Parade Pre-Party

Up the next morning at the crack 0' dawn to engage in Rose Parade traditions! Get a cup of joe and go sit on the sidewalk in the wet muck for a good four hours of people watching and soggy newspaper reading.

As we were Hilton guests, we were able to sit in the reserved seating, but decided to go with next to reserved seating instead. Here's the early morning rain that attempted to soak my pantlegs.
"Bridging Communities" was the theme this year. Eh. They've had better themes before.

One of my favorite traditions is the Oregonian blazoned with the simple and colorful headline "It's Parade Day!!"
Thankfully Mom and Poo were well supplied with rain coats and hats, a bounty of blankets, a couple umbrellas, and a couple of sandchairs for the viewers in the front row.

It would have been hard to get a sandchair in the overhead compartment of the airplane.
Hey firemans!!

Some of the best pre-parade entertainment: the firemen looking to "fill the boot" for Jerry's Kids. These are the Portland firefighters, but Hillsboro came through soon after.

Oddly, it seems like they never have the 30-year veteran firefighters on the boot patrol...hmmm....
After much discussion, sister finally got her first corndog of the day. That tiny cup in her hand? No, it's not soda for washing down that delicious festival fare. Nope.

It's mustard.

A CUP. Of mustard. For dipping her corndog in. Well, "dipping" would be putting it lightly.