Friday at lunch, my deskmate Linda and I sneaked out to Fiesta Floats in Irwindale to get a peek at the float building for the Rose Parade. We lucked out because there was actually a media event going on for the Nature's Balance float, which honored the military and military dogs. Tillman, the bulldog known for skateboarding and surfing, was in a military jacket and sniffing around the blooms in between posing for photos. We also met Lucca, a dog that had lost a leg to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan while working with our military. She looked good and seemed very pleased with all the attention.
The floats were interesting. I especially liked the Dr. Seuss float being built by Kaiser Permanente. It fit the parade theme - "Oh the places you will go" - and had a lot of bold color.
I went to the Rose Parade's Equifest on Saturday and wow! were the horses and riders spectacular. It was cold in the arena, as it was raining, but the cover kept the crowd dry and they didn't lack for enthusiasm.
Equifest is a great way to see what the equestrian groups in the parade actually do. They can't really perform stunts or show off their riding skills down Colorado Boulevard, but in the arena it's no holds barred. Each group was given time to perform. There was a sword fight, gun shooting demos, a woman riding five horses at one time, women doing acrobatics moves on horses, complicated choreographies and more. The event proved that not all the pagentry and beauty is on parade day... And yes, I would go to the event again.
After Equifest, my friend Dean and I went to Fry's Electronics in Burbank. He needed to shop and I discovered the fun eatery-- it's set up like a drive-in with cars you can sit in and watch a sci fi movie on a big screen. I sipped coffee and enjoyed "Mars Attacks." The store is lush with sci fi fun, from big ants and martians to spaceships and Darth Vader... did I mention Darth and I did coffee?
Sunday I went to Vroman's and caught Uggie's booksigning. The Jack Russell terrier star of "The Artist" was pitching his autobiography and kissing anyone who bought his book.
Monday was New Year's Eve, but I had an exciting work day. I was asked to do a live web chat with 2007 Rose Princess Danielle Vines. She was very nice and I think I did OK for my first time. I tried to ask questions that were interesting and hopefully kept things going well enough for those who joined in.
I kept thing quiet in the evening as I got up super early so I could join Dean in Pasadena by 5:30 in the morning. We wandered along the float lineup on Orange Grove and did his live webcast, getting interviews and describing what we were seeing. From there, we made our way to the grandstands on the corner of Colorado Boulevard. This is "TV Corner," where all the special things happen.
I had never sat in the grandstands nor had I ever been anywhere near this spot for the Rose Parade before and it was awesome. I enjoyed seeing the floats in action, hearing the bands and just being a part of it all. It was funny, though, as the parade seemed to go by fast, but in reality it was more than two hours long.
Later I found out that I was on the television broadcasts, waving one of the checkered flags given to the crowd for when Disney's Carsland float made its way down the road. Pretty cool!
The rest of my week was filled with interviews. I spoke with local artist Adrian Santos, singer/songwriter James Hurley and actress Angela Bullock. And as for this weekend, I'll be taking adventure as it comes.
In rotation this week: Dethclok, Britney Spears, Terrible Things and Owl City.
Photos we got 'em: Tillman, Lucca and friends at Fiesta Floats, me at Fry's with my new friend Darth Vader and sitting in the drive-in and a funny pet pic from the web.
Thought o' the week: Treasure the sun. You can take this a couple of ways-- literally and attitude-wise.
Literally. I came back from warm Hawaii to a rainy cloudy California. It's been cold and I have had to bundle up to go out. But today I actually took off my jacket and gloves. The sun felt good on my back and face. The warmth was heavenly. I don't rue the rain, as we need it, but I definitely would enjoy the temp just a tad higher.
Attitude-wise. The holidays can get me in a funk. It's a tough time for me (like a lot of people) and I tend to get a bit down. This year, my trip definitely helped keep my mood up and it also made me aware of how much better life is if you keep yourself cheery all the time. It can be hard, but treat yourself with little things, like a nice bubble bath or a few minutes with a good book, whatever makes you perk and relish it.
I'm sure you smart readers have lots of other takes on my thoughts, but I'll keep it simple for now. Let those warm rays hit your face and make you smile- inside and out. Treasure the sun and
Keep on rockin'
Mickie
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment