Today, in addition to being Jane’s birthday, it is also Mardi Gras. While marking the beginning of Lent, Mardi Gras is also a last hurrah. This year it falls in the middle of February. Traditionally, before the advent of modern 24-hour shopping centers, food stocks have waned by now. The Catholic church introduced Lent to paper over this seasonal time of hunger. Offering your suffering up as penance to God.

Before we cinch that belt though, let’s party one more time. New Orleans is carnival central here in America, but Saint Louis like to chime in too. Soulard is our French quarter, where crowds convene to celebrate. Back in the day, we would bicycle downtown to watch the parade. Parking was impossible. Revelers were all about. We are more laidback now. Tonight, we will meet for dinner with some of our old bike buddies and party one more time.