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| Commander's Palace |
The Sunday prior to Mardi Gras Day is known as Bacchus Sunday, for some. As you might guess, this is the day the Bacchus Parade rolls. It is also however, the day the Krewe of Drunken Whores don their chemise, bloomer and corsets and does what we lovingly call the Commanders Strut. This is our third year in existence and also the third year we've second lined through all of Commander's Palaces dining rooms, courtyard and kitchen following the jazz band. Here's a picture of us in the courtyard afterward, courtesy of Kimberly Edwards.
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| Krewe of DrunkenWhores 2013 by Kimberly Edwards |
Mardi Gras Day began...early and then became a series of wardrobe malfunctions until I was out the door at about 6:10AM. That's right folks, my beloved Pete Fountain has been leaving earlier and earlier these last few years, so disregard the online listing that says he leaves at 7:45AM.
I had my alternate costume for the day ready...my original costume involved a large amount of cardboard and with impending rain, I would have been clearly close to dressing as Lady Godiva.
90% dressed and hooking a silk corset that is yet to be worn...one of the stainless steel hooks sliced my finger and there was blood all over the corset and my white chemise. I began ripping clothes off and grabbing everything gold I could find to go with my gold cape.
I rushed out the door to find a parking spot on the "home" side or lake side of St. Charles Avenue. I found one on 6th and Baronne and proceeded to fast walk to Washington Avenue and Commanders Palace Restaurant. On the way I ran into four frat boys all of which had clearly been out all night. They applauded me for costuming and proceeded to follow me down St. Charles Avenue singing American Pie"...I sang along. My fast walk had me arriving at Washington Avenue right around 6:30AM. I could hear the pastor giving the blessing as I raced the two blocks down Washington. No pictures, no hanging and waiting for Pete, no music to tease my sister in Michigan with, they were starting the parade.
Pete Fountain and the Half-Fast Walking Club have been parading starting from Commanders Palace Restaurant for 52 years, since 1961 (he missed 2006 due to illness). Most of those years Pete and his friends in the Half-Fast Walking Club march into town, playing as they went and scattering doubloons. Yesterday they were scattering more than doubloons, and I ended up with so many beads I could hardly walk. I acquired the most incredible throw that I ever gotten...a metal enamelled medallion from Pete Fountain and the Half-Fast Walking Club.
Roberta (my cohort) and I met at St. Charles Avenue and Washington Avenue...she had made a sign that read "Fast Women Heart Half-Fast Men." Believe me when I tell you every man in the walking club wanted his picture made with one or both of us and this sign.
After wandering with Pete and the guys for awhile we headed back Uptown to fill our belly's and meet up with my neighbors Rick and Jamie. We hung out with them watching Rex at St. Charles (lake side) and Sixth Street. There were lovely people there that kept giving Rick and Jamie bags of beads since the are Mardi Gras virgins. Some sweet children with their parents AND some unusually rude women.
A few times the Rex Parade was stopped with a float directly in front of us (because the parade before it had broken down, yet again). The rude women kept jumping and grabbing throws meant for the kids and when the guys on the float stopped throwing in that direction one woman flipped them the bird. Seriously, parades are for the kids...there is nothing they are throwing that any adult needs. The guys on the float had the kids come to the side of the float and they handed them treasures.
Then the weirdest incident involving these women occurred...one of the women had her daschund in a baby stroller and walked off. Her friend then denied she knew her and was looking to me to tell her what to do with the dog. I just told her "Y'all are hanging out together...I have no idea who either of you are." About five minutes later the first woman showed up and rummaged around the basket under the stroller containing her dog and pulled out a glass doornob and stated "This is the key to my house!" and walked off again. People if this isn't weird enough, it was just the doornob itself, no connecting rod - which means that the connecting rod is hanging out her front door for anyone who cares to twist it and enter her domain.
Not long after that the parade stopped it began to rain...and I was on my way to my car. Not before getting pretty wet and cold. But it was a great Mardi Gras and I love this city, unusual people and all.
