CARNIVALE! HAPPY MARDI GRAS TO YOU ALL
Happy Mardi Gras to you all. In case you live in one of those drab, soulless portions of the country unfamiliar with Mardi Gras (that’s French for “My, you have oddly shaped nipples, but thank you nonetheless, ma’am”), it is the king of holidays, and proof that while Protestants may be right about the Catholic church being the Whore of Babylon, they can go shiv themselves with a Honda Element because the Whore is way, way more festive than a calendar without a day dedicated to jamming your face with sugar piecake and downing shots of rum in the name of decadence.
This will explain the absence of LSUFreek, who is currently on the streets of NOLA floating around like a tipsy genie on a cloud of booze fumes. He’s out for today, and if he does it right, he’s going to be on the disabled list for tomorrow and the next day, too. We’re celebrating here in Atlanta by picking up some Abita Amber (oh, sweet airboat commander fuel) and some king cake for the moment. Also, we’re screaming at bystanders to expose their breasts and genitals to us at every turn, but that’s not unusual.
Enjoy it, Pelican Republic, and may bon temps roulez in the appropriate and inappropriate manners.
Pic: LSU “Chinese Bandits” float from the Houma, LA parade. Courtesy of Studley.
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JIMatUA says:
Ah, the one time of year that I regret leaving Baton Rouge. If it weren’t for the corndog smell I would have never left. As for the Abita Amber, it is an excellent beer, but this time of year you should skip it and go straight for the Abita Andygator. You’ll love it until the hangover the next day.
Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!!!!!
February 24th, 2009 at 10:47 am
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Mark D says:
That’s it! I’ve had it up to here with you blatant anti-Catholicism!!!!!!
But you’re right about Protestants not getting it right. Growing up in Pennsylvania Dutch country (Dutchies are Protestant), we didn’t have Mardi Gras or Carnival. Nope, we had “Fastnacht Day.”
Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine is not known for prolonging one’s life, especially if we’re talking about scrapple.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:55 am
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Lane Kiffen's Nueron says:
I want you to know edsbs that you have made my list of Lenten considerations. Along with beer, bread, and mexican food. Come on Easter! Rise up my man.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:55 am
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Headful of Ideas says:
Abita Turbodog is the way to go
February 24th, 2009 at 10:57 am
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PeteJayhawk says:
Downside of the Houma Mardi Gras parade: You’re still in Houma.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:58 am
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jakldawg says:
So today, I bring king cake in to work, and the other former gulf state resident here asks if there is a baby inside. I reply, “no, I couldn’t find my filet knife yesterday” and now none of my humorless co-workers will look me in the eye.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:08 am
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BDoc says:
Yes, Abita, etouffee and king cake for everyone!
I was in New Orleans last week for some pre-Mardi Gras partying, and readjustment from that took a few days. I imagine that LSUFreek will need to budget at least a week for his re-entry.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:23 am
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sb says:
Yes, O…odd chest development on that football player…but I have to disagree on the Abita…when in New Orleans it is a must to drink of the product made with pure Mississippi river water…Dixie. Of course that is just the chaser for the excessive imbibation of homemade hurricanes, and none of it matters anyway because you’re shitfaced…
February 24th, 2009 at 11:26 am
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Mr. Pelican Pants says:
Well, in my neck of the woods, we have the annual grass roots “Mullet Parade”, which is in to tribute to the Mullet-the fish, although the haircut is well represented in the parade by the seemingly endless garage bands that are of the “over 40 yrs old age group” and thrown together if only to play “Sweet Home Alabama” endlessly for a 10 mile stretch, or the Kid Rock version, or any other song that mentions “The Tide”such as Deacon Blues- they call Alabama the Crimson Tide- and Sitting on the Dock of the Bay “watching the Tide Roll in”…
Its very much the “FloraBama” crowd, and if you have ever been to the FloraBama for the “Mullet Toss” in April, its an event like no other. Look me up if ya head down this way.
I’m a legend in my own mind in that place. Its like Mardi Gras, with less clothing. Worse thing about Mardi Gras?-drunk texting and Twittering. I’ll be guilty of both in about an hour, so apologies in advance. If you are on Twitter-add TheFatJew as a friend-he is in the best trio since the Beastie Boys, and is comedy gold. Check out his updates.
Now I am gonna go embarrass myself for some beads. Pelican OUT.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:41 am
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OhioDawg says:
Scrapple? That’s the healthy, vegetarian version of Goetta; the last food standing made from pinhead oatmeal.
It’s no Mardi Gras, but in Cincinnati we have an Oktoberfest that does the motherland proud.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
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alanon says:
everyone keep your eyes peeled for some D1 underage hooligans making a grand entrances in the fulmer cup.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
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JD says:
You might think Texas, being next to Louisiana and working under the guidelines that everything is bigger here, would be able to put on a raging Mardi Gras parade or party or at least a bar crawl.
You would be wrong.
P.S. Abita No Octane is the best root beer I ever drank. They can do it all down there.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
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the ex-croominator says:
Days like this I wish I was still at Southern Miss, where they actually declared Mardi Gras a holiday on the academic calendar (hell half the students and a quarter of the faculty were in a krewe anyway). Instead I’m stuck in the office, hours up the road at State *sigh*
February 24th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
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Tommy says:
Dixie>Abita
February 24th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
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DC Trojan says:
I nearly caused an incident last Thursday at Copeland’s by getting the pronunciation of “Abita” wrong – how the hell was I supposed to know that the locals pronounce it A-beet-a, I’ve only had it in Yankee territory.
Frankly I’m kind of relieved that the clients are off whooping it up today.
February 24th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
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AL says:
DC Trojan, I’m just curious — how did you pronounce Abita? Despite living in NYC now, I’ve only ever heard it as A-beet-a and I’m not sure how else you would say it. A-bit-a?
February 24th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
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DC Trojan says:
AL – I thought it was Abit-a, two syllables of glorious efficiency. Wrong. I suspect that the bartender might have laughed it off, if he hadn’t been doing his work and the work of his colleague. She was jaw-droppingly good looking, but useless at actually getting drinks in people’s hands… and really, all I wanted was a beer.
February 24th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
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sb says:
Wouldn’t the phonetic pronunciation actually be “a-bite-a”? Long “i” vowel sound when separated from another vowel by a single consonant? Wtf…where else can you engage in regional pronunciational proclivities intermixed with unique societal revelry, college football and attractive bartenders…
February 24th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
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Big Jon says:
MPP- I’m in Tallahassee and plan to make the Flora-Bama trip this year for the pure spectacle of people watching. Of course I always have Wakulla County nearby, so maybe not.
Ohiodawg- My grandparents immigrated to Cincinnati from Das Deutschland in the 1910s. I know all about some Goetta and mint jelly, baby.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
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DC Trojan says:
sb – you know, I hadn’t thought of that pronunciation, but it’s perfectly logical.
As for the bar-tender, I thought that she was the best looking happa girl I’d seen in a long time until about 10 minutes later when we fetched up next to a young lady who appeared to have that background and who was about 6′ 1″ and just… beyond striking.
In fact, it has to be said that the general level of female hott-ness on St Charles last Thursday was out of control, and the locals were apparently just starting to warm up. I had to retire to a bar just to avoid bringing down the average.
February 24th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
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DrBundy says:
@ sb –
I could be wrong, because I can barely find my fingers, but last I recall, Dixie was now brewed somewhere in Florida. If’n that’s the case, the I have no regrets about not drinking it. If I happen to have bad info and it is in fact still brewed locally (I doubt it because the Dixie Brewery has been long closed) I might have a twinge in my heart for a second for not supporting the local economy more. I don’t like it…never did. I know they can take away my NOLA card for saying that, but I cut my teeth on Abita (yes, it is Uh-beeee-tuh) and that’s my daily drink of choice when bourbon isn’t on the menu. Had a sixer each of Amber, Turbodog, and Restoration Ale today. Not sure how many of each are left, but I have to work tomorrow, so I’m trying to sober up some before I pass out.
@ DC Trojan -
If you need some good suggestions for food or drink while you’re in town, let me know.
Cheers, yall! I need a nap, a quart of powerade, and some nookie from the wife before Lent starts. Two of those three are a lead-pipe cinch.
February 24th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
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meg says:
you haven’t done Carnevale until you are living it up in Venezia- an incredibly odd place in the normal hours. Downright Vonnegutesque after midnight during Carnevale.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
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Studley says:
Oh, but PeteJayhawk,
When you’re on Vay-Cay, and the parade passes in front of your parents’ house (which is where I took the pic), it doesn’t matter which town you’re in, upside or downside. No worries about bed, breakfast, booze, or bathroom.
The float’s actual title was “Sugar Bowl”, which is the expectation of those float riders for next season. I think the Baby Rhino may have something to say about that on October 10 (yes, I’m counting the days before the showdown).
February 26th, 2009 at 12:06 am