chemically impregnated brass band

Vappu is 2 parts carnival, 1 part dive bar and 100% good, clean entertainment. After wandering around downtown yesterday afternoon where I got to see a tractor pull in front of Zetor [the bar named after the tractor manufacturer and is filled with tractor kitsch] and scores of people just warming up for the evening drinkfest, we went to a small barbeque with some friends. We missed the capping downtown but the evening was perfect for grilling outside on the lawn. I made a double batch of my sister's potato casserole, all of which disappeared without a trace in no time at all. Francis, the host, made some jell-o shots since someone had brought jell-o back from a recent trip to Canada and they were so strong that they were watery or, well, vodka-y. The big idea was to take them downtown and give them out to cute girls. Single guys crack me up sometimes. :)

We didn't get too horribly drunk last night so we made the trip down to Kaivopuisto park and, wow, what a scene. I took a bunch of pictures that I'll get online later this week as I think they'll do a much better job of describing Vappu without words. While we were sitting on the couch after we waddled home from the park, the sound of a sick tuba came through the window. When we got up and looked out the window, we saw the "Drunken Vappu Brass Band", a.k.a. Retuperän WBK from HUT, parked across the street. They are the guys who drink entirely too much beer and then play the music for the capping ceremony. The guy on the hood of the wagon looks like he has had quite enough "chemical impregnation". Ah, Vappu. :)