Cold Spaghetti

The kids, as captured by Dad. This wasn’t even after a parade… it was yesterday after school, taking a detour to the ‘burbs on the way home to get felt and paint at the craft store. (We did attend Pygmalion last night, though.)
The float, current state. Fixins’ added tomorrow.
Boots, Paul’s and Will’s. I’m so very much in love and feel strongly that we all may need golden boots.
The ladder. Decided to keep it simple.
The Mardi Gras Superhero emblems. Hooray for felt. Hopefully, the costumes (which are more franken-costumes than actual costumes) will come together!

New business idea: online store that sells MATCHING COLORED universal garments. Matching colored t-shirts, sweats, leggings, tights, hats, turtlenecks, and more — from infant to XXL Super Tall. Finding the same color clothes for matching outfits for all of us was IMPOSSIBLE. So my fingers are crossed that the scavenger hunt over the past month is going to come together.

I SHOULD be spray painting rubber boots, making superhero emblems, and decorating that seriously gorgeous float sitting in our outbuilding. And Emmy just called from the Mardi Gras store… I could be with Emmy in a Mardi Gras STORE!?! My priorities are way out of whack, ’cause that is what I should be doing.

Instead, I’m redoing my consent (or at least complaining about it) because the IRB people don’t like that I wrote a sensible, understandable, useful form (in two languages, don’t forget that part!) I didn’t correctly use their template and didn’t have a running footer with the version date. Apparently, you MUST use their ALL canned fill for ALL project submissions, even when it includes stuff about my salary from the research (what?!) and the potential profit in the sale of body parts (hello, this is qualitative research, people!) I understand and respect the IRB process and generally think it’s super fantastic that they are mandatory, but seriously… isn’t rational thought involved anymore??

Actually, what is pissing me off isn’t all of that… bureaucracy I can reasonably handle. I’m ticked that I requested meetings 3 weeks ago to go over these details and was blown off… three times. So I’m irritated that NOW I’m having to make changes. I guess it could be worse… they could’ve flat out denied me and made me do the whole process again. Aye, when I think about all the trees who gave their lives for this submission…

Hooray and hoorah, I submitted a mammoth-sized pile of documents to IRB today for the Biomedical Review board. Between the multiple copies of everything, the fact that so much of the material had to be in both English and Spanish (with translation certifications), the thing was probably 250+ pages. I practically had to give a blood sample to turn it in… but it’s DONE. Fingers are crossed that any review is minor. Time to move on to hiring staff… but that can wait until next week. Important work presses…

Like finishing the paint on the ladder. Adhering superhero names to our costumes. Adjusting my wig. Finding awesome costume bling. Determining which headpiece is the most appropriate for each parade. Important. Adult. Business. Get out the glue gun; it’s Carnival time!

Paul is making a float for Friday’s Krewe of Abeona parade. He used scrap wood we had in the back from the renovation/addition. Wheels came from the hardware store, although Paul isn’t quite happy with them and designed it so that upgrades may be made in the future. While it is made currently to push, he’s going to attach ropes to the front if folks want to pull it instead. (It works sort of like a shopping cart when pushed from the back and is actually pretty agile, all things considered.)

A few key pieces were supplemented from wood we use to cover the front door transoms when we evacuate during Hurricane season. He figured there was something… appropriate… about using Hurricane protection materials for a Mardi Gras float.

Here it is, before trim.

While he finished trim, I primed the top of our ladder. No idea what we’re going to do with this, decor-wise, but I thought it needed paint nonetheless.

Then we worked together to prime the float before going to pick up the kids. (How could we not knock off a few minutes early to enjoy the gorgeous weather? Not that everyday hasn’t been like this lately!)

After dinner, while I got Kate ready for bed, Will and Paul put on the first coat of purple paint.
It’s now almost 11pm. Paul just left to go to the out building to put the second coat of paint on the float. We’re trying to get the big coats of paint on and done so that they have plenty of time to dry and we have plenty of time for blinging out the rest of the contraption!! We should have stocked up on battery powered lights after Christmas…!

The things we do for our kids.

There is no way I’m ready for a return of the New Kids.

We weren’t up for braving the rain Friday night, nor the cold Saturday afternoon.

We did get out Saturday night (see post with loot, below), but didn’t go with all the gear until Sunday. Minor error in that we thought both parades rolled up Napoleon… in fact, Carrollton rolls down Napoleon and King Arthur rolls up. But give us credit: we figured it out before the WDSU channel 6 guy did (and boy, was he pissed).

Paul and the kids, with the ladder, on the corner of St. Charles and Napoleon (obviously.)
Looking up Napoleon. See the King’s float ahead?

Queen of the Krewe of Carrollton. (Each time we see a Queen of Krewe float, Will calls out, “that’s just like Ana!”)
Kids and Paul. We did get a “My wife is from Norway and HAS TO KNOW WHERE YOU GOT THOSE HATS” regarding the head-gear. They were $3 from MardiGrasOutlet.com out of Baton Rouge. Supplier to all our bling this year. (We got 3 of the helmets to go with our Mardi Gras Superhero themed costumes, which are still in-the-works for Friday’s debut.) Kate was all eyes for the parade. (Note that she is wearing different mittens on each hand — her request — and the multicolored one MUST go on the right hand.)

Floats, throws, and riders.






Kate’s favorite throw of the afternoon was this crawfish, which she held in a vice grip for the remainder of the parade.


These cops hung out on the corner chatting through the whole parade. I was sure one of them was going to get accidentally bonked on the head by a throw.

Right after Carrollton, we quickly moved a few blocks down Napoleon away from the congestion at the corner of St. Charles. This stretch of the start of most parades, in the neutral ground on Napoleon, is our favorite area for parade watching.

Side note: We’ve heard that folks can rent port-a-potties for the Mardi Gras season… according to the forums, you can’t put a rented port-a-potty on the neutral ground. But we saw at least two with “private” signs and locks on them — one of them was marked as a fundraiser for a local school! We are totally looking into getting a potty next year. Anyone have more detailed 4-1-1 on this?

We set up near this awesome viewing platform. I totally want Paul to build one. I have no idea how we would store or transport it. I think we’d have to leave it out the whole season in the neutral ground chained to our rented port-a-potty.
Once moved to the new location, Kate was OVER the parades. She was DONE with being on the ladder. See her below? She is trying to strangle herself with beads. Even Will was begging for her removal.She was all about climbing the ladder. Until she realized the bounty on the ground around her.
Paul took a few pictures of the parade while I wrangled squirmy Kate.

She was so squirmy that we couldn’t get her back up on the ladder, even for snacks. Finally, I wised up and realized she had a serious diaper. Damn… and we were without the diaper bag! (Totally my fault!) I took her to a church across the street that was selling food (i.e.: location for napkins) and scooped out the mashed mess as best as I could. This helped her remain somewhat content until the end of the parade.

Paul took this great picture of the cars across the street and managed to get me and Kate in front, walking back from the scary diaper incident.
After the diaper, Kate spent the rest of the parade playing Mardi Gras scavenger, picking up all the beads strewn through the grass. She then found every dog within the 6 blocks up and down Napoleon and proceeded to give each animal all of the beads she found. I’m not kidding. She even took my beads off to give them to a Golden Retriever she particularly liked. I drew the line when she started to dig beads out of an ant pile. (I think she was more unhappy with my interference than she would have been if an ant had bit her.)

Finally, the parade was over and we headed out. This is how we roll… Kate in the stroller and Will on the ladder:

Will LOVES this fish from King Arthur. He brought it to school and slept with it at nap time today… he loves it THAT MUCH. So thanks, rider from King Arthur!!!
Happy Mardi Gras!

When walking with Kate, one must be very careful. This is because she will move, as fast as possible, toward any animal she sees… especially if it’s a dog. This includes, but is not limited to, dogs walking down the street, dogs walking across the street, dogs in a house down the block, dogs whizzing by in a car, and dogs that Kate makes up in her imagination.

To interrupt Kate’s love-fest with a dog, you will need to physically remove her from the animal. This will result in THE POUT.THE POUT may last an especially long time, at least until she is re-united again with her animal love, or is found a suitable replacement. Her brother qualifies as a suitable replacement. As does her family “gato,” Scout. Her Daddy and Mommy do not.

When faced with THE POUT, one needs constant vigilance. THE POUT gives her certain super-powers aimed at circumventing all attempts of control. This includes, but is not limited to, kicking, running, fussing, wiggling, and going boneless. Note picture below: she is Assuming The Position. Prepare for defensive maneuvers.

The more I do this PhD thing, the more I learn. Don’t confuse this with being trained in your field; that stuff you learn in a post-doc. PhD learning is about learning how to get through a PhD. Unfortunately, I’m not proving to be the best learner in this area… I’m too determined to actually gain something from my experience and catching on a little too late.

Today’s lesson: there is a reason why PhD students do not do independent research. PhD students are better off piggy-backing something on a Professor’s work agenda because that is THE ONLY WAY TO GET ANY F&%$*!NG attention.

If I weren’t okay with just charging ahead on my own with no direction whatsoever, or practiced at getting feedback and advice from other areas (read: other universities, departments, persons outside my chair), then nothing in my degree program would ever happen.

People are often surprised when we send bags of Mardi Gras loot — how much do you get from a parade? — is a common question. This photograph, taken hastily, is an attempt to answer that question.

This represents part of the Saturday night Uptown parades… floats 16-18 of Sparta and the entire Pegasus parade. We went as is… just walked up, no step-stools or ladders. Will sat on Paul’s shoulders and I held Kate. We were out for maybe 90 minutes; including a 25 minute stall towards the end of Sparta when a float somewhere up the line had a technical malfunction. The parades include horses, live bands (including our neighbor, Mitch –no, not that one–, with Michael Hurtt and the Haunted Hearts), drum lines, high school bands, and a ton more.

Favorite throws of the night featured in the pile below included a purse with a big butterfly on it (Kate has been carrying it around non-stop all day); a huge spear (we hid it almost immediately); a pirate set complete with treasure chest, coins, earring, and dagger; huge stuffed dolphin; Sparta Trojan horses; Pegasus horses (with red manes and blue sashes); a huge snake; four footballs; and a soft plush beanie “gato.” Granted, this is a pretty decent haul for essentially one parade… but it isn’t uncommon by any means.
What do we do with all this stuff??? Well, we will divide them this week. Broken strands, stuff we don’t want, and excess pieces get donated to local charities who re-string them or use them in project-based fundraisers. A huge portion of the stuffed toys and footballs will be thrown in the Abeona parade (it’s tough for the kids to throw beads, since they tangle, so they mostly throw cups and stuffed toys). The collectables and favorites get added to their current toys — most of the them go with the puppet show animals that they play with. Other favorite throws are packed and sent to friends all over the world. We keep beads and other shiny traditional throws on hand year-round for care packages.

Still more get packed away in “rainy day” boxes. These come out on icky days for imagination play, the whole costume box (many of which I wore in junior high and high school, ranging from my Alice in Wonderland dress made by Grandma Betty to the purple dress my Mom wore in her high school portrait to a skunk costume to a Betty-Boop mask) plus the Mardi Gras masks, hats, beads, and accessories. Who doesn’t love dress up? I feel certain that every household in NOLA shares the common bond of having these boxes of fun tucked away in the backs of their closets.

The guy who draws PhD Comics, Jorge Cham, came through New Orleans on a trip to the Gulf Coast and wrote a comic about some of what he heard and saw in his most recent installment. Click on the comic to go directly to it on the web: