Thanksgiving morning tradition - THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE! I have never missed one in my entire life (and I am not a child). Every Thanksgiving morning, while my Mom and Grandmother bustled around the kitchen, I sat glued to the television watching the Parade sparkle through Manhattan and round the corner in front of Macy's. The bands, Rockettes, balloons, the performances from Broadway Musicals and the best of the best - the parade always ended as Santa Claus, in his sleigh, rode down Broadway waving. I would call out to my Grandmother - "Nana! Look !" She would respond, ooo and ahhhh...My eyes would tear as I watched Santa approach...oh how I believe(d)
During High School, I did miss four parades. I was a baton twirler and our final football game against our arch rival - Passaic Valley was held on Thanksgiving morning. That was before days of "recording" television shows to enjoy later.
When my children were young, with their Dad, we would watch while enjoying breakfast. My Mom still made Thanksgiving Dinner, so we could spend the time together watching, until we got ready and went to my parents' house. When Santa pulled up the rear, yes, my eyes teared.
Todd phoned me from his home in Zanesville, Ohio. His Mom (my daughter) was bustling around her own kitchen preparing for the holiday with her in-laws. I sat on my couch, in Kettering, Ohio, 132 miles from them tuning in the Parade when my phone twinkled (Ring Tone sounds like Tinkerbell coming in for a landing). "Hello?" Twelve year old Todd: "Hey! Meme (may may), it's Thanksgiving! Are you watching the parade? I'm sitting in the living room and the parade came on the television. I don't know where the kids are (his sister and brother, 11 and 8 years old respectively), wanna watch with me?" I said I would love to! With no heads blocking our view, I knew he could see...so: "Are you comfortable?" sounded logical. "Yep, Meme! How about you?" Not to disturb the announcing and music, we texted for three hours as each performer, band, group, character, balloon came into view and clowns tumbled across the screen. We commented on the patter of the announcers, trivia, facts. I am not wild about the red power ranger, how about that, Felix was the first balloon, here's Elmo, I don't like that song and what in the world is she wearing! During commercials, we would grab a snack, something to drink, rehash what we had seen, speaking on our phones.
Commercial break...and then...
Finally, after three hours, as noon came upon us, there he was...Santa Claus with Mrs. Claus! They sat majestically in the sleigh! They waved, he repeatedly said: "Merry Christmas!" and there followed a few Ho-Ho-Ho's! "Todd! Do you see? Here comes Santa!" Todd: "Meme! This is so exciting! I'm so glad that we watched together!" I replied that I would never have it any other way! "Meme! He's looking right at us!" (Santa caught the camera angle perfectly) "Todd, I know, I know! Oh my! I do believe, I do believe!" Todd: "Meme! Happy Thanksgiving! I love you! We;ll see you the day after tomorrow for our Thanksgiving, But, we watched the best thing together! That was all we need! To be together and have fun, sitting on our couches." Me: "Yes, Todd, watching together and sharing the first look at Santa for the season!" As usual, I became weepy. All of the years past and I wanted to believe with Todd, now, Do you think he does?
Who would have thought, we watched the parade together and were very comfortable!
Laura Macy Author & Actress
Monday, November 30, 2015
Monday, November 16, 2015
TURN UP THE RADIO!
One Monday afternoon, as I drove along one of Kettering, Ohio's main streets, I chatted on the phone with my daughter, listening to "60's on 6", I thought that my car felt funny. "Tiff, gee, I'm glad that this car goes back to the dealer next week for it's second and third recalls. It just is dragging. I have no pep, life, whatever." Tiff, who graduated with honors in Anthropology and Archaeology used her fine mind, gave it some thought and offered: "Really?" I turned up the Radio and sang along to "Rag Doll"/
The next day, in bright sunshine, clear skies and roads, I drove along Kettering's Dorothy Lane. That happened to be the exact location where I noticed my dragging car the day before. Oh, the noise and dragging was far worse than the curious car behavior that I experienced on Monday. I slowed down, turned up the Radio and began tentatively singing "Same Old Song" (I love Motown). Suddenly, a Red Jeep, roared up to my rear bumper. A nice man jumped from the Jeep, waving his arms. He screamed: "Whoa, wait! Stop driving! You are going to ruin the underside of your car! You're dragging a guard rail, or something!" I jumped out of my car, ran to the rear where he was hopping and pointing: "Didn't you hear that? Didn't you feel that?" There was a longish, white thing sticking out from my undercarriage and something jazzy with the rear passenger side wheel. "Wow!" I said, "I thought that the car was dragging yesterday and something sounded clunky." Nice Red Jeep Man: "Why did you ignore it?" Me: "Oh, I didn't. I thought, next week, I'm glad that I am going to the dealer for recalls. Wait until the mechanics hear/ feel this. Then, I turned up the Radio!"
Nice Red Jeep Man was about to shake his head off of his shoulders, listening to me when a Fire Truck, lights on and all, pulled up behind his. "What's going on here? Anyone need help?" Three good looking, I mean gorgeous, Fire Men approached Red Jeep Man and me. Do you think that Fire Men have to pass a "drop dead handsome" test to qualify to fight fires and rescue kookie motorists? Anyway, Red Jeep Man said to the shortest of the trio: "Hey, help me get this thing out from under her car." As Fire Man Number One helped Red Jeep Man, Fire Men Number Two and Three did their best to raise the rear end of the car slightly and access the damage (none) to the wheel. Finally, my passenger side narrow lower panel was being held aloft by the victorious "extractors".
A Police Man then pulled up. He swaggered to the new motor community, now gathered in the middle of Dorothy Lane and said: " Hey" Don't I know you?" he said, pointing to me. Well, he was instrumental in the wall paper in my room...speeding tickets. "What seems to be the problem here? One at a time, please!" Red Jeep Man: "Officer, there is no problem. We have just..." Fire Man Number One: "pulled what looks like part of her car out from under it." Me: "I just can't believe that! I thought that the clunking and dragging were due to the recalls that will be taken care of next week! I just can't stand the thought that there is something wrong with the body of the car! I just picked it up from the body shop last week and now my car isn't perfect anymore!" As I fought back tears, Fire Man Number Two searched for a tissue, but Fire Man Number Three was quicker and better equipped. Police Man: "Ma'm.." Now that made me more angry than sad. "Did you say that you have just picked this vehicle up from a body shop? What was the nature of the damage that you had repaired and exactly where on this vehicle?" As the male tide parted, I walked the length of my passenger side and pointed out the exact replacements and repairs necessary after the West Virginian van wandered my lane en route to see the Pope. "Whoa, whoa, little lady!" (I kinda liked that better.) said Police Man. "Do you mean to tell me that this fell from the same side that was repaired? Better bring this back to the body shop. This wasn't connected properly. You probably drove and loosened it until it fell off. What I don't get is, why did you continue driving? A sound and drag would have nothing to do with computer system recalls to this vehicle. I've been reading up on this!" Unable to answer quickly, he dismissed the crowd, that I thanked profusely.
As the gentlemen prepared to pull away, Mr. Police Man turned his attention again to me: "Now, just satisfy my curiosity. You drove this car like this yesterday, I understand. You were driving it today. What did you think you would do if this continued? You were dragging pieces of your vehicle! You stood to ruin your car!" I thought about it for a nano-second and knowing, honesty is always the best policy, I quickly responded: "Well, Sir, simply put: TURN UP THE RADIO!"
The next day, in bright sunshine, clear skies and roads, I drove along Kettering's Dorothy Lane. That happened to be the exact location where I noticed my dragging car the day before. Oh, the noise and dragging was far worse than the curious car behavior that I experienced on Monday. I slowed down, turned up the Radio and began tentatively singing "Same Old Song" (I love Motown). Suddenly, a Red Jeep, roared up to my rear bumper. A nice man jumped from the Jeep, waving his arms. He screamed: "Whoa, wait! Stop driving! You are going to ruin the underside of your car! You're dragging a guard rail, or something!" I jumped out of my car, ran to the rear where he was hopping and pointing: "Didn't you hear that? Didn't you feel that?" There was a longish, white thing sticking out from my undercarriage and something jazzy with the rear passenger side wheel. "Wow!" I said, "I thought that the car was dragging yesterday and something sounded clunky." Nice Red Jeep Man: "Why did you ignore it?" Me: "Oh, I didn't. I thought, next week, I'm glad that I am going to the dealer for recalls. Wait until the mechanics hear/ feel this. Then, I turned up the Radio!"
Nice Red Jeep Man was about to shake his head off of his shoulders, listening to me when a Fire Truck, lights on and all, pulled up behind his. "What's going on here? Anyone need help?" Three good looking, I mean gorgeous, Fire Men approached Red Jeep Man and me. Do you think that Fire Men have to pass a "drop dead handsome" test to qualify to fight fires and rescue kookie motorists? Anyway, Red Jeep Man said to the shortest of the trio: "Hey, help me get this thing out from under her car." As Fire Man Number One helped Red Jeep Man, Fire Men Number Two and Three did their best to raise the rear end of the car slightly and access the damage (none) to the wheel. Finally, my passenger side narrow lower panel was being held aloft by the victorious "extractors".
A Police Man then pulled up. He swaggered to the new motor community, now gathered in the middle of Dorothy Lane and said: " Hey" Don't I know you?" he said, pointing to me. Well, he was instrumental in the wall paper in my room...speeding tickets. "What seems to be the problem here? One at a time, please!" Red Jeep Man: "Officer, there is no problem. We have just..." Fire Man Number One: "pulled what looks like part of her car out from under it." Me: "I just can't believe that! I thought that the clunking and dragging were due to the recalls that will be taken care of next week! I just can't stand the thought that there is something wrong with the body of the car! I just picked it up from the body shop last week and now my car isn't perfect anymore!" As I fought back tears, Fire Man Number Two searched for a tissue, but Fire Man Number Three was quicker and better equipped. Police Man: "Ma'm.." Now that made me more angry than sad. "Did you say that you have just picked this vehicle up from a body shop? What was the nature of the damage that you had repaired and exactly where on this vehicle?" As the male tide parted, I walked the length of my passenger side and pointed out the exact replacements and repairs necessary after the West Virginian van wandered my lane en route to see the Pope. "Whoa, whoa, little lady!" (I kinda liked that better.) said Police Man. "Do you mean to tell me that this fell from the same side that was repaired? Better bring this back to the body shop. This wasn't connected properly. You probably drove and loosened it until it fell off. What I don't get is, why did you continue driving? A sound and drag would have nothing to do with computer system recalls to this vehicle. I've been reading up on this!" Unable to answer quickly, he dismissed the crowd, that I thanked profusely.
As the gentlemen prepared to pull away, Mr. Police Man turned his attention again to me: "Now, just satisfy my curiosity. You drove this car like this yesterday, I understand. You were driving it today. What did you think you would do if this continued? You were dragging pieces of your vehicle! You stood to ruin your car!" I thought about it for a nano-second and knowing, honesty is always the best policy, I quickly responded: "Well, Sir, simply put: TURN UP THE RADIO!"
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