The Party Is Over

As I sit here in a post PRIDE daze (not hung over – YAY!) I am beginning to see similarities between our little party and other gay high holidays. It has the constant celebrations of Christmas, especially when you throw New Years into the mix. But at least there is some respite between events. They also tend to be on a smaller scale due to weather and the hibernation effect. Halloween on the other hand has the same magnitude of PRIDE. Shut the street and have everyone dress in their best costumes and frocks.

This year I managed to get onto a float and have to say, it really is the only way to see the parade. We had 22 000 strings of plastic beads to chuck to the people and let me say, you would think you were throwing gold. People went ape for them. I learned you can’t make eye contact with the crowd though because once you do, you have to keep trying until they get one. It was all very Evita.

I was on with PV08SFVF and it was a blast. We started throwing a string of beads here and then one over there. By the end we learned if you threw a handful up high, they would separate on their decent and you could please a much broader group of people. The tree hugger in me was a little anxious about all that plastic, but it seems to have brought joy to so many that I got over it. The gin helped too!

The Dollhouse Girls and CJ did the parade again this year as well. But being much braver than I, they walked! And poor PinkGirl smashed her shin. That is no good! Some pink wine soon buoyed her spirits and they were out for dinner and drinks in no time. This was followed by a few pitchers at Woody’s and an interesting giggle fit between Fauntleroy and Puma. Eerily reminiscent of my birthday….I wonder why?

Due to work schedule, Kitkat missed most of the day time events (which probably shielded his pocket book better than ours) but was out for the night! And no earphones this year - SNAPS! Kerouac joined in as well with his little sombrero and everything. He also thought it would be funny to stick straws in my hair like a geisha and down the back of my bathing suit the ENTIRE weekend. That sure was fun! You still owe me a sock!

We had an oasis in the city as well thanks to Mr. Underpants. When one outfit became too wet, too smelly or too old, we could sneak away for 15 minutes (that was at the outside too….I mean really, to change bathing suits and apply glitter takes what, like ten minutes?) and emerge refreshed and ready to do battle with the crowds again.

The flags are folded, the hangovers easing; stages are likely being taken down as I write this and the streets swept clean. Thankfully, tomorrow is a holiday and that means a short week back at work. I have to go take another shower though, I can’t get this damn glitter off of me. Out damn glitter spot, out!