Hail Endymion! Chapter 600.
It is 77 degrees today. Last year on Samedi Gras I sat outside at Santa Fe and watched what what happening in the neighborhood. Today I am at Katie’s. The kitchen manager says this is Katie’s busiest day of the year. I have not noticed it. People are busy reserving their routes along the parade route.
The parade route is busy. I drove along it earlier. Your man-in-New Orleans is forever on patrol.
Will I go the Endymion parade tonight? I am undecided. It starts at 5:00 but it only gets good after dark.
See Endymion after the sun goes down. Steve and Lisa just told an Englishman that Endymion is the best after dark. They know. This is their third Mardi Gras.
This is my fourteenth Mardi Gras. Imagine being born in New Orleans with your brain marinating in Mardi Gras spirit your whole life? It is no wonder nothing ever gets done here.
Rex is the King of Carnival, a lord of misrule. The Mayor hands the keys to the city to Rex on Lundi Gras, amid great ceremony, and she will turn over authority to Rex for one day. He cannot do any worse than the job the mayor is doing.
Endymion is the best. It is the only big float parade that goes through Mid-City, old school-style. The way it should be.
Mrs. King and I went up to Marconi Boulevard, on the far side of City Park from our house. We took our motor scooters to get there and we parked wherever we wanted. Two wheels set one free. We went last night.
We went to Marconi Boulevard because the floats were out last night getting ready for today. We walked the mile-long stretch of Marconi where the floats were parked. Some of them were lit up. Beads were being loaded onto the floats. It was eerie and dark and magical.
Most of the bar traffic is people buying go-cup drinks while wearing garish purple, green, and gold clothes.
Everyone is happy.
Now, I am going to talk about something else. You should become a paid subscriber…