Nurse's Lounge: My 'Glass Half Full' Caribana Thursday...

How did we get here already? Toronto's weather this Summer failed to warn me that Caribana was on its way. So, when I woke up yeserday to balmy sunshine and a skype call from the Caribbean alerting me of an artiste's travel itinerary, it occurred to me, the season is here.

When it comes to Caribana a few things make for a great carnival...for me anyway.

1. Excellent weather

2. A great costume

3. A lil spare time to lime with friends

4. Music ...like uh duh!

I officially pulled myself out of hiding, because those elements were beginning to compound quite nicely. Already told you about the sunshine. Finally, no rain..and a day I didn't need to sport a sweater. Element 1 = PASS!

I jumped in my car and headed WAY out to Mascampville to pick up my superhot Tribal Knights "Golden Pheasant" costume, only to find out...they had special pick up times that no one told me about. So, after sitting on the highway virtually parked for an hour, just to get their BEFORE the evening rush. The trip was in vain. OK...element 2 = FAIL

Or so I thought. Got a call from one of my best girls. She'll be playing in another section of the same band. Her costume was ready..and was headed that way to get her "Macaw" on. We decided to connect later. Element 3 = PASS

In the meantime, I found a local salon to contend with my unruly kinks. Toronto is a city of models and might-as-well-be models, so why not get my hottie-hottie on. There was NO way I was getting back onto the Don Valley Parkway ay 5 pm anyway. No way!

The rest of the evening consisted of meeting my sistrin to shop for accessories, jewellery, shoes, eyelashes and accents to compliment our costumes on the road. We are going to look sooo bashy! LOL. We decided to decorate our new canvas flats with feathers. I'm petrified mine will turn out to be a hot mess.

Just as I was cashing out, the celly rang. A certain soca monarch had landed...and was looking to lime. And so it began. Ran home to meet up at the Afropan panyard outside the King and Queen finals. Tonight Afropan will be competing in pan alive with their rendition of Len and Machel's "Magic Drum" with a dose of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" thrown in. They sounding good. All the other bands better watch out!

Next stop was Orange Room...the after party for The Dr. Jay and DJ Spice boatride. We reached late. Seems like security was on some hateration, so they closed down the fete early. Element 4 = FAIL!

Thx to de docta, the liming crew was able to head upstairs to theLady Luck Pre-Caribana Kick Off rooftop party at The Skybar. It was a scene out of a hip hop video....models, bottles and fake bodyparts EVERYWHERE. The soundtrack was Drake about 60 per cent of the time. I can't lie...de boy has talent. Not soca, but Element 4 could get a PASS now. Local celebs like Lil X and Chris Bosh were on the rooftop mixing with the common folk too.

Yeah so....starting now, my carnival is about carnival. That means...we on soca, and soca alone. Had a nice lil warm up with 2.5 of my 4 'great carnival' elements on lock. Today we work on actually getting the costume in hand...and tonight it's all about great music!

Who say Soca or Die!?!

Love and Soca,

Nurse Karen