MoBot in the snow, Sunday

Ste. Gen after the rain

Julie & I drove down to Ste. Genvieve Saturday afternoon for some research. I learned stuff. So did JD. I learned Ste. Gen was the home of the first school west of the Mississippi. (I think you can see the Mississippi from the top of the hill - it's not far west.) Julie learned that her junior high isn't nearly as big as she remembered it (similar to all those fences downtown).







Remember kids, when you decided to write in wet concrete, get on with it before it get gets too hard or else you look incompetent, if spirited.

After the Symphony at Wm. Shakespeare's

I didn't sample any of the delicacies at Wm. Shakespeare's Gastropub, but the other bloggers didn't seem to mind me staring at their food and taking pictures.



Chips, hold the fish


Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake


Gooey butter cake is a STL specialty. It doesn't usually look like this.

Friday Night at Powell Symphony Hall: the SLSO

This was a great Carnegie Hall preview performance, and I'm really happy to have had the opportunity to go. (For the story of how our tickets fell in our laps, see Julie's poetry blog.)





Yeah, I know it's a little much with the pictures of the lights, but I was in an "oooooo, shiny" sort of mood.

It was an educational evening. I'd never seen anyone bow a cymbal, (or a xylophone, or a gong, for that matter) or play a cymbal on top of a tympani, or put a straight mute in a tuba.

I'd also never seen anyone show up for the symphony in flannel PJ pants before. I'm not complaining, though; I was just happy to see college kids showing up. I have this vague fear that the symphony audience is graying faster than it's growing. Anyway, I always use trips to Powell or the Fox as an excuse to dress up a little. I left the house worrying that my shoes were a little too sensible for my slacks. (I had no concerns at all about JulieDill's pumps being too sensible for her skirt. It was not possible, and they looked great.) The plaid flannel pants just reminded me that sometimes I'm a little silly.

D.A. Powell reading @the new Left Bank Books store

With seven opening poets - all Left Bank employees.



Shane did a great job keeping everyone moving, and introducing the readers with just the right amount of intimacy and embarrassing detail.




Stay tuned for...
Tonight's adventure: Friday night at the SLSO.
This weekend: StudioSTL fundraiser at Black Bear Bakery, and maybe some quiet time at Shaw's Garden.
Next week: I have no clue.

Left Bank Books' new location, downtown @ 10th & Locust

Binge & Purge Grand Opening on Cherokee

Saturday Afternoon @ Cranky Yellow on Cherokee

Green with Indie Craft Show, Webster

Dinner at Crown Candy, Friday night

http://crowncandykitchen.net/







I had a chocolate banana malt and a BLT. I also had the wrong camera with me to show you what they looked like. You'll have to go and order your own.

Kung-Fu Chicken Opening, Friday in Old North St. Louis

RIver Styx reading at Duff's, March 16

Saturday Night @ The Royale

Tuesday night at Lily's

For once I don't have any pictures of the food, or even the beautiful margarita I sipped all night. I do have this silly pic Julie took of me wearing my new scooter helmet.



No, I don't own a scooter. The helmet is my birthday present/motivation/reward for getting stronger. When I'm strong enough to maneuver a scooter without pulling my shoulder apart, then I can get serious about buying one. Until then, I have a helmet.

Anyway, as usual, Lily's food was wonderful. Our hosts were really good sports about us bringing a group of eight into their small dining room, too.

AARG Saturday Night

Did I mention we went to an Arch Rival Roller Girl game Saturday night?







I think we're going to make a habit of it

Saturday at Hawn State Park

I haven't had time to process them completely, yet, but here are some rough drafts from my Pickle Creek Walk.

Non-stop weekend takes a break

More photos to come from our walk in Hawn yesterday and the ARRG match last night, but first a time out for food. Okay, and processing the dozens of pics I took at the roller derby. While the dishwasher runs and my chicken roasts, I'm going to sit right here and start to cull the photo heard.

Friday Night, Mad March at Mad Art

Friday Night, Funhouse: Selected Photographs by Byron Kerman

PSTL on Washington, West of the Contemporary

Dinner at Mangia Italiano

JD and I decided to go to Mangia Wednesday night for no particular reason. We got there fairly early (6:30pm) so it wasn't very loud yet. I have to admit, I'm a whole lot happier going there since the redesign and the no-smoking expansion.

We split appetizers, a salad and a sandwich between us, and left happy and sated.

Our appetizers were polenta fries, toasted ravioli and a scallop special (a pair of scallops on a polenta base).


Our salad was a special, too: beets, onion, walnuts and goat cheese.


Finally we met the Marcus: roast beef, black olives, roasted peppers, cheddar cheese and jalapeno cream cheese. Julie was underwhelmed by the bread, but I thought it was fine.


Stay tuned for reports on our weekend adventures: mmmelt at the Kemper, Funhouse at PSTL, Mad March at Mad Art, a photo walk along Pickle Creek in Hawn State Park, and the Arch Rival Roller Girls season opener. I hope the camera batteries are charged.