Happy Valentine's Gras

Wow I can’t believe it’s been 2 years since I posted about my daughter’s birthday being Valentine’s Day. I was going to write in the political blog this morning but I’m just not in the mood for anxiety. It’s my daughter’s birthday.

I’m also lucky enough not to be alone in this world on Valentine’s Day. These celebrations really rub loneliness in the face of people that are.

This year we get Chloe’s birthday, Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras. Last year I promised my son I’d take him to Mardi Gras this year. I told him he’d be old enough. I had totally forgotten the promise and didn’t realize it was going to be Valentine’s Day weekend too.

Not being sure how to handle the situation I called my ex. I was pretty much asking permission to take Chloe too. My ex was not all happy about the idea. Fortunately Chloe had no interest in going. Dylan and I went, leaving Chloe at the apartment.

Here’s my review:

Bo-o-o-o-ring!!! Dylan did get to see one woman flash for beads and there were a few dancing youngsters. Most were kids walking around with cups advertising some kind of product. They looked absolutely bored or perhaps too drunk too early. We made our way down to the parade. I was surprised to see so many kids with their parents. “Good,” I thought, “It’s family friendly.”

The floats arrived an hour late and were 15 minutes apart! They were all corporate casino floats with employees who looked relieved not to actually be at the casino. Instead of alcohol they had giant coffee makers and seemed to be on their best behavior. They threw product endorsement beads that were wrapped in plastic bags. The whole thing was roped off.

The last time I was in the parade I was on the Lohr Distribution float. In spite of the fact that it was corporate the beads were generic, we got drunk, (we even had a porta potty on the float) and the crowd surrounded us. In fact near the end of the route my friend ‘Drea pulled me off the float and into the crowd where I partied totally forgetting the parade.

Kids just don’t know how to party these days!

My son was satisfied though. We went home and grabbed my daughter and my girl friend Valerie. We took Chloe to the Bleeding Deacon for her birthday meal. It’s a great place for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. My son was the only one of us who isn’t.

This story is going to take a detour but I promise it will make sense.

When I was in 4^th and 5^th grades I went to Mullanphy School in the Shaw neighborhood. Everyone remembers Reagan counting catsup as a vegetable in the school lunch program but it was actually Nixon with the Vita-Lunch program. We were supposed to bring a quarter and we’d get a red plastic token you were supposed to turn in for a nutritious lunch.

I wasn’t interested in that at all. I took my quarter to the local pool hall where I was able to buy a bottle of cream soda and a Moon Pie. I still twitch thinking about the sugar rush. You couldn’t beat the combination of junk food and local color.

Back to the present----

As we sat at the table in the restaurant Valerie presented us with Valentine’s gifts. I got this lovely gift bag with a Mexican bottle of Coke. You know, real sugar, glass bottle with rounded lip! I also got a Moon Pie.

The other picture is Chloe February 14^th 1996.