42 commercials for the Terminator
8 Grateful Dead songs
4 Monsanto Round-Up commercials
11 dead deer
50+ other roadkill
10 discussions on the crimes of Verizon
300 seating capacity in the Buffet Star
137 est. menu choices @ Buffet Star outside Binghamton, NY
32± Tom Petty songs heard on SiriusXM
3 tomato plants in brother’s garden – he used to grow many more
50x witnessing winning goal by US women in World Cup final against Germany
0 stories on TV or in print about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
9 times heard the story about killer sharks off the Atlantic coast
12 stories on the danger of fireworks
1 car break-in
8 Bruce Springsteen songs
13 different cereal boxes on top of the fridge
2 dog paws on my left knee
1 Freedom Is Not Free blanket
21 properties lined with a profusion of small American flags July 4, 2 hours along US 26 South
3 lb. bag of Hofman Natural Casing [Lamb] German Brand Franks
15 meals under $10 at Ruby tuesdays
2538 [est.] Pucker-Ups [multi-color] in mall vending machine
100,000 pairs of shoes at Shoe Department Encore in Johnson City [didn’t count them; I’m not crazy]
58 pimped, shiny vintage 60s-70s muscle cars in better condition than teeth of wife & kids]
12 TV ads announcing Joan Jett & the Blackhearts at Spiedie Fest & Balloon Rally
6 pick-up trucks with confederate flags in back windows – some with gunracks
23 mattress sale commercials: July 4th weekend is the time for mattress sales [Why remains unclear to us]
3 spatulas counted while my brother admits selling mattresses at 1 point in his life
3 reasons why hi-ticket items are not an impulse buy, according to my brother.
3-day weekend allows consumers to think before buying. Families shop together.
2 strange flashing lights in the distance – maybe another car accident
• LIST FULL: List Poems of Necessary Orderliness (Spuyten Duyvil, 2021)
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bart plantenga