Sunshine, Easter, St Patrick's, Mardi Gras, weddings and a walk in the park in Louisiana

Sunshine and I got up this morning early enough to figure out where we were going and stake out a good piece of lawn for the St. Patrick's Day parade in Baton Rouge. It took a lot less time than Sun thought, so we were there and ready by 830. Fine - gives us plenty of time to people watch and catch up.

Originally, Sun had said we were going to an Easter egg hunt, so I provided bunny ears and classy plastic easter jewelry. We wore our easter garb to the parade - even though it wasn't quite the same celebration. We did have our green shirts on though.

There were plenty of people to watch and interesting too. It is funny to see how some people will go all out in all greeen and how some people do not have on any green at all, like they couldn't even try or be bothered. My favorite was the large crowd of green-bedecked folks in homemade tshirts rolling the giant beer funnel (made out of a water jug) attached to a shopping cart with the note - 'trying to make our parents proud with a six person beer funnel, even though we are approaching 30.' i suppose I am approaching 30 as well, but I dont feel like it.

The parade finally did begin for us (near the end) around 11am. There were a few marching bands, two bagpipe bands, and lots and lots of double decker floats full of drunk people throwing beads. The floats were equipped with portapotties and cupholders and most of them were full of college age sort of people drinking and throwing beads. Now most of the beads were green and had shamrocks and things on them, but it was still beads... like Mardi Gras.

I have given beads to my kids before as prizes so I was catching them and throwing them onto the blanket we had been sitting on. A lot of other people were too. Everytime I turned around someone else was tossing beads on the blanket (especially when they learned why I wanted them. I met a few other teachers in the crowd). The streets were littered in beads, the lawns were littered in beads - I felt like there were enough beads on the ground to have another parade. A few people tossed cups, one person candy, one person frisbees - but for the most part it was beads.

The people surrounding us were all drunk and drining green beverages, but they said they were only there to dance. That seemed like an odd comment until you saw them get down everytime a new float rolled by blasting some rap song or other danceable song. They got a lot of beads thrown at them too and most of them ended up on our blanket. It hurts when you get knocked by some of those beads bc a lot of them were large beads. One of the drunk girls kept yelling ' who keeps throwing beads at my head!' as if someone had it out for her on every float.

Sunshine brought the car as close as she could because we were struggling with the massive pile of beads and trying to carry the four corners of the blanket. Somehow we hauled it up into the trunk and the pile fills the trunk. I know I do not need that many, but it seemed wasteful to leave them. It will keep me occupied to untangle them. So if you need some beads, I have a few.

Next we embarked on the search for a perfect bridesmaid dress to be worn at Chrissy and Ellen bachelorette party. Sunshine had done some reconassaince and mapped out 20 thrift stores and consigments within 10 miles of her house. Amazing. So off we went. I tried on at least one dress in every shop and we laughed hysterically in all of them. I found a lot that would have been perfect if only it was a bit bigger or a lot smaller. Some of them were hilarious. Sunshine's favorite was the ice capades dress that would have barely covered my butt in its white poof while the top was bedazzled and white mesh over a white leotard. She said I looked like a ballerina on a wedding cake. Hysterical. I don't know which was my favorite, there were a lot that were really tacky. There are photos - I will psot them when the connection is faster. I purchased one - short with black lace and big bow, but I am not sure that it is the perfect one. Honestly after all the excitement with the parade I was surprised we lasted as long as we did to go to 12 thrift stores.

The day ended walking ADHD Zorro in the park. Sunshine's boxer is neurotic and has to smell everything and drink all the water in the puddles. Weird, but funny.

PS i wore shorts and a tshirt today - it is that warm. No snow in Louisiana! YAY!