Full of Grace

It's been a difficult week or so for some of my loved ones.  My best friend's mom passed away last week after an 18-month battle with lung cancer, and her funeral took place today.  


Like in all families in my culture, anyone that is the age of my parents is an Auntie or Uncle, depending on their gender, of course, and it didn't matter if you remembered them or not.  But with Auntie Nancy, it was different for me and Bro.  Auntie Nancy and Uncle Romy were my parents' friends since the time that they moved here from the Philippines, back in the early 1970s.   When I met them, I was 6 years old, and their daughter, Michelle, was 2.  So I had nothing in common with her.  Whatever, they were friends with my parents, and we had gatherings every month or so, thanks to Jenn's parents, who had introduced our families to each other.  


Time went by, and eventually, Michelle's family and my family grew closer as we would take camping trips with other families.  Our 2 families had the same interest of venturing out farther than the California border, and Michelle's family eventually bought a motor home in which to travel in style.  I remember the excitement we shared when Uncle Romy showed it to our family, and made plans to eventually get a boat.  That boat thing never actually happened, but we were happy nonetheless.  Before the motor home, we shared a huge tent, and sometimes Mich and I would just share a pup tent so we could giggle all night.  With the motor home, we had to giggle a little bit quieter, but were always the last to go to sleep after watching the campfire and giggling outside.


We didn't just hang out in the summer: we saw each other on many weekends just to spend time together, and we also shared the big holidays together. Since we were spending so much time with Michelle's family, it was inevitable that Michelle and I would grow closer.  We were both boy crazy and talked about our crushes and boyfriends and shared our heartaches with each other.  We became best friends, and I have Auntie Nancy and my mom to thank for forcing us to spend time together.   Oh, yes, of course, and our dads, who just loved driving to all of the different national parks and entertaining us with their corny jokes.  Our families were bonded for life.


Then things happened and a divorce got in the way, but Michelle and I remained close, as did Auntie Nancy, Janice (Mich's sis), and my family.  Bro stayed with them for part of the time that he was doing an apprenticeship in Temecula.  I stayed over several times, and remember being there on the morning of the Northridge earthquake, shaking away and trying to find door jambs.  Auntie Nancy always opened her house for everyone to stay, no matter how crowded the bedrooms became.


Yes, our families had quite the history together.  When my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer, she wanted it kept quiet, but I was too distraught and confided in Michelle.  Their family supported us all the way until her remission.  Then Auntie Nancy was diagnosed, and her disease was far more advanced than my mom's had been when it was discovered.  The prognosis wasn't good, but Auntie Nancy fought with all of her might up until the very end.  When I thought about her the night that she passed, I wept when I thought of how unfair it was that my best friend does not get to have her mom around anymore, due to the same disease that my own mom survived.  I am truly blessed that my mom's cancer was caught at a very early stage and could be treated.  I pray that she stays cancer-free.  But Michelle doesn't get to go to her mom for advice about her kids, and she doesn't get to hear her mom call her for dinner anymore.  My heart breaks for her.


Auntie Nancy had a wonderful soul.  Living up to her name, which, in Hebrew, means "full of grace",  she was always gentle and smiling, even when she was scolding us kids for doing whatever foolish thing we did.  When I would talk with her, I always felt like she was on my side, even though maybe she was actually sympathizing with my mom instead.  It was just that sweet smile of hers (but don't worry, Mich, I never told her our secrets). She left behind two beautiful daughters, and 2 grandchildren.  She lived a full life, full of friends and happiness and wonderful memories.


I told Michelle last night that one of my favorite memories of her mom is this: whenever we went on one of our trips, there would come a point when it was time to eat a snack.  Auntie Nancy would take out the Tupperware, open it, and offer us her delicious mamon cupcakes.  They were tasty and just sweet enough (no icing or anything: just cake) to satisfy a sweet craving.  Whenever I see mamon, I think of Auntie Nancy and our camping trips.


The picture below was taken in 1986, at Zion National Park.  Auntie Nancy is in the pink tank top, and for some reason, I joined in their family picture.  I guess printed bermuda shorts were the style those days!  That was a memorable trip for us, as Mich and I had to deal with being homesick because we missed our boyfriends.  Thank goodness our parents knew better than us and took us to see Zion, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, Salt Lake City, Devil's Tower, Mount Rushmore, and the Grand Canyon with the Yabut family.  That was a fantastic trip.  It is due to this trip that Bryce Canyon is one of my favorite places in the world, mainly because of the wonderful memories of that summer.

Sher and the Vidals -- July 20, 1986

Thank you, Auntie Nancy, for your gentle spirit.  Thank you for all of the memories of camping and karaoke and all of the laughter we shared.  But most of all, thank you for giving birth to my very best friend.  I'll miss you dearly.

Voice Battles s2r1

No, I won't be blogging about every episode of NBC's "The Voice".  First of all, if I started now, I'd have a lot of catching up to do.  Secondly, this ain't a cappella.


I just wanted to post these 2 videos for posterity, because I was very impressed by both of these battles.


First, Cheesa vs. Angie, in "Total Eclipse of the Heart".



Then came Jesse vs. Anthony, in "If I Ain't Got You".  I wish these 2 would be released as singles, and not just available by the winning artist.





I'm glad that I didn't have to choose in these battles.  Wow.

DLR LotD 03/04/12

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Sunday, March 4, 2012


"Isn't that the name of one of those new buddy cop shows?" -- Mox, in Downtown Disney, regarding Yak Butter and Milk Fish

When My Favorite Bands Collide

Fellow Pella fan and NKOTB fan Aura shared this video with me, and I giggled a LOT.


O. M. G.


In case y'all didn't know, CSL4 fronted a rock band at Tokyo Disneyland before he joined Rockapella. Since that was in the late '80s, one of the popular bands at the time was New Kids on the Block.  You know that cover bands in theme parks play popular songs, right?  Well, here is the rock band Horizon, singing some '80s hits in Tokyo DIsneyland.





Yup, there you are, CSL4 at about 4:35, rocking out as a New Kid.  I love his hair! The fashion cracks me up, too.


I especially love that he did the moves from the NKOTB video.  


Thank you for sharing, Aura!

DLR LotD One More Disney Day

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One More Disney Day Edition - 2012


Wednesday, February 29, 2012
"I'm a snow cone.  You could lick the back of my head." -- Cindy, at the esplanade between DCA and DL


Thursday, March 1, 2012
"Should be at home." -- Sherry, several times, while pointing at various children in Disneyland

High-Kickin' It

I know, I know.  Here I am, writing about an a cappella group, and it's not Rockapella, and I still haven't written about Napa.  That will come in due time.


Last night, I saw Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the Lewis Family Playhouse in Rrrrrancho Cucamonga.  If you're not familiar with the Spike Lee documentary "Do It A Cappella", you may have heard them on Paul Simon's "Graceland" CD.  I haven't seen them perform live before.


LBM is a South Afircan group founded by Joseph Shabalala back in 1960.  He's still the leader of the group, and can still do a few high kicks! Amazing.


I don't know most of the song titles, so I won't be doing a set list for this show.  

•   I like the soothing tone of their voices.
•   I loved seeing the dancing and the kick lines.  They kick high!  I would have fallen down trying to do those moves.
• Two guys in the front row (I was in the 2nd row) were obviously big fans, and were encouraging the guys to kick higher.  Later on, when Joseph Shabalala was pointing to people in the audience to join them on stage, these two guys went up there and danced, too.  They couldn't kick as high as the guys in LBM, but I applauded their efforts.  Two other men joined them on stage and tried to do the kicks, too.  That whole part was funny.
• They were promoting their Grammy-nominated CD, "Songs from a Zulu Farm", so we got to hear songs about a rooster, a duck, and a bad donkey, among others.  I bought that CD.  
• The only song that I was familiar with during the show was "Homeless", which they had sung on the "Graceland" CD.
• For their encore, they asked us to sing along if we knew the song.  It ended up being "Old Macdonald had a farm."  
• I really liked the shirts that they wore after intermission, because they had different animals on the lower portion, as well as on the back, covering their butt.  I was amused by the lion butts.
• Joseph's youngest son, Thamsanqa, seems to be the one that's being groomed to take over the leadership of the group.  He's cute!  I liked how he smacked his own butt when he danced at one point.  
• One of the guys kept acting like he was in pain from all of the moves, but he did end up doing some high kicks later on.  He signed my CD.
• i wish I knew all the guys names, so that I could write down the names of the 2 guys that signed my CD.  At this moment, you can see the picture on their home page.  The 2 guys that signed were the guy on the right of the top row, and the 2nd guy from the right in the bottom row.

I was able to go out for dessert at The Cheesecake Factory with Jeff and Wendy, who had volunteered at the theatre that night.  None of us actually had cheesecake.  But the Godiva Chocolate Brownie Sundae was quite yummy.  Thanks for the company, J&W!

Quelle heure est-il?

I was going to see "Midnight in Paris" in the theater, but just figured I might as well rent the DVD from Redbox on this one, too, since it would be cheaper and the viewing time would be much more flexible.

• I haven't seen a lot of Woody Allen movies, so I didn't really have any preconceived notions about seeing this film, which is a good thing.  At first, I didn't get it, then the clock struck 12, and I said aloud, "Ohhh."
• Well, of course Owen Wilson plays a screenwriter. It's a Woody Allen movie!  I do know that he likes to write about writers.
• "I see...a rhinoceros."  I heart Adrien Brody.
• I loved the scenery.  I want to go to Paris and walk in the rain at night.
• Oh, dude, I was annoyed by the annoying Paul practically immediately.  I don't know how any of the characters could stand to listen to him at all.  I know he was written to be that way, and I'm glad that I don't have to hang out with anyone like that.  I usually like Michael Sheen, so this is some good acting (and makeup) where I didn't even recognize him.
• I liked hearing the Cole Porter tunes integrated in the score.
• I don't know much about art history or literature, really, but I smiled whenever I figure out who each famous person was. The other ones just flew over my head.
• Kathy Bates as Gertrude Stein: awesome.
• Totally loved Corey Stoll as Hemingway.  Spot on how I thought Hemingway actually acted.
• "What is it with this city?  I need to write a letter to the Chamber of Commerce."

I enjoyed this movie (pssst....it involves time travel, how could I not?).  It also has Salvador Dali being surreal.  I would totally see this again, probably several times.

All nine of the Oscar Best Picture nominees have been viewed.  I'm looking forward to the ceremony.

Winning By The Numbers

Part 2 of Brad Pitt day:  "Moneyball".

• I think that I like baseball movies more than I actually like baseball.
• I was worried that I'd have to think too much about math when Pete started talking, but they didn't go into too much detail. I can do math, I just didn't want the movie to be all about it.
• I liked the relationship between Billy and his daughter, especially the scene in the music store.
• Brad Pitt, why must you still look good as you age so beautifully?  Sigh.
• Interesting story on the DVD about Stephen Bishop actually being a baseball player and idolizing David Justice, whom he portrayed in the movie.
• I think it's weird to have a meeting with people sitting behind you while you're looking at the guy holding the meeting.  It felt to me like it was rude for Billy to have his back to the rest of the Indians' scouting staff. But I guess that's a power thing.
• I didn't realize that was Phillip Seymour Hoffman at first, maybe because of the lack of hair.
• I like how Billy strategized with the players once he had their respect. That's when I thought he finally looked like a true leader.
• "How can you not get romantic about baseball?"
• "I hate losing even more than I want to win."

Enjoyable movie, especially if you like strategic stuff, or baseball, or Brad Pitt, or all of the above.

Family Tree

Still on the Redbox vibe, and today is Brad Pitt day.  First up: "The Tree of Life".

• I was one of the people who really wasn't interested in seeing this movie, and really only picked it up because it's nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.  At the beginning of the movie, it was heavy on images of non-people.  Then I finally understood that Malick was trying to show Creation after the questioning of whether or not God was there.
• The "Lacrymosa" portion was way too long for me, probably because I felt sorry for the Soprano having to sing so dang high.  This almost had me turning off the movie, thinking it was all going to be like it, but I'm glad I didn't.
• Really glad.  I was bawling toward the end.
• Yes, it's weird that Sean Penn plays Brad Pitt's grown-up son.  I couldn't figure out which son he was supposed to be playing until the very end, but I guess that's what was supposed to happen.  
• I don't understand why Penn was the only one at the current age during that last portion.  Was it because we were seeing it from his point of view, and he'll always see his family at that particular time of his life?  I don't know.  
• Boys are mean to frogs.
• Why, at the beginning, were the insides of Pitt's and Chastain's mouths so black?  It looked lke they had rotted out teeth.
• Whoa.  That butterfly was real?  Awesome.
• Aside from "Lacrymosa", I enjoyed all of the classical music that Alexandre Desplat used.  
• "I didn't know how to name You then.  But I see it was You.  Always You were calling me."

This movie isn't for everyone.  Heck, it's barely for me.  But I liked seeing that family relationship evolve, so I liked it.  ;)

You is Important

It's getting down to h wire, and "The Help" is in very limited release right now, so I rented he Blu-Ray DVD from Redbox.  This was my first time to use Redbox, and it's quite convenient, so I'll be relying on it for most of the other films that are nominated for Best Picture this year since they're not really in theaters anymore.  I would do the whole AMC marathon thing, but Saturdays are not good for me, and, of course, the movies that I have not yet seen are the ones that are playing at the precise time that I need to be at church.  I do prefer to see these movies as they were meant to be viewed in a theater, but sometimes that just doesn't work out.

• Here's the other movie this year that has me amazed by Viola Davis.  Her portrayal of Aibileen left me feeling inspired after all of the anguish she suffered.
• I really enjoyed Octavia Spencer's performance.  It turns out that her role was written in the book with her in mind.  Minny was a hoot.
• I kept wondering how I knew Hilly.  Duh, Sher.  That's Bryce Dallas Howard.  You've seen her in several movies. I guess I'm not used to seeing her with that Southern hair.
• Emma Stone did a great job.  I haven't yet seen "Easy A", but I've wanted to do so.  This makes me want to see it even more.
• So NOBODY in the bridge club could stand up to Hilly except for Skeeter?  That's just sad when women are clearly uncomfortable about things, but don't have the courage to leave or do anything about them.  I think that's why Skeeter and all of the maids who told their story were such heroines to me.
• Alison Janney: awesome as always.
• "You is kind. You is smart. You is important."
• When Aibileen left, my heart broke for that little girl.
• Those bridge club women sure don't hide very well.
• I wonder if Crisco sponsored this film.
• Chocolate pie is going to scare me for a little while.

I enjoyed this film.  I think I want to read the book now.  I do know already, though, that the ending for Minny is not  the same in the book, due to the deleted scenes.  Still, I'm interested in seeing the original material.

Door to Door

I saw "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" in the theater last week.  I had kind of put it off because I knew that the subject matter would make me really emotional, but since I was on an emotional movie blitz due to the upcoming Oscar awards, it was time to see it.

• Where are they getting all of the amazing kids for these movies?!  Thomas Horn wowed me, and this is his first movie. Wow.  I mean, that is a LOT of dialogue to learn, and then he has the emotions, too.  Wow.  Of course, that could be an editing trick, but I'm still wowed.
• The images of the man falling from the WTC make me think of "Mad Men".  This makes me both excited for the upcoming season of MM, and anxious because the main image animation of MM is of a man falling from a skyscraper.
• I totally knew who the Renter was as soon as they showed him in the window.
• Yup.  Emotional level was very high during the scenes of The Worst Day.  Those scenes happened several times during the movie.  I completely lost it when they showed the WTC collapsing. I even cried the next morning when I thought of the movie again.  (I'm doing OK right now, though).  I think it's because this is one tragedy in American history that I actually remembering seeing, and those images are burned into my brain, triggering that pained American in me that day and the days that followed it.
• I kind of like how they kept some questions unanswered at the end of the movie.  It's like real life, where you don't always get all of the answers that you seek.
• Viola Davis sure doesn't need more than one scene to get me crying.  She would end up amazing me again a couple of days later (see next post).
• It's like the year of silence in the movies.  Max Von Sydow doesn't need to speak to get his emotions across to the audience.  
• Everyone needs a tambourine.  Or something like it to help calm them when they're anxious.
• "If things were easy to find, they wouldn't be worth finding."
• Loved the fact that his mom seemed to be absent for most of his quest, because it's Oskar's story, and he was largely ignoring his mom.  But if you see things from her point of view, the story is quite different.

I really liked this movie.  As emotional as I became, I think that I could still do repeat viewings when it comes to satellite TV.  I'll just make sure that I always have tissues nearby for all of the tears.

One Big Machine

I saw "Hugo" in 3D today after work.

• That kid with his eyes reminds me of Elijah Wood.  He's got the talent like Elijah, too.
• I'm not one of those Scorcese fans that wants to watch his films over and over again, and at the beginning of the movie, I thought that maybe this would be the case once more.  But no. This one is lighter than his usual dark stuff, so I would see it again.
• All of that clockwork stuff amazed me visually.  So did all of that beautiful cinematography.
• The automaton kind of creeped me out, especially during the dream sequences.  
• Spotted Martin Scorcese and giggled.  Thought I saw Johnny Depp, but APPARENTLY, that was a lookalike, as Johnny wasn't available due to his schedule.
• I love the way that this is clearly a tribute to film, and I loved the silent movie homage with the hanging from the clock.  It also reminded me of "Back to the Future", but I don't think that's what Scorcese meant to do.
• Reading as much as Isabelle does makes her have quite a large and interesting vocabulary.  I liked her a lot.
• I liked the way that Hugo talked about existing to serve a purpose, just like each piece in a machine. 
• How can I not like a movie that has a reference to Jean Valjean, mermaids, and  Camille Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre"?
• It's nice to see Christopher Lee in a non-sinister role, although at first glance, I thought of Saruman.
• Ben Kingsley was amazing, as usual.  
• "Which one?  I've mastered 3."

Beautiful movie.  I'm glad that I saw it in the theater, despite my initial resistance to it.

Pal Joey

I finally saw "War Horse" last Friday after work.  I had been wanting to watch the movie since the first time I saw the trailer.  I also have been wanting to see the stage play, which will be showing at the Ahmanson Theatre later this year.  Ooh, I need to buy my ticket soon!

• This movie reminds me of "The Red Violin", what with all of the different "owners" of Joey.  Except that this one had much more death.
• It's a horse movie.  I cried, like, 8 times.
• Brilliant usage of the windmill panes.  Absolutely brilliant.
• The barbed wire scene made me cringe a lot...and then later, it made me giggle.
• Great score by John Williams.  It helped me get all weepy.
• I loved the friendship between Joey and Topthorne.
• Dude, that horse needs to JUMP!
• I really liked the character of Emilie.  I think I would have been just like her in her situation, hiding horses in my room.
• Gorgeous cinematography.  I'm really glad that I saw it in the theater.
• Be brave.

I loved this movie.  I think that I need to purchase it when it comes out on Blu-Ray.  Great story, great characters, and if anyone dislikes that horse, they have no soul.

DLR LotD 02/05/12

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Sunday, February 5, 2012


"Maybe every Saturday, people are supposed to get dressed up when they go to Disneyland." -- someone in line at the corn dog cart


Happy Dapper Day!

Silence is Golden

A couple of weeks ago, I saw "The Artist" at my local theater.  I had high expectations due to the accolades the filmmakers already received, and one of my friends liked it so much that she'd already seen it twice, so that made me look forward to it even more.

• There's a dog.  He's cute.  He's like Lassie.  Ya gotta love him!
• Jean Dujardin does a superb job as George Valentin, displaying all of his emotions without speaking.  
• Berenice Bejo is wonderful as well, playing Peppy Miller.  She radiates from the screen.
• I cried when George sold all of his belongings at auction, but I knew what was up.  I don't remember exactly what the marquee said when he walked by the theater at that point, but it was quite fitting.
• That dream/nightmare that George had was jarring, as it should have been.  It's so funny that although he normally hears sound anyway in his life, he is bothered by those ordinary sounds due to his anxiety about the talkies.
• I really liked all of Peppy's hats. I also liked her dresses.
• So, all those different pearl necklaces that the wife was wearing: did he mess up that often that she has so many?
• Ah, James Cromwell.  I had a moment where I thought he'd say "Good Pig" to Uggie.
• One of the women in my row said "Silence is Golden" as the film was about to start.  Then she proceeded to quietly make comments during the film.  Irritating,
• Bernard Hermann's "Vertigo" was just perfect in its setting.  Bravo to Ludovic Bource for including it here.
• I think that I want to see some old silent movies one of these days.  I should have gone to those Academy screenings last year.  That would have been cool.

The accolades that the film has been receiving are well-deserved.  I think that this is my friend's new favorite movie because there's a dog that plays an instrumental part in the film, but she'll say it's because it made her laugh, and it was well-written, and all of that.  I agree, but that dog is darn cute.

It's Still New Year, right?

How have I not seen this video until today?!

This is the song that made me happy at midnight this New Year's Eve, thanks to the best brother in the world...yes, with the best name. ;)

DLR LotD 01/20/12

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Line of the Day


Friday, January 20, 2012


"Skuna Salmon, from Skuna Bay.  They do not have ankles." -- Ryan, to Linda, when she asked about the fish of the day


Thank you for celebrating my birthday with me, everyone!

That's MY Schoooooool!!!!

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I love drum corps.  It really is the Bro's fault, like many of my obsessions, because he had me watching DCI Finals on TV on Thanksgiving weekends long ago.  The love of marching, though, is not Bro's fault.  Perhaps he enables this particular obsession, but he was but a wee tyke when the marching thing started for me.  


I was in drill team in junior high, and was friends with many band members whom would eventually go to Arcadia High School and become members of the Apache Marching Band.  I wanted to try out for drill team in high school, but I just couldn't fit it into my schedule, and they didn't seem to allow violins in the marching band (something about poking other people's eyes out with the bow).  So I stayed on the sidelines and cheered on my friends, and volunteered at the annual West Arcadia Band Review (now the Arcadia Festival of Bands).  AHS has had one of the best marching band programs in the country for as long as I can remember, and every time I see them, a smile beams on my face and I feel a swell of pride in my heart.  


This November, as I was watching the Festival of Bands, I read the program and realized that beloved director Tom Landes would be retiring this year after 33 years at AHS.  Wow.  He has always been the ultimate band director to me, and tears welled up in my eyes, thinking of how many sweepstakes awards his bands have brought back to the band room.  I remember the 6-foot tall trophies from the championships in Long Beach, and I remember the metronome that would play all day in the band room during championship week, reminding the band of their discipline, and tick tocking in their heads the proper beat so that they would live and breathe it until they brought that trophy home again.  


This year would be especially sweet as AHS was again invited to be in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses parade, now its 15th time.  Back when I was a senior in high school, since I wasn't in the band, my friend Mona convinced me to try out with her for the Pasadena City College Honor Band, so that we could march in the parade, even though it wouldn't be side-by-side with our band friends.  That was an experience I'll never forget, partly because I fell down, but mostly because I got to have that feeling of marching down Colorado Blvd on January 1, 1985.  


I wish that I could have been at Disneyland on New Year's Eve to see the Apaches march down Main Street, but I was busy singing my heart out in church, so that was not meant to be.  I'm glad, though, that this video is available.  They don't actually start playing until at least 2 minutes in, and then they don't march until about 6 minutes in, but it still makes me happy.  I'm impressed that they brought the arrow banner to the resort, because there are some tight sections on the parade route, and I wonder if they kept it straight during those parts.  I'm glad that my friends got to witness their huge wonderfulness while they were there, and could share their observations at dinner.  




By then, I had already decided that I just HAD to go to the Rose Parade this year.  Landes' last year, and AHS is in the parade?  How could I not go and honor my school?  So I got up on January 2nd (no Rose Parade on Sundays), took the metro to Allen St, walked with the masses, found a spot where I could stand directly behind people whom were seated, and cheered on my favorite band.  I yelled for them, and the kind people around me helped me out because I raved about them.  "THAT'S MY SCHOOOOL!!!!"  There really is nothing like hearing the opening drum beats of the Apache Marching Band.  I also love the fact that they brought out the traditional banner for the parade (they used to march with it in competition, but now use individual letters per Apache Princess).  That's Mr. Landes in the black hat and white beard.


After they passed my area, I waited a while to see a couple more units.  Then they were far down the street, and I tried to catch up, going up and down side streets, tripping over people in the crowds, and hearing the Kinect float music over and over, which made me nuts.  I finally decided to just get to the end of the route and see all of the bands from there.  The Marine Corps, AHS, and PCC were the only ones that held their composure until the end (lucky for them, they were early performers and beat much of the heat).  I did see one of the banner gals from another school faint just as soon as they halted.  I saw another guy suffering from dehydration, too.  Sometimes the water volunteers got right in front of the bands, or in the middle of them, and it kind of annoyed me.  Maybe you should wait until they are At Ease before you attack them with water.  I know that they need the water, but it's just inconsiderate when the drum major and/or director is trying to congratulate them on their performance and get them all to understand that In N Out is to the left, and bathrooms are to the right.  The volunteers also got in the way of some of my pictures, which was annoying, but I was way too tired to stand up and take better pictures.


My favorite non-Arcadia band was the Kyoto Tachibana HS band.  I had watched their Bandfest performance live online, and they were quite entertaining with their dance-style marching.  When they were released, a few of them walked up to me and said "Happy New Year" and waved.  It was so cute!  I wish that I had taken a picture with them, but that didn't happen.

Afterward, I bought a ticket to see the floats, and ate an oh-so-nutritious breakfast of kettlecorn.  While I was seated on the grass, a vendor guy offered me cotton candy.  I wasn't going to take it, but I guess he just wanted to go home, because he told me that it was free, so I took it.  I had to wait a while until they opened the gates for the float viewing.  Even more walking.  I wanted to get a AHS pin, but they were sold out.  I got a temporary Girl Scouts 100 tattoo on my hand, though.  The floats were beautiful, and I marveled mostly at the sprays of orchids on the Thailand float.  Wow.  

Orchids made of orchids

My favorite whimsical float (La Canada Flintridge)

Another beauty:  The Year of the Dragon (China Airlines)

Then I had to somehow get back to the metro station.  MORE walking until I got to the bus stop, and then there were no seats, so I had to stand, but it didn't take that long.  Then I went home and watched the Bob and Stephanie on the KTLA broadcast of the parade, because I never can get enough of it on Rose Parade day.  I had a great day celebrating the 123rd Tournament of Roses.  Thank you, T of R, for honoring my school with its 15th invitation.  Congratulations, Mr. Landes, on yet another job well done!

DLR LotD 01/01/12

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day


Sunday, January 1, 2012


"If you plant that in the ground, someday it will turn into a ketchup tree." -- Mox, at La Brea Bakery Cafe

DLR LotD 12/31/11

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day
Special New Year's Eve Catal Edition!


Saturday, December 31, 2011
(Listed course by course, of course)


Amuse Buche: "What's the point of having two monocles?" -- Cindy, to Ryan B


First Course: "Linda has elevated nursing to a fine art...not that kind...not that kind either." -- Cindy and Glenn


Second Course: "I don't like beets anymore." -- Bro, after eating all of the beets on his plate


Dessert:  "Do porks have tail?" -- Cindy


Sunday, January 1, 2012 


"You and your Rockapella." -- Ryan B, to Sherry, after she explained why Bro is the best brother in the whole world

Happy New Year!