Guns & Ammo

Hunting. This is a tricky subject.


The pros against hunting:
1. On the surface, it seems to be this violent, barbaric act. Since I typically shy away from barbaric actions and violence in general, this 'hobby' seems to be unnecessary and belittling to a human’s intelligence (read a book, get involved in your community, help others, evolve.)

2. As a sport, it seems even more ridiculous. Where is the sport? Where is the even playing field of competitor vs. competitor? The idea of killing an innocent animal and then to hang it as a trophy seems disrespectful, mocking, and egotistical.

3. It disrupts the natural balance of things. The circle of life has worked for years, why are we playing God?

4. And this was always my personal argument: we need to rid ourselves of unnecessary violence/potential accidents and there is no sport in hunting. It is egotistical and self-serving way to pass the time and many, many people are accidently shot every year from guns. This is why we need to stop this.

The other side

1. I am a meat-eater. I may not eat much of it, but I never plan on giving it up either. Why is it widely accepted to eat meat neatly packaged from the supermarket, but not take the responsibility of one’s on food chain? Why are farm-raised animals deemed ok by society to eat?

I started to explore my thoughts on hunting when I briefly dated a hunter. His respect for the hunt, guns, and view on the whole process was remarkable. He took more time and care in hunting than I have ever put into an activity (my activities don’t usually have the potential to kill someone either). It wasn’t even the way he talked about hunting; it was his actions that spoke the respect and reverence. I still argued that no matter what, he was taking a life and that made me uncomfortable.

But I am a meat-eater, I am not taking responsibility for what is on my plate. I am not acknowledging that I am taking a life about three times a week. If you can’t take the responsibility, you should not have the privilege of enjoying that juicy prime rib.

My next step in this process was listening to NPR’s ‘To The Best Of Our Knowledge.’ They did a show on hunting in early 2009. It really explored what I needed to hear. Stories about why different people hunt. One man was a conservationist. He saw how deer were destroying trees and all their natural predators were gone, outnumbered, or killed. The deer continued to over-populate and continued to destroy plants and trees, which were destroying the landscape and other animal’s foods. The conservationist saw how he could contribute to reconciling the landscape and order and decided he needed to hunt. Whatever the reason was, they all seemed respectable and reasonable. One woman talked about the need for taking responsibility of what is on your dinner plate. This is the one point that obviously stayed with me.

As I was listening to the program, I had my aha moment. As I was listening, I heard people give the different reasons about why they hunt. Intelligent, educated, and evolved people. I have reached a conclusion that has made me feel a little more at ease with hunting. I think I have confused my opinions on hunting with my opinions on a certain lifestyle. The clothes, the lack of amenities, the typical conversations that are involved with hunters have really jaded me towards the whole situation. My exposure to hunting has been very one sided and I am realizing that now. You can hunt and realize that Obama is not a Muslim (aka terrorist) just because his middle name is Hussein. This spoke volumes to me.

Yes, there are some things about hunting that I will never understand: why get up at 4am in single digit weather to sit outside for 4 hours?  Why are taxidermists still in business? I know men that have never changed their child's diapers but will pull all the guts out of an 600 lb animal without blinking an eye.  These are the eternal questions that will never be answered and we need to accept that.

Am I going to hunt? I don’t know. I feel the need to take responsibility, but my dis-connected American mentality is still screaming to stay naïve and ignorant to the whole situation: cows come from the supermarket.

2009 list

So my new year’s resolution will be to start keeping track of what I watched and read this year because January was a long time ago....

Movies that deserve to be watched (they may be old, but I saw them for the first time this year)
1. The Hangover: hilarity to the extreme
2. Slumdog Millionaire: so good on so many levels
3. Rachel Getting Married: gifted actress, great story without being too depressing.
4. Dan in Real Life: love, love love.
5. The Proposal: better than I thought. Why I was doubting Sandra or the amazing Ryan Reynolds. They rule the rom-com.
6. I Love You, Man: ok, so I was on the plane and I did fall asleep, but it was much more developed in storyline and humor than I was expecting. Not too shabby.
7. Yes, Man. I am not a Jim Carrey fan and I was watching it as I cleaned out the basement, so this isn’t a critical analysis. I liked it because it was about embracing life and taking some chances, because you never seem to regret new experiences. Get out of the coma, it’s a good message.
8. I Have Loved You For So Long: slow, but interesting.
9. Up In The Air: Yes, I am hugely biased because of me, St. Louis and my George. I can’t tell you what it’s about either because I was too distracted, but Entertainment Weekly gave it an A, it leads in Golden Globe nominations, and Jason Reitman, need I say more?!
10. Julie & Julia: I started this last night, but I didn’t finish it. Meryl Streep was mesmerizing.


Movies I think you can skip:
1. Coraline: I love you Tim Burton, I love claymation, but this one was just too odd and scary.
2. Revolutionary Road: an unhappy couple fighting all the time. I am sure you can find that in real life.
3. Confessions of a Shopoholic: cute book, dumb, dumb, dumb movie
4. Sunshine Cleaning: just so-so, I expected more Amy Adams and Alan Arkin.
5. 500 days of Summer: if it’s on tv, it’s a cute little movie, watch it. Don’t seek it out. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is adorable. The story is good, I just missed connecting with the characters.
6. Marley & Me: you have got to be kidding me. This is why I hate dogs, the lack of control and how they run your life: “see, I told you he wouldn’t try to eat the baby.” If that is a worry in your life, your need to rethink your priorities.
7. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past: if you have seen the commercial, you got it all. It’s a good ‘chore’ movie. It’s on while you clean and pick-up, you can leave and comeback and not miss a thing.


I can’t remember any books I read this year (except Twilight). I don’t think I can remember because I didn’t really read any great books (yes, Twilight was good, the others slowed, but worth the read). I do have some interesting ones in line for 2010.

This entry is a little pathetic.

Looking for a good home

Another reason I love Chuck....he is letting me sell the sofa and loveseat. Anyone's grandma looking for furniture?

So So Thankful

I am one of the luckiest and most blessed people. Everyone I know has an ideal life for the most part, yet I continue to go about my day saying, "if only...[I made more money, I had a different job, I could water ski]." I never stop and say, "wow. I am sooooo lucky and thankful." I am and here are just a few reasons why.

1. I have about the coolest family on Earth. We have so much fun together, we are all healthy and happy and well-adjusted. I feel sorry for those that have no contact with extended family. Cousins: God's best kept secret. (My friends rock too. I will say that I have the best friends in the world)

2. I have a job. The layoffs came and went, and thankfully I am still here (as is my entire department).

3. We have had the best weather in St. Louis the last couple of years. Yes, it gets a little cold, yes, it gets a little humid, but overall, it has been really nice. I was riding my bike in August and the humidity wasn't insane. I am thankful.

4. I have had a great year of traveling: San Fran, Colorado, Europe, last turkey day in New York, Chicago, all very fun, great trips.

5. I can breathe. My life is not handicapped by decongestants (that always put you to sleep), Kleenex, lack of recooperative sleep, and the constant annoying sniffing would drive me and everyone around me crazy. It sounds small, but I am so happy to breathe.

6. Chuck. I am dating the most amazing man. He is giving and warm. He is mature, affectionate, stands aside to let me be independant, but will step in at the right time (i.e. we trade bags at the airport because his is always lighter). He encourages me and listens. He will do anything with me once, but knows I need my space. I could not have asked for a better partner to walk through life together. I just need to keep me level-headed and not start taking this for granted.

Picture Guide: 1. Norman Rockwell (or typical Sunday at the Gettemeier's!), 2. Grandpa & Grandma Kohnen, my mom, me & cousin Bern at a wedding 3. All 16 of the cousins on the Kohnen side. 4. Tara and cute little Paulie 4. Cousin Sarah and friend Laura 5. Pollard, Doty, Celeste, Morton, & Nord (from Nord's 30th) 6. me and Denae (at Joss Stone) 7. Me & Chuck in CO.

Have a happy Thanksgiving (which I am thankful for the food and a long weekend off!)

The big D

Texas. It's a whole other country. Actually, not really. I thought it would be much more cowboy hats and gunracks. I realize I was in Dallas, and St. Louis is a much different place than the rest of Missouri, but still I expected a few. The good news is that I still did Texas things: I shot a gun, I drove on the George Bush Highway, I ate mexican food, I saw Sarah Palin's book in real life...very Texan. We really went down there to spend time with Chuck's parents and that's just what we did. It was a very relaxing weekend of window shopping and eating. They graciously took me to the Save-A-Lot on Lancaster so I could actually see a store that I designed. I have never seen a store I designed in real life. It was very cool.

It's Almost November

Last weekend was crazy. To be more specific, Saturday was crazy. It all started when someone asked me to be on the planning committee for the United Way's St. Louis Servathon. The Servathon is a large event volunteering at the same time in one specific area. With October 24th being 'Make a Difference Day,' we thought it would be perfect. After lots of pre-work, I arrived at the Regional Arts Commission at 7 am. We arranged, coordinated, and prepped the volunteers as they arrived and sent them off to change the world. I was in charge of the housing projects. Ten elderly and disabled U City residents applied to the city to get some light yardwork, etc done. I had a group of 30 volunteers helping out. My morning was spent checking on the volunteers at each house and directing them on to other projects if they were finished. It wasn't hard work, just a little chaotic. When everyone finished, we headed back to RAC and ate lunch. As expected, lunch didn't show up on time (well, not all of it, just some of it, which I don't know if that was better or worse). Luckily, volunteers tend to be very patient people. I also stalled by offering them pieces of cake with icing flowers. I didn't think that would work after you are nine, but I was wrong. As a thank you for helping out, the planning committee each received the President's Award for Volunteer Service, complete with a letter from the President. It was cool, I am very proud of it.

After clean-up, I ran downtown to Sage to pick up soup (Butternut Squash Bisque, the best in the city) and host a dinner party for 11. I had done as much of the prep work as possible before Saturday, but of course there is always plenty to do. It will be a long time until I host another dinner party for 11. It's soooo much more prep than just having people over: drinks, courses, desserts, the logistics of entertaining, cooking a full meal, and serving it all warm. I did plan ahead. My wonderful cousin Sarah came over to help. After 6 that evening, she did it all. I just enjoyed myself. I am so lucky to have such generous people in my life. The evening went very smoothly and I couldn't have asked for anything better. A hectic day, but a good day.

Have you all taken a look at the fall leaves this year? Wow, they are all extreme in color. I don't know if it's the rain, but it is impressive. Now, just to rake them up...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I admit it. I am a Christmasholic. About this time every year I get antsy for Christmas. I do love fall, but fall just reminds me of what is coming next...Christmas (then I block everything out because January is too hard to think about). I made a deal with myself a couple of years ago. I let myself listen to Christmas music after my mom's birthday (October 15th). This week has just been easier with a festive soundtrack. Work is a little tense right now and we are all still waiting (another three weeks they say) to see if we will have jobs at the end of the year. I have found Christmas music to be the sole source of my calm. I have also converted some co-workers who are now listening to Christmas music and I am happy to report the Store Design department is much more mellow this week.

I have always leaned on the tunes of the Yule. In college I relied heavily on Bing to get me through a paper. Don't under estimate the power of Christmas music.

Here are some of my favorites (off the top of my head):

Mariah Carey: "All I Want For Christmas is You." LOVE IT!

Michael W. Smith: both of his Christmas albums are amazing.

Steve Tyrell and The Carpenters: good classic albums

My favorite Christmas songs are: Baby, it's cold outside, What are you doing new year's eve?, and Christmas all over (Tim Petty)

Of course I love the standards Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis, etc.

What are your favorite Christmas songs?

I am in charge of the animal skulls

Last Saturday I volunteered with the Girl Scouts. They had a large one day of activity, learning, and enjoying the outdoors. It was at Camp Tuckaho out in Troy, MO. I love the Girl Scouts and I do regret not taking scouting further into my life. Here was my opportunity to make up for time lost.

I filled out the application a few months ago and explained that my hobbies were "crafting, interior design, and the environment." I also mentioned that I was very allergic to animals so please, no horses, goats or farm animals.

I showed up on Saturday happy to see the sun and eager to work. I ignore all the stupid mom leaders that have no comprehension that others are in the world but them (not spoiled mothers; busy mothers that have been doing nothing BUT mothering for the last 10 years and can't function in the real world anymore. They can't say bathroom. They say potty, even to 32 year old adults and their 9 year old children who have grown out of the phrase, I could go on, but I know you all know what I mean and will you NEVER turn into those mothers).

The volunteer coordinator informs me that I am at the Nature Center. I meet 4 other women working there, all with former girl scout daughters who are now in their 20's. These women are experts, they know what they are doing, they have got this down. They know their skits/lesson/activity. Another woman shows up with three large duffel bags. We start unloading. They are full of animal skins, skulls, and footprints. They are not just skins, but the whole epidermis of the animal: eye holes, claws, noses. etc. We pair the skull, skin and tracks up and lay them out on the table. The women in charge looks at me (the one with no part) and says, "are you ok, handling this?" Afraid they kick out sissies in the Girl Scouts I confidently say, "yes, whatever you need me to do."

The day was a plethora of over 100 activities to choose from: trails, archery, rock-climbing, making slime, yoga, Pilate's, anything you can think of and Tuckaho is large, so it was more about pick an area and see what there is to do there rather than cherry-picking activities because you would spend all day walking. Over 3500 girls from the St. Louis area were there, including Grace (my niece) and her troop.

The first troop came and I let them guess the different animals (they look different when they are flat) and touch them. I showed them how a beaver jaw and a squirrel jaw look very similar even though they are different in size. I was amazed at my expertise compared to an 8 year old. I could easily impress them with my "facts." A little National Geographic Channel goes a long way.

The day went on and I got into my groove, while personally being a little grossed out, I knew how important it was to get over it. At the end of the day I could properly identify the coats and skulls of a beaver, squirrel, rabbit, otter, raccoon, skunk, possum, deer, coyote, bobcat, & fox.

I was happy that I did get challenged out of my comfort zone and I am thankful they didn't have me in charge of any live animals, that wouldn't have been a little much. Saturday ended up to be a gorgeous fall day and I loved that I got to spend the whole day outside. Around 3:30, the sun sank beneath trees and it got cold quickly. I was grateful to be at the nature center because we has access to an indoor (heated) facility with a real bathroom and hot coffee in the kitchen. The volunteer coordinators broke me in softly and now have me hooked. I would do it again, animal skulls and all.

In the nature center I saw this quote: In the end, we will only conserve what we love. We only love what we understand, and we only understand what we are taught.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I LOVE fall. I love back to school. I was always ready to get back to a new year in school. The weather turns crisp and warm, but the nights are cool enough to have fires and snuggle up in coats. Everyone starts to talk of holidays and the associated festivities. It just makes me soooo giddy. (Let's let leaves out of the equation for now, I am moving into a house with 6 oak trees. I despise oak trees).

One of the best parts about this time of year is that there is so much to do. Clayton Art Fair, Schlafly Art Fair, Balloon Glow, Balloon Race, Oktoberfests, lots of birthdays to celebrate over long dinners on patios, etc, etc. Yipeee!

On another note, I am 90% moved. Celeste is coming over tonight to continue the motivate me in the last of the little things and help clean up. It's amazing what you can get done when you are fighting jet lag.

Once I have all my pictures sorted and together, I will finally post them. It was a great vacation with lots of things to do, but at a leisurely pace for the most part. All I can say is charming, charming, charming. The low countries are just quaint. I got the posted picture off the Internet, but I took the same picture in Damme, Belgium.

Greetings from Europe

Not that I need to tell you all...but Europe rocks. We have been to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Bruges. Tonight we are back in the 'dam and are heading to Delft, the Hague, Haarlem, and Edam over the next couple of days. Bruges is definitely one of the most charming and quaint cities I have ever seen. We stayed at an amazing b&b. We are now staying in another b&b at the 'dam. This is the way to go. Wonderful homes, lovely breakfasts and they are soooo clean. I almost thought about not using my sleeping bag (but I didn't). I can't speak of U.S. b&b's, but this is definitely the way to travel in Europe.
I would post pictures, but that is a lot of work that I just can't handle right now (converters, adapters, camera's, ipods, and this teeny tiny computer that my parents lent us that is great, but no memory to hold a pic). Besides the fact that I am old and my tech skills are embarassing. I will post when I get home to convince you all to head to the Low Countries.
Interesting things about Europe: capri's and fanny packs are very cool for men/teenage boys. I have seen a lot of mullets (we have pictures). These people have cat-like reflexes to bike, walk and drive here, I am in awe. I have found my food soulmate in Belgium: beer, waffles, and mussels.
I am so sad to come home on Saturday.

Nothing

Nothing to post. Life is packing the house, packing the suitcase, unpacking at Chuck's. Do I have the converter? Do we have tickets for ___? Where is the dutch phrase book? (in a box in storage). Nothing but small details that annoy you in your own life, so I am not going to bore you anymore with them.
See you on the 5th.

SF & BF

I have one small piece of advice: never go to a good St. Louis restaurant after you have just gotten back from food heaven.

San Fran was great. As I have eluded, the food was phenomenal. Too many fish options to count, salads, salads, salads, and hardly a fried option in the bunch. It was refreshing, not to have to search for decent food. Saturday we went sailing in the bay, which rocked. Definitely an experience to remember. The rest of the time, Sarah and I just walked around. I broke in the new shoes for Europe (see photo...and they are environmentally sound). The conference was fab. I learned lots and lots that I won't bore you with except for a 2 things. One is a video from World Wildlife Federation about changing the way you think: http://www.worldwildlife.org/ted/latteflash.html

The water footprint site (did you know it takes 50 gallons of water to make a latte?!): http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/home

This leads me to last night. I returned from SF on Wednesday night and had Bodily Fluids last night. We went to Jimmy's. Yes, Jimmy's, one of my top 10 restaurants. This is why my new rule is in effect. I felt like Monica in the wedding dress episode (on Friends). She had experienced the ultimate and now nothing could compare. I had a very good dinner. Delish, the caprese salad was tasty, but none of the fish on the menu was sustainable. I found myseld continuously comparing the experience to SF. It was unfair to me and Jimmy's. It was great conversation though. The last few dinners in SF were business small talk so I welcomed conversations among friends again. BF Becky showed up and I avoided her as much as possible. At the end of the dinner I did hear the words "poop," "placenta," and "my breast milk smelled like gin," come out of her mouth. Ugh, seriously, she has issues with personal boundaries. Doesn't she EVER stop?! We will see next month.

A Moment of Panic

I am having a moment and I need to release. HOW THE $%&@@ am I going to do this?! I admit it, I am not a multi-tasker. I will lie through my teeth in an interview because I know I am not. Give me a task, let me complete it in its entirety and then I will move on to the next. This is how I function and I come from a LONG line of hard-headed stubborn schedulers.

This weekend was pretty good. I have 2 rooms moved, My very very very generous brother Jeremy offered his spare garage (you have those when you live on a farm in the middle of Ferguson) for me to store things. My green room and spare bedroom are packed up and gone. There are some things I still need to clean out in there and the closets are currently in use, but the 12 boxes of books are gone along with some furniture. Now I am at a kind of a stand still. I don't want to live in a house for a month with the bare essentials and echo's, so I don't know what else to pack. Chuck had the obvious idea that I missed and told me to get all of my needed stuff over to his house and then move the rest of the house. OK, I admit that works. Now I am at the issue of vacation. Yes, Anna is stressing about going away for pleasure (see where I fail at the multi-tasking?!). On Friday I leave for San Francisco. I am so excited about going and can't wait to visit one of my favorite cities and trust me, I will have a good time. It just puts off packing and moving for 6 days. After I get home from SF, I am home for 6 days and leave again. Besides having plans the majority of those nights, packing still wouldn't get done because I can't move in to Chuck's AND try to pack for a 10 day vacation.

That puts me to September 5th. Let's face it, I am not going to pack up my house immediately when I get home. I am gone 2 days that week for work. Hopefully, I will be able to do it the weekend of the 12th juggling the other things going on (it's United Way campaign time and there are some volunteer events, many I am missing for vacation, so I can't miss these too). My goal is to be completely out of the house by September 20th. That leaves me with 3 whole days with nothing planned at this point. I realize there are days after work, but that's another 3 days (of things I don't have already scheduled). It will get done. It's amazing how many stolen moments you can find when you need them.

So that leads to the next panic...what do I need right now? What do I need in 6 months? I have to move into a full house that needs to sell. I have to immediately tuck everything away and choose carefully what I do bring so that I don't clutter the house. You may say pack everything into storage until you realize that you are moving in to a boy's house and are expected to host Christmas this year. Then you realize you are hosting Christmas without a back-up house to detox in. What am I doing? I am way to much of an introvert to ever live with people. Holy crap.

OK, update on the panic. Tuesday, Karla and I had to get the occupancy permit, which took seconds to complete (I thought: government agency=hours of waiting). I got home on Tuesday with a few hours to "pack." It was more of an excercise in making my house more of a disaster, but some things were accomplished. Then last night, plans fell through so after the United Way meeting, I went over to Chuck's and we unpack some of my boxes I brought over. I am not as busy as I think I am. This will work out. Chuck isn't going to San Fran with me anymore so he gets to stay home all weekend and work on some things done. Whew. It's still going to be tight, but managable. Stay tuned for the next panic attack.

Well, it's official

So I am moving. I have rented my house. I have to be out by October 1st. There are a few repairs to be done and some paint to be sloshed, but I am out. It's bittersweet, but good. This is what I want, but I will say I am a little sad to move my house that has been my fortress for the last seven years. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, she has been good to me, but let's face it, it's a house. It's time for someone else to love this house.

So here is the plan. I am moving in with Chuck (yes, right next to the devil house). We will put his house up for sale and then find a place together (most likely in the city).

That's the plan. I am excited to move. I am excited that there is only one house to sell at the present moment. This is the first step of many, many, I will keep you all updated!

Bodily Fluid Dinner Club: Summer 09

I am on a roll this week, lots to say or the lack of TV is making me think more...
Last week was Bodily Fluid Dinner Club and I realize I am behind in the Bodily Fluid news. For June, we went to the new Chuy's. It is right by SLU now and I am pleased to say, it's pretty good. I don't usually like Mexican food. Why go out and spend money on bland meat, cheese and rice when I can stay home and spice it up myself?! Then a typical Mexican menu list 23 dishes that are essentially the same thing in a different order, but yet very overwhelming to me, so I tend to avoid Mexican. At Chuy's I got a salad that was a little more texmex (which I love). It was good. It was a small group for June and very limited fluid talk. It was mainly talk about summer plans and the heat (that's when we were having the obnoxious heat wave). The restaurant was nice, the bar and restaurant area were one open room and unfortunately, there was a happy hour going on so it was REALLY loud. Our waitress had also happened to be very very hoarse, which made it interesting because she didn't really act like it was a problem that she had no voice and there was a constant boom of voices coming from the bar. Every time she came around we just nodded and said yes. We were very lucky we didn't end up with more drinks or dessert or an agreement to invade Mexico. We had no idea what she was saying. The happy hour was for single gay men, so it was full a very well-groomed, well-dressed men that smelled wonderful as we walked through them when we left. It was nice eye candy for the night. It was an interesting and amusing night with a small comedy of coincidences.
For July, the plan was to hit Drunken Fish for a light dinner and then over to the Cupcakery for dessert. I loved this idea because 1) we are all women and have a tendency to the sweets, and 2) we have quite a few members that are either pregnant or nursing. Great, they get to really indulge this time since we sit around guzzling cocktails in front of them all the time.
I strategically placed myself away from Bodily Fluid Becky. I have pinpointed her as the leader of the fluid conversations, so I wanted to stay away from her just for my own enjoyment. We had a great dinner, talked about vacations, summer camps, and choking (which isn't a fluid; it's an emergency, so I was interested). A couple of the girls actually had the Heimlich performed on them. I was fascinated. I was never experienced or witnessed the Heimlich (and I hope I can always can say that) so it was interesting to hear. After dinner, we walked over to the Cupcakery. As we walked up, we noticed people mopping. It had closed 15 minutes earlier! Jamie claimed she had checked the time and it closed at 10pm (but that's the weekend time). Luckily, we were in the Central West End and more calories are just around the corner. We decided to walk over to Bissingers. I had never been there so I was happy to get another place marked off my list. Wow. It was very cool inside, a modern and sleek coffeehouse where the predominant ingredient was chocolate! Everyone's dessert looked heavenly, but I have to say, I made the best choice: a dark chocolate torte with blackberry sauce. It was decadent and rich and I was in love. Sorry, Cupcakery, but I was glad you were closed.
Next month, we are heading to Jimmy's. If I can stay away from BF Becky, I think it will be the best one yet (although it will be tough competition against Bissinger's).

I have created a monster

This came off way bitchier than I intended. I wrote with a quizzitive, slightly exhausted tone, please read like that...
I have facebooking for a few weeks and it is exhausting. I am not spending 8 hours a day on it, it's just exhausting from the mere volume of Facebook concept. There are soooo many people and things to do, quizzes to take, hugs to sends, fans to be, whew! I realize that I do not have to participate in everything, and I am not. When I do get an invitation to something I will look at it until I can be a little more discretionary (but really, I haven't been invited or tagged too much so far). The most overwhelming tasks is fielding the live invitations. I know this is selfish and the opposite point of Facebook, but I really don't want to meet you up for drinks. If I haven't seen you since grade school, let's just keep it as a passive relationship. Or let's talk a little and catch up and figure out if we want to take the friendship to the next level, sort of like on-line dating. I am not really looking for new friends, I just want to catch up anonymously, without putting any real effort into it, much like TV. I see it on the screen and enjoy it, but would I really be friends with Monica and Chandler? no. (Yes, you may roll your eyes, I know I am being ridiculous/asked for this/over-reacting)

The point of Facebook to me is to see pictures of my friend's kids and see where they went on vacation. It's nice to keep up on important news of others. This is great, I won't regret Facebook for that. I have learned a lot of important news since joining (an old friend just had her first baby; an acquaintance's son was in the hospital). I just get the feeling I am back in high school. It's all about collecting friends. Someone just requested to be my friend and we mutually avoided each other in high school. It was never one thing, we just decided early on that we didn't like each other for one reason or another. Now she wants to be my friend. Is it because we have grown up and she wants to take a personal interest in my life? Or does she want to be my friend to up her number or mock me silently? I am fine with the mocking, look hard girlie. I realize you aren't going to keep up with ever single person you are friends with, but I was browsing an old friend's friends and she was friends with people that she did not associate with at all back in the day. Again, maturity or friend whore? Please understand that I am not criticizing. Well, I am criticizing the 'let's meet up' requests. Please tell me the happy hour/dinner invitation will die down.
The culture of Facebook is fascinating. I am not up on the Facebook culture & courtesies and this makes me nervous. I am having a hard enough time finding my wall. I keep emailing people to ask them how to do something. It's a little embarrassing. I didn't realize I was so old. I feel like I should start watching Matlock because I am no longer a viable citizen contributing to society if I can't even navigate a simple social networking site.
OK, just to clear things up: I like Facebook. It is overwhelming both emotionally and, sadly, technically, but I am catching up.

The Great Napkin Debate

I know it's on your mind. I know you are staying up at night, asking yourself over and over: "What's better for the environment: paper, cotton or linen napkins?"

Well, fear not. I just read an article by Treehugger and I have the answer.

Treehugger looked at everything from growing each resource to the manufacturing process to the washing in your home, but I will skip all those details. Go to Treehugger.com if you are interested in more information.

And the winner is...well, that depends. In a restaurant, it's paper due to the amount of bleach and scorching hot water. In your home, the winner is cloth.

To go even further and slap paper napkins in the face, here are some ideas to take it to the next level.

• Purchase linen, not cotton (linen takes less water to grow)
• Make your own napkins from fabric remnants (but I would be constantly wiping my mouth on my dress because I could see the napkin in my lap!)
• Wash in cold
• Line dry your napkins
• When you go out, consider bringing your own reusable napkin

Just to be clear, I am not recommending any of these, some seem unhealthy and others are just weird, but it's food for thought.

Weekend

5 things I did this weekend...
1. power washed my driveway and patio.
2. went to see Harry Potter (from an outsider's perspective, they won't like it as much, it's a lot of set-up of characters and plot to go to war, but I enjoyed it. I laughed, I cried, 2 thumbs up)
3. Fought with 2 weed-eaters (they truly are my nemesis)
4. Shopped Soulard Farmer's Market with Celeste (showed restrained too. I only bought lettuce, tomatoes, blackberries and butter).
5. Had breakfast with the fam on Sunday.

5 things I have to do this week...
1. get allergy shots
2. get my plates renewed/update diver's licensee
3. Attend United Way's Volunteer Recognition Night.
4. enjoy the silence because my boss is out of town.
5. pick Chuck up from the airport on Thursday (he is out of town for nine days for work).

Pretty low-key; with this kind of weather, nothing seems to be a struggle (except those $%&# weed-eaters).

Because She Rocks

I will not throw my support to someone just because they have a vagina. Some may argue that about me, but it's true. Don't ask me my opinion on Hilary, it's not polite.

I am skeptical of anyone in politics or the government, so when someone does come around that actually makes me pause. I get a little tingly.

Sonia Sotamayor. Now there's a class act. I am so excited for her. Her background is truly the American dream that we all strive to become. She grew up in the Bronx housing projects, graduated valedictorian of her high school and when one of her teachers suggested she apply for Princeton. Sotamayor replied, "What's that?"

In interviews of former employers of Sotamayor, one word kept coming out over and over: impressed. Everyone in her past seems to be impressed by the way she handles herself, her fairness, and her abilities. She seems to have be exactly what we are looking for in the US: fair & even-handed.

Sotomayor has more experience than other judge on the Supreme Court, which doesn't make her qualified for the job, but definitely makes me think she has seem a lot more than most. The committee that analyzes all Supreme Court nominees gave Sotameyer the highest rating eve in a nominee. And after 4 days of questioning, it seems that she has won over even her opponents.

Get to know her, you will be impressed.

10 ways to cool your house

Odd coincidence that I am posting about staying cool on a St. Louis weekend in July and it is not even suppose to hit 80 degrees.
1. Use ceiling fans. Fans use a fraction of the power as A/C. Save some cash: keep your A/C set at a higher temp and run the fans. Also, consider running your fans as long as you can take it before turning on the A/C. Energy Star says it best, ceiling fans keep us cool rather than cooling the entire room.
2. Plant a tree. This isn't probably the best return on an investment. Keeping the south side of your house shaded is great in the summer. Spending the money on gigantic shade trees is expensive and planting small trees and waiting 15 years for the shade are both not the smartest choice. I think I am pointing this out to all of those that have shade on the south side. Be happy and feel lucky.
3. Don't cook inside. If you need to cook, think about your microwave and grilling as first options. This may not be the time to start your winter prep and bake 8 pies to freeze.
4. Open your windows. On those days you choose to rest the A/C, create a breeze through your house using science. Open windows on the bottom section on the upwind side and the top section on the downwind. The low pressure this creates will suck air through your house. It's the basic technology of airplanes (I read that, I didn't know that). Now good luck figuring out what is downwind and upwind.
5. If you are looking for an investment, awnings are a low/mid-priced expense that can save money.
6. Dress appropriately. Just like winter, when I tell you to suck it up, save some money, and put on sweater on (wow, I have just turned into my father). Wear light, loose clothing to stay cool in your house.

Have a great weekend and enjoy this amazing weather.

Best of...

With the All-Star game consuming St. Louis this weekend, everyone is coming out with their suggestions for the fanactics to do when they are not in line waiting for something baseball related. If they can, I can. Here is my list, ala RFT. I had to start small and keep it to restaurants. Here we go...

Top 6 Restaurants in St.Louis (in no order):

1. Acero (Maplewood)

2. Jimmy's (Clayton)

3. Niche (Benton Park)

4. Dewey's (I know it's a chain, but they do good on so many levels) (U City/Kirkwood)

5. Tani Sushi (Clayton)

6. Modesto (The Hill)

My choices are based on consistency, decor, originality in menu, and deliciousness (and the chef at Niche was named one of the top chefs in Food & Wine last year)

Best Pizza:

1. Dewey's (U City/Kirkwood)

2. Il Vicino (Clayton)

3. Three Monkeys (Tower Grove)

4. Black Thorn (Tower Grove)

5. Pirrone's (NoCo)

Best Tapas:

1. Modesto (The Hill)

2. Barcelona (Clayton)

3. Mosaic (downtown)

Best place to take out of town guests:

1. 1111 Mississppi (downtown/brewery)

2. Vin de Set (downtown/brewery)

3. The Stable (brewery)

4. Rooster (breakfast) (downtown/washington)

Best place for a drink and sunset:

1. Cielo's (Four Seasons) Don't miss this one, but go somewhere else for dinner.

Best place to take locals:

1. Tani Sushi (Clayton)

2. The Stable (brewery)

3. Local Harvest (for lunch) (Tower Grove)

Places that have impressed me, but I can't make a comment because I have only been there for drinks and apps:

1. Scape (CWE)

2. Frazer's (brewery)

Honorable Mentions:

Remy's, Terrene, Pi, Harvest, Companion, Duff's, Atomic Cowboy, The Crossing, Bottleworks

Did I miss anything?

Too busy...

Too busy to post. It is 80 degrees and no humidity in July! Go outside and take in the amazing weather.
Wow. Wow. Wow.

Food Inc

Important movie-If you have a chance, go see it.

Back in STL

Facebook is still choosing to boycott me, so here are some pics...

The whole fam went to Colorado. We hiked a lot, looked at some mountains, went whitewater rafting, and enjoyed the 80 degree humidity-free weather. Great great vacation.

Look! Snow!

Westward Ho

Tomorrow morning I leave for my Colorado adventure. Five days in the mountains with nothing to do but read a book and look at the view. I think I am more excited about getting out of this unbearable heat.

I was hoping to have Facebook up and running by then, but they have completely lost all my information and don't know where to find it. I have forwarded them the confirmation email and 'friend confirmations,' but no such luck. Hmm, maybe the universe is trying to tell me something.

Green tip: the less you move in this heat, the one degree warmer you can keep your house. Stay cool and drink tap water!

Have a great week!

Thriving

One bad thing about not having TV is that I listen to NPR a little more than anyone should. This is great, trust me, but NPR doesn't give you a lot of easy conversation starters. No one cares about the illegal water harvesting in Denver or every detail of what Obama says analyzed down to the pauses or how boring space walks really are. The Iran election. I was there, I even checked in during the day to see what was going on. NPR had me mesmerized and convinced the whole world was waiting to see the outcome (and then can you believe Obama's restrained comment?!).
To my point...I came across 2 interesting stories lately about what is thriving in this economy. The first story was from NPR. Apparently the iphone (and its counterparts) has not suffered in this economy. While people are cutting out restaurants, vacations, even unnecessary groceries, many people continue to buy a $300 phone. Has the iphone become a necessity? Are people actually not tightening their budgets like the media would like you to believe? Sales are down everywhere though. It seems that we are cutting back in social and community building activities and item, but continue to buy the self-indulgent splurges. Don't get me wrong, I want an iphone, I crave an iphone, but I restrain (for a little while longer at least). Is this economy really not about tightening budgets but more about a polarizing switch in spending habits?
The other story I read in the Wall Street Journal. It seems that freaks are in. Ripley's Believe or Not Museums are really coming around. The theory is that people are so desperate for money they are finally willing to sell that mummified 6 leg calf in the basement. Ripley's can pick and choose what they want, negotiate a good price, and continue to expand their empire.
Wow. Phones that do everything and matchstick cities, these are the success stories of 2009 recession. Who would have thought?

8 things

Thanks Sarah, I like this idea...

8 things I am looking forward to...

1. Colorado and all the other trips this summer
2. A night to do nothing (I think it's Sunday)

3. free things to do in St. Louis over the summer

4. sitting on the patio enjoying the evening

5. a bike ride

6. slowing down

7. reading a book while in CO

8. fireworks

7 things I did yesterday...
1. met up with Celeste, Nord, and Schriber

2. found $5 on the ground

3. jumped a car (as in battery, not gravity)

4. watched a nasty thunderstorm
5. allergy shots

6. learned that there are violent bus mafias in Guatemala (this is what I get for no TV)

7. slept well again, breathing is a great thing, don't take it for granted.

6 things I miss about TV...

1. How I Met You Mother

2. Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern

3. The Soup

4. VH1 music videos (yes, I am a child of the 80's)

5. CNN

6. The crazy Discovery Health shows like "I Have Half A Body," "The world's tallest woman," "the oldest conjoined twins," etc.

Bonus item I miss: Tivo.

Miss is a strong word, I am adjusting.

5 things I wish I could do...

1. have a job where I make a difference in the world everyday (but I would have to leave the country I think)

2. speak another language

3. go back to school, just for fun

4. be as clean as my grandma

5. have a three month summer vacation again

Joining this new century

After many discussions and too many people using the word 'love' and 'addiction,' I have given in. I have joined what the kids are calling 'the facebooks.' I joined the other day, but haven't done anything yet. I am looking forward to it. When I do have time on my hands, browsing the internet gets really boring, I need a little something to focus my time. Please friend me if you see me out there. Hopefully, I will be have time to add pics and browse around soon. Here's the the future.

Trimming The Fat

In honor of this economy, wait, that's a bad choice of words. In following the growing trend of this economy, I am taking a good hard look at my monthly output and determining waste. I actually started this by taking a look at how much I have and how I little I use. Internet, cell phone, landline, satellite, netflix, etc. etc. I use a little here, a little there. I like to maximize my investments and I was failing.

This week, I made some cuts. No more TV, no more landline, no more gym, and I signed up for the 25% cell phone discount through work. My entertainment will now be focused on Netflix and the amazing world of the internet, which has any TV show you could every want. Now I feel like I will get my money's worth out of each.

Hulu, Nextflix and some site that plays on the name juiced (I haven't checked it out yet) have a ton of TV shows. Now that I am not having my TV spoon fed to me, I have no idea what to watch.

We Came, We Saw, We Kicked Its A$$

Last year, my friends from United Way decided we should do some small fundraising and do some charity bartending. If you are not familiar with this, a representative from the charity is behind the bar for a few hours one night and all cash tips go to the charity. It's a great way for a bar to get people into their doors and an easy cheap fundraiser.

Last year, in teams of two, we covered four Fridays in May. The couple of times I have been to these, the bartenders have walked away with a couple hundred dollars for the charity. Not too shabby. The first week, the gauntlet was laid. Play hard or go home. Pyndinowski and SiSi walked away with over $400. My jaw dropped. I was floored. The following week: $450. I was getting nervous. My partner, young Kevin, was confidant. Our night came and we totaled out at $865. When the bartender handed it to me, I was tempted to walk out the door. I had just seen the 'Sex and the City' movie and this would buy me a nice pair of Louboutins. I restrained and handed it over to United Way, but was secretly planning my own charity bartending gig.

Now we come to 2009. Young Kevin and I are back to defend the title. We have a fresh batch of competitors. I have somehow convinced United Way to give a prize to the winners this year: lunch with United Way CEO Gary Dollar. The first week turned in $170. It's for charity, great job. We were second. Kevin and I had our game faces on and ready to pour. At the end of the night, we turned in $1102 to United Way.

I am astonished by the generosity of my family and friends and very grateful to all that came out. Thank you for supporting United Way and thank you for helping Kevin and I continue our reign. I can't wait to see what the next two week will bring.

It continues to haunt me...

Michael Pollen rocks. He was the coolest guy ever and had to be super smooth in the land of Monsanto on Friday. I had my book signed and left happy, happy. happy.
During the question and answer time, St. Louis Earth Day (an organization that does a lot around St. Louis, but mainly, the Earth Day festival) mentioned the ban on high fructose corn syrup at the festival this year and promptly the week after the event, they received a box in that mail from the Corn Refiners Assoc touting all the harmless facts about HFCS. Everyone there just laughed. I am upset I have not received one of these boxes. I obviously need to ramp up my campaigning.

Which leads me into my next good news, I have installed my rainwater harvester last week (well, jeremy did). Thanks to all the rain this weekend, the barrel is full and ready to go. While in Paducah with me over the weekend, my sister-in-law Kim was discussing Jeremy's new project of the harvesters. She mentioned that Jeremy got all the barrels from Dr. Pepper for free. Their original use was to transport HFCS. WHAT?! My very nemesis is my source of green?! I am in an ethical dilemma. Well, sort of. Basically, I feel that I am redeeming the barrel from its life of poison. Also, it was free (have you priced these things?!) I am not sure if this is the right answer or the easy answer, but it is the one I am living with now.
Last good thing about the weekend is the new bike trail we found. On the other side of Natural Bridge (from UMSL), is a beautiful bike trail: tree-lined quiet, and lovely. It is great to take an afternoon and head down to Forest Park, but it is great to bike somewhere close. It is a good combination of hills and flat. It is called St. Vincent's Greenway because it circles the old St. Vincent's hospital (as seen in the picture). I didn't even know this existed.
This week, I am getting my pictures developed and posting some pictures up because I have really been lacking.
Also, it's official. We booked our plane tickets to Amsterdam last night. I am taking care of hotels this week. I can't wait!
What did you do this weekend?

Sound the alarm

MICHAEL POLLEN IS COMING TO ST. LOUIS. My hero will be here in my humble little town. This Friday (May 22nd) he will be at the Library at 7pm. This is comparable to George.

That leads me to one small problem. I am suppose to be in Paducah KY. I think I will have to adjust the KY plans, but that's means wasting gas in an extra car to head down to KY. It seems a little counter-productive. What would Michael Pollen do?

By some weird twist of fate, I just order his book last week. I should get it this week!

If anyone is in town, don't miss this (unless you are at the ChurchKey supporting the United Way, which is a whole other story).

The Rock Massage

Yesterday I finally got a Hot Stone Massage. Yes, they were very trendy about 5 years ago, but I am a little late to the party.

I am all for massages. Anyone that wants to rub my muscles with oil while I lay there is my friend. This could potentially get me into a little trouble with some perverts, but I would gladly indulge in a foot fetish if he will rub my feet.

Anyways, back to the story. I went for a massage and a facial. I had a gc from my burfday and decided to wait until it warmed up to use it. Walking out of the salon into 30 degree weather completely negates the last hour I spent untightening. I needed it to be about 60 to get the full post-relaxation. I browsed the brochure and decided to get the hot stone. The gist of the hot stone is that they massage your leg, then they rub rocks on your leg. Then they rub your arm and then rub rocks on it. While it was super relaxing and wonderful, I really didn't understand the point of rubbing rocks all over me. Yes, they make it clear that there will be stones, but once I was in it, I guess I was expecting to understand it.

Again, please don't take this as a complaint. I am just giving my review. It was a wonderful afternoon, but I will forgo the rocks next time and try something different, just as I will forgo a body wrap. I can't take the claustrophobia of being wrapped up. I will always recommend the foot reflexology rubs and salt rubs (even though the first part of the massage she rubbed me down with a wire brush and then rang bells over me).

After my massage and facial, I went home and cut my lawn, etc. Not as relaxing as I wanted it, but it was absolutely lovely outside so I was very happy to do some minor yard work and enjoy the day.

What is your favorite massage?

Guilty Pleasures

We all have them. Those little secrets that give us the greatest bliss. Yet, we keep it to ourselves. We don't like to admit it. It is something that will ruin our 'rep' or just something childish or embarrassing in general.

What is it? What is your guilty pleasure? I will tell you mine if you tell me yours. Deep breath, close my eyes (so I don't make eye contact with you), here it goes. I love bad 80's soft rock music. This is probably too much of a surprised considering that I have an open love for Neil Diamond. It gets worse. Air Supply, Chicago (the Peter Cetera years), Barry Manilow, Stephen Bishop, Christopher Cross, those mellow sounds get me every time. Air Supply is the master.

If you are reading this and have a blog, I challenge you to a full guilty pleasure post.

Lots of busy, lots of slacking

I am such a slacker on this blog lately. Here is everything in a nutshell. I have been cleaning my house top to bottom over the past month. Clean windows, clean closets, clean garage, and even cleaned our my basement. It's been very productive and very satisfying. Nothing was that messy to begin with, so I haven't worked too hard. It's just nice to have everything clean at one time.
Friday night, went to Jimmy's for dinner, always good. Saturday did errands all day (but that means I listened to npr all day!). Sunday, did the mom thing and made the most garlicky Caesar salad dressing ever! Does anyone have a good Caesar salad dressing? I love it garlicky and salty, but this was extreme in garlic. I don't have to worry about vampires for about a month.
Other exciting things going on: I was asked to serve on the committee to plan the United Way Servathon this year. It is one day for 200 people to volunteer at a few United Way agencies. We provide breakfast, lunch, and an after celebration with music, etc. It should be a lot of fun and I am honored to be a part of it. Another exciting thing is I get to be by myself all weekend. While I love Chuck very very much and he will get glasses of water for me and sweep my garage, he is going to Dallas to visit the 'rents and I am a little bit excited. Saturday I have to work at the Food Bank, but the rest of the weekend I get to listen to npr, watch bad movies, and 90210 (the original). I will miss him, but I am going to savor my quiet weekend just spending time with Anna.
The biggest news of last week! Jon is cheating on Kate?! While some may sympathize with him, it makes me so sad. Those 8 kids are so darn cute, I want them to make it. What makes me really sad is that if they can't handle the celebrity anymore, they are not going to tape. I love watching those kids grow up. I do question that the cheating story broke the same week Kate was on a book tour. It seems a little manufactured. Inquiring minds want to know (not if he cheated, if they agree to a new season)
Green tip #1: It is beautiful outside, multi-task: walk to the grocery store, work out, save gas, and get your shopping done.
Green tip #2: This is an oldie, but a goodie. Take a walk around your house and unplug everything not in use. Lamps, dvd players, radios, toasters, chargers. Save a bundle.

Summer is coming

I like all weather for the most part (except January and February). I love late spring and late fall the most. I love the anticipation of things to come. The small leaves sprouting on the trees. The first time you notice you actually need get the lawn mower out. The tulips, then daffodils, then dogwoods, then summer blooms. The sun stays up longer, the days are warming up and you are shaking off your winter hibernation. Summer is great because there are so many things to do in St. Louis. Free concerts in the park, patio's with plenty of beer, or just a nice evening alone on the front porch. Summer is here and the living is easy.

Things I am looking forward to this summer: Tomatoes (I just had a mediocre one last night, why do I even bother?!), quiet morning walks to the farmer's market, lots of bike rides, not wanting to go to bed at 8pm because it has been dark for 3 hours, Colorado in a month, free concerts at the MO History Museum and Botanical Gardens, just taking advantage all the great things summer offers.

What is your favorite part about summer?

I am sure I will have a part 2 to this post in August about how miserable summer can get, but until then, I am living it up!

Not too much

How can things be busy but yet nothing seems to be going on? Weekend was good. Friday night, hung out with the fam. Two year olds are the funniest people in the world, but I am so glad to give him back. Saturday was the almost perfect day. I ran errands all morning. It was 80 degrees. I listened to NPR all day and planted flowers. Saturday night cousin Sarah was in town from San Fran with boyfriend David. We hung out had a beer. Good times.

Sunday. I had gift cert's to a place called Crepes in the City. It is off Washington, not far from the gelato place. Very good. Their Bloody Mary was pretty good. Sweet and tangy on the intake and leaves a spice on the finish. The rest of Sunday was spent hanging outside enjoying the weather. Last night I had pizza and beer at Three Monkeys. mmmmmm, good pizza.

From a conversation I had Saturday night and a separate one I had on Monday, if you could choose anywhere in the city to live (realistically), where would you choose? What do you consider the best neighborhoods? In order to limit the options, keep it in the city. I think my choice right now would be, Tower Grove, but it's a little inconvenient to get to work everyday. My other choice would be Central West End. It is close to the Loop, Forest Part and lots of restaurants. It can get a little pricey. Hmmm, what do you think?

Earth Day

Earth Day has came and went. We are doing a lot around the office to promote it.

Yesterday we gave everyone in the office a tire gauge (proper tire pressure=better gas mileage) and a cfl.

We have had 2 lunch talks. One was about native planting. Check out your state department's website for native plants. They use less water, no need for fertilizer or pesticides and generally less maintenance than say the Hibiscus or other non-native. The other lunch was about cheap and environmentally friendly cleaners.

My favorite thing we did for Earth Week was our public display. I am big on making impacts. I like huge numbers that speak or visual aids. Last year we took 332 bottles and strung them up together to demonstrate the average annual water bottle consumption of 2 adults. This year, we saved paper from the recycling bins for one week. We boxed it up and put it in the cafeteria. It looks great. I will post a picture soon.

The theme this year is REDUCE. We are all great about recycling, but we really need to reduce our consumption first and recycle what's left.

Think about what you can reduce. I admit I have back slided and started getting QT coffee on the weekends. My reusable mug is at work so I have been using 1-2 disposable cups a week! Shame on me. I have stopped the practice and am getting an at-home travel mug.

Think about it. Every little bit helps. Sometimes it's not just about saving the Earth, sometimes it's just about the over-consumerism of our culture. What can you reduce?

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Captin Fokk-is

Am I the only one that wants a cape for my car?

That is the coolest.

Captin Fokk-is. Fighting pollution with its tiny engine and a surprisingly large trunk.

Nice Little Weekend

I love a good weekend. Productive, yet relaxing. Things to do, but not hectic.

Friday night, Chuck and I went out to The Stable. They have great beer. The inside seems a little dated even though it just opened this fall, (and gets really loud) but their courtyard is cozy and fun. Easy sandwiches and pizza, all for a good price.

Saturday, I finally got to the Saarinen exhibit. He is an amazing furniture designer and architect (thanks for the Arch). The exhibit was great, I highly recommend it. After the exhibit, we went to the beer festival at Bottleworks. Yum. I had some good beer. I definitely found some new favorites. I was a particular fan of a Nut Brown from Nashville and as always, the Rasberry Hefe from Schlafly. I liked the festival because it was just the right size. The Heritage Festival in Forest Park was too big. I was paralyzed with choices. Leave it to Schlafly to do it right. Saturday night had dinner with my brother Jeremy, wife Kim and friend Angie. Good times, nice to get out without the kids.

Saturday, did what was needed around the house, then went to Cardinal Ritter to help out for a couple of hours with the United Way. I capped off my evening with a farewell party for some friends heading to Cincinnati. I didn't know many people there, so there were a lot of introductions. I was constantly getting comments about how they give to the United Way and how good it is, and what do I do for them (because I had on a UW shirt). It was like I was the charity police and I was coming in to check on their philanthropy. I felt like I was making people nervous. I never get the comment when I wear the Big Bro/Big Sis shirt. It was a little humorous. I wished I would have played with them a little more. I think I make all of Chuck's friends nervous.

It's only going to get warmer! I am ready.

Have a great week. Happy Earth Day!

The man that designed the Arch is also famous for the conversation pit.

We've Turned a Corner

Last night was the Bodily Fluid Dinner Club. I am happy to report that I think we have turned a corner.

Last night was my choice: Tani Sushi in Clayton. We arrived among mass confusion with Joe Biden's entourage blocking all the streets in Clayton. Of course, the one time I schedule something and the freakin' VP shows up. Small snafu, we all got over it.

We sit down and I, of course, sit by Becky. I have diagnosed most of the bodily fluid talk begins and ends with Becky. She also incorporates hand gestures into the conversation too adding to the grossness. I was armed this time. I have a week of mucus and snot to tell. I have been formulating a story of my surgery filled with details of liquid, semi-liquids, and other matter. I was ready to fight fire with fire.

It never happened.

We talked sushi, food, books, Easter, Mass. There was some talk of laundry, house cleaning, but we all have to face that: single, married, young, old, pink or purple. No dirty cleaning stories either, strictly PG.

There was one exception to this, but it was minor, it was expected, and it was after eating. Tara. She always has to bring it up. I can't believe how much bm's and gas are the center of her universe. It was a cute story and the word toot was used, so it was a rated G story, and I was glad I heard it. It was appropriate, and not gross, but still funny that you can't ever get away from it. It's Tara and I think she knows it drives me crazy.

I knew we would get there. I also know there will be a back slide. It looks like it has turned a corner and my stomach rests easy.

Tara, the picture is for you. She is telling you she tooted.

Green in action

Green stories in the real world.

Over the past year, Chuck has been diligently replacing his light bulbs with CFL's as they burn out. Just to set the scene, he does live in a 2,000 square foot 3 bed/2.5 baths two story house (a real adult house). It's definitely isn't as compact as my 12oo square feet 3 bd/1 bath (my little bungalow). He also installed a programmable thermostat last July. In January, Ameren reevaluated his budget building and his electric bill was cut down by more than 40%. Wow. That's impressive.

In SAL's green kick-off for 2008, the green team gave every person in the home office a reusable bag for groceries. We also give a bag to every new employee at the home office (sorry field people and retail locations, but you get short end on this one). As most of you know, there is a grocery store in my building. It's small but convenient. My guess is that a substantial number of the 500 employees take advantage of the mini-store, but I don't have any numbers on it. Since we had a year with the reusable bags, we pulled the numbers to see if plastic bag consumption has gone down in the last year in the mini-store. Well, the numbers came back 22,000 less. We ordered 22,000 less plastic bags. I am impressed and stunned. If this is the impact 500 people can make, what can a regular grocery store do?! It shows that one person can make a HUGE difference.

Next time, you hesitate and think, "Is it really going to make a difference this time?" YES.

Together, we can make a difference.