The marine layer burned off early today. Parking for the graduation was absolutely chaos... apparently the different graduations were scheduled so closely together that you had masses of people trying to leave while other masses were trying to get in.

It took a while but eventually we were all seated in the bleachers. It was quite hot out! While we were waiting, a newspaper reporter came up and took our photo as part of an article on the graduation. Ah yes, always the fame, never the fortune.

One was only allowed into the stadium with special tickets that had to be ordered in advance.... and these were only given in limited number per graduate. Hopefully you didn't have a big family!

Trying to survive the heat

The graduates loiter about nearby.

Once it got started, the ceremony went fairly quickly and efficiently.

Heading in

The girls were only allowed to wear wedges and not heels... but I couldn't believe how high they were!

Standing for the national anthem

The lyrics of the Star-Spangled Banner come from a poem written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships in the Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812. It was set to the tune of a popular British song at the time and officially adopted as the national anthem in 1931.

With a range of over an octave, it is a difficult song to sing. Although the poem has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today.

O say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

All of the speeches were excellent! The kids creatively interwove classic themes with modern examples.

Receiving the diplomas

The skip of happiness

The moving of the tassel from the right side to the left side, known as "turning the tassel," symbolizes one's transition from candidate to graduate.

Hats are tossed into the air as it's over!!

The (former) students randomly disperse.

Dinner was at the Macaroni Grill. It was packed with other graduates and their families.

Fill-in cards were a great way to have your pasta any way you like!

Cheers!!

California allows for personalized plates with seven spaces for numbers, letters or one of four symbols: a heart, plus, handprint or star