62. February 10th, 2011 Picture.

For those unaware, St. Patty’s Day is one of my all time favorite holidays.  Wait, I should clarify, I mean the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade party is my favorite.  Southie has the 2nd largest parade in the country, and the entire neighborhood shuts down on the Sunday closest to St. Patrick’s Day for a 3 ½ hour long parade that loops down the windiest of streets.  In the 5 years that I have lived in Southie, albeit at 4 different apartments, I have hosted a party every year, and it has become a legend.  Absolutely epic.  I start looking forward to the next year the day after the parade the year before.  People start asking for invites on New Year’s Day and friends have been known to travel from different states just to attend. 

So where am I going with this.  Right here.  Today I bought my first new pieces of flair for the 2011 parade.  Over the course of 5 years, I have amassed quite a collection of buttons, shirts, beads, glasses, headbands, bows, fake suspenders, gaudy hats with the red beards already attached, temporary tattoos, green crocs (I rock them only on this very special day), shamrock sunglasses, and glittery stickers.  My friend Mark even owns a pair of custom airbrushed St. Patrick’s Day sneakers, complete with leprechauns, rainbows and pots of gold.  I even have an Irish Flag that I hang from my staircase, a la the Von Trapps displaying the Austrian flag during the party for Baroness Schraeder.  We play Irish music on repeat and attempt to step dance or jig to ‘Galway Girl’ and ‘Black Velvet Band’.  It is the most tremendous day of the year and it is quickly approaching!  T minus 37 days!

{And yes, this a giant shamrock for your face.}