Everything's Coming Up Rose

I stopped caring about parades around the time I turned 10. Empty pageantry. Sports has pageantry too, but there's a plot, and a winner at the end.

Still, if you like it, fine. But I can't get people who camp out for hours, even days, to get a good spot at the Tournament Of Roses Parade. So let me tell you about the one time I did actually see it, close up.

Years ago, a friend from college was in town. I was driving him back to his sister's house in Pasadena late at night. We stopped at a light, and I noticed a float going by. Then another. Then another. We were caught, it turned out, at the intersection for about half an hour as the entire Rose Bowl parade was being moved into place for the next day's celebration.

This was incredibly annoying, yet I bet I could have sold tickets for a spot in my car.