We are walking-  actually we are sprinting….  My step-daughter trips over a case of beer in the street next to a couple of guys who looked like they had walked out of a Lil’ Wayne video.  They growled and then “Hey Girled” her. NICE!  We then side step two pit-bulls on our way past some vomit and  piles of trash on the street.  The air was thick with alcohol, urine and trash.  It was almost 11pm.  We had left the concert portion of the festival early because of the growing masses of drunken nerds and degenerates in the streets surrounding the fair grounds.

This was not the family event I was hoping for.  The Old Towne Spring Crawfish Festival was not a place to have your children after dark or your wife for that matter.

I am a little frustrated.  Not as much as when  I went off on Grey’s Anatomy-  but still frustrated.  I was at the Texas Crawfish Festival yesterday.  Overall I had a good time with the people I went with.  That being said-  we could have  all gone out for pots at Blue Fish and gone to see a good local band at POs for less money and felt safer.

Don’t get me wrong-  I have no problems with walking into the middle of a good old fashioned street party.  People drinking and music pumping.   I sometimes enjoy the energy.  I loved my college days on Sixth Street and Northgate.  I enjoyed the occasional trip to New Orleans as much as anybody.  I have even done New Year’s Eve in  Time’s Square.

The issue I have  is with Spring’s Crawfish Festival and the city/coordinators lack of planning, law enforcement and crowd control.  The event is touted as a family friendly celebration of mud-bugs, beer and great live music.  The fact is the event resembled a disorganized New Orleans Mardi Gras bash.  I saw frighteningly few law enforcement officials for the thousands of people attending the event and there seemed to be no focus on crowd control.

The streets were crowded beyond control with trash, people and vendors acting more like this was a carnival than a family event.  ”Half Price Ritas!” and “Get Your Drink ON!” was chanted loudly from a megaphone in front of a local store front turned bar.  I was reminded of Cancun…  It was sad.

Olde Town Spring is a place that may be commercial, but is rooted in small  town values.  To see this center for crafts, antiques and home cooking turn into a dirty cesspool was sad.  It was apparent that the festival had stopped being about a home town celebration and opening of a community and had turned into a money making frenzy where allowing people and business to run a muck was more important than values.

I will say that Charlie Robison was awesome.  He is always good and should be listened to whenever beer is involved (ANYTIME).

Charlie Robison - Spring Crawfish Festival 2010

So-  we will not be back until Spring decides to clean up the festival and make the party more like a fair and less like a weekend on Bourbon St.

I will openly admit that I thought Grey’s Anatomy was a good show in its first couple of seasons.  The show actually had the potential to morph into something like ER or Hill Street Blues.  What has happened in the last couple of years is sad and I can basically sum up the plot of EVERY show with this template:

• Someone has sex
• Someone wants to have sex with somebody they should not
• People cry
• Someone dies
• One of the main characters is struggling with a life changing decision
• Someone hides or wanders off to be alone
• Selfish doctors turn patient illness into a window to their own messed up issues
• More crying
• Long pauses in conversations
• The guy doctors drink and everyone meets at a bar
• More crying
• Someone tries not to cry
• Absurdly dramatic conversations happen with the main characters and total stangers
• More crying
• Sex to close the show
• My wife and all her women friends cry as they Facebook about how good the show was

If you read this post-  you will NEVER need to watch the show.  Don’t worry I get the concept of the show.  This show serves the same purpose that 24 serves for men.  I know 24 is not  a good show anymore. But- if I want to watch an hour of short conversation, people getting blown up and Jack Bauer makin it happen like a bad ass-  I know where  to go.

Our Show Sucks So Bad, Booo-Hooo!

Same concept for Grey’s-  I know women need to cry and watch people that should have their business together make a complete train wreck of their lives.  I get it.

So guys-  next time you have a choice…  do the dishes, fix the drain or change diapers before subjecting yourself to this emotional tar pit on television. Steer clear of this hour of emoting with 20 minutes of commercials.  It is ridiculous and should be put down before it spreads bad plot, questionable morals and outright crappy acting any further than Private Practice (Craptice)