if you’re going to celebrate a half-hero of a man who may or may not have discovered a new world, may or may not have been the harbinger of disease filth death murder rape and pillage, may or may not have been the very reason that you and i are sitting comfortably in ohio or arizona or maine, you might as well do it in style.

hal and i walked out our front door yesterday and found ourselves in the middle of a parade. schoolbuses, surrounded by sweating teens lugging trombones and tubas. girls decked out in their finest velour, twirling flags. crepe paper floats and astro-turf covered pickup trucks hauling beauty queens and politicians. everyone throwing candy into the air.

i can’t decide if i was more delighted by the little old man playing the accordion in a painted cart or by the orlando company tossing out bags of their oh-so-delicious ciabatta bread.

in any case, we’re glad columbus, whoever he was and whatever he did, gave us a reason to celebrate.