Jane’s Journal Page Notes:
I like my bed to be outside under a tree

Journal entry:
Float Decorating was lovely. We went to Irwindale and the Rose Bowl area & saw three different sites. One I remember from the 1980 because the public walks on a catwalk around the outside above the floor. The access for us was the floor itself -- roped off, of course -- so we could talk to the workers & see close up both the application of flowers, etc., and the preparation of blossoms and leaves before they were applied. Plus we happened to be in Irwindale while Ty Pennington was doing an appearance, and in Pasadena while the crew from The Love Boat was doing a photo shoot by the Princess Cruises float. BONUS.

We ate lunch & bought souvenirs on our way back to the bus. Beast had a brat & I had a "cholo bowl"--essentially all the guts of a burrito without a tortilla. Yum! We saw some "fancy" cars, too: KITT, a Batmobile, etc. And the Humane Society was there with doggies so I got to pet some of them. Oh, and I picked up free stuff at the U.S. Forest Service booth for people at work.

Once back on the bus we headed to Band Fest. By the time we got off the bus, it was much windier and cool. We hit the stadium and not 2 minutes after the honor band hit the field it started to drizzle. By the time the second band came out, it was full-on raining. We lasted through one more band & then headed back to the bus, drenched. There's something about me/us sitting in football stadiums that causes rainfall .... :\

Anyway, once we got back, Beast took the wet clothes to the guest laundry and dried them. He only has the one jacket with him, so it was kind of necessary.

We ate at Akbar's last night. Good Indian food. Beast had chicken tikka and I had biryani with chicken, shrimp & lamb. The kitchen was smaller than ours at home & frankly scary as hell with flames periodically leaping 3 feet from the stove. :)

So that was yesterday.


Today we slept in a bit before catching the tail end of breakfast. Then we dithered some more about whether we wanted to go to the Huntington Museum/Library/Gardens or not. We decided on "not" & instead wandered down Colorado Blvd. to Orange Grove to scope out our seats [for the parade]. We discovered some kind of vintage car thing is going on today, so took pictures of several that passed in front of us. Then we walked back to Old Town & found a coffee bar to sit down. People were setting up chairs, small tables & generally getting ready to camp out overnight. Spotted a guy selling cotton candy & another with hand warmers. It's supposed to bottom out at at about 30 degrees tonight. Coldest ToR parade in (depends on who you ask) years, or ever.

Anyway, Beast decided to see if he could find a deli or grocery store for snacks while I wandered back to the hotel. I need to delete some photos or something from my phone, but I can't figure out how to do it. Neither can Beast. Maybe I'll try again now that I've caught this up. I'm sitting in the hotel lobby watching people while Beast uses the business center -------never mind, he just sat down by me again. I think we're headed up to our room. It's about 2:20 We have dinner reservations at 6 at The Meat District, so the interim is probably going to involve nappage, football game-watching (also available here in the lobby with some folks from our tour group) and recharging electronics. Maybe working on pics. And Beast's off to Starbucks across the lobby ....

Jane’s Journal Page Notes:
I like my shower to be overlooking the sea

Journal entry:
The L.A. Freeways suck. Mostly the guy driving us took surface streets though which was interesting and seemingly just as fast.

We knew we'd be too early to check in at the hotel, so we got on their list to call when a room was available & then got our swag from the tour people along with a lunch recommendation, and left our bags in the hotel storage area while we went exploring. Old Town Pasadena is delightful. Loads of restaurants and shops with the occasional Big Box (Pottery Barn, The Container Store) mixed in. We ate at King Taco -- amazing food! Big portions! Then we went looking for a place to buy pop & found a mini-mart (a la gas station) about 4 blocks from our hotel. We didn't buy anything just yet -- no place to put it and not sure of room amenities.

Back at the hotel we discovered that instead of the check-in time being 3 it's actually 4 & still no rooms were ready. We hung out till 3:30 then Beast went & checked again -- they had promised to call but ... really? Dozens of people were getting rooms! Beast told them we had a reception to be a by 4 & (a different) person got us sorted out immediately. We're literally steps from the elevator, next to the stairs, but haven't heard much noise at all.

So we met Dave & Nancy at the reception. Good food. The room wasn't ever full so we didn't get a chance to chat with others, be did get a look at quite a few of our group. Interesting mix, more young people than I expected.

After that we headed back out for pop & snax -- OMG so full tho! -- and found it much more crowded on the streets. I'm sure i'ts going to get much worse this week. On the way back we stopped for ice cream. Yum.

Back to the room & then bed. Should discuss swag:
Blankets
Caps
Pins
Program for parade
Program for game
Misc tickets for reception & breakfast

Now headed out to Float Decorating this morning and Band Fest this afternoon -- preceded by breakfast here. Busy day!

Up @ 9 or so -- Beast went to the breakfast buffet before they close to get us food -- lazy start with shower & breakfast in our room. Then we took a walk along the breakwater. Lots of folks out & about: fishing, wakeboarding, dog-walking ... working, but still quiet enough to hear sea lions and water lapping. We're both sweaty now that we're back in the room. No more jackets today! Kid outside is using the echo of the building to "throw" his voice. Cute. It's lovely here; can see why people want to be here. Read [the local paper] on the balcony just now, till my leg started to bake in the sun. Writer's cramp - more from Pasadena.

Jane’s Journal Page Notes:
Earth Dream
I immerse myself in earth's elemental glory waiting for her
To touch me. Her winds that have swept distant oceans
Come home to hold me gently. I imbibe her richness in my blood,
I bathe my soul in her waters, I feed my spirit in her foliage
Her nature makes me whole.
At night she invites me to her palace, the sky, and gives me
Stars to play with and a moon to ponder the universe,
Her final gift will be my consciousness and I shall become
One with her.

Journal entry:
Wow--10 years ago last summer Ben & Marguerite got married! Things have happened since then for sure. Right now wee're on an airplane headed west to LAX where we will be seeing The Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl on Thursday.

Sparky drove us to [the airport] with no difficulties at all--apparently it is my trip to panic about, having done so the last two days (evenings). No real clue what that was about... Anyway, Sparky is on his own for the next 5+ days and will pick us up late Friday when we arrive back hom.

It's weird: neither Beast nor I is experiencing a lot of excitement (butterflies, woo-hoo) about the trip. I'm excited right now because we're in First Class both ways, so I get space to move & breathe. The flight attendant just brought us the scented towels for cleaning up/refreshing. It occurs to me that Alitalia passes out wrapped towelettes to everyone, even in economy. ... ANYHOW. Lovely. I had a cup of tea when we got on board which was quite civilized, except for being served in a paper cup instead of china. :-)

We're staying in Redondo Beach tonight quite close to the ocean. Looking forward to that! Hoping to get to see Angel--former coworker of mine--today too. Then tomorrow we head to the group hotel for the tour -- in Pasadena.

I need to stop. Not used to writing so much and I've got writer's cramp already!

Ready for Bed

After about 20 minutes' wait at LAX, we caught our Super Shutting -- booked after we landed and went to the United Club -- we were off to Redondo Beach. The whole trip took about 30 minutes. Our room has a tiny balcony, and like 80% of the rooms here, a view of the Bay (maybe it's a breakwater?) & ocean beyond.

It's probably 60 during the day, but cooled rapidly as evening approached. Still, we walked about 2 blocks to a seafood place where we met Angel & had a really nice dinner & chat.

Oh, and we watched the Packers win the NFC North again this year. It's only 7:00 at home, but I'm ready to sleep for sure. Maybe will read for awhile tho so I'm not up at 4. :) More tomorrow from Pasadena.