BYOE

Posted Jan 27, 2007 by Janine Dorsey

Updated Jan 27, 2007 at 04:30 PM

Bring
Your
Own
Entertainment

Gasparilla survival tip from the survivors: Bring some entertainment while you are waiting for the parade to start.

I brought “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” “A My Name Is Alice,” and"I Spy.”

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The Parade Is Over

Posted Jan 27, 2007 by Mike Samuels

Updated Jan 27, 2007 at 04:21 PM

The Krewe of Hillsborough wants to make me an honorary member.

The parade ended for the krewe before 4 p.m. That’s the pitfalls of being early in the parade, they say.

Still, they get to party all night long. Some are going to the Hub or Newk’s.

As for me, I’m already home. The Heineken mini keg just got tapped.

Enjoy your Gasparilla. Time for me to start enjoying the rest of mine.

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A Different Perspective

Posted Jan 27, 2007 by Mike Samuels

Updated Jan 27, 2007 at 03:30 PM

Sue Fortner-Nehls is a veteran for eight Gasparillas.

This is the first time she’s rode a float during the parade.

Fortner-Nehls usually walks the route, but she said she’s enjoying the new perspective.

“I’m usually so used to looking at where I’m walking, I’m not paying attention to the crowd,” she said, swinging a set of beads and watching the crowd go wild. “I like this a lot better.”

She said she enjoys seeing the looks people make to try to get beads and she’s been searching for some nice-looking older men to pass her beads on to.

“Most of them wind up giving them to her wife,” she said.

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Got Beads?

Posted Jan 27, 2007 by Mike Samuels

Updated Jan 27, 2007 at 03:08 PM

A few observations from the parade route:

Fist, the corporate or bay side, is not ver full this year. Plenty of room for more folks as opposed to the crush that’s existing on the land side of Bayshore.

Also, there’s a hierarchy to beads. Swing around some white pearls or pink ones and people go crazy. Others beads, well, they still scream and grab, but they’re not as enthusiastic for them.

I’m standing right now on the float as it passes the Swann/Magnolia/Bayshore intersection. It’s a heck of a party going on right now.

Thankfully, krewe members have been giving me beads to throw to participate in the festivities.

What a blast.

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Time Flies

Posted Jan 27, 2007 by Mike Samuels

Updated Jan 27, 2007 at 02:43 PM

The parade seems like it just started and we’re already far past Howard Avenue.
The noise is deafening and the begging for beads never stops.
Krewe member Chris Nardelli had this piece of advice for bead-throwing: “Just hurl em.”

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