Thanksgiving Day (Parade!) November 27, 2008

Well, NBC didn’t pan out (because they suck and don’t stream it online, so I’m watching on earthcam.com, which is…eh. Kinda crappy, but I can see floats and balloons and things…

9:40 – A smurf, and a turkey, and I think two big pumpkins just went by. And a few clowns?

I really enjoy watching the performances during the parade, so I’m hoping they’ll be up on youtube later this week, especially Broadway casts because I really want to see how White Christmas and South Pacific do, and it’s always entertaining to watch Ariel from The Little Mermaid walk around with her tail…

9:45 – Band alert! Red and white uniforms. Can’t hear them, though. Oooh! Snoopy! In the background! I see him! Yup. Definitely Snoopy, with his little goggles…er…big goggles.

You know, this is kind of deceptive. The video isn’t really streaming, at least not for me. It loads a new image, then a minute later, if you’re lucky, it loads something else. Sometimes you get the image of cops walking. Sometimes. But seriously, Snoopy hasn’t moved for two minutes. Not cool. Americans abroad need something better! Come on NBC.

9:49 – Um. Dog? Person on float? I don’t know how long I can sit and watch this. I kind of want to take a nap. And a shower. Horses! I see horses! Real ones, not plastic ones. They’re carrying flags. I see one American flag, and a couple…Mexian flags? Maybe. Can’t make them out very well. Horse poop cleaner uppers. That must be a crap job…

So, I’ll fill you in on my life while we wait (oh! more flags! carried by people this time! balloon approaching!). I received my first grade today, in my Representing London class (I have no idea what this balloon is, but it’s red and yellow an just went by…), and I got a 72! Before you freak out and say, ‘crap, Brittany, thought you were more clever than that’, grading is different over here! 70-100 is an A, 60-69 a B, 50-59 a C, etc. 72 is really really good. (More balloons! These looks like colorful beach balls. And clowns! One is talking to the policey cops! Woot!) When you get an A, it’s for outstanding work, mastery of the assignment, perfection. Usually that’s a 70, and that’s tops. I got two marks extra because I made my seminar instructor laugh, thus, 72!

I didn’t think quick enough to scan over the other grades while I was digging through the pile (don’t worry, it’s all anonymous. we have examination numbers here, and put that on our work rather than our names.). I did observe a 57 though.

9:55 – More people, this time wearing red and yellow-orange. Clowns? Dancers? I thought it was a band or cheerleaders or something…They have big poofy skirts and interesting clothes, so maybe an ethnic dance group? Oh! Bagpipers! I think.

This guessing game is kind of entertaining.

Something else is coming closer. It’s brown. Looks like a pile of sculpted, hardened mud. Dog baring teeth? Rhino? Monster? I don’t know yet. Dude. Guess I’ll never know. I saw a big rocky thing then it went on by. Another band and color guard coming by. Band band band band band…. Off they go… One very anxious little kid in a very light colored outfit is climbing all over the barricade.

9:58 – DORA THE EXPLORER! I don’t really like Dora. I mean, I respect what she’s trying to do, but, she’s just not ‘it’ for me. She does make me think of Laura though, since she was, for some reason, quite obsessed with Dora awhile ago when she was babysitting some young girls on her street.

Bye Dora! Incidentally, Laura’s getting foot surgery. She has cysts between toes on the bones. Owwie.

10:00 – Float! Oh, it’s one of the new ones I saw on NBC’s little video about float design and production ! The Asian one! Ooh! Energizer Bunny! Doesn’t look a day older than last year. He’s very pink, no? Something else that resembles a whistle is coming now… Oh. It’s a star on a thingy pulled by a four wheeler type thing. I see something large and purple in the distance, as another…group…goes by. Coming closer, oh, and another float! So much is happening in these few minutes! Excitement pervades the air. Looks like a street thing. Maybe Sesame Street? Sort of treehouse with lamps..and things. Sesame Street balloon! It’s the purple girly monster thing with pigtails, don’t know her name, but here she flies!  Ooh. She has a magic wand, too. Cool. NYPD band? They’re all in blue… Tubas! Whoo! People with flags… Red flags… And golf carts. Interesting. Pink flags waving in the air! There’s something black on them that I can’t make out. Looks like a wiggly line, kind of like the stock market over the past ten years.

10:06 – Another balloon approaches! Looks like a dog! Pink flag guys are still on the scene. Oh. Never mind! It’s HELLO KITTY! She’s everywhere over here. I’m not really sure why. I mean, I know she was big when I was younger, but I thought she’d just sort of disappeared. Evidently not. I always liked her little friends more than her, though. I think there was a duck and a frog? Maybe?

There used to be a Hello Kitty store in the local mall, I remember it. I went there with Chris and Amanda and Susie, maybe. I only went once, but I remember it being a very extended visit for such a small store.

10:08 – More clowns! Again, something purple lingers in the distance. It’s coming clooooooser. Bumblebees! Shiney car pulling a pinky/purple castle! I think this might be the Princess Academy float, the new one, since there are girls in big poofy gowns walking about, too. Horses pulling a red carriage. More horses, this time pulling a…well, I don’t quite know. Rather looks like another carriage. Mr. Peanut mobile! Something brown and pointy is coming. Looks like… a building. It’s def. a building. But which one? Empire State Building? Maybe? It’s kind of golden though…

10:11 – Ronald McDonald balloon, proceeded by pretty Clydesdales. Lots of peoples in yellow holding onto ropes to keep Mr. McDonald under control. Biiiiig shoes. Ha. Looks like they’re trying to run out of the way of the shoe! Shoe is a little low… Ronald McDonald car? Hm.

Nothing on the horizon at the mo’. So, this afternoon, at a 5/5:45, the girls and I plus some extras are meeting up at Beaumont along with Jill’s Mom to tube to Notting Hill for dinner. Bodean’s, which is a sort BBQ/Rib chain, is hosting T-giving dinner with all the proper trimmings, i.e. turkey, so we’re heading off to that. Then, if the weather stays nice, we’re going down to Oxford St./Regent St./Carnaby St. to see Christmas lighs! I’m so excited

10:15 – Another star-whistle has gone by, followed by people wearing white and carrying umbrella-looking things… Odd White man thing carrying red heart is approaching. Wish I knew what it was/was sponsored by, because I can offer no guesses right now. Looks kinda creepy.

Um. I’m getting a wee bit bored, so I shall sign out for the moment. My love to you all, and Happy Thanksgiving!!