Mardi Gras is a much more visible holiday here than up north. There are King's cakes everywhere, and beads. Galveston has a very active Mardi Gras with parades and good bands, and a lot of people drive over to New Orleans for the real thing. This year I had just one friend who did that, and he made me want to go next year. He thinks he has cracked the code for making the trip fun without letting the crowds get to you. He estimates a boob count of about 100 (he didn't actually say "boob" since I am his boss and I've had sexual harassment training; and upon questioning, that is singles, not pairs). Ed was mentioning an NPR report he was listening to about how the Chinese workers who manufacture the beads have no idea of why they're so popular. I must admit that until I moved here, neither did I. Janet Jackson was just a few weeks too early, and a few miles too far west.