Oh Staten Island!!

So on Sunday a very large part of Forest Ave. here on Staten Island was shut down from 11:30-3:30. Forest Ave. is a busy stretch lined with shops, restaurants, chain stores, bus stops, the works. So, what do you ask may have caused the shut down?! Keep in mind that the date this past Saturday was March 8....the streets were closed in both directions for Staten Island's annual....wait for it........St. Patrick's Day Parade. Yes, you read that correctly, a parade, on March 8, for ST. PATRICKS DAY!!! There were people dressed in green getting set up on the streets at 9:30 am when we drove through on our way to Trader Joe's in Jersey. The mayor even showed up and walked in the parade (of course he is in campaign mode after overturning term limits so that he can run this next year for mayor again!), along with other political figures...none of which I know. Now I understand that SI would have to compete with the citys HUGE parade on the actual day of the holiday, but they could at least do it on the Sunday before...not the Sunday before the Sunday before St. Patty's Day!!! Oh Staten Island:)