Missing Mardi Gras

Zach is feeling a little Mardi Gras withdrawal this weekend. For the past eight years, he has braved the freezing cold and the crowds of thousands in order to collect dollar-store beads and drink $8.00 hurricanes - the St. Louis version of Fat Tuesday. I've been with him for two of those years (the picture was taken last year) and I'd have to say that my first Mardi Gras was one I'll never forget:

Rewind to February 2006. Zach, his sister, father, some friends, and I ventured into Soulard (the neighborhood in STL where the craziness goes down) with a plan. We had a designated meeting spot just in case we somehow were separated, which was a necessity because cell phones DO NOT WORK there. Too many people, too few signals. Zach made me repeat the spot back to him several times, which of course I did. So we enjoyed the parade for a bit, and then my friend Erin suggested we go find a bathroom. This is where the trouble began.

Erin and I decided to enter one of the buildings in search of a bathroom, which happened to be a house party. The house was huge, and a little confusing between the three stories and seemingly hundreds of people. Eventually I lost sight of Erin, though I did find a bathroom. I went back outside in the hopes that she was waiting for me there, but she was nowhere to be found. I had long forgotten about the designated meeting spot, and panic set in. Erin had my cell phone, so I couldn't even try calling anyone..so I just walked. And walked, and walked. Finally, I ended up standing outside of a church on the outskirts of the mayhem, borrowing random people's cell phones to call Zach. I did get a hold of him after awhile, and told him that I was standing outside a church. One of probably 25 in Soulard. It took about 45 minutes, but finally Zach's dad's car pulled up and the door opened. I jumped in and never looked back.

That year for Christmas, Zach's family gave me a Mardi Gras Survival Kit, complete with snacks, phone numbers, and a map of Soulard. Luckily I didn't need to use it since I wasn't able to attend the following year. But we did go last year, with (almost) no getting lost. All in all, a success.

This year we decided to bypass Mardi Gras. The forecast called for 20-degree temps, and we are taking it pretty easy these days with the big move coming. Needless to say, I'm not too disappointed ;)

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