Haiku about a 3-way

I am resigning from my current company and tomorrow is my last day. I asked a co-worker if he'll be coming to my going-away lunch. He said unless his nooner 3-way with Kate Beckinsale and Natasha Henstridge works out, he'll be there.

Inspired by the high unlikelihood of this situation, I penned a Haiku about it:
Kate and Natasha
John's* supreme three way desires,
sadly unmet. D'oh!

*Names changed to protect the guilty. ;)

Political doings

Went to the 9th ward Democratic oganization's beer & pretzel fundraiser last Tuesday (08/08/06) in the St. Frances Cabrini school hall/gym (which is near St. Wenceslaus church). Lots of local politicans there and it was, as always, an interesting slice of south city politics. Jeff Smith visited for quite a while.

Went to the Greg Daly/Mike McMillan victory party the Tuesday prior to that (08/01/06 - election day). It was at the Steinberg Rink in Forest Park. I had never been there before, so it was nice to learn where it's at. The neat thing is they turn the rink into sand volleyball lots during the summer, which I didn't know about, either.

Both parties had a visit from Mayor Slay.

Art of Food

On Saturday (the 29th of July), hubby and I went to an event in Soulard called Art of Food. It was at the Mad Art gallery, which I have wanted to visit since it opened. The event benfited a group called Slow Food St. Louis.

For $10 apiece, you could sample little bites of foods from a number of St. Louis restaurants, plus a drink was included with the price of admission. You could also bid in silent auction on many baskets, gift certificates, and pieces of art. It was a nice event and a great way to sample food from a great number of restaurants. We were glad we went early, at 7 PM on the dot, because in 45 minutes when we were leaving, there were many people standing in line, including one of my co-workers, Dan, and his fiancee. It was a good time.

Soulard's Restaurant

I have driven by Soulard's countless times, and finally had the opportunity to go there with the hubby for lunch on Friday, the 21st of July. Since our electricity was out, and I was off that day, it was a good chance to give them a try. I had heard good things about it, so I was looking forward to it.

I ended up ordering a grouper special -- served with lemon beurre blanc over rice with a side of green beans. I also ordered a small dinner salad beforehand. I was pleased by the portion of dinner salad, which was pretty big for the "small" version, and it was a good thing. . . I ate about half of it and left it on the table so I would have room for the main course. The grouper arrived and it looked great. I dug in at one end of the filet and it was delicious, and the rice was yummy, too. I made my way through the fish, but about halfway through the filet, as my fork reached the thickest part of the fish, I noticed the consistency changed from flaky and easily fork-cut to stringy and tough -- the fish was underdone! So, thinking perhaps the thicker middle section was underdone, but the ends were not, I switched to the other end of the fish -- same problem. I don't know how only half the fish was cooked, but it is what had happened.

So, I had to send half my plate back to the kitchen. They offered to replace my meal with something else. I passed and ate the rest of my dinner salad. The waitress was genuinely sorry about the mishap, and I gave her a good tip because of her obvious concern, especially when I chose not to replace my meal.

Hubby tried a cup of the clam chowder. This was a very disappointing endeavor, indeed. We expected a creamy chowder base, but the base of the soup must have been composed of some sort of broth, instead, because it was soupy and an unfortunate vehicle for what could have been some very tasty chunks of clam. Do not order this chowder!

He also had a toasted ham and cheese sandwich. This was very tasty, and the fries were delicious.

Based on this one visit, for the $$$ the restaurant charges, I would, and did, expect more from them. I happen to have a gift certificate for this restaurant, which I will likely go back another time to use and give them another shot. If I didn't have the gift certificate, however, I wouldn't go back.

Boogaloo Restaurant

Went with hubby and a friend to Boogaloo a couple of weeks ago. I think we all really enjoyed it -- food was delicious and service was fine, though a little slow sometimes.

For starters I had a cup of Chicken & Andouille Gumbo. I was disappointed with the gumbo -- seemed too mild and there was not enough rice. For main course, I had West Indian Beef Patties with Curried Pineapple Chutney. Quite tasty, though the interior would have benefited by just a little more heat. Hubby had Fried Grouper Sandwich. It was an enormous portion and deliciously fried.

For dessert, our dinner friend had the Brioche Bread Pudding with Kentucky Bourbon Sauce and I had Coconut Creme Brulee with Carmelized Banana. Both were very generous portions. The bread pudding was soft and warm. The creme brulee was decadent and definitely something to order again and again!

The only drawback to the place was that the acoustics were really poor and we had a hard time hearing each other once the place filled with more diners. The music was too loud, also.

Storm city

The arch effect did nothing to stop the storms that hit the St. Louis metro area last night. In my neighborhood, I saw tree trunks 10" thick snapped and lying on the ground. Hunks of trees were falling off all over the place around our house on the neighbors' properties. The clapboard siding on the house of the neighbor immediately to my southwest was pulled off -- about 4 or five boards were eventually sheared off.

The most amazing thing I saw was the branch of a sycamore tree, which was facing into the wind, was split in two, then wrapped around the trunk. That was an amazingly powerful thing to see.

Our electricity went out at 8 PM last night and hasn't been restored. The electric company, Ameren, says this is the worst storm (I am assuming they are basing their measurement upon the number of households without power) in the history of their company. Around 480,000 people are without electricity. In 2005, a storm knocked out around 225,000 households, and their electricity was not restored for 4 days. This does not bode well for our chances of getting electricity restored in a timely manner. :( Not a wonderful thing to deal with when the temps today are supposed to top 101, but cooler weather (low 90's for highs) is afoot for tomorrow and the next week or so.

At least it seems our house weathered the storm well -- I'll get out to have a detailed look this evening.

Pizza Hut "Cheese" Uses Silicone-Based Agent

This is awfully scary. Good thing I haven't eaten Pizza Hut in years. Of course, it makes me wonder what else is in the foods I am eating. Oy!

JackSon's Restaurant

One of my favorite restaurants in all of St. Louis is JackSon's restaurant. The food is delicious and a great value, the service cares about attention to detail, and the place itself is eclectic. There's usually live music later in the evening, but if you prefer quieter dining, you can call ahead to find out what time the band starts.

My favorite dish is called the Canadian Bleu, which is the JackSon's version of chicken cordon bleu, and is so tasty with its velvety accompanying sauce. Their baked potatoes are the best I have found anywhere in the St. Louis area -- fluffy and the earthy potato flavor is prominent. My husband usually gets the cajun chicken pasta, which is delicious and tingly. We also love their chicken wings, though don't have occasion to order them too often as we watch our diets. Definitely worth splurging on, however.

Last Saturday evening, we visited JackSon's for a late dinner with a friend. Our friend had a swordfish special which was good and saucy and left him with enough afterwards to have for lunch the following day. For dessert, there was a frozen chocolate concoction (I think called something like "chocolate frenzy") that we split three ways -- delicious and satisfying. Additionally, the personable owner, Andy, rewarded us with a sampling of a white grape sorbet, which was light, fruity, and palette pleasing. I think there must have been a splash of wine in the sorbet, as I detected a hint of fermentation.

The name of the establishment reflects the owners' relationship to their father, whose name is Jack. While I don't recall the particulars of the story of the naming of the restaurant, I understand it is a form of tribute to their father. Dave and Andy, the owners, are pleasant and hands-on with their establishment and they know the meaning of the term hospitality. I look forward to visiting many more times.

Advice for my good friend Brad

Well, maybe it's not so much advice, but rather a collection of libation-inspired thoughts culled from a gathering of Brad's friends and co-workers last Friday eve. Brad, recently divorced, was contemplating his eventual return to the dating scene, "out there"...

The list of advice started out semi-organized, but became less so as twilight stretched into night. My own editorial explanations are offered in brackets []:

1. Be mysterious.
2. Bed buddy.
3. Be honest.
4. Don't wear tank tops -- Valley Park isn't sexy.
5. No wife beaters or coach's shorts. Enjoy hookers.
6. Herpes is not curable.
7. Just kiss her.
8. Be aggressive.
9. Be decisive.
10. Good rhythm.
11. Girl on girl doesn't happen unless you pay for it.

A second list was started at another end of the table. At the top of the list, un-numbered, was this all-important advice:
***Wear your rubbers!!

Then began the second numbered list:

1. Don't look for a replacement.
2. Enjoy life . . . Kim says.
3. Remember Caller ID.
4. *67
5. Don't be desperate.
6. Don't cry because you don't have anyone to go out with.
7. Don't go out in G. C. [Granite City].
8. Spend money on stamps.
9. Don't fall fast.
10. Be honest, just don't tell it all.
11. GIRL SANDWICH

About the time we hit GIRL SANDWICH, which seems to contradict #11 from the prior list, is when things devolved. A convention of Tourette's Syndrome sufferers would have offered less random blurting:

• Stinky does not equal skanky.
• Find a babysitter.
• Don't drive babysitters home.
• Happy V-Day Call Me!
• Moody is not good!!
• Young and dumb.
• Smoke filled bad.
• F's [as in bra cup size] Gone Wild!
• Angelina Jolie's a urinal cake.
• B's [as in bra cup size] need love too!
• Lotsa' lovin'.
• Don't be an ass [in the paper version of this list, the word is replaced with a drawing of, you guessed it, a person's ass].
• Urinal cakes are not spermicide.
• Christie [likes to drink] Jim and Diet Coke.
• 02/17/06 - Brian is wupped.
• You can still ovulate after kids.
• Drunk men are not a turn-on.
• Bathroom sex: tacky.

As you can see, we ended on a high note. Good luck, Brad.

Tony La Russa's Blog

Didn't know our own Cardinals manager had a blog. I dig that he's into rock 'n roll, but can be a sensitive guy who cares about animal abuse. Give him a look!

The Royale Restaurant

Hubby and I and a friend went to dinner last night at The Royale, a bar/restaurant place on Kingshighway, just south of Arsenal street. Despite that it allows smoking, we find the food and atmosphere nice enough to tolerate the smoking. Fortunately, they have a pretty good ventilation system, so that seems to move the smoke around quite a bit.

This is the second time hubby and I have been there. I think they need to work out a little more how they are going to handle service. Seems a little disjointed. Anyway, the food itself is delicious and always well- and interestingly-prepared. The music's a little loud for a polite conversation, if that is your goal, but it's the kind of place to knock back some drinks with friends after work while enjoying some tasty food.

I especially like their crab and shrimp cake appetizer. Two cakes arrive on a plate of greens and corn relish, topped with a drizzle of sauce. Just the right size for my meal and relatively healthy to boot. They also have really good burgers -- the Kingsghighway is very flavorful.

Mike Shannon's Restaurant

For our Valentine's Day dinner, hubby and I went to the new Mike Shannon's downtown, immediately adjacent to the under-construction new Busch stadium. We were seated in the Stan Musial room, which was an intimate area with only a few tables, a fireplace, two glassed-in sections of wall on either side of the fireplace containing autographed baseball bats, and a large flat-panel television (which they turned off, thankfully). The main dining area also contained a big glassed-in column of autographed baseballs that went from floor to ceiling, as well as a number of big beautiful windows through which to see and be seen.

The food itself was very good, as I expected, and the service nicely attentive. Hubby had the beer battered shrimp and I had an off-menu item, which was grouper with a lobster sauce. The grouper was lightly battered and sauteed, with not too much lobster sauce, which was fine, because it was pretty salty. The fish brightened with the addition of a lemon squeeze. I also ordered garlic mashed potatoes for my side item, and there were more than enough for both of us to share. I had a glass of 2004 Rock Rabbit Sauvignon Blanc with dinner; it has a very peachy flavor, was delicious, and not too dry for my taste. Our server, Paul, was attentive and elegant. He reminded me of a younger Chris Noth in his looks, voice, and mannerisms.

For dessert, there was a chocolate turtle cake that looked really good, but since hubby doesn't eat nuts, and the cake was layered with nuts, that wasn't going to work out for us to share. Shannon's also offered a NY style cheesecake served with fresh strawberry sauce, a pound cake, an upside down apple pie, and a white chocolate macadamia nut brownie. They all looked good, but since we were planning to share, none looked good enough to both of us. I wondered to myself why they didn't, considering it was Valentine's Day, offer more chocolate and/or chocolate/raspberry combinations. Maybe the chef thought those types of items too typical? Finding nothing too exciting on the dessert menu, we passed and instead took our sweet tooth to Ted Drewe's.

I definitely will dine at Mike Shannon's again. The prices lend themselves to a special occasion in my budget, but it makes a great treat!

American Dad References "Star Wars Kid"

I really enjoy the Family Guy and American Dad! shows, both created by Seth MacFarlane. There was a good geek inside joke on American Dad! last Sunday (02/12), where there was a brief reference to the Star Wars Kid video that circulated on the 'net for a while. Hilarious.

While finding a link for the Star Wars Kid video for this blog, I also ran across a Family Guy Reference web site. Looks like a fun geeky site to play with.

Haikus

Haikus have lately been a running joke at work for me and a couple of my co-workers. We were recently inspired to write Haikus about St. Louis. Here are my co-worker Brad's:
Bud brewed here in town.
Good times always in the 'Lou!
Have you seen my pants?

An observation
Transplanted here in the city.
What's with the High Schools?

Here are mine:
Busch brews in the 'Lou
How many Busches can you drink?
None. Busch makes me barf.

Like the old song says,
"In the 'Lou, I will meet you"
Then we'll get busy.

Later, there was a discussion about a lunch trip on Friday. So, I made a lunch Haiku in keeping with Brad's first St. Louis Haiku above:
Brad wants to get drunk
At lunch, what fun will that be?
Nudity, I hope!

I also wrote a Big Lebowski Haiku just for fun:
New sh*t's come to light.
This aggression will not stand.
Need a white russian.

Intro to me

It's a little daunting to put some thoughts down on this thing, since there are so many creative and witty blogs out there . . . but I'll try my best.

I live in St. Louis -- south St. Louis city to be exact. No, it's not important where I went to high school, because I attended school in my hometown of Greenville, Illinois, where everyone went to the same public high school. People in St. Louis like to ask that question . . .

I work in the IT world, as a business analyst. If you want to know what a business analyst does, this Dilbert pretty much sums it up.

I have a husband. He works in St. Louis city government, or as I like to refer to it, "gub-mint". He also is involved in St. Louis city politics, but there are entire blogs and sites about that . . . Husband has two kids from a prior marriage.

I have some cats at my house. They are good girls. I'll post some pics of them soon.