Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, folks!

And what a great way to start the new year…Susie and I went with our good friends Barb, Tom, Steve, and Maureen for a sneak peak at this year’s Rose Parade floats!  We are indeed gearheads, even if the motor vehicles are Rose Parade floats!

I know you’re probably going to be watching the game tomorrow, and it you’re like us, you’ll probably watch the Rose Parade that precedes it, too.   It’s an American treasure, and it’s one of the biggest events of the year here in southern California (maybe even in the world, considering how the event is televised).   Tom scored passes into the Fiesta Floats inner sanctum, and we accompanied him today for a great look at these magnificent creations.  

I love seeing the floats.  I like the workmanship, the colors, and the people, and I sure got an eyeful a few hours ago!   The Indonesia float and the Dole float, in particular, were awesome.  Both draw on Southeast Asia themes, and the colors and costumes were awesome.   Take a look…

And here’s another cool float…this one is from Paramount Pictures…watch for it in the parade tomorrow!

How about this one!  It’s a cool photo of Tillman, the world-record holding, skateboarding English bulldog…I’d say his owner really loves this pup (and it looks to me like Tillman feels the same way)…

Watch for the float featuring surfers, and you may just spot old Tillman!

There are lots of things that are cool about the floats, but one of the coolest things is that all of the exterior surfaces and colors are made of flowers, vegetables, and other plant life.   Take a look at this Mazda Miata on one of the floats, for example…

The Miata gets its color from kidney beans…take a closer look…

Yep, so here we are…2012!   It was great visiting the floats with our friends today, it’s great ushering in a new year, and it’s great to be here to share it with everyone.  

We had a good conversation about last year and this new year, and that migrated into the inevitable topic:   Our 2012 resolutions.   Mine are the ususal ones…I want to ride my motorcycle more, I want to lose a few pounds (Josh, you have inspired us all!), I want to ride my bicycle more (already got in my 15 miles today!), I want to spend a lot less time on Facebook, and I want to keep more cool stuff coming on the CSC blog.   I’ll do my best on that last one, and if you want to help out, let us know!  We love getting your photos and ride reports, so keep us posted, and we’ll do the same. 

On that topic, check out this great photo of our good buddy Roger Shelton from Tucson, Arizona, on his new sapphire blue CSC Classic!

You’re looking good, Roger…the Tucson area will never be the same…enjoy your new motorcycle with our best wishes!

Oh, and of course, our best wishes to all of you for a healthy, happy, and safe 2012!