I finally got this Mardi Gras journal done!

But if you want to see it in the order it happened, you must scroll down three entries and then come back to this place...

Perhaps a more linear sense of narration will be helpful to you.

Hey, the whole day was fun, so whatever way you want to see it, just go right ahead,

I'm not really sure that it happened the way I think it did any way....


I do remember waking up on Ash Wednesday and freaking out!

OMG!

I have only a little over a week to get ready to go to Ireland! I have to pack! get my hair done!

and get on a plane for Boston!

Hehe. Where pebs and massy and I will meet to fly across the Atlantic on Analingus, I mean Aerlingus, an airline that my friend Davo, says will provide very classy service.

If I get a chance, I'll post a pic or two in the journal from Dublin.

If I don't get a chance... well, then there will a few very big journal entries when I get back.

Kilkeeny Kisses,

durlx

Jaysus, Jaysus!

Every Mardi Gras, and now, every Southern Decadence, these really "religious" guys show up and try to preach to the people having a good time on the street. There's always an older guy, a couple of women that look just like they just got off of the back of some Hell's Angel's Bike, and a few other woman who seem to scorn these fallen women while hoisting banners that have some questionable bible quotes on them, and a group of younger guys who all look mad as hell, with more nasty banners and one or two of them hauling a big wooden cross. Of course they are all mad as hatters and mean as the devil! I refuse to give these fools any more picture space in this journal, but I must make this report...

One of the cross carrying guys was dragging his wooden cross down the street, but not actually dragging it; it had wheels, which Robert felt that he had to loudly point out. I tole Robert that these cross bois were crazy! On the verge of violent behavior, just waiting for a taunt to put them over the edge so they could rightiously kick some faggot ass. So he shut up.

Then, the next cross carrying boy comes down the street, and his heavy burden, a cross meant to represent the suffering of his very mean Jesus, was made out of PVC pipe! Bwahahaha! All bets were off! I couldn't have laughed hard enough! Even more, even more! He had a little wheel on the back of his ultra light cross... poor deluded soul. We bit back our taunts once again; this one was cute enough and certainly an object of both pity and lust

Then, right in front of the Good Friend's Bar, we find this very amusing preacher guy. He couldn't have been serious, but he played the part to the enth degree!



He had a badly made sign that said "Do you want to rot in Hell wth Kenny!?" He was accompanied by his wife and a very young child in a stroller. He was holding a picture of Kenny, a very pornographic picture of Kenny, and yes, you would want to rot in hell with Kenny, if only you would get a chance to! This guy is holding up porn and yelling at people, "Do you want to see this! Is this what you want to see, this gay porn! This filthy depiction of perverse sex between these wanton men?! I this what you want to see!"



Of course, dear! Bwahahaha, a brilliant costume! He was sweating, screaming and looking absolutely mad and holding up one after another gay porn mag!



Richard snatched up one of the religious tracts for closer examination...



..and found that this sort of thing had little to offer for him, personally. Haha!

But there might be someting to this religious movement, perhaps these other documents... we examined them all carefully before moving on.




Robert was shocked, absolutely shocked! Also instantly converted to this new faith.



Lots of other very amusing things happened, too numerous to mention, (well, Robert did show dick for the Queens on the big balcony and got big beads, that was a singularly momentous occassion!...) and then we made our way, ah, stumbled, home, where we had a restorative meal consisting of "free range" hot dogs from work with chili and buns and chips and all that high fat alcohol absorbing goodness. I dropped my last plate in my lap, mopped it up and after that wobbled out Robert's back door and into my back door and to bed, to sleep, perchance to pass out like a stone.

I've said it before. When Mardi Gras is over, well, it's over. You do not want another minute of it.

And that's the truth.

Mardi Gras Day, Part Two.

So, in keeping with the idea of smaller five or six picture installments of the journal... here are some more pics.

We finally found MICHELLE! She had some sort of voodoo two headed thing on, and as usual she look fabulous!



During this part of the day, we swaned around and stopped here and there to get another drink and stop to pee. A decade ago, the gay area of the French Quarter was nearly impassable on Mardi Gras Day. It's become much more comfortable now that most gay visitors come for Southern Decadence. For us locals, it's much nicer, no long waits for anything and still lots of fun and just enough eye candy.







And Robert, getting fabulously wacked!



hehe!

Thus ends part two.

So here's the Mardi Gras story.



It begins with Robert, who held the traditional Mardi Gras morning breakfast, which was lightly attended this year. The weather was tenous, it looked like it might rain very heavily about noon.

It didn't rain, it was only damp and misty all day, which kept all our cheeks looking moist and youthful, as you can see here in this pic of Robert and Princess Stephanie!



A bit later, we ran into Curry, a man I've known for a long time. The picture doesn't do him much justice; he has competed in seniors track competetions for many years now, but went to Olympic Trials many years before that. Yes, he knows you know who. I teased him that I hadn't seen much of him lately, and he teased me back. "Well, you know where I like to shop! I just can't always afford it". He was referring to where I work. I said, "Well, perhaps you should marry a man with a discount card!" He answered, "Well, why don't you just ask me!" And then laughed at my instant confusion. Called my bluff totally. Hmmm.



Our usual suspects were there by the time we got to Bourbon Street and the "fairy loop". George and Richard for instance.



A bit later Robert and I ran into "cat boy" a radical fearie, growl!



Then, Robert, Robert and durlx...



Thus ends part one.

I posted the gallery for this Mardi Gras Day first, before I did the journal...

I thought, get the pictures up, then do the journal.

Then go over the notes and write the story.

And I've been looking at my notes that I made after looking at the 98 pictures, so I could make witty comments for the pics that I would post here.

I can't read my notes... bwhahahahahaha!

No. Honestly, I've just looked at the notes again, all the notations that I made as I looked through all the almost 100 pics, and I can't really figure out what I was trying to get at....



It was a really good day...

I'll get it finished this weekend.

durlx

Well!



Usually, I've been much more immersed in Mardi Gras, than I have been this year.

Last year, I was working uptown, and to get home I had to pass through the path of almost every Mardi Gras Parade that was happening.

This year, I am both working and living on one side of all the madness; I don't have to cross Canal Street or Napoleon Avenue to get home. And also, I am on the scooter, which makes everything easy and fun.

So... so far, I have no pictures of the early big parades to post. I've just been way to busy with work to get out for them.

Robert went to some of them; he was at the one were that person got shot... I think it's important for people who have not been to our Mardi Gras to understand how very big it is. I think people envision that there is some festival spot where people gather for Mardi Gras parades, like maybe a stadium or a park. In fact, the parades cover many miles and wander through many neighborhoods in New Orleans, and Metarie, (a suburb), Chalmette, (another suburb) and other areas. During the ten days before Fat Tuesday, you are likely to be told that you can't get something done, (like have your phone line repaired...), because "it's Mardi Gras". Traffic is disrupted, streets are closed and a whole lot of people are busy throwing this huge party; either riding on floats, or appearing on stage in the elaborate balls or doing the enormous amount of support functions that need to be done. On Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday, the entire city closes down; the banks and civil offices are closed, there is no mail delivery. A lot of the bus lines and the St. Charles Street car shut down because they can not cross the parade routes.

Throughout the area, there are probably a million people partying on the streets on Mardi Gras day. All the bars are open, of course, 24/7 from Friday to Tuesday and people get pretty whipped. We get away with this enormous mad street party because we have had a lot of practice. All these new people come every year with all their energy and enthusiasm, and we help them have a good time, we try to keep them out of trouble and mostly succeed... but if they didn't show up, we would still do it. There are all kinds of carnival marching clubs that have been doing their thing for anywhere from 10 to 100 years. If anyone comes to see it, that's great! If not, it will still happen, because it's tradition.

Tonight, Robert and I went to what is probably one of the most amazing Gay Balls, the Armeinius Ball. The costumes were amazing and huge! The theme was "Armeinius Goes Looney", as in Looney Toones. The stage set and the costumes were brilliant! At least half of the costumes were in the category of "How did they do that?!" I mean, we are talking about presentation costumes with 12 foot high head-pieces; almost 20 foot high.... And they were all very funny. This krewe had a float last Southern Decadence, that was a sign on the back of a pick-up truck... all it said was "Armeinius. We're Proud of Our Balls!" hehe, and they should be.

I'm sure that some of these costumes will make it to the streets on Mardi Gras Day. I'll try to get some pictures. And this year, since my camera fits into my pants pocket, I'll probably be able to get those pics up on line by Wednesday nite. (Last year, my camera got clipped in a crowd. Fortunately, luca had taken some very good pics...) (They will have to rip my pants off to get the camera this year, hahahaha.)

I was complaining for a bit to Robert, my next door neighbor and dear friend that we had no visitors this year, (and that is unusual), and Robert said, " Well, this year we get a rest. We'll enjoy Mardi Gras this year on our own."

Well, that's true enough.

Still, wish you were here, it's sooo much fun!

durlx

pee ess, there will be pics and more story, prolly Wednesday morning...

Robert drags me out again!

O.K. Here's the story.

Last week we went to the Amon Ra ball last Saturday. I was drinking white wine, and sensibly, I thought.

Somehow I crossed over.

I was checking the pics on my camera a few days later, in order to upload some work pics... and there, I saw a few pics of ME on the stage during open call with this year's queen, Micheal, a man who I have known for many years. He was gorgeous! I looked horrible! And worse, I have absolutlely no memory of that part of the evening. (There are a few pics, but you prolly won't see them, like I said, I look whacked...)

mea culpa.

Robert told me this evening that although I had "crossed over", I hadn't offended anyone, but I'm pretty sure that's because Robert made sure that I didn't. You know, it's good to have friends like Robert, especially in this wild party town.


So, this evening, we went to the Krewe de Vieux Parade, a Mardi Gras parade that passes only two blocks from where we live. But first we went to Marco's house. (You've seen Marco in this journal, he was in the Christmas entry... but I don't think I told you that his house is a refuge for radical faeries... and dears, this is subject for some other journal entry...hehe.) His house was at the beginning of the parade and it was a good place for a warm up party.



The Krewe de Vieux, The Quest for Immorality!

This is a very funny and amusing group! There are 10 or so sub-krewes and they all get together to do a parade. There's always a theme for all of them, like this year's "Quest for Immorality", and each sub-krewe behaves badly within that loose definition.



For example, "The Riddle of The Sphinxter!"


hahaha, Hairy Pooter!


The themes are all very irreverent and most of them have very intense political themes. Like the group that did "Save Our Stools" and handed out these sealed cups of what looked like a stool sample; their float was all about the local school board.

People in the parade made fun of Ann Rice, (she's selling out and moving to the suburbs...) and her marching partner had a two headed Bush costume with a big sign that said "the lying corporate puppet, Bush!"





And here's something you will not see anywhere else.

The Krewe de Jieux!



I mean.... guys in Mardi Gras costumes but with those long streams of hair... and dancing in the street to a Klezmer beat! Yup, it's a totally irrevent Jewish krewe. They were passing out bumper stickers that said "New Orleans Oy! Such a Home!" Their float was called "Sodom and the Hora's!"

It's a mad and wonderful parade with lots of very good New Orleans marching brass bands thrown in. At one point in the evening, the parade had backed up, and it became a street party with people dancing madly to one of the best street bands...



This is what we do very well; the street party.... it's a Mardi Gras thing.



And we are the best at it.


I took 75 pictures tonight. Of course they wouldn't all fit here, so I put them in an album. You can see it Here!



Other Bits.

Ireland trip vs. work.... it should work out all right.

The fact that I used the phrase "The heart is a lonely hunter" on my web cam yesterday probably means something.

My friend Alex Gildzen, a poet, has posed for Bryan of ChaosInAustin, and the results are stunning. Lookie here.

My trip to Ireland will be fabulous; Neal's Yard of London, the most incredible importer of Brit and Irish cheeses to the States, will be setting up visits to some of the most amazing farmstead cheesemakers in Ireland! I couldn't be more thrilled. I am going to have so many good stories to tell!

My house looks like junkies live here. Please, someone come and visit so I have a reason to clean up!

And this, the site of a man that I would gladly marry in a new yawk second.

All ya gotta do is make me laugh in the morning...


Now. If only I could get a flight to Boston that would cost less than my flight to Dublin!


durlx