The Very Last Day of 2007-and a preview of 2008! Behind the scenes at the Tournament of Roses! Oh, food, too.

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food..and what some of us do to get to eat said food.  Cathy is having her annual adventure North of San Diego and you get to vicariously enjoy!

Hi.  It is the 31st of December and here we are.  We made it through 2007, relatively unscathed and 2008 is right there staring at us.  We have to learn a little different way to type or write the date; new calendars are out on the walls and on the desk, filled with so many blank pages, papers can be filed and gotten ready to start inputting into the new Tax Program on your computer, or in a folder to hand to your Tax Guy or Tax Gal...and still, there is time to relax, because the the first day of the year is a holiday!  A lot of people have breakfast at home with family or friends and watch the Rose Parade on television.  A spectacular event, planned almost a year in advance, yet assembled only a few weeks before it actually can happen, because every visible portion of each float must be covered with something that is, or was alive...thousands of volunteers have been working on the float decorations, sleeping overnight in Pasadena, waking to sticky, glue covered hands and clothing and going at it the next day...and yet, nobody will see these lovely pieces of art and architecture until tomorrow on television...except for you, dear readers!

Oh yes, The Mister and  have this on our agenda every year...We just are skipping the sticky glue covered hands part this year.  Yes. we merely woke up about 4 a.m. today and drove north to Pasadena, to have breakfast with the Pasadena Host Lions Club at the Historic Castle Green Hotel and then take a VIP tour of the final float preparations.

The Hotel is now mostly an apartment building and the eating area is still used for parties and such. We got some food from the buffet: Kind of standard stuff; scrambled eggs, potatoes, fruit, muffins, danish, ham and sausage. One trip only...coffee, cranberry and orange juice too. We didn't care- we were here to take the VIP tour of the final decoration of the 2008 Rose Parade Floats! I am trying to give you views you will not see on television. This 25,000 pound Indian (Native American) float will be one you see on television, mid parade.

Remember, every square inch of every float has to be covered with something that is or was alive. The smells up close are wondrous...and also glue-like.

This is the back of the Lions Club International Float.. and this is what it looks like from the front. As I said, every square inch on every float must be filled in, and judging was about to happen in less than three hours. If you look close, you can see glue on the back of these Marguerite flower heads and the blank space they were being placed onto the float just behind. Other flowers had been cut and placed in water vials and were also ready to be used for 'spot fills'. OK, here are some other floats...for a sneak peek! AND SO ANYHOW...It was lunch time and we were hungry, but the streets of Pasadena were starting to line up with people claiming a spot along the parade route and we wanted to stay away from those crowds, so jumped on the freeway, started heading East, and decided the"Covina" exit at Citrus Avenue sounded nice...and we saw this sign in a non-descript mall...and stopped The menu was simple- So. we ordered...The pastrami sandwich ($5.25).

Very large, lots of meat, juicy, nicely spicy(not too much pepper), good fresh bread. No jus to dip in, however, there was enough juice on the bread to make it wonderful as a last bite. I wanted the gyros sandwich special ($6.99) included fries and a medium drink...the gyros was wonderful, meat cut in thick slices from a spit and perfectly juicy and flavorful, topped with a tangy tzatziki sauce, chopped onions and chopped tomatoes. In my quest for wonderful onion rings and knowing they are pretty much always perfect from these Mediterranean places that have gyros, I ordered the SMALL size ($2.59). I was not disappointed in the size, nor the quality and spice of the breading and crispiness; I was merely disappointed in myself that I could not finish it all...

P&G Superburgers 1030 N. Citrus Avenue, Covina open 7 am-11 pm, seven days

We wish everyone out there a Very Happy 2008!  (or "2000 ate" as ed so succinctly put it) Have a safe day!

Comments

[Liz]

Hey you were in my neck of the woods. I need to try that place, looks like great food, not to mention great portion with a small price tag. :)

[cathy]

Hi, Liz! Very cool. We just took a random exit and found this place. All the plates we saw were huge and everything was really, really good. It is always an adventure dring up that way. Glad to give you a (tasty)suggestion. Happy New Year!

[Eileen]

Happy New Year!
Thank you for a delicious 2007!

[cathy]

Thanks so much, Eileen. I like looking at the photos on your blog...Have a good year.

[the charsiubao]

Happy new year everyone! wow, i've never heard of that VIP tour before, it sounds really neat.

btw, that's a very cute rat.. and isn't that tall dark and handsome fellow called "native american" nowadays? ;P

[cathy]

Happy New Year to you too, charsiubao. There are some other groups that offer those VIP tours, but usually the weeks before the 1st of the year. and...um, nobody there was politically correct; everyone working on it as well as working in the barn was calling him "the indian". Never meant offense, just reporting what I saw and heard...