It was very noisy and also very warm in Louisiana. It was in the seventies on Saturday and it was 73 degrees on Monday when we left. At the parades, there were lots of stopping points when it got paused but the floats rarely had to stop where we were.
The first day that we were in New Orleans was Friday, and the fire alarm in the hotel went off twice. It was really scary! There were three parades on Friday: Hermes, something that I forget the name of, and Morpheus. My cousin Anna stayed awake for all three and it was 12:30 am when she went to bed!
On Saturday for Iris and Tucks, we went to Ninoo's sister's house and where we watched the parades was much closer to the beginning. So we caught more stuff and more stuff hit me [E44: everybody got hit in the head or eye or somewhere with beads at least once] But the best part about that was that when there were no barricades, so when the floats stopped near us, we could go stand near them and beg for stuff. And the people on the floats would just drop or hand you things if you were near enough to them.
That night with Endymion there were these big creepy plastic costume-suit things that at least six people were wearing. And the faces of the big creepy plastic costume-suit things had creepy closed eyes and big fat creepy smiles and creepy outstretched arms. I went to sleep during that one, because I was tired and also I was getting sick of parades.
On Sunday we had beignets for breakfast and they had a whole lot of powdered sugar and were really yummy! I cannot keep my face clean with powdered sugar. After breakfast we just waited for the first parade. It was called Okeanos. During that one Daddy got sick and I went upstairs with him because I was sick of parades. The next one (but I was inside and writing on google docs for that one) was called Mid-city. After that one I came down for the next one, Thoth. After Thoth was Bacchus, but I was inside for that one again. Partly because I was sick of parades, partly because lots and lots of beads in one bag are really HEAVY!!!
We left on Monday and Quin was really sad because she is obsessed with Drunk on a Plane and Dirks Bentley would be in Orpheus that night (and it snowed at home that night so we had a snow day and could of left on Tuesday after all) and we wouldn't be there for Orpheus When we got back in the car after the plane and drove home, Quin found a banana peel that she had put in an empty white chocolate truffle bag on Thursday. It was frozen! There was frost on it and it was all brown, all over.
Guest entry by Quinlan
Yes. I am very sad about that. Now Celeste be quiet. Okay. Mardi Gras is french for Fat Tuesday. I hate guest entrying. Also, I can't spell. Also Celeste, if you were sick of parades it would be you AND Father who would be sick. WHY DOES MOTHER MAKE US DO GUEST ENTRIES?! I hate Mother! Fine. I will calm down. I caught too much. I had to stash the beads in my suitcase!
Filling in some holes
We left Maryland Thursday afternoon, and arrived in New Orleans (after a few delays) that evening, and gracious Ninoo and Papa picked us up at the airport and drove us to Hammond for a night.
The next day, midday, back down to New Orleans to our hotel, the Intercontinental, where the contingent of Hammond folks were staying. The parking lot was converted into viewing stands, and everybody brought their ladders and stepladder and folding chairs and set up outside. This is what it looks like empty. Little kids can sit safely atop of the ladders and catch the throws without being trampled.
First parades we saw, as C10 said, were on Friday afternoon Hermes, Krewe D'Etat, and Morpheus.
It took virtually no time at all for the girls to catch on, and start catching the beads. And then Q8 tried the ladder, which was a fun place to sit. An adult has to stand at the back at all times ... I liked that job. You get a good view of what is going on.
The next day (Saturday the 14th) we headed to the Garden District to watch the parades from there. This is more of what C45 remembers from his youth. The crowds were less crowded, there were no barriers between the floats and the spectators, it wasn't so crazed.
Both C45 and I spent a lot of time with Q8 on our shoulders. C45 even put C10 on his shoulders but I didn't even try that, that would be too much for me.
I'm sure this is Q8 telling C45 to GET CLOSER! or something like that.
Saturday up in the Garden District was the Krewe of Iris and the Krewe of Tucks. Tucks threw my the trifecta of all things toilet ... the toilet paper, toilet plunger, and the toilet brush. With a little help from my friends I got them all! Huzzah! Yes, I was pleased with myself. The light up wings on my head? from Hermes the day before ...
That night back to St. Charles St. It was CROWDED. You can see.
A8 is in the ladder seat with A42 on the ladder. The streets is packed. And to the left in the photo are the GPS locator trucks that signal the start of the parade ... it was about to start! But then we had to wait some more. But the parade--Endymion--was a good one. They were showering the crowd with beads and things.
The next day, Sunday. Parades started early, and we stayed on St. Charles St. We set up early and waited.
Waiting:
Waiting:
Waiting:
Waiting ... actually, I think this one is during a parade, waiting for the float to float down the street:
FINALLY, a PARADE! A FLOAT. I think this might have been Thoth:
610 Stompers ... C10 and Q8 (um, and I) loved these guys.
In between parades there was a lull, and kids (and adults) often hopped the fence to make travel easier, or just to play with the footballs, frisbees, and balls that were being tossed from the floats. I loved this. It made it so casual:
This is me and A8 on the ladder during Thoth, and then a float from the final final parade of the day, Bacchus. C45, C10, and Q8 all had already gone upstairs to the hotel room. C45 wasn't feeling well (and actually had missed most of the day), C10 was done with parades (see above) and Q8 just couldn't handle all the stuff, fearful of having to bring it all home ... or not be able to. SO I was left on the street with family and friends.
One final photo. After the parades the trees, bare because it is February after all, get heavily decorated. I loved it!
The next day, Sunday. Parades started early, and we stayed on St. Charles St. We set up early and waited.
Waiting:
Waiting:
Waiting:
Waiting ... actually, I think this one is during a parade, waiting for the float to float down the street:
FINALLY, a PARADE! A FLOAT. I think this might have been Thoth:
610 Stompers ... C10 and Q8 (um, and I) loved these guys.
In between parades there was a lull, and kids (and adults) often hopped the fence to make travel easier, or just to play with the footballs, frisbees, and balls that were being tossed from the floats. I loved this. It made it so casual:
This is me and A8 on the ladder during Thoth, and then a float from the final final parade of the day, Bacchus. C45, C10, and Q8 all had already gone upstairs to the hotel room. C45 wasn't feeling well (and actually had missed most of the day), C10 was done with parades (see above) and Q8 just couldn't handle all the stuff, fearful of having to bring it all home ... or not be able to. SO I was left on the street with family and friends.
One final photo. After the parades the trees, bare because it is February after all, get heavily decorated. I loved it!
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