I know I’ve said that Thanksgiving/Christmas is my favorite time of year; while that’s still true, February-March is another favorite because it’s MARDI GRAS! There’s something marvelous about masked revelers, glittering beads dangling from centuries-old trees, a sense of community, and the abundance of good food and drinks, of course!

I guess it would be more accurate to say my favorite time of year is October through March. The weather is finally cool (usually) for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Once the Christmas lights come down and the New Year has been welcomed, the purple, green, and gold unfold and the partying begins.

This past Friday, the Conde Cavaliers kicked things off with the first parade of the season. The first few parades are not as crowded, which is good for us since we didn’t have much time to change clothes after work and head right back out the door.

We had fun chatting with an older couple next to us who were involved in a local organization for decades before moving to the MS coast, but I was a little disconcerted when one rider handed me a Barbie and another, a stuffed rabbit. I know I look young—but not that young! Luckily I was able to pass them off to some children nearby.

Post-parade, we went to Buck’s for pizza and beer. I drank a Back Forty Naked Pig (pale ale) while Mark had the Avery seasonal. We shared (and inhaled) a deluxe pizza with pepperoni, sausage, bell pepper, mushrooms, and onions before heading home to watch Bill Maher at 9:00. Oh yes, we’re quite the party animals. 😉

Saturday we had lunch at Bangkok Thai (this time we tried the Massaman curry) and ran a few errands like dropping off the recycling and grocery shopping. Quite a few Senior Bowl attendees obviously decided to park at the Winn Dixie, because we had to drive around the parking lot a few times before finding a parking space. This is the first year in recent memory that weather has been warm and sunny for the game instead of rainy and cold.

Later Saturday evening we saw Rent (one of our favorites) at a local community theatre. We both thought the actors did a great job; there were a few missed cues (we noticed only because we know the musical almost by heart) and struggles for some of the high notes, but overall, the performance was excellent.

Sunday we took Iggy for a long walk around the neighborhood and did some laundry before having dinner with my parents. My mother makes the most delicious pot roast. It’s consistently tender and juicy—and last night’s was no exception. We spent time with them before heading back home to watch our usual Sunday night shows: Shameless, Girls (hysterical), and Californication.

All in all, we had a marvelous weekend. I hope this week goes well, as we have only two weeks before our Clearwater and Disney trip!