Brain Farts and Thought Bubbles

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  

WHAT!  

Top 8 things I love about St. Louis and will miss (do miss).  

I have lived in Los Angeles for about 13 years now, but I was raised in Saint Louis, MO.  I am about to head back to help my parents fill their remaining boxes as they leave the city after 34 years.  I am excited for their new chapter but also a little sad to miss out on my annual journey back to take in those things I love and miss. Although the summer tends to be hot and sticky it proves to be a good time in the city.  Here are my top 8...  

8. Schlafly Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout.  Schlalfly makes great beer, but as someone who is not a huge stout drinker - this is one of my all time favorites.

7. Float trips- I will always have fond memories of being unable to steer a canoe in an inch of water.  But there is no better way to party in the middle of the day than floating on the Meramec. 

6. Free seats at the Muny-  free outdoor musical theater. You may have to wait in the heat for a while and get a seat where you can only see a blurry figure through some binoculars. But it is free and always worth it.  I wish LA had more stuff like this- free or not.

5. Toasted Ravioli- I’ve tried to make my own.  I’ve tried to find it frozen in the market, but nothing will ever beat the real thing.

4. Fireworks-  Hard to find a spot to watch a great fireworks show in LA.  The place would probably burn down anyway.  Fireworks off a barge under the Arch- what a great image.

3. Thunderstorms-  Giant thunderstorms in the summer could be dangerous, but always exciting.   As soon as that red popped up on the Doppler you knew golf-ball-sized hail, downed trees, and tornado sirens were always a possibility.  In LA we’ll just take the rain. 

2. Fireflies-  Sitting outside in the summer always meant two things to me - sunscreen and bug spray.  The sun and the mosquitoes loved to abuse me, but one other little bug made my heart glow.  The sight of  lightning bugs across the lawn was a sure sign of a lovely evening. 

1. Cardinal Game at Busch- I have gone to several Dodger baseball games.  A couple were very intense division series between the Cards and the Dodgers.  The energy was heart pumping and nail biting.  Dodger Stadium has a great mid-century look and enthusiastic crowds. Yet to me, nothing will compare to going to games at home.  Of late the media has come to shine a light on the over inflated ego of the Cardinal fan- calling themselves the best.  But I growing up in that city it is hard to believe otherwise.  It is just the greatest feeling being in that crowd of people who love that team and sport as much as I do.