a wet mardi gras dayZulu 2013Baby DollsRex’s Butterfly FloatMy coconuts!Hand carved! It’s a keeper!Coconut from The Big shot! My mojo must have really been kicking!
I’m pretty tired, but I had a great season. Although, I’ve heard of two incidents where riders on the floats were assholes.
Someone riding with the Krewe of Thoth apparently was throwing “Mamie Dolls” at older black women on the route and they were exploding on impact.
Also, a fool riding with the Krewe of Bacchus hurled a jug of urine at a guy. At least this guy went to the end of the route and filed a complaint. The link is here is you want to read up on it.
No word on the mamie doll throwing mf’er.
As much as I love Mardi Gras, there are people riding who are complete assholes.
A lot of racists up there too ( my next post).
I guess it doesn’t dawn on them that, they’re standing targets up there on those floats. It will though when someone pulls one of them off of the float or shoots one of them for messing with their family member.
Mardi Gras is a wonderful time in the city for the most part.
But yeah, a lot of assholes view it as an opportunity to practice their racists views…
The world’s longest float belongs to Endymion. Making its debut on the streets of New Orleans last night, the 9 segment float is 330 feet long and holds 230 riders. The music you hear is playing off of the float. The float celebrates the rides of Pontchartrain Beach which was an amusement park in the city until its closure in 1983. I used to work at “The Beach” from ’80-83 so, it was real cool seeing the float.
Brought back a lot of memories.
Be sure to take note of the crowd…it was massive out there. And remember, the route is 5 miles long and the crowd is just as massive on the opposite side of the street!
Nyx stole the show! They threw more and had more specialty throws than Druids.
Here’s my stash!
Nyxed to death!
I have much more, but these are my favorites. Managed to get 4 purses and 3 martini glass bracelets thanks to Felicia the fishing net,
I had a killer reach for the Krewe of Ancient Druids parade. I think I’ll bring her with me on carnival day!
Roy Guste photos
I loved the playful jabbing that Druids and Nyx had going on. Druids started it last year, but this year Nyx was ready for them.
courtesy of wgno
It rained on Nyx yet again. Two years running, two years rain. I think the universe is sad that I’m not riding yet. The rain will stop when I get a spot on a float.
Well, that’s what MY head thinks anyway.
I’ll be up there next year! Can feel it in my bones! I saw a lot of extra room on those floats..surely there’s room for lil ole me.
photos by Roy Guste
The kids are such troopers. They don’t get enough praise as far as I’m concerned. Marching and performing for 5 or more miles is not easy….and in the rain too!
Way to go kids!!! You do a terrific job out there keeping the crowds entertained! Mardi Gras wouldn’t be the same without you guys.
Muses rolled yesterday and as usual they were fantastic! I love Muses! The crowd was thick and CRAZY!! I think they cut up more for Muses than they do for Bacchus and Endymion.
Roy Guste photos
I get it. It’s the shoes…everyone wants to receive the coveted Muses Shoe. If you get one consider yourself very lucky…
MY SHOE!
Not too shabby considering I didn’t hustle for anything. These are the favorites. I love the shoe bracelets! It’s gonna go great with my purse bracelet I got from Nyx. I’m gonna use them as part of my ‘”Krewe Couture” that I’m wearing on Mardi Gras Day.
photo by Roy Guste
I don’t know who this young man is in the wheelchair, but he wasn’t going to let this season go by and not be out there! That’s the way it is when you’re a kid here. If you’re in the band or part of an auxiliary group, you have to be out there! Memories that will last lifetime are made on those streets.
A Roy Guste photoThe insane crowd by me!
Muses and Nyx both threw like crazy! I’m glad to see the ladies doing so well. It took a long time coming but, GIRL POWER is here! Some of the other krewes can take some lessons on throwing from the ladies…they were very generous.
photo by Roy Guste
Tonight it begins again with the Krewe of Hermes,Krewe d’ETAT and the Krewe of Morpheus rolling Uptown. Start time is 6 p.m. I’m gonna watch them on the parade cam at WWLTV. They seem to have a better cam than NOLA.com. Anyone who wants to watch the parades can watch them here.
I need a break!
Tomorrow will be the start of a whole lot of running around. I have to rest and get ready for the madness!
Last Thursday,NS and I attended the ‘M&Ms Better With M Dinner’ at the Foundry (thank you Charlotte). It was a star-studded event which celebrated the launch of their brand new marketing campaign ‘Better With M.’ Proceeds from the event went to New Orleans Habitat for Humanity.
No marketing campaign was needed to get me through the door, they had me at M&Ms.
I love me some M&Ms!
The three-course, chocolate infused dinner was created by New Orleans own Chef John Besh and for the entertainment…Vanessa Williams!
What a treat!
The event was spectacular!
As soon as you entered, there was a beautiful table set with gift bags of m&ms with your name on it. On the other side of the tag was the name of a street in New Orleans. NS and I were on Frenchman St. Later on, we learned that, the street was actually the table where we would be seated.
Nude posing M&Ms…too funny.
Cocktails were flowing in typical NOLA fashion (food and drinks everywhere) and the Grammy-award winning Rebirth Brass Band kept everyone grooving. I usually take pics of the food but those hors d’oeuvres didn’t stand a chance.
NS was in heaven as they were serving Glenfiddich 21-year-old Scotch. I even imbibed a cocktail or two.
Rebirth Brass Band
I didn’t get the chance to take pics of too many celebrities. I did catch Neil Patrick Harris walking in though,
and I met Chef John Besh as he was walking around the room, talking to everyone. He is such a sweet man!
I eye-spyed Chef Arron Sanchez (my husband in my next life) walking around and well, there was no way I was letting that moment of opportunity get away.
Chef John Besh,NS and Chef Aaron Sanchez
After cocktails, we were all ushered into the dining area.
our table
1st course.2nd course.
Unfortunately, I have no pic of the desert, but it was delicious! As soon as the wait staff began to bring out the deserts, Vanessa Williams hit the stage.
She looks incredible and her voice is flawless!
That woman can SANG!
photo credit m&ms
Her daughter Jillian was also there as one of the background singers. I was floored by Vanessa’s performance. I always knew she had a beautiful voice, but I had no idea that she would put on such a great show.
For her last act, she changed her outfit and then sang her hit ‘Work To Do.’
She put a spin on it and did a Salsa that would put these young’uns to shame!
Way to go Vanessa! If you ever hit the road, count me there!
The city is really being hammered with festivities. We began with a week-end of parades, followed by the Super Bowl and now we’re back to parading with the Krewe of Druids and the Mystic Krewe of Nyx kicking it off Wednesday night.
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