October 26th, 2009 
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U2 and the friendly Pasaden-ians
Sunday was a Pasadena day. It was Alpha Dog’s suggestion. We both love the area and its distinctive homes, just hate the hot weather and the smog that accumulates at the foothills. Ick. Not to mention the amount of rain the place gets in the rainy season.
We cruised by the Rose Bowl to take a gander at the massive U2 set at the Rose Bowl. Only the top portion could be seen from outside the stadium. It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. There were signs and road blocks and barriers and trucks and staff and police and firemen and looky-loos like us everywhere.
It kind of made me sad that we wouldn’t be inside later on that evening. I’m not really a die-hard U2 fan and only like a couple of their songs, but they’re known to put on a show and that’s all I really wanted to see. A show. It would have been nice to have a picnic on the lawn beforehand, in the afternoon sun, under the blue skies, and just make a day of it.
So off we went to the hills of Pasadena and found a nice neighborhood to walk. Coincidentally, it was the one particular street that lined the hill right above the Rose Bowl and the golf course that was right beside the stadium, and we could see everything below as we walked, and as we walked, we talked about how awesome it would be to live right there in that corner Colonial-style house with the black shutters and the brick facade and sit out there on that front lawn on a pair of Adirondacks, under the sprawling canopy of the oak tree and listen to U2 with a bottle of Merlot, sans the crowds and the parking headaches. How cool would that be!
We passed many joggers and bikers and dog-walkers along the way and each called out a jovial Good morning! or Hello! and we responded just as jovially. Pasadena people are a happy bunch. It’s because they get to cross diagonally at their crosswalks and this gives them a sense of freedom and makes them feel special. O-boy. First time I saw this, I panicked and thought all anarchy had broken out in the foothills.
The walk was exciting more for us humans who were ooh-ing and aw-ing at all the nice homes, and was uneventful for The Tank until a passing Boston Terrier started yapping away at his presence, and Tank promptly turned tail and tried to run off as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.
It was a short walk, but the Pasadena heat was already burning in full force, even in the early morning hours, so we loaded up and headed back home to the cool breezes of the Pacific. Word on the U2 concert is all good, the day after. Next time they play, we’ll have that picnic on the lawn beforehand, in the afternoon sun, under the blue skies, and make a day of it. Next time.
