January 3, 2009
There are a lot of fantastic parades in America. It’s a fun question to ask a drunken crowd, to have a lot of laughs, “Name a parade!”
I think of Mardi Gras first, but that is a series of parades and not really just one parade. Then I think of Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and the Rose Bowl Parade.
Today they showed the Mummer’s Parade on TV. It was a hoot! It reminds me of a parade we used to watch in DC, years ago but much larger. That was the Gross National Parade, sponsored by WMAL radio. But that’s a different animal altogether. The Mummer’s is big time entertainment.
The Mummer’s have been doing this annual parade on New Year’s Day for over a thousand years in cities all over the world. It is very exclusive and a really big deal for thousands of people in Philadelphia and a few other big cities, but Philly has been the Grand Dame of Mummer’s parades since the early 17th century. This year’s parade in Philly had over 10,000 people IN the parade!
January 1, 2009
Last Night was very quiet but nice. I stayed up until midnight and watched the ball drop on the delayed broadcast from New York City. Kinda stinks that it was midnight in New York an hour before it was midnight here, so the magic of watching really drop was lost in the realization that it was taped. Made it seem fake. But then again, it was midnight SOMEWHERE for 24 whole hours on New Years Eve, so there were people celebrating at some place in the world the entire day, so that made some of the magic of the moment seem more real.
Usually there are a lot of rednecks shooting off fireworks around the neighborhoods here. But the sinking economy has put a hurt on everyone’s pocketbooks and fireworks are an expensive indulgence. I didn’t hear any fireworks at all, which was kinda sad.
I’m hoping for a much better year in 2009 and although we didn’t greet the new year with a bang and champagne, I greeted it with a smile and great hopes that this coming year will bring good things for Americans, including a return to prosperity and, hopefully, peace.
December 25, 2008
At this Christmas, my thoughts are with everyone who has the blessing s of a good family, loyal friends, a supportive significant other, and neighbors that share your values and outlook.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holdiays and all my best wishes for healthy, prosperous and happy new year in 2009.
December 20, 2008
When you are used to getting a parking spot just 3 or 4 spaces from the store entrance, it is annoying to have to shop at Christmas was the crowds and park 18-20 spaces down the aisle. When there are that many cars in the parking lot, it means there are twice that many people on the store. So its going to be crowded. The line at the register will be long and the time to check out will be longer. But the biggest gripe about Christmas shopping is the people who think it is OK to bump into you. I need my space and getting bumped and jostled is not fun.
December 15, 2008
Forgive me for admitting that I have watched Rachel Ray. I should not be at home in the morning when her show is on, but I went in late.
On this show she had Ty Pennington as a guest. He appears to be a personal friend of hers. But I’m not sure if he is really friends with her or is that is just her style of talking with guests on her show.
Ty was talking about packing a lunchbox and some tips about making sandwiches. Obviously, he said to not put sliced tomato on a sandwich that will be carried in a lunchbox because the tomato will make the bread soggy.
His tip that I like and had never thought of was to freeze your seedless grapes and put a small bunch in your lunchbox in a ziploc baggie and the coldness from the frozen grapes will help chill the rest of the lunchbox contents.
I have never put grapes in the freezer and don’t know why not. It seems to be a fun way to eat fruit and make it stay fresh longer, too. I don’t like to waste food and grapes are one thing that seem to go bad quickly and end up thrown out. So into the freezer they go!
