Mardi Gras and electricity

For those of you who haven't heard - last week, Tuesday to be specific, was Mardi Gras. I myself am not catholic so I don't quite understand all the holidays that go with it. What I do know is that Mardi Gras is a great time to get a little crazy with your buddies and enjoy strings of cheap plastic beads. I have only been to Mardi Gras once before; a long time ago in Galveston. I tend to shy away from the really crazy parties because of all the drunkeness. But when my friend Anita called me last week and asked me to go with her and a group of friends to a parade in Clarendon, VA, I couldn't resist.

We had a great time! There were lots of people there with their families and really fun music. The parade people were pretty cool but we learned soon after it started that we picked a bad spot to stand and catch beads. The people throwing them from the floats were more interested in getting them caught in the branches of the tree we were standing under than letting us catch them. I got a measly three strings. All the kids were in front of us were able to get up closer to the floats and they cleaned up!

They had lots of different companies represented in the parade - including Red Bull. And yes, they were actually chucking cans full of Red Bull into the crowd. Isn't that a little dangerous?! A guy in front of us caught one and gave it too me. It was great - especially since I didn't have to get injured to catch it.

Here is a picture of Anita and me after the parade at a place on Wilson Blvd called Whitlow's. I didn't really drink that much beer. ;-)

So I had a pretty challenging week at work and didn't really breathe again until the weekend. Stu took me out on Friday to a japanese grill called Sakura. It was great and the Saporo was exactly what I needed. I was so full, I don't think I need to eat for a week!

On Saturday I sang at church and then watched The Shawshank Redemption. I'd never seen it before but Stu said it was a really good movie and he was right. It's hard to believe Stephen King wrote that story.

We had really high winds here on Sunday that knocked the electricity out for several hours. The way we get into the house is through the (electric) key pad on the garage door so my roommate and I were homeless Sunday night. Stu charitably let me stay at his townhouse so I wouldn't have to sleep in the 10 degree weather. Thank goodness the electricity came back on at some point in the night and we were able to get ready for work Monday morning.

I'm going to Kentucky this weekend to visit my grandparents and Aunt. I should have more to write about next week and lots of cute pictures of my cousins. Until then, here is a picture of Stu and I when we went bowling with Anne. I just like it and thought I'd post it :-).