tell you about their message to us, consider this snippet from our profile:

Keep in mind that we have small children and while we have several dependable sitters, sometimes we’re not as free to get out as we would like.

After reading that, what do you think of this message, sent at 4:30PM Sunday?:

Hey guys care to jion us for a night cap tonight ??

Seriously?  Obviously they haven’t even bothered to read our profile.  Then I look at their profile, because I’m curious, and I recognize them, realizing that they’ve sent us the same message before, on Swinglifestyle!  Here is that earlier message, from 3 months ago:

Always looking for late eve night caps ourselves .. if your ever interested !! we can host !! Licks

Apparently, they must think their tactic works, since they’re still using it.  In both cases we deleted their messages without replying.  If they can’t at least read our profile and acknowledge the limitations our kids place on our adult playtime, we won’t give them the courtesy of a reply.  And now that I think about it, did they really think we’d accept an offer to show up at their house without ever talking or meeting first?  Pretty presumptuous, if you ask me.

And then I kid you not, a mere 45 minutes later it happens again:

how was your weekend, we don’t want ours to end…can you guys get out for a drink?

But this time it’s different.  This is a couple that we’ve exchanged several messages with several weeks ago.  We thought there might be a good connection with them and we offered up our phone numbers on more than one occasion.  But they never called, so we though they might have changed their mind.  Apparently not!

I reply, thanking them for the offer, but remind them that we have 2 young kids and getting out on the spur-of-the-moment isn’t practical.  She replies:

I know its hard 4 u guys…but i thought we would try;) will give u a call shortly if its a good time??

She and Veronica ended up having a nice chat on Sunday evening.

And we have a dinner date with them on Thursday

Happy Hump Day!

TMI Tuesday and Suggestions

The suggestions first…

No, I’m not making any, I’d like some.

I was trimming down my Google Reader subscription list and realized that I don’t read many blogs written by other swingers.  I’ve come across a few, but some are annoyingly commercial, others don’t post often enough to keep my interest, and others fade away just as I was getting into them.  I’ve looked at other people’s blogrolls and kept an eye out for suggestions from Reader, but keep seeing the same blogs I’m already reading.  Not that there  is anything wrong with any of you   Any suggestions?

The other thing I’d like to find are other men who tastefully participate in HNT.  13messages is always an inspiration, but besides him, I can’t think of any other men who do nice, artistic HNT pictures.  It’s no secret that I have no problem showing my man-bits, but I strive for my HNTs to be more than that.  As 13messages wrote just yesterday “Nude, but “artsy”, that’s my goal”.  Again, suggestions would be appreciated!

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On to TMI…  If you play or want to see who else is playing, click here!

1. Where was the first place you ever had sex?

Cortland, NY in my off-campus student apartment with Veronica.

2. How often do you lie?

Probably more often than I’d like, though mostly little white lies.  Hey, anyone with young kids knows exactly what I’m talking about!

3. If you could only be one, would you rather be smart or good looking?

What sort of question is this?  Aren’t we all both already?

Seriously, I respect brains more than looks AND believe that brains will get you farther in life.  Celebrity pop-culture notwithstanding…

4. Have you ever passed out or suffered memory loss from drinking too much?

Can you say party school?  I did more than my fair share of drinking when I was younger and have definitely passed out on occasion.  And yes, sometimes I couldn’t remember the events of the evening before when I woke up.  Not something that I’m proud of.  There came a point in my life when I started to see too much of my alcoholic father in myself, so I cut way back.  These days, I’ll buy a 12-pack of beer and it’ll last a month.

5. Top or bottom?

Not that there is anything wrong with being on the bottom and having Veronica [or anyone else...] ride me, but I really enjoy being on top and taking control.

Bonus: Do you have any catalogs for toys/videos/lingerie delivered to your home?

In the age of the internet, why would we?  It’s been ages since an Adam and Eve catalog has shown up in our mailbox.  Though now that I think of it, we receive Victoria’s Secret catalogs on a fairly regular basis.

By the way, it’s week #100 for Tits for Troops so you should definitely pay them a visit.  Veronica and I are there, as usual, as are some very lovely ladies!

Have a good day everyone!  I’m back to work after a 4-day weekend and am NOT looking forward to my inbox when I get in!

Swing Shift Vol 2

We’re going to tackle 2 questions this week.  The first comes courtesy of Barney:

I have a friend who is interested in the lifestyle.. and he’s asked me a few times to join him, and present ourselves to the community as a couple….I’ve had threesomes before, with him, and with another couple.. and I’ve always enjoyed myself. I’m just wondering do you have boundary words? Signs? Say for instance you meet another couple, you’re into the other women, but Veronica isn’t into the man.. or vice versa… how do you go about letting said couple down..and letting your S.O. know?

Great question, Barney.  Veronica and I learned early on to have a code word or phrase.  Before I get into using that, you should understand that she and I never play with another couple on a first date.  We let the other couple know that our preference is to meet someone public for dinner and drinks, get to know them, and see if there is chemistry in-person.  By the time we get to a first date, we’ve usually chatted a few times on-line, and insist on the ladies talking on the phone, at least once.  So we think we like them.  But what if we’re wrong?  It would be really uncomfortable for me to say “Hey, great meeting you, can’t wait to get together again!” while Veronica is thinking “Oh good God no, what the hell is Hubman thinking?!”  Enter the code phrase.

Veronica and I have a great group of young ladies who babysit the kids for us and we’re 100% comfortable leaving the kids with any of them.  So if Veronica says “Excuse me, I need to call and check in with the sitter”, game over.  No matter how into the woman I am, Veronica has just let me know that she’s not into him.

Quick story about our first time using the code phrase.  It was our very first date once we decided to get into the lifestyle!  Our friend SwingerWife is the one who told us about the importance of having a code word, so we were prepared.  As the evening progressed, I was less and less interested in the woman, who had the personality of a lamppost.  Apparently Veronica had similar misgivings about him, because mid-way through the meal she invoked the code phrase.  Thank God, I thought I was going to have to do it myself!

Veronica: Actually the best part of that date was going to Dairy Queen afterward.  Mmmm Thin Mint Blizzard.

Sad, but true, Dairy Queen was the best part of that night…

So that’s how we deal with couples one of us isn’t into.  Obviously for some of you the “I need to call the sitter” line may not be appropriate, but really, the code word or phrase can be almost anything.  Just don’t use it by mistake!!

Thanks for the question Barney!

Our next topic also comes from Barney, as well as Dharma:

Barney said “The first time… was it hard to not get jealous watching another man or woman in Veronica’s case.. pleasure your spouse?”

Dharma said “I don’t know that this question would make Ann Landers blush and it’s not really etiquette, so Emily Post wouldn’t bother, but it’s on my mind today, so I figured I’d ask.

Do you think jealousy or territorial-ness (territorial-ness, really? Is that even a word?) a normal part of opening up a relationship, even a stable, secure, loving relationship? I’m wondering because I find myself glimpsing little flashes of the green-eyed monster in some of my initial, knee-jerk reactions to comments, possible scenarios/encounters and other flirtations, and I’m not a jealous or territorial person, so I’m a little taken aback. I’m not dwelling or stewing, I’m just observing these momentary flashes of feelings and telling myself that it is a perfectly normal part of doing anything new in a relationship, especially when it involves other people.

If you have found that initial sparks of jealousy are normal to those new to the “lifestyle,” how do you think it is best handled? In a relationship where full disclosure is a cherished expectation, does the occasionally jealous partner fully disclose these feelings, even if it is likely to inhibit the other partner, as well as future possibilities? Is it something that should be put on the back burner unless it becomes a larger issue for the partner feeling the uncomfortable emotion?  I guess the question is, should it be dealt with head-on, avoiding the potential for it to grow into something troublesome and possibly unmanageable, or should it be given a moment to pass, avoiding unnecessary discomfort for the partners as a couple?

To address Barney’s question first, our first two experiences were in separate rooms, so watching wasn’t an issue.  Interestingly, what I learned was that I like to watch Veronica with another man and not being able to do so was a mental distraction.  Now, we’re comfortable with either same or different room swap, but at the beginning my curiosity was so strong that being in a different room was difficult for me.  And let’s not even talk about her first time with another woman- I was in another state on a business trip, knowing full well what Veronica was up to at home that day.  She even tortured me with occasional text messages as Sarah introduced her to the joys of girl-girl sex.

But on to the topic of dealing with jealousy, and this time Veronica is going to take the lead addressing this:

Jealousy is a very real emotion and should not be ignored.  I think that while jealousy may creep up occasionally it can be managed.

The 1st way to deal with jealousy is one of our cardinal rules. NO COMPARING YOUR PLAYMATE TO YOUR PARTNER. EVER.  Of course if your playmate was terrible in bed, you can discuss it, but no comparisons.  Has Hubman had sex with women more attractive or bustier than me?  In my opinion, yes.  But you will never hear that from Hubman.

I am sure that the no comparison rule begs the question, “What if your playmate introduces you to something that rocks your world?  If you can’t compare, then what?”

You still don’t compare.  You can say, “Hey B and I tried this position that I would love to experience with you”. But that is about it.

Hubman: We’ve done this.  Veronica mentioned how a woman went down on her and did something no one had done before, which she liked.  So she told me about it.  I wasn’t offended- she learned something about what she likes and shared that with me.  It’s not an indictment of how I go down on her.

Another way to combat jealousy is to have boundaries that you have set together and are comfortable.  For example: In our case only Hubman is allowed in my ass.  It’s something special that we share.  If you and your partner want to keep certain acts, pet names, or phrases between the two of you make sure that you discuss it in advance and stick to it.

The most important way to combat jealousy is to have constant communication lines open.  If you only pick up one thing from reading this blog it should be that communication is extremely important.

If your partner is doing something with their playmate that makes you jealous or uneasy ask them to stop.  Have a gesture that means ‘cut it out’ that the two of you use if you think it will help.

It’s also most important to make sure your partner knows that no matter how much fun the other person is that they are the one that you love and want to spend your life with.  The primary relationship must always remain primary.

If you or your partner has a body image issue, than avoid people that have perfection in the area that you hate about yourself.    If your mummy tummy and stretch marks make you cringe, don’t have sex with a 22 year old hardbody with nary a wrinkle or stretchmark.  If your man feels that his cock is on the small side and is sensitive about it, don’t pick a couple with “monstercock10in” as their username.

Hubman: To a certain extent, I disagree with this.  Veronica has been with men better looking than me (IMHO), without the little spare tire that drives me crazy, and with bigger cocks (not just opinion…).  But at the end of the day, no matter how much she enjoys herself with another man, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I’m the one she loves and wants to spend the rest of her life with.

What I was trying to say is, if all she’s looking for is very well endowed men, for example, that might become an issue.

Hubman: I guess the bottom line for me is that unless you’re 100% comfortable with seeing your partner being pleasured by someone else, tread cautiously if you’re thinking about getting into the lifestyle.  Little pangs of jealousy are fine- acknowledge them, either internally or to your partner, if need be, and move on.  If those feelings of jealousy persist, it’s time for a serious talk with your partner.  Share what is bothering you and recognize that you may need to establish boundaries where none existed before.

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Questions?  Thoughts?  Comments?  Don’t be shy, fire away!  If you’d rather e-mail me and remain anonymous to my readers (if I use your question for a future post), I can be reached at hubman38 at gmail dot com.

Next week, we’ll take on April’s question about men and unexpected performance issues.

Restless- A Confession

Veronica and I haven’t met a new couple since the middle of May.  Sure, there is one couple that we have seen several times since then, and we eagerly look forward to seeing them again.  We’ve maintained all along that we wanted to find a couple we really like and could see again and again, and we really think we’ve found who we were looking for.  But part of me misses the flirtation and courtship, if you will, that goes into finding new playmates.

Just like anyone else, we’re not too keen on being rejected.  As a defense mechanism, for the most part we rely on our profile and accompanying pictures to garner attention, then pick and choose who we think we’d like to get to know better.  Makes it easy to avoid rejection if you’re not the ones making the initial contact.

But I think it’s time to move out of our comfort zone and contact some couples who look good to us.

And I think I know exactly who we should contact- I’ve had my eye on them for a while.  Time to log onto swappernet…

And another confession- I worry what the couple we’ve seen a few times, and look forward to seeing again, will think when they see this post.  Ah, the potential pitfalls of getting involved with a couple who reads the blog.

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As Veronica and I were laying in bed this morning, after starting each of the last 3 days with some early morning loving…

“Let’s not have sex this morning.  I want you pent up all day long so you can give me a big mouthful tonight.”

Yes dear, if you insist

Happy Independence Day

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

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To all of my fellow Americans, Happy Independence Day!

This is what we’ll be watching tonight, albeit on television- the Boston fireworks show, complete with The Boston Pops playing live, culminating with The 1812 Overture. Thank God it’s on TV, because you couldn’t pay me enough to brave the crowds!

I was going to write something about what this day means to me, but given my career choice, it seemed quite self-serving in retrospect.  Those of you who know the ‘real’ me probably know what I’m talking about.

Let’s just say that I’m extremely proud of what I do for a living and contrary to what Veronica writes about today, I don’t need your thanks.  My standard response is “Don’t thank me, I volunteered for this job and it’s my pleasure to serve.”

Is that enough of a hint?