Off to now.

I forgot to tell you guys about my Rick Perry affordable health insurance – the kind he is trying to sue to keep so that the state doesn’t have to offer sensible ObamaCare: The outpatient clinic of our local hospital called to pre-register me for the “procedure” I am scheduled to have on my back next week. After we went through all the names and stuff, the clerk says “you have a $7500 deductible, of which none has been met yet, so you will be paying $2,343 prior to the procedure.” At which point I said “No, you can cancel it right now. I am not paying that.” I felt like Madmommy!!! What is infuriating is that the shots I got last week were completely covered with just a co-pay because they happened in the office.

I’ll talk to my doctor’s office tomorrow, but I don’t think I need the next procedure anyhow. My back seems to have settled down like Betsy said it would.

@ Sharonlee:
OMG! Could you just imagine??? Tomorrow when their pictures are in the paper I am sure their little friends will be thrilled

They had Mardis Gras at noon at the senior home where I volunteer. Everyone was wearing their plastic bling when I got there at 3:30. I was late because Arthur had run off with Riley the Ranch Dog. They NEVER do that. I called and called. They finally came wandering in just as I was giving up. They had to have been in the back pasture, hunting for more corpses. They had devoured a possum earlier.

@ madmommy:
You mean you haven’t signed your boys up to be pages at some point?

My family is celebrating a bit tonight, One of my great nephews has been accepted into Stanford’s electrical engineering graduate program.

@ Lea:
Well, when they ride in the parade they are all pretty covered up-hats, full face masks, long sleeves. Hmmm….

What they do to the pages is really awful! These boys are wearing plumed hats, Prince Valiant wigs and beaded suits w/knee britches and stockings. They are obviously bored stiff and cannot wait to be finished with this.

@ madmommy:

they’re probably all vampires.

(just watched Interview With the Vampire again the other night)

@ gnome de plume:
Well I spoke too soon-the entire ballroom is paying their respects to the royal couple. The guests line up 5-6 abreast and walk forward, curtsey/bow and move off for the next row. I actually saw a black couple in line, but the camera cut away as they reached the front to make their curtsey. It’s like watching something from another planet, really. Especially when they start talking about how the current queen/maid/deb/duke/page has Rex royalty on both sides of their families going back generations. There is a hell of a lot of very old money in that there ballroom!

@ madmommy:
Do they all go around with pinched up faces?

San Antonio has a similar celebration, Fiesta, but it sounds a lot healthier in some respects, although the Queen and her court cost their families thousands to have their trains made. At least being an old Spanish colony allows for some darker skinned and haired people to participate. Our Rex is called El Rey Feo – the Ugly KIng.

@ gnome de plume:
Yeah Seriously, this thing is a mayo on white bread sandwich. I keep scanning the crowd for some sign of melanin, but no. Not terribly surprising, since Comus quit parading because of the city ruling that krewes can’t discriminate. Zulu is very integrated, as well as allowing women to actually ride on the floats! Rex is all male, obviously. Oh, and the worst part of it? The people chosen to be king and queen find out in the spring, but they can’t tell anyone!! They have to go through all this subterfuge, miss out on all of the Mardi Gras fun, and then on the last day-surprise!

@ madmommy:
What? It is not enough just to bask in all that glory? I thought just knowing you were IT was all you needed!

100K comments?! And they said it would never last

In flipping through the channels tonight I came across the televised meeting of the Krewes of Rex and Comus. It is a very formal, stuffy affair-the gentlemen in white tie and the ladies in gowns and opera gloves. The king and queen of the krewes parade about at their respective balls, then sit on a throne and receive their guests. Then they switch-Rex goes to the Comus ball and Comus goes to the Rex ball. It is about as dull as dishwater, and it costs a bloody fortune if you are chosen to be a queen or maid. Other krewes also are expensive to be royalty, but at least with those you get to rule over a kick-ass party and ride in the parade. The Rex queen just sits on a balcony in a fancy suit and hat and toasts the king as he goes by. Seems like a ripoff to me.