Space for Everyone

Space for Everyone

This year, our Star Trek fan club, the U.S.S. Angeles https://ussangeles.org/ was invited to help decorate the Star Trek float in the Rose Parade.  At 8:00 am on December 30th, we met in Pasadena where the floats are assembled.

It’s right across from the Rose Bowl.

We met our team leader and he took us by the float warehouse, but instead of taking us right to the float, he took us into a private tented area, which was our own green room.

None of us expected to have our own break room with donuts and hot and cold drinks.   We were told that any time we needed a break, we could come back here.  In addition, they gave us all commemorative Star Trek 60th anniversary T-shirts!

We were told later that it was fan day and Paramount wanted to take care of us in appreciation.  As far as I could tell, no other group had their own green room. 

A half hour later, we were taken to the float.  All the floats are packed together in a warehouse with scaffolding everywhere to get to the higher parts of the floats.  I volunteered to b a climber and decorate the higher parts, but there were five of us who volunteered and they only needed two more climbers.

Packed in so tight, it’s hard to see the float, but here you can see the back of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Vasquez Rocks, which is iconic to the original Star Trek.  Sort of like rock quarries are to the original Doctor Who.

This is the bridge of the Enterprise, with our team leader sitting at the helm.

During the parade, George Takei would be sitting in the captain’s chair.

And this is where the drivers sit in the float.

Around our float, you could see others.   This tropical themed float was to the right.

And this underwater one was to the left.

And a little further down was Mount Rushmore.

A lot of us spent most of our time cutting and putting glue on silver leaves.  These were used on the bridge council and on the nacelles, where their silvery shine mimicked metal quite effectively.

Before we ended our shift, they gathered us in the green room and gave us each a gift bag with a pennant, 60th anniversary pin and card.  They were amazingly generous to us and invited us back next year.

As we left, I was able to get this shot of the Enterprise.  I think it’s the best I could get.  I call it the Enterprise leaving dry dock.

I would very much like to do this again next year.

Dennis

 

302nd blog completed.

Second Steampunk novel: 17,747 words.  Chapter Five done.

Second Steampunk screenplay:  157 pages.

First Steampunk screenplay:  Updated with notes from the novelization.

First Steampunk novel:  77,546 words.  Completed until an editor reviews it.

Third Steampunk screenplay:  38 pages.

After decorating the float, we went to Lucky Boy for lunch.

Never been there, never heard of it, but the food was good and the portions were huge.  I just wanted a snack, so I ordered onion rings.  I got a big bag and I could only finish half.

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