Mardi Gras: There will be blog

I write this blearily while the rest of the brood dozes. You see, it is Mardi Gras break down here in Loosiana. School's out til Thursday.

Sooo...I went to Spanish Town Mardi Gras on Saturday.

The parade was already going when our mom's taxi-style minivan-load of mostly grad students arrived. It was insane. Beads a-flyin' everywhere. Themed floats, people hooting and hollering. It took a while to get into the spirit, as I don't go from 0 to WOO without the added ingredient of alcohol. Here's us being New York before beer.

Meanwhile there were plenty of sights to take in as we got warmed up.

Here we are after we got it started.

Wait, I guess we still look pretty reserved there. But more beads = more drunk, so there you go. I'd learned at Mardi Gras in New Orleans ten years ago that normally worthless beads become currency and add to the celebration. For a while I was bent out of shape that I hadn't caught any "special" beads, such as a string with a plastic frog attached. I'm over that now.

Most of the float themes played on politics, the writers' strike, or Louisiana's fallen homegirl Britney Spears. The first Britney one we saw enacted the Spears family reunion.

As with most everything down here, it seems, this was an all-ages event, and was not lacking in seasoned older characters.

 

But some of the less experienced Mardi Gras revelers appeared to have a hard time.

And this tyke was hammered.

The guy next to us asked if we were from around here, and when I asked how he knew we weren't, he said, "Because you're taking pictures." Oops. Battery was dying anyway. I did get a few more shots in before early bedtime, though.

This is the last thing I remember seeing.

JK! I saw our friend accidentally make out with an 82-year-old man, and I wish I could forget seeing the geriatric gals wearing sheer blouses with nothing underneath.

It was a great time, and we were all set to go the parades in New Orleans the next day. That is, until the next day. (We're not in college anymore.) Instead we had a mini Superbowl party with the neighbros.

After that first Mardi Gras when I was in college, I thought, that was perfect time to do that, don't need to ever be around that big of a partying shitshow again. But you never know where life will take you. It was a pleasant surprise that it was still as much fun, if not more fun, than the first time.

Here's what we did with all the beads when we got back from that first one.
 

And apparently, not too much has changed in ten years.

Comments

[vl100butch]

I'm jealous.....but what about the shrimp?

[Kitty]

OMG, looks like so much fun.

Question: do the special froggy beads mean anything in particular? like you had to show both boobs or something?

[Alexis]

Not true! I always take pictures and I'm born n' raised in Barou. So don't listen to that. Photo away.

[Alexis]

Not true! I always take pictures and I'm born n' raised in Barou. So don't listen to that. Photo away.

[Caitlin]

I agree with Alexis. I've been taking pictures for the past week and I'm definitely not a foreigner.

I love the photo of your dog! There are many fun uses for beads that last about 2 weeks, haha. I like to put them in glass vases and use them as decorations.

[cokane]

Oh yeah, Butch, we had giganto local grilled shrimp. And more fattening food, in preparation for Fat Tues.

Kitty, it was! And I didn't see any boob-showing other than those old women. I'm not sure what you had to do to get the frog, but I didn't get one.

Alexis, I shall!

Cait, we really tried to get use out of the beads when I was in college...I think we draped them like garland in a big doorway and it probably looked pretty bad. Kartek can back me up on this when she reads this post.

[ecs]

That dog is hil-AR-ious.

[Kartek]

I can't remember exactly what we did with all the beads. Did they make it onto the wall art that had the christmas lights and magazine pages? I still have the crawdad bead necklace hanging from my car rear view mirror and the better beads make it onto the christmas tree...for now.

[the cajun boy]

awww...i once rode in the spanish town parade. brings back memories.

(he wipes a tear)

[emily]

Aw, love the pup. what a grin!
Happy Fat Tuesday! les bon le something something whatever.

[Randy]

It was good to meet you, though I was way past inebriated by the time you rolled by my party, so my memory is a bit fuzzy.
We floated two kegs here. TWO KEGS! Not to mention a whole handle of vodka and however much wine, beer, and other booze people brought.
Jesus. It was fun though.

[Jules]

I love that pic of you and Karin! SO CUTE!

Picture of Cooper: priceless!

[Kettle]

Laura ended up with 20+ lbs of beads. Me? I got whacked with a few... But I was taking pictures. And I think the old lady next to me thought I wasn't taking pictures of the floats......

[Kevin]

I think I saw you briefly at Rebecca's, but I wasn't sure if it was you. I didn't want to go up to the wrong lady and get all embarrassed.

Also, I was so drunk, it wouldn't have been much of an introduction anyway. I think I'm still drunk from Saturday. Oh well. One day, Ms. Kane, one day.

[Kevin]

I think I saw you briefly at Rebecca's, but I wasn't sure if it was you. I didn't want to go up to the wrong lady and get all embarrassed.

Also, I was so drunk, it wouldn't have been much of an introduction anyway. I think I'm still drunk from Saturday. Oh well. One day, Ms. Kane, one day.

[cokane]

Thanks y'all!

Randy and Kevin, once fiance and I woke up from our initial "disco nap" which turned into "lounging around like hungover slobs all night in front of the tv" I was in the guilt zone about my own public drunkenness and he was like "Uhh...EVERYONE was wasted."
So Kev, you totally should have approached.
And Randy, good to meet you, for like 2 drunk minutes!

[Randy]

Never feel guilty about public drunkenness in southern Louisiana. ESPECIALLY during Mardi Gras.
Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed our little corner of the world's day of debauchery. The Spanish Town parade is my personal favorite Mardi Gras parade.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that you missed the titty-flashin' white trash in the truck parked right next to my porch. She'd flash her breasts, catch some beads, make out with her shirtless boyfriend, lather, rinse, repeat.
Good times.

PS- we're having a fundraiser for KLSU this Saturday at the Spanish Moon. 5 bands are playing (including my drone project) and cover's only $5. And plus, all the money goes to help support our little radio station. So if you & the fiance have no other plans, please come!

[Kevin]

Cokane, did you just use "y'all" UN-ironically? One-of-us, one-of-us... (I'm so, so kidding)

I think the neural pathways that are responsible for post-drunk guilt, just get worn into a deep groove by the time we hit our thirties. I was feeling it before my buzz had even worn off. I guess you can't have Mardi Gras without residual Catholic guilt--what would be the point?

[cokane]

Randy, haha! that class act flasher sounds like the bon jovi concert circa 1989, only with beads. i'm supposed to go out of town tomorrow but if i'm here, i'll go.

Kevin, i think i did say that unironically! also yeah. good point about the guilt. i could probably compete in the olympics of catholic guilt.

[Susan Kirby-Smith]

shoot, I had to miss my first MG in Barou because of AWP

[Susan Kirby-Smith]

but I love your animals wearing the beads; that's stupendous