What a weekend. I took a much needed mini-vacation to visit Eric in Baton Rouge. I was a little distressed that it was not going to be 78 degrees and warm but I could not wait to get there. You've read the report from yesterday - so you know about the Mardi Gras Mambo. Saturday afternoon we decided that it was too risky to head to New Orleans although that was our original plan. The violence has been too sporadic and the gangs have moved back into town and have taken things to the next level. Instead, we ran some errands, and picked up a late lunch. Then we headed to my first ever Mardi Gras Parade.
Youdda thunk that I was about 10 years old. I was giddy over the idea that I could catch plastic beads on strings which were thrown by people on massive floats dressed sort of like Klanspeople. But, traditions hold fast as do costumes etc. This was the Kreme Orion Parade and it was cool. There were lots of people - lots of kids, lots of aggressive people. The floats were cool - they were huge and people were on top of the floats throwing beads, coins, stuffed animals, spears (ok they just handed these over), cups and footballs. Now the football caused me some consternation. Why? Well I did not realize the importance of getting and keeping each item caught. I also didn't realize that it is all a game. Some kid tried to get a football - the inexperienced little bit was unable to handle the force at which the football (foam) was thrown, plus she didn't really have a good grip or angle. Anyway, I was able to follow and pick up the rolling ball. And then it hit me, I was taking this away from a KID. and I gave it up! What is that? What a freaky move. This is not about age! It doesn't matter if you are competing against a 89 year old amputee veteran or a blind 3 year old - you just swipe those beads or football out of their hands. Who knew!? But its custom. Its expected.
This mardi gras thing is also not about sobriety as I was almost killed by some drunkass bafoon who plowed into me for a set of beads with a very cool medallion. The drunk fool took my prize. Despite my ploy to make eye contact and connect with the krewe throwing the free stuff off the float - I did not leave with one football or medallioned set of beads. I do however, have a mardi gras bag, some cups, coins, and about 15lbs of beads. Mardi Gras Mambo Queen!
And then came Sunday! We had prepped (ok not we, eric) home made cinnamon rolls on Saturday night. I woke to the smell of cinnamon rolls and coffee. OH MY GOD - to die for. I have the recipie and will try them one day. We chilled with the paper, hung a doggie door, and drank coffee. We changed, grabbed some tacos and headed to the game. OH YEAH! Did you see that Game! We had good seats and sat next to another UC fan - although she was sort of weird but clearly knew the game and the players and so she was a true blue fan. Great game. AND we were able to catch an LSU softball game - great game. It was 65degrees and perfect softball weather although I was getting chilly in my tshirt. Anyway it was great to watch the game and the winning hit was a grand slam. I need to play - badly and will try to get the cages this weekend.
We did sort of get screwed with movies this weekend:
1. Ice Age 2: the meltdown. So ridiculous that we didn't make it more than 30 minutes.
2. Banditas with penelope cruz and selma hayek. This comedy took place in Me-he-co! Penelope was a peasant girl (shock) and Selma was a refined member of high society who was Educated in Europe. Her papa Don Diego was swindled and murdered (gasp) by Dwight Yokam who can really play creepy - who was the gringo hoodlum representing a bank in Nuevo York. The women - tagged the banditas (hence the name) were exacting revenge on this man and this bank by robbing banks. they were excellent at it and more inspired when they found the forensic scientist and they both had a crush on him. The movie taught me that corsets can really give you great cleavage; education can really teach you to properly rob a bank; these two can be great together in other more serious roles; and sometimes I should not let the hope of a relationship cloud my judgment re: shutting off a movie.
3. Joueux Noel (spelling? it means Joyous Christmas in some other language). War movie in three languages - english (with appropriate accents), french and german. Everyone's fighting but decided, against orders of course, to call a truce on Christmas. The Scots miraculously brought three bag pipes during this war time; and thankfully the germans let sprinkles and his girl sing opera in the trenches. The horrible thing about this movie was that the actors were clearly faking their singing which annoyed the crap out of me.
4. Sherry Baby with Maggie Gellenhal (sp?). Bizare. Drug addict goes to prison leaving her 2 year old with brother and wife while in prison. Three years later Sherry gets out of prison and wants her life back. She wants the kid but clearly can't handle it. She is molested by her father. Uses sex as love. And ends up using! So, a really uplifting movie. NOT! Not worth the rent either.
5. Crank. Bizare movie where an assassin played by the dude in the Transporter and transporter 2 and he also co-starred in Italian Job. Anyway, he is an assassin and apparently "hit" a king pin and evoked the ire of another mob boss and his underlings. So, they poisioned him. He had an hour to live if he did nothing. Thankfully Dwight Yokam was his doc and he was able to suggest that he buy some time by keeping up his adreneline levels. It worked until the end of course. Weird scene where Crank and his girl have sex in chinatown on the streets. There is NOT enough purell for me to ever contemplate sex on one of those magazine/paper boxes - a million people touch those things, birds poop on them, and dogs pee on them. Why would that be a sanitary location. It wouldn't.
Well, that's the update. It was a great weekend.
Hope yours was too!
