^&*%$#@*&? Let's try...

... yet another course of physical therapy.

Thanks doc. But when will it stop hurting????

Like many of us 'of a certain age' I have a bad knee.

When I finally went back to the ortho a year and half or so after my last round of PT I thought for sure there'd be a magic pill/shot/outpatient surgery solution looming. Nada. Back to PT for another month to strengthen some muscle group I can't pronounce. Then we'll do another MRI and take it from there.

My slightly to considerably more athletic friends are laughing at my wincing and moaning, I'm sure. They wear their hard-earned knee/wrist scars with pride, sharing memories of the popping sound when they slid into second at every opportunity. This isn't an injury I've earned -- in fact, it's probably just wear and tear. Somewhat surprising since I didn't spend my youth and then some running up and down a court or sliding into bases. I did fall/jump/get tossed off of a good number of horses. And I've tripped and slipped on ice, sidewalk cracks and perfectly dry floors on and off for years. But that should add up a bad back, not chronic knee pain.

It's de-motivating. Why keep my self-imposed commitment to exercise more regularly when I know I'm going to spend the next day with an ice pack, popping OTC pain relievers and dreading the next trip down the stairs to take the dog outside.

What's really bugging me is the suspicion that the doc would be much more concerned about mending the 'slightly' torn meni-something and getting rid of the junk floating around in there if I was a serious athlete. Or even a not-so-serious MAN who spent his Saturdays on the golf course.

112 Days, 43 hours...........

..........until Christmas.

Yes yes I know. Summer is still hanging around and I am already bringing up that dreaded word.......Christmas!

Lyn and I had dinner last night with some friends and the topic of Christmas came up. You see...my friend has an enormous pine tree in the front of her new home and we all decided that it should be decorated in grand fashion for Christmas. My friend shares my enthusiasm for the holiday so I knew that the tree decorating idea would go over huge. Of course, what lesbian would not revel at the idea of climbing into a cherry picker to string lights?

Lyn calls me "Mother Christmas". She does not share my enthusiasm for all of the preparation leading up to the big day. Just to make this clear......I do not start decorating the day after Halloween like some folks. No no......that is a bit tooooo early. I am the "day after Thanksgiving" type of gal and that is still too early for some of my friends.

So as we all head back to work tomorrow......filled with joy that summer is practically over........there is light on the horizon. There will be joy in Whoville in less than 113 days..........

TA TA!

Idaho

I have to tell ya......this week has been enlightening. Don't get me wrong. I am fully aware of the whole gay men cruising thing, but the idea of picking up someone in a restroom had not really crossed my mine. Leave it to a man......straight or gay......to figure a restroom to be a fabulous hookup hotspot.

I can't say that any self-respecting lesbian I know would do it. And if they did, their technique would probably be more clever than tapping your heels together as you sit on the throne. Eeek....now I am picturing something out of the Wizard of Oz!

It is fitting that the Senator is from I-da-ho. He certainly has gained the reputation of being with other people other than his wife. While I don't feel sorry for him, I do feel sad for her. Sad not sorry. She obviously knows or suspects that he has a problem and she turns the other head. It is sad that she continues to stand by him even after he failed to share this arrest with her when it originally happened. Who does that to a partner?

But yes I know.....I really don't want to cast a guilty eye on the Senator because that wouldn't be fair. Oh wait......he pleaded guilty, didn't he? Yeah....that is interesting too. A well-educated man....schooled in law.........pleading guilty to something he wasn't guilty of just so it would go away. Interesting tactic considering he is a high profile person who is already being creamed by his local paper, the "I-da-ho Statesman".

This is all making sense now..................

Mid-Life Crisis...continued...

Apparently no one is going to solve my 'mid-life crisis' for me. Though thanks to those of you who commiserated or chimed in with your own suggestions for improving my work-a-day outlook.

• I didn't win the powerball Saturday.


• The dog, though cute as can be in a snazzy-if-late-in-the-season haircut, hasn't auditioned lately.


• And of course, two days after I give in and post an updated resume on Monster, there's some sort of hacking going on and my plea to prospective employers is possibly being used to generate even more spam in my e-mail.

I have been giving this whole career-switch thing some serious thought. I considered several options while strolling around the season's first Oktoberfest yesterday. Yes, I said first. One beer-fueled excuse to wear silly hats, leather shorts and funny hats isn't enough in Zinzinnati. Perhaps the least expensive potential new career, start-up cost wise, came to my mind as we drank warm beer and waited for the tug-o-war between the German societies and the Ancient Order of Hibernians (GO IRISH) to begin.

One of the gaming booths at this and many other local festivals features The Rat Game -- I'm sure it has a more formal name. But the gist of it is you put a quarter on the color/number square you think the rat will run toward when released and if he/she goes down the hole on your square, you win.

Do you have any idea how many quarters beer-fueled festival goers will bet on a rat? Multiply that by three days, then by the number of potential bookings each summer/fall, subtract minimal marketing & equipment costs (Rat Game Here signs, maybe a catchy t-shirt or so for the rat handler to wear). And feeding a rat, of course, is even less expensive...

Or maybe I target a different market segment. A guinea pig instead of a rat, church festivals and pta fairs, maybe even take the game indoor since guineas are a bit more sanitary than a rat. They're also cuter and come in more varieties.

Hmmm...

Football 2007

Ahhhhh here we are again......football season! For those of us who love this time of year it has been a long time coming.

However, I have to count on the Bengals performing well to truly enjoy the season. We have very fair weather fans here in Cincinnati and I guess we have every reason to be skeptical. After enduring the debaucal of the 1990 seasons we are running short in the faith department. We have gotten close to post season activity but have fallen short in the last two seasons due to miserable performances or intentional injury to our players.

So here we are.....yet again. The schedule is not incredibly tough. I see a few games that will definitely speak to the talent on this team. Are we in this to win or are we just a perceived threat with nothing to back it up with?

Of course.....there is one game on this schedule that is the most important to me and that is the Monday Night Football matchup with the Patriots on 10/1. This game is happening waaaayyyy too early in the season for my liking. I only have three games to make a legitimate decision on whether or not I intend to make a bet with my friends in Boston. Placing bets with my friends has only been favorable for them.........and miserable for me. So being prudent is advantageous.

For those of you who are football widows, don't lose heart. If the team really stinks you will have your partner's full attention by Christmas............just in the nick of time.

TA TA!

To hyphenate or not to hyphenate?

That is the question my dear lesbians..............

This is a popular concept with straight married women as a means to maintain some glimmer of their identity after they are married. The whole name changing concept comes from scripture which said that when a man and woman marry - they become one. I like to think of it as being a part of that subordination stuff that a woman must have for her husband.

So in your relationship...........would you hypenate your name? Would you take the last name of your partner? And what do you think that means when lesbians hyphenate? Or do you think some women us it as a "public display of affection"?

Barack Obama

What would life be without one more blog about the presidential candidates?

I watched the debates on Logo the other night. I must say that after this debate I am beginning to doubt whether Barack has it in him to be our President. He has hopes, dreams and aspirations. I am easily charmed by his vision for a better and brighter tomorrow. Who doesn't want all that?

However, we have to acknowledge that he is not going to get his way on every issue. The next President of the United States is going to be closely watched in regards to how he/she uses his powers. Of course, we have "Dubya" and Dick to thank for that extra scrutiny. So I have to be a bit skeptical about some of the ideas that Barack has recently proposed.

I don't want to say that he views the world through rose colored glasses but he certainly has such a fresh approach that perhaps his naivity is showing. Maybe a little more experience in Senate is necessary in his case.

I don't want a politician to lead me down the garden path of goodness and light. I want them to be honest and straightforward. Don't pull any punches. We all know being President is not an easy job. You have high hopes going in but you cannot be fooled into thinking that every initiative that you want to pass is going to fly through the House and the Senate unchallenged.

I think that with each debate we clearly see how much more educated and realistic the other candidates are in comparsion to Barack Obama. I have to give him a A+ for his enthusiasm and optimism but I just don't think that is enough to carry him through trying times as President.

I want to know that we have a strong person leading our country instead of a puppet with a strong VP pulling the strings. We have already endured seven years of that scenario.

542 more days to go!

Mid-life Crisis?

Oh yeah. I already had one of those. Maybe even a couple. (No snarky comments from those unfortunate enough to have crossed paths with me during one or more of those, thanks!)

So maybe what I'm really having this week (this month?) is a symptom of the ridiculous heat that's oppressing a better mood from evolving. Or maybe it's my most recent failure to 'forward this e-mail to your 10 closest friends and enjoy days of happiness beyond your wildest dreams'.

Then again, maybe it's my job. My increasingly overwhelming-workload-out-of-control-ideas-with-no-strategic-purpose-or-resources-8-to-whenever-I-log-off-at-night job. Do I need a change? If I told you how long I'd been there, you'd laugh and say OF COURSE you need a change. But as I've often joked, I'm still not sure I know what I want to do with my life.

And I don't think that's so uncommon for 40-somethings these days. Most of my close workplace-based friends (okay, sue me for segmenting) are a few years younger than me. They're just approaching mid-career. I think I missed it all together. Now I actually find myself thinking that lay off I endured in my 20s was seriously wasted on me at that point in my life. I traded one job for another so quickly I didn't even know I'd lost a job, really. And now I'm old enough and enough of a worrier (thanks mom) that I'm even afraid to contemplate change. That's even funnier when you know I have a reputation on the job for 'embracing and leading change' -- a direct quote from my last appraisal, no less. But I'm solo breadwinner unless the dog gets a big movie break or Rita finally convinces me that buying lottery tix is a viable option.

How does one find the next 'thing' they're passionate enough about to endure, oops, I mean pursue avidly for 10 hours a day? I'm pretty sure the answer isn't found at monster.com. But of course, I'm actually to afraid to go there...

What a week!

Wow, where do I begin? So much to talk about and it is only Tuesday!

Let's start with the debate! I think the YouTube thing was a fabulous idea. They succeeded in bringing a national town hall meeting to a room in South Carolina. I am sure that CNN was flooded with questions and I am not jealous of the person who had to wade through hours of 30 second videos to choose the most pragmatic of the bunch. As a technology freak, I can totally rally behind using today's technology to inspire more Americans to be more involved in the election process. Hillary looked great, Obama showed his growing pains.........and who was that old guy on the end? Gravel something? Honestly.....they could have clipped two people from each side of the stage and we really would have had a more lively debate with more YouTube questions!

Drew Carey......come on down?!! Whoa......totally surprised me on that one but I guess a comedian is the best person to fill Bob's shoes. I am sure that CBS was particularly antsy to fill its daytime slot with something other than Bob's reruns. I just don't know if Drew is the kind of guy you fall all over. Maybe the old ladies will rush the stage to kiss Drew but I kinda doubt that he will get the same reception from the younger crowd. But then again.....ya never know. This was probably the best choice to fill a difficult position.

Calling all cars....Calling all cars......Lindsey Lohan is on the loose again! I honestly thought that this merry-go-round had stopped once she disappeared into rehab. She never fails to disappoint. She has been arrested again for drunk driving and it looks like she had a little cocaine with her this time. I really do feel sorry for her because she obviously has no one close that has half a mind to bring this train wreck to a screeching halt. It simply keeps getting worse and worse. Paris darling.........ring up Lindsey and fill her in on the latest prison fashion!

Barry Bonds. Ok.......we know he is going to break this record. Do I care? No....I don't. The main reason and the only reason is because he is tainted. No matter if he admits it or not......the record means nothing to most Americans outside of San Francisco. This is a guy who could be swimming in endorsements but corporate America won't even touch him because of the steroid allegations. Throw in his award winning personality and why would you want to celebrate this accomplishment? It's a tough day in baseball but it will survive just as it has survived all of the other mishaps along the way. We in Cincinnati have one of our own - Pete Rose.

And on a happier note...........the NFL began training camps this week! YAY!

Muggles All A Twitter

I cheated. I read the spoilers. I know who lives, who dies in the latest Harry Potter tome. And I'll probably still read it.

When I was a kid, reading a book -- any book -- was my preferred way to spend a morning, noon or night. I'm convinced that reading Little Women at least twice a year between the ages of 9 and 15 should get me some sort of record. I even recall being disappointed when Little House on the Prairie appeared on television, and the rolling hills and trees looked suspiciously more like California than the vast stretches of prairie described in the books I'd read. Not just the one book, but the entire series, and most of the books more than once.

What those books, and the dozens if not hundreds of others I devoured, did for me a therapist would likely have a field day decoding. For a start, they expanded my horizons beyond small-town Mid-West reality. They taught me to ask questions. They taught me to use my imagination.

When I discovered Harry and his pals five or six years ago I was hooked. J.K. Rowling's oh-so-richly created wizarding world jump started my imagination -- who doesn't need that from time to time? I think I read the first two or three books in about a week during a particularly trying summer.

I chuckle first, then get downright annoyed when I hear Rowling's critics claim the books lead young readers to the occult, or trivialize the battle between good and evil. So some kids are wearing capes and waiting for owls to deliver mail; at least they're reading. And asking questions. And imagining.

Equal partnership

Let's pretend for just a moment that the gay & lesbian marriage and/or civil unions already exist in every state. We no longer have to worry about having equal treatment in our long term relationships. We all share the full legal privileges under the law just as any other heterosexual couple.

What would be the next issue that compels you to vote? What choices would you make in a candidate and what would they need to represent for you to vote for them? Would you vote Republican? Or does the Democratic party continue to uphold the ideals that you hold dear?

For many of us who live in U.S. states that continue to resist granting civil unions or domestic partnership benefits, it is the main issue that compels us to go to the polls. It is interesting to engage in conversation with folks who live in states where such benefits already exist. Some continue to vote Democratic and yet some are swayed by a more conservative standpoint.

I guess there should be some amount of apprehension when you live in a state where by law you are protected. As we have seen in some states, equality can come and go in an instant. Your vote four years ago can have quite a different outcome at the next election. Nothing is guaranteed.

So......here we are.....living in the perfect world........what is the next issue that compels you to vote?

The Great Gas Crisis

Despite our political differences, there is one thing that most Americans can agree upon. The gas prices really suck. Here in the Cincinnati Tri-state area the gas prices can range anywhere from 2.99 to 3.21. If you are lucky, you can fill up for 10 to 15 cents less at one of the gas stations connected to a local grocery store chain if you swipe your grocery card.

I am one of the lucky ones who has an automobile that can run on ethanol or regular unleaded. There aren't too many stations offering ethanol but I went ahead and tried it anyway because it was at least 25 cents (or more) cheaper than regular gasoline. How can you beat that right?

Well....during the two weeks that I used it, I found that I was actually filling up more often than I was before. It seems that ethanol has a funny little kickback that while you are saving the environment you are actually consuming twice the amount you normally would if you had chosen regular gasoline. So ultimately that squashed all of the "I am going green" feelings that I had by fueling up with it. I must admit it did smell better than the other stuff.

In August 2005, I blogged that gas prices were 2.55 a gallon and that was with my 10 cent discount. I guess we really can't complain too much since we are really not too far away from that price today. Back then I would have expected us to be at 4.00 a gallon by now. Thankfully we have not reached that plateau.

I heard this morning that the gas companies are, once again, in the top 10 revenue/profit generating companies in the U.S. With no one pushing them to build more refineries, they have lots of money left over every year because gas prices continue to stay elevated. I have to ask myself...........if someone had a proposal to build just five new refineries in the U.S. and those new refineries would mean lower gas prices........would I want one built in my neighborhood?

I don't know if I am inconvenienced enough to say "yes" to that question. What about you?

Pope Benedict - King of the Catholics

Ahhhh yes......the Vatican declared today that the Catholic Church is the one true church and the only church that is a full church of Jesus Christ. The other churches.......well....they are only secondary entities. According to the Vatican and Pope Benedict, if they can't recognize the papacy of "The Pope"......they are wounded. They are limping around with no real reason to exist.

I wish I was joking about this self-righteous comment but if you look at Reuters.com and search for Christians...........you will find the whole ugly story.

Gone are the days of saintly Pope John Paul.....the friend to all people of all religions. The same Pope who had open dialogue with all faiths in ecumenical councils without a biased word one way or another. Granted..........there are many opinions and facts about the Catholic faith......but Pope John Paul seemed to be a kindlier, gentler soul.

Ok....let's come back to reality with Pope Benedict. He believes that even with his edict today that the Catholic Church is determined to maintain dialogues with other Christians. Wow.....who is likely to believe that any conversation with the Vatican is going to go well or come without any preconceived ideas? Who will want to talk to him?

Today, "The Church" has slipped even farther back into the middle ages. The belt has been tightened and a clear signal has been sent that there will be no more wishy-washy, gentler, kinder souls hanging around the Vatican.

I am sure that he is only warming up. His arrogance will be his downfall.

Take two of these..............

According to CNN.com today - the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at 2.4 billion drugs prescribed in visits to doctors and hospitals in 2005. Of those, 118 million were for antidepressants.

Wait.....it gets better. They go on to say that the doctors think that is good news because it is a sign that Americans are more comfortable asking for help with their psychiatric problems.

Apparently antidepressant sales rose 48% between 1995 and 2002. Hmmm.......let's see Dubya was voted into office in 2000.........interesting. But.....I digress.

In this day and age, therapy is the hip thing to do. Hip.....but not cheap. I would imagine that along with all that advice there are a lot of prescriptions being handed out. So what does this say about us? I don't believe that the antidepressant statistic is one to be bragged about.

Now I am not saying that there are folks who have a truly legitimate need for such medication, I just have to wonder if there are truly 100 million of us out there. Is it simply a panacea or are we truly a depressed nation? Are there folks who need the medication or simply being medicated because its easier for the physician?

We live in an age where a doctors visit is like a trip to the local deli counter. Take a number from the machine and the doctor will see you in about 30 minutes. Quick in and quick out........ Rapid solutions for a rapid world.......Presto chango - here is your diagnosis......stop by Walgreens on your way home.........have a nice day.

For those of you wondering.......the second highest medication prescribed in the U.S. is for blood pressure medication. So perhaps there is a linkage to Dubya being in office after all........

Ta Ta!

Independence Day

As we approach yet another 4th of July holiday, we will once again be reminded about our brave soldiers overseas and the thousands of men and women who have died serving our country and protecting our freedoms.

Despite the fact that I am one of the 70% of all Americans who are against the war in Iraq, I have to give credit where credit is due to those Americans who are brave enough to go down to a military office and volunteer to serve under this new world reality. I mean.....who would want to do that in these times? I think it takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to stand up and volunteer after watching daily war coverage on any of the news networks. I do know that volunteers have slowed down primarily because of the Iraq situation, but slow down doesn't mean new enlistments have come to a screeching halt.

I don't think I would have been able to make the same decision 23 years ago but then, in 1984 we were not facing the same threats as today. I think the idea of going into the military seemed like a boring thing to do........a passing thought at best. The military was just not on the agenda when I was 18.

So today I want to give credit and thanks to those folks who, for whatever reason, will make the decision today or tomorrow to volunteer to serve in our national forces. These are troubling times across the globe and it takes courage to enlist and allow your life to be completely guided by someone elses plan and agenda.

Here we go again

If you are a news nut like me, undoubtedly you have been following the senseless tragedy unfolding in Canton, Ohio over the last 10 days. Another beautiful, young pregnant mother struck down just weeks before she is due to deliver her child. In cases such as these, you don't want to immediately look at the boyfriend/husband but you inevitably do because they are such a credible target.

This case brings back the story of Lacy Peterson. What a saga that was when it happened. It played through every available media outlet 24 hours a day. Agonizing moments with the family desperately trying to find their daughter and thousands of people searching neighborhoods looking for her. Similar to the Jessie Davis case, Scott Peterson also joined in the search to look for his wife. His half-hearted attempts to look concerned were quickly overshadowed by his outward motions to get on with his life. In two weeks, he was arrested for her murder and the murder of his unborn child.

So here we are again. It is still early so we don't have all of the details on how the murder actually happened. Depending on your choices of news outlets, the answers are mixed. Some say that he has explained to his family that he "found" her laying on the floor when he arrived at her house and panicked. In his panic, he decided the best option was to bury her body 16 miles from her home. Yeah......ok. I don't mean to pull a "Nancy Grace" but I am not buying that one. The autopsy should be very revealing and details on that should be released next week at some point. The case will escalate fairly quickly after those results and as in the Lacy Peterson trial, I would expect the death penalty to be levied in this case.

You would think that such high publicity cases would prevent men from killing their pregnant girlfriends/wives. It seems that the saying is true that men do think with only one body part and it is not located in the skull area. This particular case smacks of that from beginning to end.

This is exactly the kind of tragedy that makes Nancy Grace salivate and I know she will have this case completely resolved by next Friday at the very latest.

Celine Dion!!?

You may have missed word that Hillary has selected her campaign theme song -- 'You and I' by Celine Dion.

I should probably begin by 'fessing up that I didn't make the time to vote on this election-critical issue. Though among the choices, I probably would have given a nod to U2's 'Beautiful Day', despite Kerry's campaign using it years back. (At least that's what my NPR sources reported. I was rather uninspired during that particular election.)

I am not a Celine Dion fan. At all. Ever. Sorry.

Should Hillary be hitching her wagon to Celine? Or am I among the minority here?

Bill's choice lo those many years back, "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" resonated with the tail-end boomers who were just realizing there was something to be sentimental about AND the aspirations of generations both older and younger. I'll still crank the radio for that song.

But Celine Dion? And a song most recognizeable as used by the Canadian tourism folks to promote air travel?

I'm not Canada-bashing. I'm just not feeling election night celebrating to the sounds of Celine.

Hmmm. I bet Al and Bono are even friends...

Where do we go from here?

Is anyone supporting anything anymore? The polls don't show it.


According to the recent NBC/WSJ poll, only 19% of all Americans believe that the country is heading in the right direction. Even worse........the approval rating of the Democratic led House and Senate is only 23%. And much worse than that...........neither of the Presidential fields are really all that exciting.


Dubya's rating is at 29% and that is the same percentage as Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. Hillary fairs a little better with her 39% ranking. At this point......if we had to vote today.....Hillary would probably get a fair share of the votes but would she win......I don't think so. She has steady support in the polls but will that turn into credible votes?


The problems in the world are getting larger and larger yet we lack that one person or body who will actually stand up and do battle with them. It's almost as though all the world leaders will not committ to anything rational until they see who we have voted in as President. (585 more days) The crisis times are here and simply getting worse. Pick your cause - global warming, the PLO/Israeli conflict, immigration, oil prices, nuclear war, etc etc etc. Americans are not just unhappy with it - they are fed up.

So where do we go from here?

Sopranos Finale

Wow....what can one say about that ending last night? Don't know if anyone else is a fan of The Sopranos but I have been a fan from day one. I just love the mob movies and this series has just been phenomenal.

How about that ending? The whole diner scene left me sitting there on the edge of my seat waiting for that diner to blow up in front of a dismayed Meadow. The whole scene was well thought out and left you not knowing what would happen. How many of you thought that the guy who was sitting at the counter.....who slowly sauntered back to the Men's room......was going to pull a gun and shoot Tony right there? Yep....I did. But when they concentrated on Meadow's three or four attempts to parallel park her car I thought for sure that the last scene would be her opening her car door just at the moment to see her entire family be blown up.

Then! Oh yeah...it gets better! Just as she opens the diner door and enters.......it goes black! OMG......at that very moment I said......"I just lost my freakin cable!!!!!!!!!" LOL
I thought for sure Comcast had sent me down the river again! But alas...........after 10 of the longest seconds on television..........the credits started to roll.........then I knew it was over. It appears that the only people who were going to be killed off last night was the audience and they did it by the quick black screen.

Truly great programming from HBO on this one. My two favorite programs are now in the HBO history books.........Sex in the City and The Sopranos. I hear that a movie is in the works for SITC and that's fine, but I really don't care if a movie comes out for The Sopranos or not. It was a great six seasons!

Now they will run it for eternity on the A&E Channel..............

Pride Patrol

Sun
Dogs
Babies
Beads

That's the short list of what I saw most of at today's Cincinnati Pride Alive fest. We made the trek from our suburban homes to the heart of Cincinnati's Northside neighborhood for the parade and fest. A few impressions as I take advantage of Rita's generous addition of me as a 'contributor' to Working the Room.

• 72 units in the parade. About five early-campaigning politicians. GLBT groups from three of the region's largest employers -- gotta love that in this conservative town, so they were appropriately applauded.
• Jack Russell terriers. Can someone please tell me why so many gay men own these dogs? On second thought, maybe I don't want to know.
• Lesbians still seem to prefer retriever/border collie mixes... though I'd have to say most lesbian couples seem to have added two-legged children to their families and left the pups at home. Wow. Aside from the contingent of lesbian mom's walking in the parade, they, and their baby paraphernalia, added a terrific family tableau to the park today.
• I heard the protest contingent was out in force for last night's fest activities -- I guess they had to spend today at the Creation Museum. Today's parade included proud and supportive walking groups from local Episcopal, Unitarian, and Presbyterian churches to name a few I spotted.
• Beads. When did they become the 'not just for Mardi Gras' accessory?