Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm wearing my Irish tie from J. Press- the one with the shield of the four provinces of Ireland on it. I doubt many Irish-Americans (or many Irish) would recognize it, though- and it's the blue, not the green variety. But hey, why not? It's my favorite anyway, because I'm such a flag nut- the second I saw it in the store I knew I had to get it, and this is actually the second identical one I bought, the first having mostly worn out and kept in the office for emergencies.

The parade lined up right under my window (girls' school band with US, Irish, Vatican flags). The grand marshal and his crew assembled in the Irish bar across the street. They were holding large plastic orange hammers, oddly- orange?!? There was a piper and drummer in full dress greeting them.