My Kiss That Stopped the Mardi Gras Parade

My Kiss That Stopped the Mardi Gras Parade

Did you ever experience a kiss that stopped a parade? Happened to me, Debbie Nigro, Saturday in the French Quarter in New Orleans during my first Mardi Gras parade.

“Throw me something, mister,” I yelled loud above the crowd along the Krewe du Vieux Parade route when his eyes caught mine. (Okay, so what that I was also shoving a handsome gay reveler out my way who was cutting into my man magnetism at the same time. So what?)

He was tall and had the face I have been searching the world for and he caught my eye and there was music (okay, so it might have been the music from the parading jazz musicians). He broke from the parade and headed my way (or maybe toward the handsome gay guy, but I pushed him to the ground out of my way). 

He stood before me and I looked way up into his eyes. He never took his eyes off mine, and he slowly removed a strand of beads from around his neck and sensuously draped them over my head. Then he took my face gently in his hands (and I think someone spilled their “Hand Grenade” down the back of my pants at the same time but I didn’t flinch) and then he gently kissed one cheek, then the other, then gently kissed my lips and whispered, "Happy Mardi Gras"...and then slowly floated back into the noisy parade of revelers and was gone. I stared after him (okay, chased)…trying to discern what “Krewe” he was with to no avail as the next float motorcade then almost ran over my foot.

The gay guy was mesmerized too. (He had wiggled his way back next to me just in time to witness the whole thing. We were both open mouthed faklempt as only a starry-eyed divorced gal and a gay man could be side by side at a Mardi Gras Parade with To-Go Cups in hand. Gay Witness said, "OMG, that kiss stopped the parade and time. Look at the clock. Two minutes are missing." So is the guy…I swear I would have tracked him down if I knew the location of the Krewe after-party. 

Instead I carried on partying in the French Quarter with my new crew of friends from the three-day New Orleans Comedy Arts Festival where I took the stage alongside some of the best stand up and sketch comedians from New Orleans and around the country. What a treat to be invited by Yvonne Landry, owner of the La Nuit Comedy Theater on Freret Street. (Currently finalizing a divorce, and raising a three-year-old daughter while  growing  her business. Sound like a familiar theme? Her club, by the way, was once under four feet of water from Katrina.)

Representatives from Mosaic Media Talent Group, which rep Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey, and other major Hollywood players were there scouting for new talent, as was Dumont Casting, who casts Punk'd, Frank TV, and many other Comedy Central shows.

I returned to the Avenue Inn Bed & Breakfast (the owner is my new friend Joe) where I waited with 50 strands of beads around my neck to make my 6 am flight home.

P.S. I want to thank my sweet college friend Sue Lemonier and her fabulous hubby, Mark, for their southern hospitality, taking me to Dos Jefes Cigar Bar, stuffing me with Benet’s at Café Du Monde, and showing me around New Orleans as only locals could. So glad to see New Orleans come back after Katrina.