Ringing in the New Year

A little New Year's potpourri... I live in So Cal so the Annual Tournament of Roses Parade is our big party. This year I got to take a couple of friends from out of town to see the floats being decorated and then through the generosity of my in-laws, (remember, I am a poor missionary guy) sit in the grandstands and watch it all go by. It was a great parade, as it almost always is. I really liked this one. The hair, music, colors, and silliness all worked. This one, from Oklahoma, was spectacular. It was by far my personal favorite and even won an award. It was pulled by Clydesdale horses, looked awesome, and was a great first time entry from the Okies. But the real stars of any parade for me are these guys. The bands. Most people in America can't walk 2 miles without getting winded. Imagine marching 5 miles in a pair of brutal shoes. I know what this is like because I too was band geek. So to all of you fellow band geeks who make a parade what it is through your marching and incredible music, may you all receive an extra pair of Dr. Schol's inserts before your next parade. And thanks! Now what is New Year's without a little football? This year USC won the Rose Bowl, crushing the spirit of Michigan once again. It just never gets old. Auburn won ugly against Nebraska, and, in one of the great college games of the last few years, Boise State managed to beat Oklahoma. This game was phenominal. It started out looking like a Boise St. blowout, but the Sooners caught up and forced the game into overtime, where Boise State won on the last play of the game, a two point conversion. This picture sums it up. Spent. Both teams pretty much left it on the field.Finally, our nation mourns the loss of one of our Presidents, Gerald Ford. Ford was never elected to national office, but rather took office, some say, as a result of the Watergate scandal. But really, he became president because the framers of our constitution did a good job. The situation surrounding the Nixon resignation showed that our system of government, with all of it's flaws, works. technorati tags: Rose Parade, President Ford, Band Geeks