Finally, after the past couple years have been at the North Port High School due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we got to have the 4th of July celebration back at the Atlanta Braves Spring Training Complex. Of course, yours truly, as well as the rest of my crew from Garden State Fireworks - which included the Disney crew, as well as members who drove in from Lakeland, Gainesville and Daytona Beach - were there to set off the Independence Day Fireworks for people to enjoy. It was nice being back at my first location, and if you're wondering why my crew had to come in from so far away, it's because we all have to have our ATF clearance to be doing this entirely legit, not some backwoods setup.
Ranking up to one of the senior crew members for the location, we had some first timers that had to learn the ropes of pyrotechnics. Good thing I like to teach. Great thing I have tremendous students.
My newbies were impressed mostly by the kitchen hookup, as Jennifer said, "I will always remember this location as having the best food ever." Yes, the best thing about the Braves Stadium is the kitchen staff if you ever get a chance to meet and greet them, as they do more than an amazing job. With a variety of multicultural chefs to vary up the menu, the extent of what they offer on a whole is more than impressive, but each day, the food is simply amazing, as they can even make green beans and Brussel sprouts taste phenomenal, which says something when a chef can get average people to eat their greens, and it also says something when the place is picked up spotlessly every night, just to give a shout out to the staff behind the scenes that most people might forget about, but not me: keep rockin'!
There's so many behind the scenes, from the Fire Marshall, Peter, that is cool enough to give us tips and tricks of the trade, while sharing some of his stories from back in the day. In New England, he recalled how rookie firefighters were hazed by people pouring water in their boots and freezing them, but when you have to try to respond to a fire, and your boots are frozen, it's no joke. Recalling injuries from firemen's poles and tales from his years working with fire, the danger is eminent and real.
Pyro leaves no room for errors. If you mess up, it could be like a bomb going off. People can die.
They say like 10% of pyrotechnics die each year. It's very dangerous. That's why I like it.
I saw Top Gun yesterday. My buddy looked over and asked if I was sleeping through it, being so exhausted after a few days of set up and tear down from the fireworks at the Braves complex. Though I might have thought about sleeping, I did not doze off too much that I know of, but it left my friend, a former commercial airline pilot, saying, "you must not be as much of an adrenaline junkie as I am."
Oh yeah? Why was I in a wheelchair? Jumping more than 100 feet off the side of a mountain into a river.
Going bungee jumping naked for free over the North Sea at sunset after learning how to walk again, just to face my lingering fears from the cliff diving accident? Nah, that and blowing stuff up must not count in the adrenaline junkie club. Not sure how I woulda got lumped into that crowd, maybe from my days fighting Mixed Martial Arts before jumping off the side of the mountain, maybe that's more like it?
Regardless, I was there at the Braves Complex on Monday, dressed in my navy blue jumpsuit, complete with fire resistant hood with only my glasses showing like Kenny from South Park, as it's safety first, not so much about fashion. I love that some of my students were able to see it, as well as all the rest of the people who came to the free event that had all kinds of music from Maiden Cane - with an incredible sound system I might add. It's always great to have a free event that will fit into anyone's budget to provide a good, social atmosphere, complete with music to inspire dancing.
Was the show good? I was at post with a fire extinguisher while trying to film a bit. Check it out:
Don't mind my chatter in the background of the videos. That's how you know it's really me, and not just some imposter trying to pretend to be me (again). Get your authentic pyro videos here and at outlandishwriter.com
No comments:
Post a Comment