St Pat's Day

March 17th here in KC, MO. That means St Patrick's Day, celebrated here with as much fervor and frivolity as Mardi Gras in New Orleans. This year, the dodos in charge decided the parade would relocate to South Broadway... which for me means 3 blocks away. The parade starts at 11 and lasts 2-3 hours. Then there is an all day and night party in Westport, about 6 blocks from here. At 6:30 AM I could see and hear 3 news helicopters circling above broadcasting the preparations to their audiences. Roads will be blocked shortly. The crowds will start coming in, maybe already are; they are likely to set a record for attendance as the weather will be upper 70s and crystal clear skies.

Our local grocery store had signs posted all week: "we'll be open...but good luck getting here". We have been told anything west of us will be blocked, or heavily controlled all day. Traffic will be a nightmare, police are setting traps to catch drunks, probably on Main to the east of us, further entrapping us in our little enclave. The church next door chained and padlocked its parking lot...the minister is working from home today. I watched the trash collector scratch his head as to how he was going to get to their dumpster, absentmindely left behind the chained entrance.

I ain't moving. I have food products, plenty of coffee and everything I need right here. I'll be happy watching the nonsense, dressed in my customary orange.