It’s late evening Thursday, but I’m already psyched-up for Paddy’s on Saturday! I’ve just heard 2.5 hours of all-Irish music from my hubby’s Internet radio show (he went over by half n hour because he just didn’t feel like stopping, and he was hoarse from singing along by the end). He’s happy and excited, I’m happy and excited – and best of all, it’s not even my bedtime yet and the show is done, the dinner is et, and I get to have a reasonable amount of sleep on an Oirish Tirsday for a change.
Change is the reason – the time change! The US has done it, but we haven’t yet (nor do I know when we do – why care when it will hit like a ton of bricks and I cannae do a thing about it, anyway). So, his show started and should have ended a whole hour earlier than usual. A bit of panicked rushing round on his part, but man, I wish it were like this every week.
Anyway, Paddy’s… I just love the day here in my small town. I love seeing all my friends and neighbours being silly in costume in the parade, and seeing the creativity of every ‘float’ from local businesses. I love the poor, shivering children in costumes they cannot see out of, and the professionals such as the stilt-walkers or the Samba band or especially, the pipe band from Scotland that always comes. Pipes and drums set my blood on fire.
I love (and also usually really, really don’t want to, at first) standing out front of the pub at 3pm with a frosty pint of Guinness in hand waiting for the parade to come past. I love having so many other friends and neighbours standing with us, giggling, suffering. I love that the parade is so long, and the town is so small, that about 3/4 of the way through it ends up doubling back on itself and we see the same marchers twice.
I love afterward, when the parade is over and I have a good buzz going on and the marchers straggle into the pub with their costumes half removed and any makeup smeared, so I can tell them how much fun it was to see them and how great they were.
I love that this year, I can share some of the hundreds of photos we take with you.
I love my town, and I love St Patrick’s Day here. I never want to be anywhere else.
heretherebespiders 
We’ll be thinking of you two as we party here with Bobby and Katherine! I’m sure Jason will text you somewhere along the way. Slainté!
Looking forward to it! I’m sure D will be sending you lots of pictures 🙂 Hugs to B & K and a kiss for the little ones!
Spiders:
Have a good one. I’m one-quarter Irish so I’m only going to get 25% drunk. But I’m with you in spirit.
Apart from the Samba dancers, doesn’t sound like it’s changed much since I was one of the freezing children. Heading up the parade where I came from was the Graveyard Association. Should give you an idea….
Love it! We have a memorials business in town and they usually drive one of their flatbeds. There’s usually an old couple with a lovely donkey and cart, too – and some classic tractors, of course. What I didn’t mention is a string band that always came over from America – they aren’t coming this year. I don’t know what I think about that.
We don’t celebrate St. Patrick’s day. 😮
I hope you enjoy it tho. 🙂
Funny, the part that touched me was… I never want to be anywhere else.
That’s how I feel about AK… and slowly what I love is changing around me. Sad.
Yep – I’ve seen a lot of change for the worse here in 8 years. Not just the town, but the whole country.