Wow, I Had Grandstand Seats to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

What a Day! I had grandstand tickets for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was spectacular!!

My day started at 4:30 AM. The line to get into the grandstands starts at 5:30 AM and closes at 7:30 AM. However, there’s no guarantee you will get in so the early you get there, the better! We didn’t want to take any chances because the weather forecast predicted a sunny, warm day. We arrived at 6:30 AM.

Our tickets for the 71st Street entrance. There’s another entrance on either 77th or 79th Street. Several people in line had the wrong tickets for our entrance and had to hustle up ten blocks to get in. No, we were not seated across from Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square on 34th Street. Grandstand seats, are about thirty blocks uptown and run from 79th Street to 65th Street on Central Park West.

You had to show identification and vaccination to get past one of two checkpoints. Once inside, you’re directed to your seats and then you have about two hours to kill before the parade starts. The people sitting around us were so friendly and nice. We started chatting about every topic from A to Z that didn’t include politics(!) and the time flew by.

There’s so much to love about what I consider to be one of the best art parades. Yes, I said ‘art parade.’ Since 1969, a talented group of makers called “The Balloonatics” has designed the floats and balloons at the Macy’s Parade Studio in New Jersey.

The first parade featured live animals and nursery rhyme-themed floats such as Little Red Riding Hood, the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, and Little Miss Muffet. 

The amazing, colorful giant character balloons were introduced in 1928 to replace live zoo animals.

The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company provided the balloons’ material from the 1920s through 1980. Macy’s balloons stay thanks to 12,000 cubic feet of helium afloat. Each balloon gets pumped up on the eve of the parade. 

When I first moved to the city, you could walk up and touch the balloons lying in the middle of the streets the night before the parade. Back in 1995, the night before the parade felt more like a block party. Today, seeing the balloons the night before is much more organized. The Inflation Station featuring all the balloons wraps around the perimeter of the Natural History Museum, and crowds line up to see them. It’s still fun! I have visited the Inflation station many times because there’s nothing quite like seeing these colorful, gigantic characters in person. The size and scope of each one are jaw-dropping. 

The balloons are typically deflated behind the Macy’s store on 7th Avenue. The process involves:

  • Unzipping them to let out the helium.
  • Lying on top of the balloon.
  • Rolling up the balloon to squeeze out any remaining air.

A skilled hand can deflate a balloon in 15 minutes or less.

This year’s parade featured 15 giant character balloons, 28 floats, 36 novelty and heritage inflatables, more than 800 clowns, ten marching bands and nine performance groups, and, of course, Santa Claus. 

The new balloon giants included Ada Twist, Scientist; Grogu (so-called Baby Yoda from the “The Mandalorian”); and the Pokémon characters Pikachu and Eevee. 

Our seats were so close to the giant character balloons, floats, marching bands, and performers. It took your breath away. It was incredible to see the crew of handlers and pilots work to stop the giant balloons from fishtailing into buildings and trees due to gusts of wind. We sat eye to eye with all the performers, many of them on stilts, which kept the energy up between the balloons and floats. 

Unfortunately, I have always been too far back from the action to see these hardworking performers doing their best to spread holiday cheer in the past years. But every year I attend, no matter how far back in the crowd I am, I enjoy the experience! It never disappoints. Every time I see Santa Clause I become a child again!!

The Macy’s volunteers, participants, and spectators were friendly, kind, and upbeat. It’s one of those memories that make you love living in NYC.

Our Fourth Day of Blue Christmas Gift Ideas from Asha Brown

On the fourth day of Blue Christmas my true friend, Asha Brown sent to me a copy of Yoga For Diabetes: How to Manage your Health with Yoga and Ayurveda by Rachel Zinman’ to keep me happy and healthy!

“This book will help ANY person living with diabetes discover healthy ways to manage the stress and anxiety that is often present when living with a demanding chronic illness,” says Asha Brown, the founder and executive director of the We Are Diabetes (WAD) organization.

Rachel Zinman, an internationally renowned yoga teacher and writer, was floored when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 42, despite her lifelong dedication to a healthy lifestyle which included a decades-long practice of yoga. In ‘Yoga for Diabetes’, Rachel shares her personal journey and her hard-won wisdom gained from her own experience of yoga and diabetes.

Studies suggest that yoga can increase insulin sensitivity   as reported by Susan Weiner’s column in Endocrine Today. “The practice engages the musculoskeletal system, hugging muscles to bones, and moving isometrically improves insulin resistance, which in turn, enables those of us with either type of diabetes to take up insulin more efficiently,” states Rachel Zinman.

Rachel goes on to say, “Yoga reduces stress by reducing the cortisol levels associated with the stress from the day-to-day management of the disease. Through guided breath and movement coordination, the mind is brought to the breath and away from the need to identify with stressful thoughts about the disease.”

Read the full article on ‘Yoga Offers Benefits for People with Diabetes’ CLICK HERE

I think Asha Brown is simply, FABULOUS!!! She’s the Founder and Executive Director of the amazing We Are Diabetes (WAD) organization. WAD is primarily devoted to promoting support, education and awareness for type 1 diabetics who suffer from eating disorders. WAD is dedicated to providing guidance, hope and resources to those who may be struggling, as well as to their families and loved ones. 

Asha Brown was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 5 years old. As a dancer, actress and a fitness instructor by the time she was 17, the obsession with maintaining a healthy size and weight while coping with multiple autoimmune disorders (hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome, as well as type 1 diabetes) became a full-time job. Asha’s experience with symptoms of diabulimia led her to start the We Are Diabetes organization.

Today, Asha works with families, patients, and health professionals across the USA. She uses her personal experiences with ED-DMT1 to offer hope and support to those still struggling. She also establishes relationships with eating disorder facilities and diabetes organizations across the county to help connect people to appropriate care. Asha has presented at NEDA, AADE, and JDRF, among others. She writes for numerous websites including Diabetes Health, Diabetes Daily, and Beyond Type 1. She is a member of Diabetes Advocates and BEDA. 

If you or someone you know is a type 1 diabetic who is struggling with an eating disorder and are seeking support, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to WAD

For the past three years, Asha Brown has made our Diabetes Mystery podcasts truly sparkle! She’s played the organic farmer,  ‘Christine’ in ‘Phantom of the Okra’, the uptight, overworked personal assistant, ’Primrose Crump’ in ‘Suspect Boulevard’ and most recently the glitzy burlesque dancer, Coco Mimosa in this year’s Diabetes Mystery: ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’. She truly brings out the best of each performance. I’m so grateful to Asha for sharing her wonderful acting talents with our listeners and helping us raise awareness for diabetes and educate people about diabetes self-care in a fun, new way.

TUNE IN: Don’t miss December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by Elvis Presley on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 6 PM, EST. We will be discussing ways to not let diabetes make you feel ‘blue’ during the holiday season with our panel of experts. Guests include ‘Walking With Peety’ Author Eric O’Grey, Chilbrook Kennels Breeder Author, Diabetes Alert Dog and Scent Detection Expert, Debby Kay, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach featuring Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and America’s #1 Energy Conductor, High Voltage. Throughout the podcast we will be featuring songs from the new “Christmas with Elvis and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” album courtesy of SONY Music. The album brings together Elvis Presley’s best-loved yuletide performances from “Elvis’ Christmas Album” (1957) and “Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas” (1971) re-imagined with sublime and exquisite new arrangements performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

NEED MORE INSPIRATION? Our panel of experts, Divabetic community members and past Diabetes Late Nite guests will be sharing more Blue Christmas Gift suggestions on this blog for the next twelve days to help you enjoy the festive spirit of the season without compromising your diabetes health!

Are you feeling ‘blue’ this holiday season?

You’re not alone. Diabetes can cause complications and health problems that may worsen symptoms of depression. Depression can lead to poor lifestyle decisions, such as unhealthy eating, less exercise, smoking and weight gain — all of which are risk factors for diabetes.

The good news is that diabetes and depression can be treated together. And effectively managing one can have a positive effect on the other.

If you think you might be depressed, seek help right away. Your doctor or diabetes educator can refer you to a mental health professional.

https://youtu.be/LWWPRGS1N60