Mardi Gras!

Every year Universal Studios hosts a 3 month long Mardi Gras celebration.  Every weekend they have decent bands come and perform and have a Mardi Gras parade with lots of beads.  These concerts are included in your day pass for the park.  So Mr. E and I go twice a year to our favorite bands.  We only go twice because my parents who work for Universal in the event department get 2 free tickets each.  This  year we decided to go to Kelly Clarkson and either Nelly or MC Hammer :)  

Saturday night was Kelly Clarkson.  Whenever, we go out in the evening, my Mom usually watches Little Lion.  My Dad decided to still work at Universal.  His event job was to walk along one of the floats during the parade to make sure that people don't run into the streets.  Well the week before my parents were working the parade and the leader was talking to them and said that Mr.E and I could ride on the float if we wanted.  So when the opportunity came, Mr. E and I took it!!  

We had to arrive at 6 to get our parade guest wrist bands.  Then Mr. E and I of course went to the beer tent :)  We figured if we were going to be chucking beads at people we should do it in true Mardi Gras fashion!!  At 7 we were escorted in and assigned floats.  My parents had given us the low down as to what floats were the best and which had the most beads to throw.  And as luck would have it or *who you know*, we got to be on the last float on the top floor.  It was the Gator which had a mouth that opened and smoke that came out of it's nose.  The Gator also had the most beads.  Seriously there were thousands of beads!  We should have taken a picture of how many beads there were!

Mr. E and I were given light up shirts to wear.  We climbed up to the top of the Gator and waited for our ride to begin.  Here is how cute we looked...via camera phone ;)  

So the parade gets started.  WOW I now know what it feels like to be a rock star!!!  The crowd was HUGE and everyone was screaming and trying to get your attention for the beads!!!  Get your head out of the gutters people there was NO flashing....we're at a family park :)  So for 30 minutes we were the greatest people on the face of the earth!  It was so much fun and a work out too!  You have to wing those beads so that the people in the back get beads too!  Our friends were there and managed to get a picture of Mr. E sending some beads there way.  We are the first 2 people.

After the parade was finished, we were able to keep the left over beads.  We had so many left that we didn't even take them all, but you could have called us Mr and Mrs. T :)  

Kelly Clarkson started soon after and you couldn't even walk anywhere.  They said there was 40-50,000 guests!!  I've never seen so many people in one spot.  Here is our view of the stage and the TV.  

As you can tell Kelly was only an inch tall, but we could see her.  However, she put on a great concert and actually sounds as good in person as on her CD.  We had a great time with friends too and with each other ;)  

We can't wait until the next concert.  And maybe we'll get on the float again!