To paraphrase Lewis Carrol; So the time has come again where we must speak of many things, of whiskey shots and Boondock Saints, of cabbages and green. The favored holiday of Kalehalla has come and gone. We have paraded and drunk and feasted and car bombed and fought and such and such and such....
On Saturday the parade happened in downtown Salt Lake City at the Gateway and it was the first time that one of my children participated. The Wee Dancer was so cute in her Irish Dance Costume and her fairy wings and she danced her jig along the route. I on the other hand was very stressed and very angry at the chaos of the preparations (mostly too many cars and people all around without much order) So I dropped her off, walked to our traditional area and found that I was the only Lord of Kalehalla to attend the parade this year. So in true Chadivus fashion, I downed my Irish Coffee and made quick work of my flask of Concannon. The parade ended and the Raven Queen picked up the Wee Dancer and I headed upon the road to Piper Down to hold court.
At Piper I enjoyed brunch and Regimental Red Ale until Lord Darksteel joined me then we did an Irish Car Bomb and steadily drank ourselves to a nice mellow buzz before Les Morgana joined us. From here we had dinner (The fish and chips which I have written about and bangers and mash which are heavenly as well) Now before Lord Darksteel arrived I found myself in a curious position of being the only patron who knew ALL of the Irish songs being performed by the house band. Normally this is a dubious honor, but on St. Patrick's Weekend, it becomes an aphrodisiac of wondrous power giving Chadivus the portfolio of Deity of Celtic Virility for the moment at least. This was all that was needed for me to catch the attention of the fair maiden Lady Carson of Park City. I was quite full of myself in that as she left I called her up and she stood upon the bench I was feasting at and gave a wonderful hug and kiss and I felt that all was right in the world. Those of you who have a hard time understanding this power have need only to corroborate it with Lord Darksteel and Les Morgana for they witnessed it. Later in the evening after her own recovery of a night of intense revelry, Sessa Bob-Omba appeared with Vladymir. Then even later Kalenar arrived, we ate, drank and fulfilled a night that will be heralded in our mythology as it should be.
The next evening we had the traditional Celtic feast at Kalehalla involving corned beef and cabbage and the drinking of the Middleton toasting the year we have lived and the year before us. Then we watched Boondock Saints and drank like the gods we are (I know I cleaned up all of the bottles at 2:00 AM for Chadivus is not one to have a handmaiden (although I would like one)).
I am not sure why but our year does seem to revolve around a different calendar than the Christian liturgical. I am truly a believer that St. Patrick's heralds our new year, with the next big event being the end of May with Memorial Day. Later we enjoy a consistent number of drinking weekends followed by the Harvest Festival and the honoring of the working class. Next during All Hallows Kalenar journeys to the East and returns not until the birthdays of our treasured couple (Bomba and Vlad whose union is legendary and needs to be named as a separate entity in addition to themselves). This period is followed by Yule which involves the Tuba Yule, and the feast with gifts. Then we move again to Thorblot to rid ourselves of winter and lastly the feast of the vines before it starts all over again. I am glad that the stories are being written now of what we are doing and the bonds we are creating. Every culture creates it own mythology whether they think they are doing it or not, I have just decided to be active in the creation of mine and my friends. I truly love them all as I also love my children and family and these are the stories I want to have.
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