I traveled to St. Louis this past week for a NCURA research administration conference.  This was also the Cardinal’s season opener so the town was a' hoppin!  I hadn’t been to downtown St. Louis since I was a kid and back then the big thing next to the Gateway Arch was the McDonald’s on the riverboat! Talk about fancy! 

Our conference hotel was booked for Saturday night due to the game and the NRA being in town so we ended up staying at the Casino Queen across the river. I was ecstatic when I discovered that the casino bar had O’Fallon’s Weachy on tap, uh… for A BUCK! Sweet money in the ghetto!

I had an early Sunday session but later that afternoon we ventured to Schafly’s Tap House to try some local flavor then relaxed atop the Hilton at the 360 Rooftop Lounge with a prime bird’s eye view of the Cardinal’s game. 

View from the 360 Rooftop Lounge

 My roommate was one of my more colorful coworkers who apparently does not travel much and I’m convinced is text book ADHD. Fun stuff let me tell you. She argued with the bell hop about carrying her own luggage simply because she didn’t want to spring for a tip. She didn’t want to order a drink at the 360 because beer was $5.00. Seriously?  She finally did order one when I said, “You are in a nice hotel ON a per diem. Spend the $5 FFS!” 

I had a great time in spite of my crazy cohorts and the snooze fest sessions. We had local Italian, watched a couple baseball games, met some great people, actually did learn a lot, and ate way too much food. Now I'm back in my office and my only question is, "Where the heck is the hospitality lounge?"

Growing Up... *sigh*

It feels like my teenager has transformed right before my eyes just within the last week. Saturday we got up early, waited for two hours in line with ticket number 51 to juuuust make the cut-off for summer driving lessons.  Then yesterday she got braces.  She nagged me for weeks to make the consultation and then when the time came, she wished she hadn’t. She said, “I think I’ll be an Orthodontist when I grow up so I can torture little kids!”  I predict a lot of milkshakes, mashed potatoes, and Tylenol in this kid's future.  

   She told her dad, “I feel like a shark.” He said, “Well you look like a can-opener!”

Hoppy Easter!

My birthday happen to fall on Easter Sunday this year which was kinda cool because that meant I got to spend it with all of my family and Daniel. He had just gotten back from a week out in Western Kansas and I will admit I would have been severely pissed off if he hadn’t made it back. That’s all I really wanted anyway. Mom came down on Friday and we spent Saturday toodling around town with no particular agenda. We hit a flea market, a couple greenhouses, and some other stores before heading back home to rest. By Saturday evening I was in dire need of a drink and I think Daniel could sense that. We took mom to one of our favorite breweries and after a barrage of questions during dinner Dan gave her the breakdown of brewing 101.  

We had Easter dinner at my sister’s house since she is the Easter Bonnie. She and I have a reoccurring deal: she provides the space, I provide the food. This year I had fun making some little extra’s that I typically wouldn’t bother with such as deviled eggs. Since normal eggs are sooo boring I mixed it up a little. I made martini deviled eggs that had minced bleu cheese stuffed green olives mixed in. The overwhelming hit however was my bacon ranch deviled eggs. Sooo yummy and this is from someone who has never been a big fan.

I also had fun making this guy. 

When I walked in with it my bro-in-law said, “Oh, is that a turtle?” Yes. Yes it is because an Easter turtle is EXACTLY what we all expect each year to hide our Easter eggs. (In his defense he was looking at it upside down so I will cut him a little slack).

I Swear I am NOT the Cat Lady!

We have a new addition to our home however he isn’t really “new.” Syd’s cat Frodo has come back to live with us after living with my grandma for two years. She has decided to sell her home and cannot have pets at the apartment she wants.  

 Aside from being overweight this guy comes with some bad habits. I think I have had one night of good sleep since he arrived. He stalks around the house crying what sounds like “mom” in a deep voice. One morning I woke up thinking I heard someone talking incoherently in a weird voice downstairs. Turns out, it was just him wanting breakfast. 

Gentry has also learned not to get a hairdo from the demonic hairstylist.

"I said I wanted a messy bun, damn-it!"

2012 Mass Street Celebration

Well…, basketball season has come and gone. As I’ve said in prior years I absolutely hate the lull between basketball and football. I suppose it is really for the best otherwise I’d spend my weekends inside rather than outside doing necessary maintenance type chores.  

Our Jayhawks had an amazing season to say the least. Our coach labeled them early on as one of the least talented teams he’s coached and yet we ended up battling it out in the championship. I’m telling you, the MAN IS A WIZARD! 

On the Saturday night we beat Ohio State earning us a shot at the title, the minute the game was over Daniel, Gentry, and I jumped in the truck and headed downtown. The scene was craaaaZY! You could hear fireworks, screaming, whistling, and horns honking all over town. As we poked along in the traffic jam of cars, people were hanging out of their cars celebrating. Even the Asians at the sushi restaurant down the street came running out to the street, hands waving cheering something in a language only they understood. Now THAT was funny! 

It was late and I was tired but heading to Mass Street was something I at least wanted to be able to say I did once. Plus, Gen thought we were pretty cool for letting her go as well. It was estimated that between 40 and 50,000 fans stormed downtown. People would high-five us and I couldn’t help but laugh when Gen would curl away from them and say, “I don’t want to touch strangers.”  She was like a scared little field mouse clinging to my shirt because she was so afraid we would get separated in the mob. When we got sprayed with beer by a kid who had shimmied up a stoplight, we decided it was time to go home. 

Pictures courtesy of The Kansan

 

 Syd had spent the night with a friend and her parents had taken the girls downtown too. Syd bragged, "I high-fived 62 people!" then snarled up her nose when she told us, "but I got beer on my shoes. I wasn't even drinking!"

Brag Alert! 

Every Saturday since December the girls have been going to conditioning work-outs at one of our local rec centers. As a result Gen has gained quite a bit of muscle mass (for a scrawny white girl) especially in her legs. In the past six months this kid has shot up! She is as tall as I am and she weighs what I did when I graduated high school.  As a woman who struggled with body issues throughout my entire young adult life from being TOO thin, I am SO relieved she won’t have to deal with that crap. 

The reason I mention this is because Tuesday was her birthday as well as her first official track meet of the season. Last year we determined she is not a sprinter; she’s more of a mid-distance runner. Tuesday she earned first place in the 400 meter run, third in the 800 meter run, and her 4x400 relay team took first. When we got in the car to go home she said, “Mom. I dominated that meet!” and I was like, “Yeaaaah ya did girl!” All that conditioning she growled about every Saturday morning had increased her speed significantly. 

She was so upset that this meet fell on her birthday and was convinced it would be an awful, uneventful day so for it to turn around was the cherry on her day. She laughed as she told me about her best friend singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her at lunch on the microphone while the librarian accompanied her on the piano. Then the entire lunchroom joined in. (I swear..., only in Lawrence). “I felt really loved today,” she said later as we rounded out the day with a late sushi dinner. That’s because you ARE loved child. Duuuh. 

Fourteen and Counting

My sweet angel is 14 years old today... I always joke that I have NEVER had a pet live this long so the fact she is still alive is monumental!

Oh, even though she has a bad attitude 94% of the time (as evidenced by the above photo), expensive taste, and never wants to eat anything I cook for her there are also the times when she is still my little girl. The times when she still wants me to tuck her in at night and kiss her head. The times when she half sits on my lap as we watch TV even though I know it's her vindictive way of trying to crush my legs. And the times I'm most thankful for; hearing the phrase "I love you mommy."

Happy Birthday Giggy Lou. At least you come by your bad attitude honestly.