Abbreviated Carnival Update

I'm kind of hazy this afternoon and very much in need of a nap before tonight's parades so this will have to be quick. If there is anyone left who doubts that it is not only appropriate but necessary for us to be at Carnival this year.. well they obviously weren't out last night. What we saw last night looked, sounded and smelled like an acutal Mardi Gras. The crowd was huge and purposefully festive. It also included Daisy (back in NO for the first time since November)and Menckles (for the first time ever). Having brought a newbie with me, I was concerned that I would spend the entire night saying things that begin with, "Now usually you would see here...." But every time I started to do that, the thing I thought we would miss suddenly showed up. I think it was when I saw that Chaos had actual flambeaux that I started to feel comfortable. I think the only two things I haven't seen this year are dance teams and shriners. I tried to get some pictures but my nighttime photography tends to be so blurred that it too accurately captures my drunken perspective to be of any communicative use.

Most of us who know Carnival know that Chaos is more or less the 21st C version of the old Momus parade. I believe that Chaos's membership is comprised largely of Momus members and, in fact, uses the Momus floats. Last night's theme "Hades, a Dream of Chaos" was an explicit reference to Momus's famous 1877(?) "Hades, a Dream of Momus" which skewered the carpetbagger government and established a long tradition of Momus satire. Chaos's floats were beautifully done and the ones I am not too hazy to remember were fairly witty. (I think there was a "Brownie Fiddles as Dome Burns" in there somewhere) Luckily, I caught a packet of cards describing the entire parade so I can have my memory jogged later. Daisy loves Muses (everybody loves Muses). In the pre-K world, I thought they were better than Endymion which had gotten to be too big for its own good. Last night we were hoping for big things from them and they delivered. Daisy actually caught one of the coveted art shoes as well as bunch of other crap. She attributes this to her purple wig thanks to some twisted form of logic which I do not care to go into.

And now, I think, it is time for that nap. I may not get back to the internets before Ash Wednesday.. but will try to squeeze in an update if I can.

Happy Mardi Gras, New Orleans!
Don't worry
Be happy
It's later than you think