Dateline: Pasadena
The Mack Daddy team mission: CAN Walk Los Angeles.
The Operators: Mama, Angel, Roo, Boo, CindyLV, UF71 (Gidget) and special for this mission only, Anna (Mama's Partner In Crime)
Operators converged on the unsuspecting City of Angels on Friday at 20:00.
Pasadena Inn was the meet location.
This operator found the remainder of the team up in room 3. Much wine was obviously already consumed, and much conversation going on. I was offered a glass of wine, upon entry to the room. Due to my drive status, I just sipped mine.
Uniforms were distributed. Boo did a great job designing the shirts and hats. Other items given, including bracelets made by Midnight Shadow and blue bracelets from Boo. Ready as we could be to execute the mission on Saturday, we exited the hotel, to enjoy some dinner. Due to the late hour, a close location was decided on. El Torito was selected and the team drove to the restaurant in 2 cars. Margaritas ordered by many and food came. A good dinner was had as we did more planning and talking. Much excitment regarding the VIP we would have to guard the following day. Finished up dinner and about a third of my drink and walked out of the restaurant. Two emergency vehicles immediately pull in at our location and we begin to wonder if we had done something to set fire to the place. We find out that there a patron needing assistance, inside. Convinced that there is nothing more we can do, we take a few pictures near the fire truck and disband for needed sleep (or in some cases, needed dancing). I quickly drive the long distance home.
Saturday morning comes way too quick for me, but I get myself ready, put on the shirt and hat, to check out how I look. Did I mention that the shirt and hat look great? :-)
I load the car and drive over to Pasadena. It ends up that some of the other members of the team have already made contact with the VIP we will be dealing with this day. He has spent an hour signing everything that people wanted him to sign and they are ready to be seated for breakfast. They call and tell us to get over to our meet location, ASAP. Two cars load up and we quickly drive to the Pie and Burger Restaurant for the meet. Park the vehicles and are immediately met by agent CindyLV, with "THE VIP" in tow. Immediate hugs all around, what a VIP welcome!
Picture taking ensues and we are led to the back of the restaurant. Get ourselves in gear and then more signing and many phone calls.
I think about a third of the time, Max was talking with someone. He was really quite gracious about it. More pictures, breakfast comes. Max had French Toast, me Eggs and hash browns. No coffee for me, I figured I needed to hydrate, so I had water. Even though an amazing cloudcover was currently over the immediate Pasadena area, I knew the sun was going to be an issue on this op and it was. We loaded 4 vehicles and with me in the lead car, Gidget riding shotgun, we proceed to drive to The Rose Bowl, the location of the Op. We exit the freeway and all traffic stops dead and we promply crawl toward the Rose Bowl. Get there in time and park the cars. Mama rode shotgun for the VIP, ready to come to his aid, in case of any trouble. We stayed in constant contact with her via text messaging. It went off without a hitch. We walk to the front of the Bowl, register and get our commerative tee shirts. While walking to the starting line, a member of the general public gets a bead on the VIP and Max's partner, watching his friends 6, immediately goes into action and gets the drop on the man. It ends up that when our VIP turns around, he identifies the man as a work cohort. Good work, kudos all around. Time now for the start of the event. A band leads the way and we are off! 3 laps around the Rose Bowl are required and it has already gotten HOT out. We do the first lap and 2 agents decide to wait in the shade for a lap and we go off to execute lap number 2. The basic terrain was level, with just 1 small rise shortly after leaving the Bowl parking lot. An easy walk in the park for us agents and the other public. We return to where we left the other 2 agents and the entire group goes for lap number 3.
As we are coming around the front another member of the public comes walking fast on our left, we start to worry, but then the woman says something about recognizing the VIP and he shakes her hand. We continue to the end of the walk and take pictures out front of the Rose Bowl.
A third member of the public comes over and says she had been looking for us the entire time and could she get our VIP's autograph. He graciously does so and she then leaves. We are now finished with the main mission, but the VIP is not done with us yet. He says something like, agent angel, find us a bar. So me in the lead once again, agent Roo gets in the car with our Veep and we are off to Colorado Blvd. VIP finds a nice English Pub called Lucky Baldwin's with food and beer. We sit down and take a load off and the VIP spends about another hour with us, talking and enjoying the moment. Finally, he needs to go, so he and his friend, say their goodbyes and with much hugging going on, they head out. With our main work done, we head back to the hotel, to collect our stuff and say goodbye to agents Mama and Anna. More hugging goes on, with promises of seeing each other again. The remainder, get into 2 cars, with me in the lead again. Agent Cindy is in charge of car number 2. We head north to Santa Clarita and they are brought to the sites. The houses, the Saugus Cafe, Santa Clarita Train Station and Santa Clarita Studios. By now it is over 100 degrees at 17:00 and they take their leave from me. I gas up, call my husband and head home. A good op and what amazed me, it went off without a hitch.
Thank you Max Martini. A true gentleman, a wonderful human being and an unforgettable experience.
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