Wow, what a blast. I swear the buzz never seems to lessen no matter how often I do it. OK I get a bit jaded leading up to the start but as soon as we hit Flinders St and the crowds, this big sh!t eating grin comes on my face and it doesn’t leave for ages. I was next to Ema who won the pillion seat in the SSO competition and it was her first Mardi Gras. It was interesting to watch her start off sort of quiet but by the end she was egging the crowd on and throwing pumped fists in the air.
I hope you all had a great night. I know we start early and it’s a lot of work for such a short trip but I think it’s worth it. Big thanks to all the Ride Leaders, Corner Markers and those lovely girls who minded all our gear and didn’t ride at all. We’d be lost without you.
I know the weather wasn’t exactly balmy but at least it meant that we didn’t have any bikes overheat. Jay and the boys had a quiet night for once. Of course they helped out plenty of damsels in distress before the event but that’s another matter. It’s also great to see them getting into the spirit of things. I hope Jay made it home safely with his butt hanging out like that.
After the ride it was back to the Hampy for a couple of coldies and to see if we made it on the telly. There seemed to be a lot more footage of us this year which was great. And for the girls who didn’t want to be in the middle colours – well aren’t you glad you were now!!! The hosts also said a number of nice things about the club and what we do in the community. I heard Ruby Rose claim that in previous years it was compulsory to ride topless and how much she enjoyed watching us because of that. Maybe we should invite her to be on a bike next year. The staff at the Hampy looked after us until we were all ready to go back to our nice warm beds (or off to party).
For those of you who woke with a case of the Post Mardi Gras Depression – don’t worry. Only 360 days to go until we do it all again.