St. Patrick's Day!

This is not an acceptable way to celebrate a Saint!  Girl, where are your pants?!

Oh the sights of St. Patrick's Day in Chicago!  In Chi-town, St. Patty's Day is right up there with Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, so everyone (and their little dogs) are out in their best/worst green get-ups strutting about acting quite silly... mostly because they are drunk.

We went downtown to see the Chicago River in her green glory.  We checked out the river from the Michigan Avenue bridge.

This picture (above) was taken about an hour after the dye was dropped into the river.  A box of dye (about the size of a cereal box) is dumped into the river, and it is potent enough to turn the whole river neon green.  And it stays that way for a few days.

We battled through the crowds to get to Grant Park to watch the parade.  There were really way too many people, so we didn't stay long.  Alli was on Andy's shoulders, and Ruby was on my shoulders... they may have seen some of the parade.  We mostly saw crowds and more crowds... a ridiculous inebriated sea of green.

The St. Patrick's Day people-watching is the most fun (and sometimes disturbing).  Check out the green-bearded fellows behind us. 

We tried for a family picture in the crowd, Alli did not cooperate... but here we are.

As we walked to the El, a trolley full of green revelers passed by tossing out green bead necklaces.  Alli and Ruby were pretty thrilled.  Around the corner a man sitting in a van was trying to sell the same necklaces for a dollar each. 

The train was full of singing honorary Irish.  It was a memorable ride home.

We arrived home tired and hungry and ready for a little quite time.

Happy St. Patrick's Day friends!