Awesome, Yes! But do They Go Commando?

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Tomorrow at noon, Downtown Colorado Springs will host our annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, an event that I try to attend each year, being part Irish and all. Every year, a local group of bagpipers march in the parade (actually, they march in every parade,) and they are central to my favorite St. Patrick's Day memory. This particular parade took place roughly ten years ago. I was living near Downtown, so I got up early and walked to a bar located near the parade start. This bar sells very cheap beer, so I drank several and went outside to watch. After the parade had passed my vantage point, I walked down to my favorite bar (now defunct,) about a mile away, and proceeded to drink Guinness and shots of Jameson's. I found myself seated next to a woman who was even drunker than I, and we had a great, drunken conversation about this, that, and the other. Eventually, the bagpipers from the parade came into the bar and played for about ten minutes, before heading to the next bar. It was awesome! They were loud and mesmerizing, and received a standing ovation when they finished. It was a very powerful, unexpected experience. We drank a bit more, after which I helped my new friend into a taxi and then stumbled home. That was one fun day!