marching bands....

Classic morning so far. Miss Kate started growling sort of under her breath. Dave and I didn't hear anything; there was nobody talking on the street or anything. but then off in the distance - came drum beats and a marching band playing Louie!Louie!. and it got louder and louder. Ah - the Palo Alto Kids Parade. Billed as "Northern California’s oldest and largest children’s parade" - it started promptly at 10am and the route went right by Dave's condo. The parade included eight different marching bands and lots and lots and lots of very cute kids. (and curiously, I thought, not a cub scout or boy scout troop in sight) So - after barking at the first couple - Miss Kate and I (Dave escaped to go square dancing) --- hit the parade route. It's a rainy morning but that didn't stop the crowds.

Each school from the surrounding communities had a contingent. and the kids were either REALLY INTO IT - or looked like they were participating in the Bataan Death March. there was the booth with the announcer - who was reading the pre-scripted blurbs about each school and then following it up with HELLO (INSERT PARADE PARTICIPATING GROUP HERE) in the most fake uninterested forced cheeriness I'd heard in a while.

I stopped and commented to a policeman how annoying it must be stuck near her "cheery voice" - and the police actually had a rotation so that the same policeman didn't need to be by her booth the entire parade. LOL!

Miss Kate wasn't sure what to make of it all. She barked at the marching bands and would then sit back down on the sidewalk and watch the school groups go by. The best moment though was between two marching bands - one slowed down so that it's baton twirlers could do a routine - and parading with her very proud grandma was a young lady on her little pink bike in a BRIGHT yellow rain slicker. and she was getting as much or more applause from the parade watching crowd as the bands - and was WORKING it - by riding around in circles and showing off her (what looked like) brand new bike with training wheels. (Miss Biker Diva is in the top of the collage that accompanies this entry.

Sgt Pepper's Homosexual Club Band

I forgot to post this pair of shots - a pair of professionally shot photos by Dallas's Shaun Northcutt of Eric, Brian, Mark and I in our "Sgt Pepper" outfits at chorus retreat in February.

PORK!

I made a nice dinner for Dave and I ---- the photos aren't anything special - but dinner was: I made baby romaine salad with french bread croutons, fresh mango, and sesame vinaigrette. Thick cut breaded porkchops in a butternut squash gravy... with a side of stir fried rice, nantes carrots and snap peas. Shortbread Cookies and Fresh Homemade Carrot Orange Sherbet for dessert sprinkled with candied ginger is in line for dessert.