This Chinese New Years Parade in San Francisco started out with a day of rain then early in the event that went away in favor of just plain cold and breathy dampness. It was a long happening and the floats loosely spaced out ... with no firecrackers this year (I suppose because of the trouble they have been experiencing with the noise makers in San Jose, CA this year) and that numbed out the usual adrelelin pump of the noise and smoke of the dragons. As I didn’t amble much further than the reviewing stand for a change, I am not really sure as to the amount of people who attended it as the route has been redirected in favor of an uphill challenge through China Town as opposed to its former straight shot down Market street which was easy to follow. For the first time ever, I also wimped out before the end of the parade in favor of my always-spot after the parade, Tad’s Steak House on Powell Street, and then back home to Muirsville to brandy and my fireplace. Be it another serene event next year, excepting the presence of sharp Dodge Ram 1500s as the float-pulling truck of choice, this parade will probably shrivel up and go boringly away along with the firecrackers. After all, a dragon without smoke and fire is just a big lizard. Oh well, there’s always The World Cup Races to look forward to in San Francisco
