Here we are, in our full costumed regalia. D wanted to walk in comfort and warmth while ripping on the NFL and I was going for a Saint / winged-football-goddess sort of look. Not many notice that the mask represents a football field with yard lines. Yes, I am a dork.
It doesn’t look too shabby in the picture above, but I wasn’t pleased with the quality of my costume this year for a number of reasons:
a) Notice severe lack of headdress. Thanks to bad weather all across America over the weekend and the classic incompetence of Delta Airlines gate agents, I didn’t reach New Orleans halfway into Sunday. Therefore and alas, between abuse taken during repeated trips to the airport and the fact that the sealant fumes still coming off it would have rendered our entire airplane unconscious, my headdress had to be left behind. An almost-seizure-inducing hour on the phone yesterday with Delta corporate customer service got me a $100 voucher good towards the purchase of a future flight. Woo to the hoo.
b) Too tired on Tuesday morning to do anything more glam with hair. Boo!
c) The wings didn’t make it past the car. Yes, I forgot to put them on once we reached our destination, leaving me prey to an endless string of tourists asking, “What are you supposed to be? An Indian?” D and I wanted to say, “Yeah, Mardi Gras Indian!” But, we didn’t think they would understand.
d) Costume 2010 would have been decidedly more spectacular had I not been forced to wear a whole sweatsuit under it. Damned cold. Actually, damned fluctuating temperatures, which made poor Loki so ill he had to go to the doctor on Mardi Gras Day instead of leading the annual Krewe of Chartreuse walk. Ick.
We caught some of the Zulu parade, walked into the Quarter, ate chili cheese tots at the Three Legged Dog and ended up at home away from home, i.e. Fahy’s. As usual, our evening ended early. To quote Editor B: “Mardi Gras is primarily an early morning holiday, at least to me. It’s kind of like Christmas in that way. This is contrary to the image many casual tourists might have in mind, due to the common association linking revelry with late nights. But I rarely stay out late on Mardi Gras, and for me the best part of the day is generally before noon.”
The rest of the pictures are in the Mardi Gras 2010 photo gallery. Happy Lent!
This picture was taken yesterday in the downtime between the MidCity and Thoth parades. Girl on left = unruly, attention-demanding pain in the ass. NOPD officer on right = patient, professional and extremely generous to little children and abusive, space-hogging idiots. And I mean generous to a fault. If I see this officer again tonight, I am going to have to remind him of certain New Orleans ordinances prohibiting fencing of public property, especially when people cordon off whole quarter to half city blocks with Caution tape and pitch teary, obscenity-laced fits as soon as parade-goers Invade Their Space. Required reading for folks attending Mardi Gras parades in uptown New Orleans: If I Were Carnival Dictator
We had a great time at Thoth this year. Great weather, gorgeous floats, lots of quality throws. Thanks, Thoth!
After squealing on seeing friends and screaming WhoDat! to onlookers, my voice and I parted ways some time on Sunday morning and it shows no signs of returning home. Add airplane travel back to the North to that mix and you know how I feel today.
King Dr. John did not attend my subkrewe’s, the Krewe de C.R.A.P.S., pre-parade party as is custom, but that’s quite alright considering he’s a superstar and a close friend of his just passed away. I would love to have met Mother Miriam, though, and it appears she had a great time all dressed up and throwing cups and nickels during the parade! Was it just me or did the parade this year move by very quickly? Working within the Always Stay In Front Of Your Band rule I helped instate, I’d stop to talk to friends and find our security escorts tugging on my sleeve telling me it was time to go. Also, I had to push two folks out of the parade before security and the next subkrewe mowed them over. Anyway, of all the people I expected to see, I missed only five (including Yellow Pants and his lovely bride) and still have their throws for them. D and I wish we could have seen Krewe Delusion, the new walking parade that followed us this year. Gotta love Harry Shearer with the Noisicians!
The Krewe du Vieux 2010 photo gallery is up. Here are pictures of our costumes this year and links to parade coverage and more photos. Also, when the ol’ pre-frontal cortex fires up again, I will write something up for Humid City as promised. If you’re craving some humidity right now, read their latest on Charity Hospital. And, as things go in the tiny-assed, two-degrees town that is New Orleans, author Monkey Boy is a C.R.A.P.S. float puller.
* NOLA.com coverage
* Krewe du Vieux Kicks Off Carnival In New Orleans | WWLTV.com – Krewe de C.R.A.P.S. is featured quite a bit in the video
* M. Styborski’s gallery
* Derek B’s gallery
* The Adrastos gallery
* Lippy’s gallery
* boxchain’s gallery
* Michael Homan’s gallery
* Two Gs & A D’s gallery – great pictures from the den and pre-parade festivities
* MardiGrasParadeSchedule.com gallery
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Mountain View, California
