Who went to Krewe of Muses last night and got herself a shoe?

Meeeee!

2013 was a pretty lean year for me so I didn't have the funds for a hotel room--especially not during the last week of Carnival, when they all jack up their rates--so I wasn't sure until the last minute if I would go. I decided to compromise by parking on a residential street near Jefferson and Magazine (you should have seen the amazing parallel park I pulled off on Camp, there was like a single inch between bumpers) and catching them at the start of the parade, before they join up with Babylon and Chaos. They were past by 9:30 and I got home shortly after midnight.

Actually, it wasn't that much of a compromise, because I don't really care for the other 2 krewes. Babylon at least has some interesting floats, but Chaos' are usually lame (and occasionally they're grotesquely sexist), and the krewe members are assholes--I've seen them like, shrug at people asking for throws. What the hell?

I thought it would be nicer watching from a more residential area too, but actually I missed my usual spot, on Gravier a few blocks down from St. Charles. There were people on porches, in yards, on the sidewalks, on ladders, on the grass between the gutter and the sidewalk, and in the streets, so the throws were more spread out and they literally threw a lot of them. On Gravier, they just drop them over the sides of the floats and into your hands. (Also, residential area = lots of children, or, as I refer to them, "throw hogs".)

So I didn't get as much swag as I usually do, but I can't complain because I GOT A SHOE! A lot of the large krewes have a rare signature throw (Zulu's painted coconuts are the most famous) that is the most coveted, and for the Muses it's women's shoes that have been decorated with glitter, feathers, and beads. This was my 3rd parade and I'd never gotten one; they mostly give them to little girls, people they know, or people who've made some kind of effort like holding a sign or wearing a costume. I wasn't trying to get one--I didn't even notice that one was being held out--but it dropped right into my hands!

I didn't take too many photos this year, partly because I didn't want to spend the money on high-speed film, but mostly because I thought I'd just enjoy the parade for once. I took more at Krewe du Vieux, which I went to for the first time on February 15th, so many that I haven't gotten them all edited yet.