Dear Penelope,

I totally did go to the roseparade. Sat comfortably in a lawn chair about 10ft from the curb at mile 5. And it was a good sort of lowkey notsofancy thing as much as it seems more. After all its just a small town affair. As staci pointed out by the end of the parade all the veneer is gone, floats have broken down for good and are being towed, one of the giraffe necks on the humor float refused to work and was broken in the down position, the ship float refused to sail, jack from jacknthebox didn't reappear as we saw him from down the way, the skateboard dog was tired and going to take a nap, the tuba player that looked really peeked collapsed not 100ft from the finish line and the marching bands went around the support vehicle loading the tuba, we could see which schools didn't train, weren't really ready. You could see in passing vehicles who didn't make it. And the flag girls dragging their flags. We cheered for all the cleaning crews picking up horse poo and of course we stood and applauded the veterans, and the heros and the olympians. I might have even choked back sentiment at one point. It was star-studded this year. Of course Jack Hannah was my personal favorite and he was on my side of the float and Jackie Chan. For our enthusiasm we were thrown a couple of roses from various hot guys in cowboy hats and there was a particularly attractive fireman on one of the floats. I may have said Yummy, loud enough to be heard by the guy in front of me, but i just explained i was hungry, and you know, and those poor haggard float people need to hear our cheers and jumps of glee even on the 5mile mark.

New Years Eve I went to bed at 10. I did not go to game night and I woke up around 8am thinking I wasn't going to make it to Joanna's house in time but then i thought, well she is moving to New York, I will never have another friend a block from the parade route again... if you look at the group pic, the two dudes surprised in front of us were part of a group of guys who do guy things like camping out for days and guarding their grass spot. It started back in November as they floured the space divisions on the meredian, then became a vigil nights prior, which is held every year by Joanna's neighbor. We even met the woman who had lived in J's house previous.

So by the end the sun is blazing in the low 80's we're sure and we're thinking how many more floats? I'm thanking God my base layer was a tanktop. And julie is complaining that i'm invading her personal space because our armchairs are too close, constantly. I start yelling louder and louder for everyone that passes- good job band guy! hang in there dancing girl! pretty horses! i love clydesdales! i get a couple phonecalls just as the cymbals start clambering and the drums are drumming. Woo hoo! Go! Dancers Go!

I made it home after a walk around BalboaParkLake and some take out from Wendys. A fire was blazing in the place, i cut out fabric squares for pillows and was very opininated about Sarahs dress, who stayed to help usher in a pretty relaxed and lovely end to the day. We watched District9 and UP! and called it a day... Cathy says i get like a billion points for being early morning social- and said, that whatever I did on NewYears Day was indicative of what I would be doing for the year- so to sum up lets see: showing up for friends, annoying people, being enthusiastic, hauling items in lolly for notruckfriends, doing random things, getting into nature, exclaiming: I love geese!, watching too many movies, staying up late, doing craft projects, trying new things like tasty acornsquashseeds, getting gifts, eating chocolate, having fastfood, and possibly a little fruit and vegetable in there somewhere, drinking tea and hot cocoa, and mimosas... my my its going to be quite a year.

Tomorrow I totally promise to in some way encapsulate '09. I made a list and notes and everything. Today its more pillows, glitter candles and sunshine.
xo, m.