I must confess. I didn't always love parades. But that's before I was in one.

Last weekend I rode in the Grand Marshals' car in the Honolulu City Lights parade.

I was not the Grand Marshal. That honor belonged to Connie and Russell Lau, Connie being CEO of Hawaiian Electric Industries and Hawaiian Electric being a major parade sponsor.

The Laus rode perched atop a 1970 right-hand-drive Mercedes 280SL, festooned with Christmas lights. Driving the vintage convertible was its owner, Sam Gillie.

I happened to be hanging around, watching HECO put the finishing touches on its main float, a large truck with trees, lights, tinsel and music, envying the kids who got to ride on it when Gillie wondered who was going to ride shotgun with him. “;Me,”; I said.

We pulled up to the staging area an hour or so before dark. “;The waiting's much longer than the parade,”; said Gillie. Aala Park was filled with four or five marching bands, flags waving, batons spinning into the air, competing versions of “;We Wish You a Merry Christmas”; and “;Hawaii Five-O.”;

There were vehicles of all descriptions, from noisy Harley-Davidsons to a massive HPD semi-truck and trailer decorated like “;The Night Before Christmas,”; complete with dry ice “;smoke”; from a chimney.

Suddenly King Street stretched empty before us. The Royal Hawaiian Band struck up “;Mele Kalikimaka.”; A phalanx of police motorcycle riders swooped to the front, blue lights flashing. We were off.

The Laus, especially Connie, were enthusiastic Grand Marshals, waving and wishing everyone along the packed sidewalks a Merry Christmas. Even Gillie, who is not given to gushes of enthusiasm, began waving.

For a minute I didn't know what to do, but it's impossible to be in a Grinch mood when little kids are literally jumping up and down in excitement and old people are grinning and waving from their lawn chairs. I waved back, rather wishing I'd brought along a Santa hat or light-up antlers or something suitably festive.

Behind us were four people dressed as elves, with signs that lit up H-E-C-O in colored letters. They'd dance to entertain the crowd whenever we stopped, as we did for a long time at King and Punchbowl streets, waiting for the mayor to finish singing “;Honolulu City Lights”; and light the tree.

Suddenly the 50-foot tree blazed to glory, and we paraded past the packed crowds outside Honolulu Hale.

Just like that, it was over. We drove back to the HECO Ward baseyard, the Laus drove off to the football game and I helped Gillie unstring the lights from his car. “;Have a good time?”; asked Gillie. Sure, I said, everybody loves a parade.

Bamboo Anniversary

Considering the odds against its survival, you can hardly blame the local literary magazine, Bamboo Ridge, for throwing itself a 30th anniversary luncheon last weekend at the Hale Koa.

The magazine staff gave “;Bamboo Shoots”; awards to dozens of individuals and organizations who helped them along the way. At the end, co-founders Eric Chock and Darrell Lum gave a special award to their treasurer, Wing Tek Lum. “;I'm Chinese and Eric's half,”; said Lum. “;Neither of us got the pake gene. It's Wing who kept us financially afloat all these years.”;

Everyone else got a nicely framed certificate. Wing's was tied up in raffia, because that's what he wanted to do with all them, because it was cheaper.

In addition, the treasurer was presented with a can of bamboo shoots in a bowl. Said Lum, “;He'll be pleased to know there was no expense to Bamboo Ridge. The can was 99 cents at Times. I took the bowl from my mother's cupboard.”;

The Best Party in D.C.

None other than the New York Times is urging Barack Obama to attend the Hawaii State Society Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., calling it “;the best party in town.”;

According to the Times, a Hawaii party traditionally has “;large, loving quantities of food and drink”; and that this one has an “;awesome”; lineup of entertainment: Eddie Kamae, Raiatea Helm, and the Aunty Genoa Ohana Ensemble. (The Brothers Cazimero were invited, but didn't get back to the organizers in time.)

“;We've never done this before,”; says Sarah Ulis, the organization's president. “;This all started with us sitting on the floor of our living rooms saying, Wouldn't it be great if ... “;

However, no sooner was Obama elected than the ball sold out, doubled in size and sold out again.

The society is “;sweating bullets”; over the arrangements, says Ulis. “;I think the invasion of Normandy was easier to organize. If the president decides to attend, I'm sure the Secret Service may step in and make us redo everything.”;

Still, the organization is “;praying,”; says Ulis, that he will drop by.

Also hoping the president will attend is a private Punahou trustees reception in the capital, location undisclosed, organized by Obama's class of 1979.

Snowman Rained Out

One of the victims of Thursday's storm was a snowman.

At Fern Elementary, Belt Collins president Mike Terry was to read aloud the new children's book, “;The Hawai'i Snowman,”; then present 275 copies, one for each public school, to Board of Education Chairwoman Donna Ikeda and Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto. The event was washed out, as only 50 kids showed up for school.

Why would the president of a planning and engineering firm be giving away children's books? Because it was illustrated by Belt Collins graphic designer Michel Le and written by his wife, Christine. And, one supposes, because it's Christmas.