All Hail the Traffic Jam

I'm convinced that if you've lived in Louisiana for more than 5 years, are above the age of 16, and don't hate Mardi Gras ... you're either mentally ill or unemployed. Possibly both. The traffic jams and long detours have already begun here in New Orleans, and I'm considering skipping town when the parades are in full effect. Some of us have places to go and things to do during Mardi Gras time. And the whole affair just becomes a blood-boiling nightmare to those of us with any other obligations except for standing in a median freezing and half-drunk on swill in a plastic cup. It's fun if you're a tourist or a kid. But, as a grown ass resident of the city, it's a living hell. Hooray for filthy streets covered in pollution and cheap plastic beads! Hooray for the rage-inducing delays and seemingly random street closings! Hooray for the drunken, stumbling tourists who think the entire city is Bourbon Street!

The only good thing about Mardi Gras is king cake.