MONDAY - MARDI GRAS - FAT TUESDAY EVE!  It's like a freight train gaining speed and heading for the bridge that's out - it'll be ghastly but you won't be able to look away!  Okay, quick rundown  Jason & Amanda from Mississippi are heading home, Mike & Tonya from California got here yesterday, Alan and Karen from Louisiana were here yesterday and will be back tonight, John and Katherine from Florida have been here since Friday and are in for the long haul and Mike and Sandra from Louisiana are here today.  Trust us - you can't tell the players without a scorecard.

Last night was Sunday, so it was relatively calm - just 500,000 folks wandering Bourbon Street instead of the cool million expected today and tomorrow!  Yes we know, everybody wants to come to Mardi Gras at least once, but folks, if you don't like crowds, drunks, crowds, drunks and drunks and crowds (did we mention drunks and crowds) you should stay at home in Iowa and help serve cookies at your church.  If you have enochlophobia (fear of crowds - see, our 3rd grade education paid off!) stay away from New Orleans this time of year.

We don't particularly mind the crowds.  Actually, we kinda like 'em.  We can cop a few squeezers from unsuspecting tourists, we can lift a few wallets for drinking money and once in awhile we can even get a coovey if the girl drunk and willing.  Yup, there are benefits to being smashed together with folks you don't know and won't ever see again (except perhaps in the Criminal Courts Building).  Today is the day before Fat Tuesday and that's the BIG finale to Mardi Gras.  We're prepping with lots of Budweiser (official sponsor of Riding4Beer) and, assuming the kegs don't run dry, we'll make it...

      
Bourbon Street at 7pm - It's where the beads are!                         Speaking of beads - he'll need a chiropractor tomorrow!

      
We told Mike that a mind is a terrible thing to waste!                                    ...But then again, so are entire lives!