Post Mardi Gras reflection

WOW!  Is pretty much all I have to say... No really, we had a great day!  It started at 9 am.  Yes, I did get Andy out of bed with the promise of beer and parades. :)  We headed downtown for the fun-filled day.  The first parade was at 10:30.  Amanda and Justin, our Mardi Gras comrades, met us at the barricade.  We brought a fantastic breakfast of Chic-fil-a and Bloody Mary's or Mardi Gras Mash.  We got creative on Monday night and Andy decided I needed a "Mardi Gras Virgin" sign, so we had the sign and I was basically pelted with all sorts of stuff.  I did get thrown some good stuffed animals, which are supposedly the best throws off the float.  Here is the "Barbie and Ken" float from that parade.

Next, we went back to Andy's office for a short break and then headed off to the loading area for the next parade where our friend, Terry, was riding.  We made it through the barricade just in time to see the riders come out of the Civic Center.  They were led by one of the marching bands in the parade.

We then went to the float that Terry was on and waited to see the parade start.  It was fun because the other riders on the float were getting warmed up by throwing us lots of beads. Terry finally made it to the float and then they were off.  Directly following the KOR parade was the Comic Cowboy's parade.  They are the crew where most of the members are in drag and each float has a political message written on it.  Now with my "virgin" sign still being held above my head, I did have an opportunity to show some "skin" for a set of Jagermeister beads, but alas, I decided to save my dignity and pass on the beads...Sorry, Ryann & Josh.  Here are some pics of the KOR floats whose theme was breakfast cereals and the Comic Cowboy Queens.

We then went back to Andy's office to change for the KOR reception.  The dress for the reception was spring suit or dress and a hat.  So pretty much I went to Sears to find a hat.  Since my head/hair is not gigantic, it was hard to find a hat that fit.  No worries though, I found a lovely fuchsia one that happened to match a suit coat that I already had.  Anyway, Amanda and I fit in well with our hats. 

We had  a fun time at the KOR ball.  It was supposed to last until 5:30, but we left about 5 and headed over to the Broadwater's house that was only 2 blocks from the Civic Center.  We had a bit of food and some more beverages, sang some show tunes and just had a nice rest for a while.  

We then realized that we had almost missed the last parade, so we headed towards Government street and in the direction Andy's office.  We were able to see the second half of the parade as it was making its final pass down Government Street.  I did catch a cup that said "floats like a moonpie, stings like a bead"  by that time, I fully agreed!  After a full day of Mardi Gras fun, we were ready to head home.  We made our way back to Andy's office to change. While Amanda and I were changing, Andy and Justin went up to the Music Center's balcony and were throwing beads at the mob of people below.  Although they were having fun, the girls were ready to crash, so I pried them back downstairs and we let the evening come to an end.  

Just for fun, today I put all of the stuff that we caught at all of the parades over the past 3 weeks on the dining room table as the final picture.  As I might have said before, I truly appreciate the season of Lent even more now.  We definitely had a "Fat" time not only Tuesday but throughout all of Mardi Gras.  I highly recommend experiencing it at least once in your life and Mobile does it right.  Well, I am definitely going to bed early tonight, so until next time.  Have a moonpie and think of us.

Notice the sunburn...We are just not in the habit of wearing sunscreen in February...another lesson learned. :)