It’s official!  We’re going!  We got plane tickets last month, and secured accomodations last night!

“What are you doing?” you ask.  “Where are you going?”

Well, only the best thing ever!

We’re going to fulfill a dream I’ve had since I was a little kid.  We’re going to Pasadena over the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve to decorate a Rose Parade Float!

When I was very little, my parents, my two older sisters and I lived in the foothills of LA, in a little town called Duarte. My grandparents lived just across the street, and my aunt, uncle and three cousins lived a few miles away in Pasadena, walking distance from Colorado Boulevard.

Even so – in all my 55 years, I have never seen the Rose Parade in person.

Well, I decided last year, after watching the parade on TV, that I was going to change that!

I started following the Tournament of Roses (Rose Parade) on Facebook, watching for some clue that they were recruiting volunteers.  Days came and went and I wasn’t seeing anything.  I did however see the notice that the Rose Parade Board had approved the theme for 2014… “Dreams Come True.”  There couldn’t have been a clearer sign that I’d picked the right time to chase this dream.

I finally posted a question on their Facebook page as to how one could get on a crew that decorated the floats.  Within a couple of days I’d heard back from three people, one of whom suggested I contact one of the float decorating companies (who knew that was even a thing?!), and gave me the email address of one of the volunteer coordinators.

I sent an impassioned email right away, detailing all of my previous float/parade experience (yes, I actually do have quite a bit of experience), and I heard back almost right away, that while my request was a little early… January 15th… that they would be happy to have Downtown Dave and me be a part of one of their volunteer crews. She added that she had even picked the float we would decorate.

The Dole entry – “Sunrise at the Oasis”

Sort of an Alladin-esque affair I imagine, with camels, and tigers and elephants, maybe even some fancy-ass waterfalls!

More info to follow, nearer the end of December, including a day-by-day account of what it’s like to be a Rose Parade Float Decorating Volunteer!