A St. Patrick's parade in GRAND RAPIDS?????????!!!!!!! This is something new and different in the years since I lived there. Congrats, buddy! Wish I could be there to see you! Rattle that spud for me, sweetie.

Actually, many, many years ago in Grand Rapids, my Dad and I won a St. Paddy's Day contest sponsored by WOOD Radio. All they asked was for listeners to "Make Something Green." My Calvin College professor Dad came downstairs grinning mischievously on the morning the contest was announced and told me he needed my help to win the contest. (He was afraid if he entered under his own name, he'd lose his job.) Long story short, we dyed one of my mom's rather ample cotton brassieres a vivid kelly green, and mounted it on a large cardboard shamrock, with the caption (of course!): Erin Go Bra I, of course, got to "help" by lending my name to the project. The announcers giggled their way through the morning as they announced the prizewinning green "thing." I won 50 bucks. And had to explain to my high school classmates that, no, the bra was NOT MINE. (the announcers were rather fixated on the 44 E size tag in the thing)....