Scottish Walking, Best Walking

So our friend Ray has mentioned that he's super into bagpiping. And we've heard that come Saint Patrick's Day there will be a big parade. But we didn't have to wait until March to see the bagpiping and got to see the Scottish walk in Alexandria!!

The morning started out with brunch in Old Town Alexandria at a friend of a friend's house. The house and brunch were both SUPER CUTE. I was feeling really sad about how not cute our apartment was while eating the extravagant and delicious Brunch Kate had prepared. Then she mentioned she's 28. So now instead of feeling sad, I feel inspired and will hope to have an apartment that nice in 6 years.

It looked like this, but this isn't a real picture because I didn't want to be that weirdo photographing the food.

After filling up on chorizo quiche (!!) and strawberries and cream and bread pudding and Baileys and hot chocolate, we walked out the parade. I got a balloon! (This will factor in later.) Elizabeth had staked out a prime spot so we were real close to all the things! There were a ton of dogs. Like really, it was like half dogs. But they were cute dogs, so it was okay that there were so many of them. Also, a lot of people in kilts which is to be expected.

Also there was a little girl who asked my friend for her balloon. Like straight up "can I have you balloon?" So she gave it to her because the little girl was four and what do we need with balloons anyway? But then, the little girl started just spiking the balloon into another girl's head repeatedly. Did her mom do anything? Nope. Then, as children are wont to do, she let it float into the air. And instead of learning from her from her mistake, she came after my balloon! BUT mine was tied to my purse so I told her that. Then she demanded that I try to untie it! Absolutely not! So I just gave her candy and she went away. But really though. Keep track of your kids. It's obnoxious.

Picture this, but a girl and more menacing.

Finally at the end of the parade, we saw Ray's group! I think he was at the end of the parade because he's good, but I don't really have any reason to believe that, but it's probably true.  And then there was a bagpipe-off between three bagpipe groups. (Really it was just like a combination band, but a bagpipe off is more dramatic.)  I know everyone gives bagpipes a lot of crap, but when you listen to people that actually know what they're doing, it's pretty cool! I mean, I'm not about to buy a "Best of the Bagpipes CD" but it was a lot of fun and different from the usual bar/football things we normally do on Saturdays!

Not a good Christmas present idea.

Then we went back to Kate's house, ate more food and waited for Ray to make his way back. There were a lot of fun people there--even a few from Michigan! I had more bread pudding, learned that at the end of the Georgia Tech fight song they say "fight, win, drink, get naked!" but don't actually get naked, and I told a rude joke about tampons (don't worry though, people liked it).

After a while, Ray came back!! We got him to play for us and it was delightful:

So, Go Blue. Go Ray. 

See you guys soon! I'm making orgasm brownies today. And it's the first snow in DC...is it sticking? No. Lame.