Saturday, April 26, 2008

"Good times never end!"

My title quotes a slogan I heard many times during the four years I lived in the chapter house of Lambda Chi Alpha at the University of Idaho. I heard it especially whenever we had a kegger or dance or some other party. As this week of Fiesta 2008 goes by this slogan comes to mind again! Often!

Monday evening the Citizens Advisory Council had its monthly meeting at VÍA Metro Center, specifically the Administration Building. As soon as it was over I went down to the Riverwalk near the Central Library to take in as much of the "Texas Cavaliers River Parade" as I could. I don't think I missed much! The floats which actuallyand ltierally "float" down the San Antonio River, were as colorful as always, and there was lots of music (live or recorded).

Thursday I found myself, for only the second time, at NIOSA. "A Night in Old San Antonio" happens in La Villita for four evenings, and is sponsored by the S.A. Conservation Society. In the 1980s the family went, and I was looking forward to it, due to the sponsorship and to its publicity of being a sort of mini-Folklife, with lots of celebrating of the city's (and perhaps state's) history and cultures. Not! Shoulder-to-shoulder people, like a sardine can, and about the third time some drunk spilled his beer on me, I said, "Never again!" Only. . . thanks to strong urging by fellow Conservation Society members, with advice to visit NIOSA early, and a complementary ticket provided me, the "never again" came to an end.

I'm glad it did come to an end. I didn't get beer spilled on me, and found room to maneuver in the "Little Town". I spent much of my time in La Villita Assembly Hall, where I had been the past Saturday evening for the Ball. This time it was decorated like a German beer hall and had a live "oompa band" playing. I requested that they do Ein Prosit der Gemuetlicheit -- and then missed it (they played it while I was out exploring the rest of NIOSA). In compensation, I suppose, I got to do "The Chicken Dance" twice!

After a little over an hour at NIOSA, I caught the bus to Alamo Stadium for a Fiesta event I never miss if I can help it: "The Battle of Flowers Band Festival". The theme of '08 wasn't all that thrilling: "Broadway. . . and All that Jazz" -- also theme for the parade the next day. Still, I always enjoy the marching of the high school marching bands, the on-field performances by the three or four featured bands, and the grand finale of all the bands massing on the field and performing theme music while the fireworks burst overhead!

Surprises this year at the Band Festival were that Alamo Heights HS didn't enter its band, and the McCollum HS band is much smaller. In earlier years McCollum was enormous -- even tho' it's a Class 4A school. Lanier's band was larger than in earlier years, while Sam Houston, like McCollum, presented a smaller marching band. But the mostly Afro-American school's marching instrumentalists in uniform still presented their "jungle-beat" stepping as they marched down the stadium's track.

Friday morning I once again took my folding chair, got on the bus and after alighting near Broadway and Third I set up the chair on that intersection's southeast corner next to a light pole. It's a great location to watch the best parade of all parades and the original Fiesta event: "The Battle of Flowers". From here I view the left side of parade units (their left side, my right) as they approach on Broadway, and after each turns onto Third to head for The Alamo, I observe their right side, close up!

Skies remained mostly overcast (but not threatening precip) and it was muggy. But I think I'd rather have that than clear sunny skies and humidity!

This year I actually saw someone I knew and who knows me! Norman Collins, science teacher (and department chair) at AHHS, was in the third set of "pooper-scoopers" from the high school! I cheered him and gave him a high five! I also saw and greeted Commission President John Steen, with whom I had spoken at UTSA's Fiesta event a week earlier.

Focus of this parade, I suppose, is the floats bearing the feminine royalty who were feted at a "Coronation" event in Municipal Auditorium (only a couple of blocks north of my spot) a few evenings before. Tickets are expensive, so I don't go, but the color of the ceremony must be awesome. I day this because the lovely young ladies on the lovely, colorfu and flowery floats are engaging in the parade setting!

Years ago the "Battle of Flowers Parade" became my favorite of any and all parades I've ever seen, live or on television. On Monday evening of the past couple of Fiestas, I've come away from the "Texas Cavaliers River Parade" thinking that this particular year the river parade was so good that it would unseat BoF as my fave. BUT THEN along comes the BoF; it always manages to retain its place as Number One in the heart of this parade lover!

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