Out & About

The day of the Rose Festival Walk dawned gray and cold.

Heidi, Kelly, Miss Nomer and Christi gather at the beginning of the walk.
We saw all the floats lined up waiting to parade.
Walking into Memorial Coliseum where people can watch the parade indoors.
Inside the coliseum where Miss Nomer waved to her first crowds.
For unknown reasons there was an entire Ikea living room in the arena.
It was fun to walk along the parade route. I got to see places where there were still good seats thirty minutes before the parade started. They have been filed away in my memory banks until next year. One big surprise was that there were several announcers along the way. I had no idea they existed until today. They make announcements about the sponsors and tell the parade crowd what they are looking at. “This is the Regence Rose Festival Grand Floral Walk, a four-mile fitness walk…” The first two announces said something to the effect of “They look good now, but we’ll see how they look at the finish.” To which I replied, “HEY! Way to be supportive.” Plus, it’s four miles, not really a marathon. For a lot of walkers that’s an easy day. And, it’s not like we were zipping along.
One of many cute kids being carried.
Walking over the Burnside Bridge. All participants got the bright orange workout bags.
Some people came in workout gear and others were more festive, like these two women in rose hats.
Walking along the route I did my best elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist. It was pretty fun to have people read my sash. “Miss….Nomer. Oh! Misnomer! Honey, she’s Miss Nomer!” Others would say, “Miss…Nomer. Hmmmm.” Or, one of the announcers said, “We now have Miss Homer, walking by. What’s that? Oh, Miss Nomer.” He didn’t get it.

These ladies had very cool crowns.
Another cute kid being carried.
The finish line. (By the way, lame early announcers, I felt fine.) One surprise was that they had chairs ready if you wanted to stay and watch the parade. That was a nice touch.
And there was a very cool drum corps playing.
The real reason I never paint my nails. Not even 24 hours and it has already started to chip.
Grrr. I took it off immediately.

However, the next day my elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, shoulder was not at all sore. I took that as a sign I was meant to be a parade beauty queen.

When I heard about the all-new Rose Festival Walk I knew it was the walk for me. Getting to walk the Rose Festival Route before the parade? When all the people are sitting there waiting for the parade to start? Who wouldn’t want to do that? And I knew that I was going to go as my best beauty queen self. So I spent the evening before preparing to be Miss Nomer. Miss Nomer may be a misapplied or inappropriate beauty queen, but she tries her best.

Miss Nomer has to make her own sash. Luckily she has access to a large font in Word and a printer. That made tracing her name much easier.
Miss Nomer put on a mud mask for sparking skin and braided her hair to achieve appropriate “big”-ness.
You too, can make your own crown. All you need is a file folder, stapler, aluminum foil and glue.
After the glue dries, the crown is easily secured with a paper clip.
Miss Nomer even painted her nails. As she was doing this she was trying to remember the last time her nails had been painted. It may have been in college. Maybe. But it might not have been since high school.
Now it is off for a good night sleep for Miss Nomer.