Mardi Gras 2007 recap

Yesterday was St. Louis’ Mardi Gras festivities, held in the Historic Soulard Neighborhood. On my patented “fun-for-me-o-meter,” I’d have to rate the day a B-. The day had its ups and downs.

The plan, prior to yesterday, was this: wait for my sister and friend, she would park at my house, and we’d walk to the festivities to meet up with several other people, go to the parade, and attend a few parties.

Instead of the above, my sister calls me an hour into the parade and tells me that she found a parking spot, and is already at the parade. I call her ignorant and hang up the phone. I then proceed to the parade by myself. The time is now a little after 12:00 p.m. I text my friend and get their location. It takes me a good 30 minutes to finally find them in the masses of people viewing the parade.

As I make my way through the crowd, it became clear that the turnout was not has high as last year. Don’t get me wrong, there were a shitload of people, just not as many has the last couple preceding years. The reason? The weather. Yesterday morning it was still snowing with the windchill in the teens all day long.

After I met up with the first group of friends, we walked to a party not too far away. We were all expecting to have to pay $10 for a use of a bathroom, unlimited beer and Hurricanes, and the warmth of being indoor. But, for whatever reason, no one collected the $10, and I am not one to offer. Outside, in the courtyard, there was a fire pit, keg, along with a couple alcohol-based activities. We stayed there for the better part of the day.

Little after 3:15 p.m., I started getting text messages from my co-worker wondering where I was and why I wasn’t at the next party. The reason for my delay? I was having a difficult time gathering 10 people to leave the first party, but we eventually departed.

Oh, by the way, the first group of people consisted primarily of doctors. The second party – lawyers.

I was hesitant about bringing 10 people with me because I didn’t know the hosts of the party; I was invited to attend through my co-worker, who is the host-wife’s former co-worker. It was immediately evident that this was a gathering of lawyers. One can tell. Seriously. This was a totally different party from where we had just come. There, we ate chips out of a bag and drank beer from a keg in red plastic cups. Here, there were finger foods, mixed drinks, bbq, ect. Just different. (Oh, for those not in the know, I'm a lawyer.)

Once I found my co-worker, she almost immediately said, “there she is.” “Who,” I responded. “C.!” “Oh,” I say. C. is this girl who lives in my neighborhood and who walks her German Shepherd around the same park I do. Actually, we’ve seen either before. We talked for a good hour, before being interrupted. Who knows where this will go. She’s conservative-leaning. She already said something about me being a tree-hugger. Yeah.

Then, for whatever reason this douche-bag started teasing C. about working in the public sector, where I work. This assclown is the boyfriend of a co-worker of C. He said something to us about wasting the public dollar, ect., ect. Yeah. So, I told my co-worker that this dood was a total prick. She, surprisingly, was shocked at what I said. “He’s a really nice guy,” and then the kicker, “once you get to know him.”

I never understood that saying – “once you get to know him/her.” Can someone explain to me why anyone would want to get to know someone who, initially, acted like a total asshat? Why make that effort? I don’t understand.

After the second party (no pics from there), I gathered the 10 and headed to the Captain Morgan tent. It was completely pitch dark, except for a few camera flashes. Upon inquiry, we were told that a fuse had been blown. I stayed there for a good 20 minutes and decided to head home.

When I got home a little before 8:00 p.m., I found a nice-sized pee stain in Fritz’s crate. Lovely.

Overall, Margi Gras 2007 was full of contradictions. Sure the weather was terribly cold, and I had to endure the rhetoric of a conservative-fuckstick, but, in the end, I could say I survived Mardi Gras 2007, and still had a fun time.

Labels: holiday, life, me, Republicans suck ass, stress, weather