Make Doo Dah Not War

I'm not allowed to post items about City of Pasadena programs and events anymore, so I'm switching gears and we're going to have a little fun from now on!

In this photo, taken several years ago, I'm waiting to ride in the Doo Dah Parade pace car, which that year was a red vintage Volkswagen convertible. The war in Afghanistan was in full swing, so I decided to dress as an aging hippie carrying these signs of peace.

The hate speech I received from some of the parade-goers was really troubling. I tried to diffuse it by saying, "Hey, it's Doo Dah -- lighten up!"

For many years I rode in the Doo Dah pace car, which was different every year: a wheelchair, a motorized Radio Flyer wagon, the sidecar of a vintage motorcycle, a 14-foot-tall highchair, a gigantic toilet, a flower cart and many more.

Here I am as Elvis, in full regalia, riding in a vintage Cadillac convertible.

I finally gave it up -- too harrowing sometimes! Now every year I sit with Doo Dah Czar Tom Coston at the official reviewing stand, where we hold court while the parade passes by.




That's much more to my liking at this time in my life!


Many thanks to Paddy Hurley for the top photo, Stevena905 for the second photo and Julie Klima for the bottom two.

Saturday with the Police Chief

Pasadena Police Chief Phil Sanchez and his wife Deborah stopped by the Jim Stivers Memorial Reviewing Stand to say hi during the 34th occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade on Saturday...


...and on Saturday evening we were at the same table at Villa Esperanza's Blue & White at Night benefit gala.

I posted more photos of both events on Facebook.

Invasion of the Tinsel Snatchers

The theme at the reviewing stand on Sunday at the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade was '70s disco. So what the heck was I thinking?!?!




Thanks to Kathy and Petrea for posting the photos on their blogs so I could steal them!