52 Weeks of Dresses -- Week 26

Otherwise titled: Chez Leon

Chez Leon used to be located in the CWE - in the same spot Brasserie by Niche is now, if I'm not mistaken.  And I have to say, I liked their old space better.  They're now in downtown Clayton, which earns them bonus points for proximity and (shockingly!) ease of parking, but they've lost something in translation, as it were.

Their new spot could be cozy and intimate: the walls are dark, there are heavy drapes and pillows in the front window.  There is an interesting and eclectic collection of art on the walls.  The white tablecloths are okay, though a darker color would seem to suit the place better.  But what's really awful are the overhead spotlights.  As T said, whenever he eats there, he feels like a french fry (haha).  The light was way too bright and harsh given the other surroundings; the need some recessed lighting and wall sconces.

Despite the poor lighting choices, the food was delicious.  I of course had onion soup, which was cheesy to the extreme.  Then I had the roast chicken, which was moist and tender, and came served with saffron rice and all kinds of veggies: thin asparagus spears, a root vegetable medley (carrots, potatoes, and the like), and a brighter medley of zucchini, red onion, and....something else which I forget.

And there was dessert.  We shared a huge, fluffy souffle filled with a Grand Marnier cream sauce, and it was heavenly!  (It's not on the online menu, but they reprint menus daily so all the specials are included.)  I had the Hugel Riesling to go with my meal, and T had a glass of one of the Bordeauxs.

Our waiter was a bit casual, but knew his stuff and didn't rush us out of there, even though we were only two sitting at a table that could have held four.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner -- Take 2

What can I really say about this book?  It's light and easy.  More Twilight, with a less annoying main character.  Frankly, Bree is someone I feel much more sympathy for than Bella, who's whiny and annoying.

Bree Tanner (unlike the full title thereof) is short, so good for what I needed it to be: something I could get through.  It's the literary People magazine.  (Although it feels strange to even call it literary.  In the alternative: "It's the prose version of People magazine.")

He is the Walrus

"Keystone, meet the porcupine.  But be careful, he doesn't like to shake han....!"  Damn.  Too late.

Think this dog will ever learn to stay out of trouble?  I think not.  Hope you feel better soon buddy!

What I'm Reading Now -- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Another book on audio!  I've apparently made a habit of breaking my one-book-at-a-time rule. I actually have this book in book form somewhere, but it's packed away in a box and I haven't gotten to those yet.  One of my book clubs is reading it this month, so I needed to get on it!  I went to my trusty library for the audio version.

So far, so good.  I'm only now getting to the meat of the story, but even up to this point, it has been interesting, full of little vignettes of quirky Southerners in all their charm and glory.  And then someone dies.  Cue the creepy music....

52 Weeks of Dresses -- Week 25

Otherwise titled: Echoes of Erin

Despite my plans to be somewhere at 4:00 on Friday (yes, that's 4:00 in the morning), T and I went to the Echoes of Erin concert at The Sheldon on Thursday night.

I'm still not 100% sure, but what I gather from the banter was that Echoes is an annual (or almost annual) tour of mostly younger Irish musicians, singers, and dancers.  They work with local Irish music and culture organizations to arrange the concerts, and often the musicians will stay in the homes of people involved in the local organizations.

They were a quintessentially Irish little bunch: thick, lilting accents; chubby cheeks; names like "O'Connor" and "Moriarty."  And they played truly Irish music - not pub music like "Irish Rover" and "Molly Malone" (not that there's anything wrong with those - I love pub music!), but very traditional jigs, reels, and those beautifully mournful laments.

There's something about Irish music that is so evocative of the place from whence it comes.  The longing of the accordion or the concertina or the pipes, the soft harp, the melodic fiddle.  It really just seems to be of somewhere, in a way that a lot of music lacks.  David Gray could really be from anywhere.

In a nutshell, good show.  Low key and relaxed.  I wish the audience had gotten a little more into it, but what are you gonna do?

 

Sadly you can't see the bottom of this dress.  It has these fun long flowy bits of fabric that hang down asymmetrically, longer on one side.  Or at least they're fun until you step on them.  Maybe I'll have to do a "Week 25, Part Deux" just so you can see.

The World Series!!

T and K to the rescue again!  Actually, "rescue" probably isn't quite the right word, but whatever it was, it was awesome.  I went to see Game 1 of the World Series right here at Busch Stadium, and we won!

It was cold last night - air temperatures in the 40s, and windy - so everyone was bundled up to stay warm.  It was "Salute the Veterans" night, so the opening game festivities included a huge flag draping most of the outfield, and visits from a local vet and the First and Second Ladies.

Yeah!!

And look, they brought their friends from the Secret Service too!

Carp winds up early in the game

Full house at Busch.  You can see some of the Secret Service agents on the roof under the lights.  They were stationed in four or five spots around the roof, as well as elsewhere in the stadium.

Big Al knocks one towards center field (which was, sadly, caught).

 Not gonna lie: Motte looks pretty intimidating while he's waiting for the sign.

So, I've posted a lot of pictures, but haven't actually said much about the game.  The truth is that most of the people who read this blog either watched the game or have already read about it.  (If not, here is the MLB recap for your reading pleasure.)

If you don't want to read all that, here's the abbreviated version (of the abbreviated summary): Cards score two in the bottom of the fourth (Pujols was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a Holliday double; they scored when Berkman singled); Rangers answer with two in the top of the fifth (does anyone care how that happened?); at the bottom of the sixth the Cards scored the game-winning run, though just barely (Freese doubled, Punto walked, Craig [pinch hitting for Carpenter] singled to right, scoring Freese).

 

 Me, after the game, and my proof that I was there!

52 Weeks of Dresses -- Week 24

Otherwise titled: Wineries!

Can you believe that I've spent all this time in St. Louis and never been out to the wineries?  At least not for real.  I've ridden my bike past them, but I don't think that counts, for some reason.  We remedied that situation this past weekend, on a lovely, sunny, fall day.

We went to Montelle Winery for food and wine.  They have a lovely west-facing patio, where we enjoyed a thin-crust pizza and a wrap, as well as partial bottles of two of their wines - I think we settled on the River Country White and the Norton, although we debated for so long I can't even remember for sure.  Oh, and there were these amazingly delicious apple-pie-spiced pecans, which they have at Schnuck's!

After having a run-in with a very drunk woman there for her birthday, we went on a little driving tour of some of the other wineries in the area.  Blumenhof will probably be our next stop, whenever we get another nice day!

The Unthinkable -- Take 2

I'm a little surprised to announce that I found The Unthinkable fascinating and easy to listen to.  I'm not sure why that's surprising; maybe it was the product of some unfortunate marketing which made it seem a little too fluffy.  But it's actually a very interesting and understandable look at response to disaster, expressed through countless anecdotes and interviews.

The author researched events and conducted interviews on events big and small but (sadly) common: 9/11, various tsunamis, Hurricane Katrina, hostage crises, school shootings, maritime accidents, airplane crashes and near-misses, police shootings (or near shootings), "crowd crush," et cetera.  She highlights three primary responses to disaster: panic (which is less common than you'd think); paralysis (the most common); and heroism (which takes a certain type of person, and usually training).  The various responses people exhibit, and the reasons for their behavior in these situations - is interesting in the extreme.

Mostly we're talking "soft science" here: psychology, sociology, behavioral economics, and the like.  But there is some biology thrown in there too, as well as a fair amount of common sense.

On the whole, nothing you learn is groundbreaking, but the obviousness of it is part of why it kept my attention.  These things seem so clear when someone says it, but unless someone says it, you never really stop to think about it.  So, all in all, an enjoyable and informative book.

As a brief discussion of format, I mentioned earlier that I was listening to the audio version of this book.  But unlike Room, which I listened to on CD in my car, I listened to The Unthinkable on my iPod.  And you know what the genius of that is?  You can speed up the playback.  So from now on, all CDs are being uploaded into iTunes.  Just one more way the digital world is taking over my life.

My Day in St. Louis

What a busy day!  But it was just lovely out - actually the whole weekend was; more on that later - and we made the best of it!

After an early trip out to the lake and a delicious bowl of cereal (Quaker Oatmeal Squares never tasted so good), T and I embarked on our usual Saturday excursion to the Tower Grove Farmers' Market.  But this time, I took my camera!

Seriously, look at that sky!

Lots of delicious varieties of tomatoes...

...other tasty veg...

...and seasonal produce!

Well, at least they're honest about it.

Every Saturday, we get a tasty grilled cheese!  This week, it was mixed greens, balsamic, and chevre.  Notice the kosher salt sprinkled on the bread as it's just off the griddle - lovely touch!

Nothing like a few flowers to perk up your day.

We packed all our cold goods into a cooler we brought along for the occasion (though little did we know, we'd also be taking home ice cream), and then headed down the street to Tower Grove Creamery for some dessert.  TG Creamery serves, for those who can appreciate the significance of this, Central Dairy Ice Cream!

I got a mix of Extreme Moose Tracks and Muddy River.  Holy chocolate overload, Batman!

It was so good that we also brought home a couple of pints: burgundy cherry and chocolate chip cookie dough are currently hiding out in my freezer.

Just a couple doors down from TG Creamery is Dunaway Books - which I had heard of but never been to - so we poked around for twenty minutes or so.  Bonus points to the folks at Dunaway for letting us browse with our ice cream!  I even managed to not spill it on any of the books, just on my own sleeve.  Go me!

At this point we had a choice.  Go see Moneyball, which we had bailed on the night before, or go see the Da Vinci Machines exhibit.  Moneyball lost again.

So, Leonardo, it turns out, was a pretty smart dude.  And he was a decent artist to boot.  Look at all the stuff he came up with!

An early catapault

Say goodbye to your sails when this bad boy shows up.

Sweet dreams and flying machines.

The power of pulleys to lighten a load.

The Air Screw, an unsuccessful flying machine ("in pieces on the ground").

Archimedes' Screw: a clever little contraption to move water uphill.

Probably almost as fast as a collegiate 8+.

Need to be able to tell time in the dark of night?  Just light this carefully measured and formed candle, and it'll count the hours from dusk until dawn.

Ball bearings!  Is there anything this man couldn't do?

Across the street from the building where Da Vinci's machines were on display is Citygarden, a fairly recent creation of two city blocks, turned into a sculpture garden with walking paths and even a little restaurant called the Terrace View (with delicious food).  Sadly, citing a lack of dinnertime traffic, Terrace View's owner Jim Fiala has decided to close the restaurant at the end of the year.

I was really there!

Due to the lovely day and our out-of-doors adventures, another thing that didn't happen (but was supposed to) was a trip to the grocery store to buy the staples for the week.  Oh well, maybe tonight.  Hard to force yourself inside sometimes!

My Night in Paris...Almost

The theme of this weekend was great plans made and almost executed.  Which does not at all mean that it wasn't a great weekend!  It all started on Friday night...

First, Friday was going to be dinner with E and S, but E was not feeling so hot.  Then it was going to be dinner with L and L, but some out-of-town guests arrived, so that was off.  So it turned out to be dinner with ourselves.  Originally we were going to see Moneyball after dinner, and honestly I can't remember why we decided against that.  But I had wanted to see Midnight in Paris since about the second week it was in theaters.  Turns out that it's still in theaters!  Actually, only one theater.  But it's there!

Unfortunately we were running a little low on time, so we couldn't go too fancy (Chez Leon) or too far away (Franco) or anywhere we'd have to wait too long (Brasserie) for our Parisian dinner.  You can see how that severely limited our options.  We ended up at Roxane's in downtown Clayton.  Does that say, "Eclectic American Bistro?" you might ask?  In fact it does.  But we were there for the "Continental flair" added to the "classic Parisian cafe."  It was our best option.

Surprise: it was a pretty good one after all!  Our first decision: to watch the game or not watch the game?  Watch the game.  Second: what to drink? The list of martinis and cocktails is lots of fun.  I wanted one of almost everything, but limited myself to just a bellinitini (say that ten times fast after you've had a couple).  Look at the restraint I exercised!  Go me.

Third: food.  The menu isn't huge, but it's varied.  We had everything from jerk chicken wings to Thai calamari to French onion soup to lamb shanks (the special of the night).  The food wasn't great, but it was good.  The drinks were delish.

By the time we were finished with all that, though, we were full and sleepy and didn't really want to sit through the movie.  So, despite our good intentions, I still haven't seen it!  Probably one that I can wait on until the DVD is out, though.  But it was a fun night anyway, and now I've finally been to Roxane's!

The Song I'm Loving Today

Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton)

I had to make a run to the store today for some supplies for our office.  On the way home, following on the tail of Don McLean's classic American Pie was Mr. Clapton's Wonderful Tonight.  The link above is to the studio version.  There are a number of live versions available online (here, here, and here, among others).  My personal favorite is below, from a 1999 concert at Madison Square Garden.  (A couple things: I could do without all the oooh-oooh-ooohs at the end, so you can skip those; you'll have to watch on youtube because Warner Bros. won't let me embed the video.)

Clapton is a fantastic guitarist.  Wonderful Tonight, great love ballad though it is, does not really show off his best work. For some classic work, you might check out Layla (from the same NYC concert), I Shot the Sheriff, or Further On Up the Road.

But still, Wonderful Tonight is a lovely song, and I've been listening to it all day.  So here it is:



It's late in the evening, she's wondering what clothes to wear,
She'll put on her makeup, and brushes her long blond hair,
And then she'll ask me, "Do I look all right?"
And I'll say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight."

We'll go to a party and everyone turns to see
This beautiful lady who's walking around with me.
And then she'll ask me, "Do you feel all right?"
And I'll say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight."

And I feel wonderful because I see the love light in your eyes,
And the wonder of it all is that you just don't realize
How much I love you.

It's time to go home now, I've got an aching head,
So I'll give her the car keys, she'll help me to bed,
And then I'll tell her, as I turn out the light,
I say, "My darling, you were wonderful tonight.
Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight."

The Cards Squeeze Out Another Victory...

...by the skin of their teeth.  That's how they've made it this far.  It certainly makes for exciting baseball though!

Last night, T and his good friend K took me to the Game 3 against the Brewers.  So there we were, just settling in, and the action starts.  Of the final 4-3 score, all seven runs were scored in the first three innings.

 

The rest of the game was exciting even though the score stayed frozen.  There were lots of close calls, near misses, and full counts.  There was a steady light drizzle through the second half, but we were tucked just under the balcony for the seats above, so stayed dry.  And I got my hot dog, so it was a good game all around!

[And then the Cards lost tonight, so now we're even at 2-2.]

What I'm Reading Now -- The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Enough with the teen books already!  But really, I just want to be reading.  And if this junk is all I have the energy to get into, then so be it.  I'd rather read this than nothing at all.  (Although to hear T tell it, I have a stack of stuff to read next to my bed which is taller than I am.)

Anyway, I at least have to give Stephanie Meyer credit here for ripping off a good idea.  I'm not sure where the idea of rewriting a book from the bad guy's point of view came from, but it was done to great effect with Beowulf.

I first read Beowulf in English class my junior year in high school, and instantly fell in love with it.  (This is a better translation, but it wasn't the one we read in class.)  My teacher knew I loved it and, good teacher that she was, encouraged me to read more.  She gave me a copy of Grendel by John Gardner.  It's the same story retold from the lonely monster's point of view.  Good stuff.

So, here Stephanie Meyer does the same thing.  She takes one little part of her series and spins the story out from someone else's perspective.  Pretty much anyone would be a more interesting protagonist than Bella Swan, so it'd be hard to go wrong.