Mania

My original plan was to go to bed at seven p.m. The Saints winning the gdamn Superbowl during fing Mardi Gras really takes it out of you. And puts it into you. The spirit of revelry, I mean. Gosh guys. Get your minds out of the gutter.

Last night was a raucous onslaught of moments unlike any of my other earthly experiences. After the WIN- when I was running back and forth through O'Neil/Brad's shotgun house (the most serendipitous of chill neighbors), screaming and hugging and jumping like Rocky preparing for the big fight... I was distracted from my toward-the-corner-bar stroll (and by stroll I mean high-fiving EVERYBODY in the streets) by a phone call from a special friend seducing me out into the craziness of downtown. Promising to get me home safely in not an absurd amount of time, I crossed the ferry. It was like a black and gold nightclub in florescent lighting.... slash 4th of July slash New Year's slash when France won the World Cup. People were climbing on the barricades, hugging strangers, chanting, singing, moving and grooving and ecstatic. Shouts of WHO DAT were like an answered prayer. Madness. Absolutely, wonderfully, nuts.

And then I got downtown.

We spent a few minutes maneuvering Stefin's bike down Bourbon street, which was part parade/part moshpit/part everyone singing karaoke and still yelling. Retreated to Jackson square and set off firecrackers. The boys aimed them at each other's spokes and I kept dancing and hugging EVERYONE.

It was amazing.

This morning- I had 8 students in homeroom. I spent a lot of the day sparring with kids, helping them with perimeter problems, and learning more details regarding Lil Wayne. Favorite quote of this morning, as EVERYONE is clad in crazy mixtures of black and gold:

"Ms. Craven- you look hungover. You hungover?"
"No. I'm just tired."

And then I sat down with this amazing seventh grader and we started to write the Black History production we're putting on at the end of the month.

Laissez les bons temps rouler indeed.

Speaking of cool things, this article about a Secret Society in New York is lovely.

From the school district's website:

JPPSS District News
Schools and Offices Will Close Early on Tuesday For Saints Parade
The Jefferson Parish Public School System and its offices will close two hours early on Tuesday, February 9, so that students, teachers, administrators, and employees can celebrate with the New Orleans Saints and their Super Bowl victory at a downtown parade later that same evening.

YES!!!!!!!!