St. Patty's Day

Just like last year, we started the day bright and early at 10am. 

We took the train down to the parade site, paid our money and started drinking right away ($10 for unlimited beer -- well, until the kegs ran out).

For awhile, it was only the three of us, but as the parade time approached, more people joined us.

I remember the parade being longer last year, but maybe that's just cause I was more drunk last year.

All in all, a great parade again (but less strip club floats, which was disappointing). We got fewer beads this year though, mainly because we had a group of fairly attractive young blonde women standing next to use who managed to get everything thrown at them (including silk panties).

After the parade, and an excruciating attempt to try to use any public restroom available (note to organizers: you're going to need more than 2 Port-A-Pottys for 200 people), we made what felt like a 10-mile trek through the desert (but was probably only like a mile or two down Greenville) to get to the next party.

None of us really knew what the "block party" was all about, and when we finally arrived, we found out that you had to pay a $5 cover to get in.  But that was IF you could even get in.  We were all pretty hungry by this point, so we decided to go eat instead of the block party. 

After walking all the way down to Lower Greenville, we turned around and walked almost all the way back to where we started!  Ugh.

Met up with some more people at the restaurant and reunited with people who had abandoned us earlier.  After we ate, most of us were exhausted -- it was 3pm, we had been up since 9am and had walked at least a couple miles -- but instead of calling it quits, we decided to go to the West End.

Lesson learned here: have a real destination instead of a vague general area.  We have no idea where to go once we get to the West End.  We wander around for a bit, and finally listen to this random homeless guy who tells us how to get to "the best place to drink" in the West End.  Um, it might be the best place, but it's also probably the most expensive.  We all spend a fortune there ($3 for a third-full glass of Red Bull???) and decide not to spend any more money on alcohol for the rest of the day.

Skip forward a few hours, and we're at this random Indian guy's party on Lower Greenville (gotta end the day on the same street as it started).  Pretty awkward because we don't know anyone. We try to make small talk with people but they duck out as quickly as possible.  It's a great view of the scene on Greenville and it's free alcohol so we stay anyway.

End up getting home around 2am-ish.  Fun day, but tiring.  Just like the Irish celebrate, I'm sure.