Saucy Soiree

On E's last evening in town (well, what was supposed to be her last evening in town), we treated ourselves to culinary delights at a very Saucy Soiree!

The event was held in the main hall at Union Station, with live music provided by Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers.  It was a slightly classier and more upscale version of the RFT's Iron Fork tasting adventure (although our ticket only got us one drink at this event, rather than the three I got at Iron Fork).  There were loads of great St. Louis restaurants there with tastes of all sorts of goodies.  We were there about an hour and a half and left stuffed to the gills!

Goal #28

Goal #28: enjoy home.

I was gone this weekend at a wedding.  I had a great time (more to follow, probably), but I have so much to do at home, and feel like I haven't spent any time here in forever.  So, I will do my best to enjoy the little time that I do have, while still making it productive.  May even get some bread made -- who knows.

Recap of goal #27: nope.

Tim McGraw

Just moments after K left town, T ferried E and I out to Maryland Heights for the Tim McGraw concert!  We were joined by T's friend C, and the four of us rocked the night away.  It was a great show!

We missed most of the first opener, but saw Kip Moore's whole set.  I don't know much of his stuff since I very rarely listen to the radio anymore, but did enjoy "Beer Money" and "Somethin' 'bout a Truck."

Kip singing "Hey Pretty Girl" (courtesy E)

Then came Timmy, with a great set (set list).  He played a few pretty personal songs, including a tribute to his daughters, and backed "Better Than I Used to Be" with a photo essay of the history of his career.  So much fun!

E and me, T and C

 The tale end of "Highway Don't Care"

Timmy

What I'm Reading Now -- Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

It isn't very often that I re-read a book. There are so many great books out there which I still need to read for the first time!

When I was in high school, many years after the movie came out, I read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. It is one of those books that is a great yarn, and - just like everyone in the story - it is impossible not to love Idgie Threadgoode!

So when I found myself with a copy of the audiobook, I decided it was good enough for a second round.

Twenty-Seven

One of the many adventures I had with K and E was the final opera of the OTSL season, Twenty-Seven.  (Yes, I know I have only written about two of the operas so far.  There is still another to come.)

The name of the show comes from 27 rue de Fleurus, the address Gertrude Stein shared with her lover in Paris.  In historical terms, it was an interesting show.  Though this American-artists-in-Paris phenomenon, and the ideas and works that came out of it, is fascinating in its own way, it's something I know know much about.  But it was also sort of a feminist story, and sort of a love story, and that all confused me.

I would have to call it a success as an opera, though it was my least favorite of the season.  The vocal performances were phenomenal.  It was a small cast, and there wasn't one voice that wasn't well-cast.  The set design was clever.  I just didn't take as well to the story as I did to the others.

Dinner with E

I did a lot of eating when my visitors were here.  One night when E and I were left to our own devices, we decided to try out a fairly new vegetarian place on South Grand called Tree House.

We decided to go tapas style and share everything: the johnny cake, fried beets, and the chorizo tamale.  I was shocked by how much I liked the fried beets.  Proof that frying really does make everything delicious!

Dinner with K and A

Imagine my surprise when, out of the blue on the first night K was in town, I got a call from one of our high school coaches saying he was in town and asking me if I was free for dinner.  "Yes I am," I said enthusiastically, "and so is K!"  We ate at Roxane's, which has one of my all-time favorite salads, the grilled veggie salad.  So delicious.  I also got leftovers from both K (shrimp and grits) and A (chicken and waffles), because -- lucky for me -- I'm the only one who lives in town!

And of course, we all had to save room for a trip to Ted Drewes, because A doesn't get back to St. Louis all that often.

Much custard later, we bid adieu to A.  It was a lovely night and K and I had a couple of hours to kill before it was time to fetch E from the airport.  Where to go?  Bar Les Freres, that's where!  There was an empty table on the patio, and it was perfect for sitting and having a couple of cocktails and talking over the events of our lives.

Goal #27

Goal #27: bread.

There was a time when I made bread with some regularity.  That has not happened lately, and I feel as though this is a wrong that needs to be righted.

Recap of goal #26: I have not cleared out a single box of stuff.  But I did get a table set up (compliments of T) on which I will work on four (four!) boxes.  Boxes have been relocated to my new project area, so I'm happy with the progress.

Happy 4th!

I hope everyone gets to enjoy some festivities and fireworks!

Urban Wanderers

For just another week or so, the "Urban Wanderers" exhibit at the Saint Louis University Museum of Art pays tribute to (and hopes to raise money to help) the stray dogs (and a few cats) in St. Louis.  E, T, and I stopped by to check it out on a very busy Saturday, and had just enough time to squeeze a tour of the galleries in before the museum closed for the day.  (Actually, we got locked in, but security was kind enough to let us out again.)

Each work of art - drawings, paintings, and photos - included a brief story about the animal depicted.  The exhibit was both heartwarming (some dogs had found their "forever homes") and heartbreaking (some were captured in photos and then never seen again).  But either way, it was worthwhile.