Pasadena and Hawaii

Old friends.  Sat on a park bench like bookends. Right rear: Denise and Dave McCarthy.   Front Right: Tom Santacrose.   Left rear: Jan Conti.  Left middle: Carol Santacrose.  Left front: Me Everyone in the picture has known each other since before our babies were born.  Reunion held at Eddy's Spaghetti in Glendora. Later this evening we are going to take in the ambience and food at another Glendora establishment. Tomorrow, up early.  We have to be in our parking lot by 6am.  They want us in our seats by 7am.  Parade starts at 8am PST. Despite it being in Pasadena the weather here is brisk.  Winds are gusty and temperatures in the morning will be in the forties.  I brought a winter hat, gloves and other layers. After the parade, probably about noon, we are heading to LAX and flying to Honolulu.

Just a little outside (do your best Bob Uecker) Los Angeles is The Getty.  The brainchild and passion of J. Paul Getty, who at one time was the wealthiest man on the planet.  People who amass that kind of fortune often possess dark sides.  It makes me believe that they create these marvelous public spectacles as an act of contrition. Perched on a hilltop opposite Mount Saint Mary's, The Getty is a very large museum.  Also noteworthy, Mount Saint Mary's is another liberal arts college founded by the Sister's of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, the same order that founded The College of Saint Rose. Looking across the valley at the college I thought, "what a spectacular view of Mount Saint Mary's."  Then I realized, they own a spectacular view of The Getty! Inside all these structures are some very valuable and beautiful works of art.  You are permitted to take pictures of them as long as you turn off the flash.  I am not ...

View from our hotel room because.... Jan!

You need to get up pretty early in the morning to put one over on .... No not that platitude.  You need to get up pretty early in the morning to make it from the east coast to the west coast.  We were up at 3am but used our flying time to nap periodically. After settling affairs at LAX (renting a car from Avis) we charge into Los Angeles for some Korean BBQ and then we drifted over to Pasadena to watch them put together the floats for the Rose Parade. The parade organization sets up a warehouse across the street from the Rose Bowl stadium where some of the floats are put together.  There are float sponsors who prefer to prepare in secrecy, but the half dozen in this warehouse let you watch everything.  Our friend Mary owned a floral business at one time.  She told us stories about how difficult it was to get flowers from wholesalers in the weeks around the Tournament of Roses festivities.  This collection of Roses is for one float.  It'...