Despite such delays, my wife Sue and I are enjoying some once-in-a-lifetime fun, as we travel with 100s of Wisconsinites from Madison to Pasadena, CA, to cheer on our beloved Badgers. Not just for the fun of it—but Sue and I are having fun already, despite what happened last night. Nor are we here just to escape Old Man Winter—yet balmy weather (75-80 degree days!), prolific palm trees and ocean breezes have us believing we did indeed land in another country.
We’re gone 5 days and 4 nights, all for one huge pep rally, one New Year’s party & streetFest, one Hollywood tour, one
granddaddy of a parade and one climactic football game. Naturally, we hope to bring home a victory, but that won’t be easy. However, I can already smell the roses (it helped that the lady next to us on the plane had a bouquet). This adventure of
a lifetime is better spent with hundreds of our “friends,” not only here in the LA area, but with you dear readers. So I hope to whet your appetite with some posted notes or blogs from this tourist among the stars and fan in the stands.
We had a surprisingly good time at Lisa and Wade’s on a first play date. Our hosts were surprised to see that our dogs were not the mental cases they had imagined, nor the anti-socialites that I had built them up to be. And I was very pleased to see how much they know and love their animals—four dogs and four cats—and how well took to ours. Also to see them show such consideration for easing our dogs into their menagerie. Their cats were unafraid of dogs, and vice versa, so Chloe and Cherie took their cues and socialized well.
With one huge, smelly exception. Cherie did the one most embarrassing thing anxious dogs do—right on their carpet floor, about 6 turds in all. Very unlady-like! We were so embarrassed and mortified!! But again, Lisa handled that (literally) with aplomb and grace, waved it off with a “been there, done that, seen it all” mentality. For which we are most grateful. We are so fortunate to have made this dog-sitter and groomer connection. With the menagerie of dog-and-cat friends and the total spa treatment they will get, Chloe and Cherie will enjoy a grand-doggie version of the total Rose Bowl game experience, as well.
on several occasions. (Yes, the Pat Richter of 1962 Rose Bowl fame, and later Wisconsin’s Athletic Director who brought us back there in the 1990s).
We walked and talked together, as we got our steel hips scanned by TSA, as
we sat just in front of him on the plane (when we got bumped to first class!),
and as waited for hours on end to finally get here.
God is good. Today, it’s the Badger Pep Rally on Santa Monica Pier. Tonight, it’s a State Street-like New Year’s Eve party, right outside our hotel.
Tomorrow, it’s a city-wide tour, including behind-the-scenes making of the
Tournament of Rose parade floats, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Mann’s Chinese Theater.
As maybe you can tell from our excitement, this weekend figures to be a win-win-win for all concerned. Go Bucky! Go Chloe! Go Cherie (but not on the floor)! More later, as we prepare for THE game. For now, and from our new California play house to
yours, much love and good cheer.