The day my son was born was miraculous. My wedding day was glorious. And, New Year’s Day 2024 rounds out the list of my top three best days ever.
It started with Joann Fuller, our Hill’s Pet Nutrition Rose Parade float sponsor, arriving at my home at 5:30 am.
Thanks to a special parking pass, my family drove us, along with my adopted dog Sueshi, to the Tournament of Roses House, where at 6 a.m. we learned to the fanfare of trumpets that our float won the Director Award.
The Director Award is given to the float with the most outstanding artistic design and use of floral and non-floral materials. Who can resist adorable cats and dogs made of beans, seeds, coconut, pampas grass, and numerous other natural materials?
Joann and I made our way to our float parked on Orange Grove Boulevard, where we met up with David Eads, CEO of the Tournament of Roses, and his pug Bodhi, adopted from Pasadena Humane 13 years ago. Bodhi was one of the five shelter-pet ambassador dogs to ride on our float.
We joined other Pasadena Humane and Hill’s representatives who arrived at the float by bus from Pasadena Humane, and we all took our places as either riders on the float or “outwalkers” alongside the float.
For a few nail-biting moments, the engine on the float failed to start. A mechanic finally managed to get us on our way. As we rushed to catch up to the bagpipers and Highland dancers in front of us, we made a quick stop for a live interview with KTLA.
After this thrilling start, it was smooth sailing to “TV Corner,” where we were greeted with thousands of cheers and hundreds of cameras.
I have to say, I think if there were a People’s Choice award, we would have won that award, too. As we made the turn onto Colorado Boulevard, I saw a sea of smiling faces. The outpouring of love and support from the hundreds of thousands of people lining the five-and-a-half-mile parade route was heartwarming, to say the least.
I didn’t see a single unhappy person during…
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