Rose Parade!!

I grew up in Southern California.. and to anyone from Southern California New Year's Day means ONE Thing (and no it's not the Rose Bowl)!! It means ROSE PARADE.. or more properly the Tournament of Roses Parade! This is such an awesome parade they named a football bowl after it!!

Every year on New Year's day (except when New Year's falls on Sunday) millions of people gather to watch the parade.. and honestly that's just on the streets of Pasadena, let alone those who watch it in TV. In our house, it's an almost sacred tradition. 

Now in the Midwest, we get HORRID TV coverage of it and the paraded gets cut off for various football games.. yeah can you believe it? But in California the parade actually loops all day long on some channels. Missed it the first time? No Problem it will be on again and again and again.. Of course today's commentators are such idiots they think we want to know about them, their kids, their opinions, their dogs, anything but the Parade which may be why viewing has been so bad over the past few years. *sigh* I will be forced to listen to Al Roker again this year and watch them NOT talk about the floats or the parade.. 

What people just don't realize is the precise planning and detail that is involved in each float. It takes hours and hours and hours of time to meticulously place each individual seed, every single part of the float MUST be covered in some sort of plant material. Do you get what that means? It is an awe inspiring process. I was lucky enough to work on the parade when I was in HS and College and loved every minute of it. 

My children grew up watching the parade with me and when Word Girl was about 8 or 9 she started asking if she could go out and work on the parade. When she was in the 8th grade she finally got the opportunity. My mom brought both Word Girl and PITA Boy out to do it. She went back two years later with a friend. Blond Girl has wanted to go for years but things keep interrupting her plans. But I am thinking she will get there eventually. It is a great tradition and something I think everyone should do if they get the chance!

This year no one is working it.. although Word Girl is out in California but we will still sit and watch the parade and yell at the stupid commentators and oooo and ahhhh at the gorgeous floats.. Even if it is a day late.

Happy New Year's ALL!!