Mardi Gras at Lambda

February 22 - The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek, therefore, not to find out who you are, seek to determine who you want to be. Meditations from "Conversations with God - Book 1" page 21

The Mardi Gras Parade at Lambda was a huge success with about 100 attendees plus the 40 or so people in the krewes that presented the floats. The floats had to be built on a grocery cart. The theme for the evening was Cities around the World. The Cities last night were:

1. San Francisco presented by the 6:30 AM group. They were dressed as the Village People, a drag queen, and a man in a velvet robe. Daave was the leather guy. The entrance music was I left My Heart in San Francisco and then they broke into YMCA.
2. New Orleans - A Paddle Steam Boat, the Drama Queen was staffed by a skipper and all of the characters from the streets of San Francisco. This was presented by the collective 12:15 meetings. Their Music was "Proud Mary" and these people rocked. The smoke stack was really belching out smoke. This Krewe and float won for best depiction of Their City.
3. London - A Double decker red bus. This was presented by the Women's meeting. Lesbians in London. A fun group that was really into their presentation.
4. Venice - A Gondola carrying the Pope, a rower, and a couple of others. This was presented by the 6:30 Positive group. (they've won the past three years.) The Entrance was spectacular - Everyone was in 18th Century costume and the first two was a couple with the Lady in a mini-skirted Italian Gown with the pouffed skirt. She was Crying and had a mouth big enough to float the gondola through. They were followed by two more couples with the Ladies in the big gowns of the times - about two hundred petticoats and they floated over to a beautiful crystal chandelier that came down from the ceiling that had been covered. It was Also lit. Then came the 15 foot Gondola followed by other Venusians and a NUN. In my opinion this was the presentation of the evening. It also must have been the audiences opinion because they won the Artistic Presentation Award. Very Well done.
5. Cairo - Presentation of the Great Pyramid by the CMA groups of Lambda. The Pharoah led in the Krewe carrying in the Great Pyramid by two baare chested muscle men. This presentation was very well done.

The winners were determined by the amount of money each Krewe collected as they paraded around the big room. The winners were:

First place with 1052.00 collected - Cairo-CMA GROUP

Second place with 1016.00 collected - Venus - 6:30 Positive

The evening ended with the announcement that we had collected over $2600 for the night. Lambda people are not a glum lot. We absolutely insist on having fun in sobriety. These fundraising events contribute to keeping the center open and paying the bills. We adher to the 7th Tradition. WE ROCK. It just doesn't get much better than this.

Tonight I am grateful for:

• God, my Higher Power
• My Sobriety
• Mamie, my OCD schnauzer
• My Sponsor
• My right eye
• Continual improvement to my left eye.
• Lambda
• The garden variety of drunks that are recovering in the meetings at Lambda.
• Successful fundraisers.
• Being an audience member for the second year.
• Those being of service.
• All y'all.

Now y'all be pretty now, ya heah.