"By Golly...It Worked!"

*Warning: Neophyte blogger just learned how to use the "link" feature.*

I couldn't believe it. All it took was a little Lebanese rain dance to do the trick. The rain that I thought for certain had set in, dissipated, making way for the perfect day I described in my last post. Sunshine and blue skies, just in time! After arriving downtown early enough to get premier parking, we made our way to one of our favorite watering holes: Veet's. No, they don't serve mint juleps, but you can be rest assured that if you get the hankering for a cold beer and good company, there's always someone at Veet's with the same agenda. Not to mention the fact that this bar is located directly on the parade route adjacent to the spot where all the local highschool marching bands stop to put on their show. It's the creme de la creme of parade viewing.

Being the opportunists that they are, the folks at Veet's have learned that setting up a bar to serve the thirsty revelers of Mobile might not be a bad idea either--especially since they are in the business of making money selling beer. Something tells me they aren't just trying to make beer drinking convenient for those of us that don't want to babysit an icechest. Talk about captive audience!

Olga announces, "Get your cold beer over here!"

Unless of course that hand is being used to escort a special bra by the name of Olga. It was determined early on that we would have to make an appearance at certain places in town and Veet's was on the list. I wish I could say we planned that this day would also be the day that we were watching a parade that featured the likeness of some of our favorite local bars, but planned it was not. Imagine watching a parade in front of a bar where one of the floats is made to resemble that very bar. It's one of those rare happenings of which you have to make note. Also not planned was that Olga would have her picture taken with Veet himself! I know what you're thinking: Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't Veet be considered the lucky one to have his picture taken with Olga? Talk amongst yourselves about that one, but for what its worth, Veet is a local celebrity, kinda like John Edd Thompson! Meanwhile, take a look at the folks that have been there before her. OMG, how cool would it be if Olga were featured on their website in the ranks of the other celebrities that had partied there before her? I'm just sayin'...hint, hint.

THE Veet and his smokin' hot daughter, Gina.

So the Traveling Celebrity has had her picture taken with the Local Celebrity, we've found a perfect spot along the parade route with easy access to the Veet's Public Service known as The Bar, it's time to get this parade started! Here they come...The Mobile Mystics! It was an awesome parade for an awesome day. Check out their website. www.mobilemystics.com

Olga had the best view in the house.

I held Olga high in the air so she could get a full view of the parade. As if its not enough to stand in a crowd of people that know and love Mardi Gras in Mobile to be a family event, with a (might I say, rather large) black, lacy bra, I got tickled when the maskers on the float would nudge eachother after seeing us both standing there watching the parade. The looks on their faces read something like, "If she's holding that bra in her hands, over her head, then there ain't nothing between us and that girl but a cotton t-shirt!" Sorry guys, I ain't that kinda girl.

But this girl might be. After the parade, Olga was invited to jam with The Family Jewels (The Veet's band).

I wonder what SHE had to do to get invited on stage. Hmmmm...talk amongst yourselves about that one, too!

*Special thanks to Gregory Brown, resident photographer. I bet you can tell which of the above pics belong to him! He's super talented. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorybrown