But you develop your own personal krewe during the two week slog of day drinking. These are the people that you call and text every morning to decide on what you're going to do that day. Plans vaguely alluded to the night before come together. Mardi Gras mostly happens on the weekends, but, the Thursday before, it becomes an every day, all day adventure.
Some parade goers get really angry and shouty. Thus, for Endymion, my krewe had to search pretty hard for a spot to stand. By contrast, for Proteus and Orpheus, our neighbors were friendly. And that's generally the theme during Mardi Gras. I always meet new people, usually out of town friends visiting my people, or the kindly souls who live near the parade route and open their houses (and their bathrooms) to me, as a friend of a friend.I'm a Mardi Gras veteran. Some years I'm more into it than others. Last year was particularly intense, seeing as it was Lombardi Gras. This year was a middle of the road year for me. But the new aspect was that for the first time, I was in a parade! Two in fact. As a rollergirl, I had the opportunity to skate in Pontchartrain and walk in Muses. Being in the parade is a completely different experience. Instead of trying to catch cheap beads, I was throwing them. But I decided to mix it up. I threw skate wheels! I painted them black and gold.
Unfortunately, I almost broke my friend's nose and busted all the liquor in the process. I was aiming a wheel at my roommate, and flung it pretty hard at his face, because I wanted to and I knew he'd catch it in time. But I failed to factor in my forward momentum as I skated along. So I missed and it went straight at my other friend's nose. He was holding the cooler of cheap beer and cheaper liquor, and was completely helpless. I saw the look of terror pass over his face as my roommate reached out and ninja grabbed the wheel, saving the booze.
Just one of my many adventures of the past two weeks.
