Throw Me Somethin', Mister!

Apparently it is a blogging thing to not reveal where you live. I guess it is to prevent all the crazies who I'm sure are reading my blog (not) from deciding to make an unannounced visit. Anywho, it will be almost impossible to completely hide where I live when I announce that we are going to a Mardi Gras parade tonight. I don't live in New Orleans. Don't even live in Louisiana. Before we moved here I really thought that Mardi Gras was exclusive to NO and entailed lots of intoxication and debauchery (whew- where is my spell check?!). Not that I'm completely against a healthy amount of intoxication and debauchery. I'm as into debauchery as the next girl. However, it turns out that this Mardi Gras season is quite the entertaining and family appropriate affair. One I have taken to quite well, if I do say so myself.

Parades start on weekends in January and go right up until Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras). They're all very family friendly. The one we're going to tonight is one town over and one we haven't been to before. The Scientist and I are loading up the van with our fishies, two more from the neighborhood and several "throw" bags to put the loot in. All but the NO parades are pretty devoid of boobies and most drunks. So, we will go and tailgate on the side of the street in the freezing cold. All for some beads, moon pies and filthy stuffed animals.

I scoff, but the truth is that I get just as wrapped up in it as anyone else. I have caught myself lunging above a child's head for a particularly "good" set of beads. I have been known to hold the smallest fishy up to maximize the cute factor in hopes that the throwers will notice "us" and throw "us" a worthless yet prized plastic dubloon or a plastic cup. Please. One Fish (girl, 7 years old) caught a cup last year from a law inforcement float that was black and said "Meth=Death." Nice. But, you better bet your beads that I was dashing into the street in hopes of getting one of those cheap cups myself. The season apparently makes me lose all sensibility.

Lest this all make me sound like a hopeless redneck, I'll be the first to admit that Mardi Gras does make me a little trashy. But, I'm in good company. I saw the mayor in her suite catching beads across the street from us last year. At a parade this year a friend turned to me and said, "GET READY, this next one is throwing MOON PIES!" And KR, I know you will read this and know I'm talking about you. How are you enjoying that cheap plastic sword you knocked over the 4 year old to get, huh?

So, that's what we're doing tonight. Pictures will follow.