Kobolt’s Red White & Boom Party!
My parents own and run an art studio called Kobolt Design Studios. They design and fabricate, murals, sculptures, artwork…just about anything, honestly. In fact, Dad helped me design the logo that I use for Rules For A Greattastic Life!
In 2006, Mom and Dad bought a new building for the studio near downtown. At the time it was in a very sketchy area, but the building itself was exactly what they were looking for. The building is about a mile from a place called COSI (Center of Science Industry). Every year on July 3rd, at 10 p.m, fireworks are launched from a spot near COSI, in an event that is called Red, White, and Boom! That year knowing that Red, White & Boom was happening, Dad had an idea!
Dad took a 9-year-old me, my 7-year-old brother Ryan, and our neighbor and family friend Steven and his girls, to the studio at about 9:45. He pulled out a tall metal ladder and leaned it against the side of the building. We all climbed up the ladder with Steven and his girls first, Ryan second, me third, and Dad last.
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My legs were shaking the whole time I was climbing up because...it was terrifying! We got to the roof just in time. I'd seen fireworks before, but I'd never seen fireworks from that high before! It was so cool, especially for a 9-year-old!
From that point on we went studio each year, slowly growing the number of people that came as we went. By the third year Mom was coming, we had invited another family, and we had upgraded from a ladder to a scissor lift. At one point so many people were coming that the next year we had to downsize the guest list because Mom was getting worried that there were too many people on the roof. I usually run the scissor lift, and it's really fun for me because sometimes, I stopped the scissor lift midway down, yell, “Oh crap!”, and scare everyone half to death!
Obviously, because of COVID-19, Red White & Boom is not happening this year, which really, really stinks! The whole situation in general stinks… but now it's messing with a family tradition, and it just throwing me off. All I can do is hope and pray that next year this is all gone, and we can once again go to the Kobolt Red White & Boom Party!
Have a Greattastic Independence Day and be Safe!
J. Mitchie Ulibarri
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