Short Break

OK, before I run upstairs to watch Jodie Foster's "Home for the Holidays" for the 20th or so time, I'll take just a minute to comment on a lovely, sunny, cold Thanksgiving Day. Absolutely gorgeous. Hopefully the same superb weather spanned all the way to Totoland. It would have been a great day to see a giant ball of string.

Yet again, I am absolutely amazed at the size of the balloons in the Thanksgiving Day parade in NYC. Ronald McDonald at 60+ feet long, each of his shoes alone were 22 feet long and 8 feet wide and held I don't know how many pounds of helium gas. I do know it took 50 handlers to keep the balloon from flying off into the atmosphere and plastering the front windshield of some 747. Who makes these balloons and where in the world is there room in NYC to store these inflated balloons? For that matter, where in NYC is there room to store the gigantisimal floats? It is really an event each year, if only we could do without the announcers, I think they get lamer and lamer. They get such a kick out of themselves it sort of feels like they forget the rest of us are here watching and listening to their pointless babble. These pictures tell maybe even more than 10,000 words so who needs empty-headed announcers anyway?

There was Clifford, the big, red dog balloon...

There was Grover, my favorite of the entire Sesame Street gang, especially when he went Up the stairs and Down the stairs. Technically, this may be Grover the Gladiator, I can't be sure...

You had the Pink Bunny balloon, which is not at all the same as a pink elephant balloon, who obviously wasn't going to run out of juice no matter how long the parade lasted. He just kept on going and going and going...

Betty Boop was there in balloon form more for the adults than the kids, taking all of us back a few years. It's funny how she never ages or puts on any pounds...Spidey the super hero balloon man was was there just in case Betty needed saving at all...

Mr. Monopoly balloon man was there, full of hot air as usual. He was taking care of the financing of this operation...

Scooby balloon dog was there to sniff out any ghost busters who might have been in the crowd, you can't be too careful you know...

Spongey balloon showed up just in case they all ended up underwater and
needed to call Patrick for assistance. You must admit
he doesn't look like your average hero. Who would have ever
thought a kitchen cleaning item would become one of the most beloved cartoon characters in the civilized world...

Then, of course, you've got your star of the show in deflated balloon format, looking for 34th street to perform a miracle...you can now officially say the word Christmas and not be ticketed by the holiday police. And it's all thanks to his presence at the end of this momentous parade.
Enjoy those sugar plums tonight...