Ahh, St. Patrick's Day.  Sure, it's not an 'Official' holiday, but it just so happens to be one of my favorites.  Maybe that's because of my Irish heritage, or perhaps because in Dallas its one of the most celebrated events all year.  Why does Dallas, TX, have such a great St. Paddy's day festival?  I don't know for sure.  It's not because of our overwhelming Irish population, that's for sure.  From what I know about Texas, and Dallas specifically, I guess it's because it is associated with the color green (like money), and involves drinking vast quantities of beer.  Beer is good.

The day begins with a parade down north Greenville Ave. (coincidence?), a strip of Dallas restaurants and businesses, and close to a large population of 20-30 year olds.  People show up early in order to get prime seating at start the tailgating.  We rolled in at around 10:30am, about half an hour before the parade started, thanks to a late night at Jaguar's.  The parade is pretty fun, with most floats throwing out beads, many showcasing hot girls, and a select few giving coupons for free food.  It's all about the coups, man. 

The next stop after the parade, which ended at noon, was the Lower Greenville block party.  It was a mile or two away, but many people walked it.  Lower Greenville is where alot of the Dallas bars are clustered, and is a decent place to party on any given weekend.  On this weekend, however, it is Nirvana.  I managed to get in after Dan came to my rescue (who knew there was a $5 cover!!), and it was well worth it.  We had a crew of 12, and were able to sneak into the VIP area situated in front of the stage and near a bevy of port-a-johns.  After the band finished, the DJ rocked everyone's face with hip-hop hit after hit.  The group of what must have been strippers danced no more than ten feet away, while I busted out my finest pop-and-lock routine.  Beers were had, shots were taken, and fun levels were at record highs.  The DJ played Souljah Boy, and I almost had a fungasm.  Unfortunately, this didn't last.  Morale took a hit when my friend Shivers was brained by an errant beer bottle, but we all rallied (after his head was bandaged).  We capped the night off with cheese fries and burgers at Snuffer's and jagerbombs at The Cornerbar.  Greatness.

Just in case you needed a little pick-me-up before that big meeting, the first date, or the clutch presentation.  You can only be as good as you are, and you will never be this good..

Finally!  We were able to procure a new entertainment center from some family friends.  No, I did not loot their home while they were out of town.  It was a gift, honestly...While it is a 'little' big for our tiny living room, it looks great, the components fit better, and best of all, I was able to sneak my floor speakers up front without my wife noticing.  NOT!  Fortunately, she doesn't mind that much, at least not on the surface.  Inside, she is a boiling kettle of rage, but I won't go there.  Check it out!