Beginning the Year With Confusion

There's something about when Christmas and New Year's Day fall on a weekend. I get all discombobulated. And it's especially true when New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, at least here in Pasadena.

The Rose Parade happens every New Year's Day, unless that happens to fall on a Sunday. There are lots of churches dotting the route of the parade and, back in 1893, it was decided that the parade not be held on Sundays. Even though it was a fairly simple affair back then, allowing people to get to and from church while the parade was going on was problematic, and it was a concern that the noise of the procession in the street might frighten the tethered horses outside the churches, disrupting services.

Thus, further discombobulation, as the parade happens the day after New Year's Day this year.

We live only a few blocks north of Colorado Boulevard (though the 210 Freeway tears a gash through town that sort of separates us), and there are two things that can be done during the parade: 1) head down to Colorado on foot and hope to get a glimpse of the floats and bands or 2) stay at home and watch the whole thing on the television.

Now, with High Def TV, it's almost a waste of time to go down to the actual parade. The coverage broadcast on the tube is right at the start of the parade. If we go down to Colorado and Lake to view it, there are thousands of people crowding in; the bands have been marching for a couple miles in ever-warming weather (it got up in the 80s today) and are starting to show signs of fatigue and foot blisters; and the flowers on the floats have started wilting or have begun to fall off altogether. Also, to be honest, I like to watch Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards host the parade, even though they're kind of ditzy.

On a more personal note, I went down to City Hall last week and got my city business permit, so I am now officially a businessman. That feels creepy, somehow. Also last week, my promotional Post-It pads arrived from the printers (I got them at half price by ordering through a place in Texas). I've finished an extended version of the opening animation for the new website design, and have spent several hours this weekend working with the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) contract templates, putting together what will be edited down to my own contract forms.

Later this week comes picking a printer to produce my brochures and business cards, then joining up with the Chamber of Commerce and AIGA. After that comes launching the new website design, building a marketing database and my first promotional mailing. So I should be up and running by the end of the month.

This is all getting too legit. More news as things develop.