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earlgreytea68Carnival season, which culminates in Mardi Gras (which comes after Lundi Gras, in case you were wondering), is basically my favorite thing about New Orleans. Aside from the catfish here, which is just phenomenal. So, catfish and Carnival, those are my two favorite things here. And king cake, which goes hand-in-hand with Carnival. Catfish, Carnival, and king cake.
Seriously, Mardi Gras is So. Much. Better. than you think it is before you come down and actually do it. It's not all wild and crazy drinking and baring of breasts and all that stuff. I mean, I guess it is in the French Quarter, but I avoid the French Quarter during Carnival in favor of attending all the parades. (Because there are no parades in the French Quarter.) (Also, please note my Puritan New England slant on things. If you do want wild and crazy drinking and baring of breasts, by all means, please come down and have fun and stick to the French Quarter. However, there is more to do than that if you should wish to seek more out.)
I love the parades. Love them. I love how a lot of them take place at night, because I think parades at night are more fun than parades during the day. I love the way the drums of a marching band feel like they come from inside you because you're vibrating so much with them. I love catching beads (which are absurdly easy to collect and require almost no effort on the part of the parade-goer, trust me). Carnival is a very family-friendly atmosphere, fyi, and if I had kids, I would definitely take them to New Orleans during Carnival. Also, here's a tip: The week before Mardi Gras weekend (including the weekend before Mardi Gras, so, ten days before Mardi Gras) is full of parades, and the city is slightly less crowded.
Anyway, I live on the parade route, which was literally the point of this apartment. On Friday night, I was grading papers (this is how I roll, okay?) and I could hear the bands going by on the street outside. Friday was raw and rainy here, and eventually I decided to check out the crowds, and there was no one watching this parade, and then I felt bad and went outside and watched, because the kids in the marching bands wait all year for this and happened to get a terrible evening. Even though one thing I do not need is more Mardi Gras beads, I came home with a bunch of beads, which I bedecked on Cardboard!David. As usual, he's delighted:
(He wants to know why Paper!Sherlock and Paper!John don't have to wear beads. I told him it's because they're very small and slight. This then offended Paper!Sherlock and Paper!John. Well, Paper!Sherlock more than Paper!John, but Paper!Sherlock is pretty much offended by everything and Paper!John just reminded me that he had been in the army and he would rather I not describe him as "slight" and I swear, these recyclable-material-men are a great deal of trouble. They may be two-dimensional, but their DRAMA is definitely three-dimensional.)
Anyway, although I live on the parade route, I haven't been taking pictures. My first time through Mardi Gras, I took a ton of photos. This time through, it seemed like a lot of effort to balance the camera and catch beads at the same time. Maybe I'll take proper Mardi Gras photos, we'll see. My family is coming down, and they have never seen Mardi Gras before, and I am so excited to see what they think.
In the meantime, a couple of friends and I went to Barkus, which is the dog Mardi Gras parade. I. Love. Barkus. What is not to love about Barkus? If I get a dog next year, I'm so totally marching in Barkus with him or her, and he or she will love me. (N.B. Any dog I get in the near future might be called Mycroft. Is this good or bad?) Behold, many photos of owners doing ridiculous things to their dogs, and dogs consenting to the absurdity with dignity, secure in the knowledge that bribing treats will be plentiful.
Please note: This is a dog parade.
Complete with a marching band.
And this person.
This pug was just an observer, but he still came dressed in his finery.
A poodle enjoying her Mardi Gras finery.
I think Nola speaks for herself.
It's a bulldog. In a tutu. Tell me this isn't the best parade ever.
And then there's this little guy.
Dog in a jaunty top hat!
This little guy was having a blast.
Another dog in a jaunty top hat!
A man and his dog, out for a bicycle ride.
Fabulous. Look at him rocking the Mardi Gras finery.
Then there were these people. I loved their costumes, but their poor dog...
Doesn't that dog's face just say, "What the hell? Seriously, people?"
It was a great costume, though.
A little furball with heart antlers.
Just hangin' out, enjoying her rightful place on the throne.
Best costume of the day: The dogs were dressed as lobsters, and you can see that a couple of them were in a pot.
This helicopter costume was pretty good, too.
Not to end on a sad note, but...this man's wagon was draped in black and empty. On the back, it said he was walking his dog's memory. Yes. I know. Sorry about that. But I had to not be the only one crying over this, okay?
Seriously, Mardi Gras is So. Much. Better. than you think it is before you come down and actually do it. It's not all wild and crazy drinking and baring of breasts and all that stuff. I mean, I guess it is in the French Quarter, but I avoid the French Quarter during Carnival in favor of attending all the parades. (Because there are no parades in the French Quarter.) (Also, please note my Puritan New England slant on things. If you do want wild and crazy drinking and baring of breasts, by all means, please come down and have fun and stick to the French Quarter. However, there is more to do than that if you should wish to seek more out.)
I love the parades. Love them. I love how a lot of them take place at night, because I think parades at night are more fun than parades during the day. I love the way the drums of a marching band feel like they come from inside you because you're vibrating so much with them. I love catching beads (which are absurdly easy to collect and require almost no effort on the part of the parade-goer, trust me). Carnival is a very family-friendly atmosphere, fyi, and if I had kids, I would definitely take them to New Orleans during Carnival. Also, here's a tip: The week before Mardi Gras weekend (including the weekend before Mardi Gras, so, ten days before Mardi Gras) is full of parades, and the city is slightly less crowded.
Anyway, I live on the parade route, which was literally the point of this apartment. On Friday night, I was grading papers (this is how I roll, okay?) and I could hear the bands going by on the street outside. Friday was raw and rainy here, and eventually I decided to check out the crowds, and there was no one watching this parade, and then I felt bad and went outside and watched, because the kids in the marching bands wait all year for this and happened to get a terrible evening. Even though one thing I do not need is more Mardi Gras beads, I came home with a bunch of beads, which I bedecked on Cardboard!David. As usual, he's delighted:
(He wants to know why Paper!Sherlock and Paper!John don't have to wear beads. I told him it's because they're very small and slight. This then offended Paper!Sherlock and Paper!John. Well, Paper!Sherlock more than Paper!John, but Paper!Sherlock is pretty much offended by everything and Paper!John just reminded me that he had been in the army and he would rather I not describe him as "slight" and I swear, these recyclable-material-men are a great deal of trouble. They may be two-dimensional, but their DRAMA is definitely three-dimensional.)
Anyway, although I live on the parade route, I haven't been taking pictures. My first time through Mardi Gras, I took a ton of photos. This time through, it seemed like a lot of effort to balance the camera and catch beads at the same time. Maybe I'll take proper Mardi Gras photos, we'll see. My family is coming down, and they have never seen Mardi Gras before, and I am so excited to see what they think.
In the meantime, a couple of friends and I went to Barkus, which is the dog Mardi Gras parade. I. Love. Barkus. What is not to love about Barkus? If I get a dog next year, I'm so totally marching in Barkus with him or her, and he or she will love me. (N.B. Any dog I get in the near future might be called Mycroft. Is this good or bad?) Behold, many photos of owners doing ridiculous things to their dogs, and dogs consenting to the absurdity with dignity, secure in the knowledge that bribing treats will be plentiful.
Please note: This is a dog parade.
Complete with a marching band.
And this person.
This pug was just an observer, but he still came dressed in his finery.
A poodle enjoying her Mardi Gras finery.
I think Nola speaks for herself.
It's a bulldog. In a tutu. Tell me this isn't the best parade ever.
And then there's this little guy.
Dog in a jaunty top hat!
This little guy was having a blast.
Another dog in a jaunty top hat!
A man and his dog, out for a bicycle ride.
Fabulous. Look at him rocking the Mardi Gras finery.
Then there were these people. I loved their costumes, but their poor dog...
Doesn't that dog's face just say, "What the hell? Seriously, people?"
It was a great costume, though.
A little furball with heart antlers.
Just hangin' out, enjoying her rightful place on the throne.
Best costume of the day: The dogs were dressed as lobsters, and you can see that a couple of them were in a pot.
This helicopter costume was pretty good, too.
Not to end on a sad note, but...this man's wagon was draped in black and empty. On the back, it said he was walking his dog's memory. Yes. I know. Sorry about that. But I had to not be the only one crying over this, okay?
