I finally posted the Mardi Gras pics. They’re in the photo gallery. I joined the Krewe of Caesar this year. It was a great time at the ball and I even got to ride the float. For the uninitiated, Krewes are the social organizations that power Mardi Gras. The Krewe of Caesar was founded in 1979 in Metairie, LA (a suburb of New Orleans). This means that the parade is a little more local and closer to Mobile than the Canal street New Orleans parades. The last statistics I saw put our Krewe at over 800 riders and 30 floats. Each Krewe generally has a ball and a parade and we’re no exception. We got picked up this year and as luck would have it, our parade theme was Pirates of the Caribbean…Arrghh. I’m not gonna get into to much detail but just know it was all a blast. I will definitely be going back. I don’t think I have many pics fit for general consumption but here’s a few. Enjoy.
The Ball is a standard Mardi Gras ball, but it’s a little different than Mobile. Mobile balls are very formal. The rules usually include an open bar and refreshments but no dinner or alcohol brought in, that women can’t wear their date’s coat, all men wear white tie and tails (tuxedos), women must have a floor length dress, etc. This was a lot more relaxed. It was BYOB, formal dining, and had loose rules on dress. It ended up being about the same in most aspects but seemed a lot more relaxed than most I’ve been to. Either way, it’s a great excuse to get dressed up and hang out with your friends.
They also announced our costumes for the parade. We were of course, PIRATES. How awesome can it get? Not much more I assure you. We got there and immediately started finding provisions.
Later, we found our chariot waiting.
As a side note, I think it’s hilarious that they have to specify no Spears, Bomb bags or Life Threatening Objects…whatever those are. All of our throws and stuff were loaded on the float. I promise you that you don’t realize how much stuff those guys throwing have until you see it in person.
We take a while, get everything ready, then get ourselves ready.
What a fine looking bunch of rascals, huh? Anyway, after about six hours, once everything is ready, the parade rolls. I won’t even try to describe the experience to you but this is pretty much all you see for the next 3 hours.
I threw everything I had, as fast as I could and still couldn’t get rid of it all. It was fantastic. Want some tips for getting throws? Bring a cute kid and put them up high. Even pirates can’t resist a cute kid that wants a foam football. Trucks and stuff like that are your friend. Catch the parade more than once. The beginning is when we still have cool stuff, the end is where the rest of our stuff is being heaved overboard like we’re overweight and going down in the Potomac.
Overall, a great time. Make sure you catch our parade next year. I’m going to make sure I buy more moonpies and bouncy balls this time around. 
Peace.