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Summer in the City
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Posted by: laborat
Things to think about while I run down the street to catch the good humor man:
Every now and then in what passes for Summer in St. Louis, in between Flash Flood warnings, Ozone Alerts and 112 in the Shade, we get an actual nice day, not too hot, sunny but not too sunny, and a breeze blowing in from the east that doesn't smell like they are making tires in Akron.
When this happens, St. Louisans head for the St. Louis Zoo, go get a Ted Drews Custard, then back to the casa for some BBQ porksteaks. I realize that every location has its own rituals, and would like to hear about some, but since I am in St. Louis, I have to do what the Cardinals do. St. Louis is a Baseball town. The Rams may have won the Super Bowl but they will be considered foreigners by the locals for another century at least.
Anyways today was one of THOSE days in the hearts and minds of the citizenry of Missouri and Illinois, and while many watched the Cards play the ChiSox, a lot of people went to the Zoo. I wasn't among them mainly because, you can only see so many cute monkey shows before you start finding excuses to do something else. In my case, I had to stay home to write this column.
Man has always been fascinated by animals in captivity. It means we can watch them and they can't eat us. (unless you are really stupid, and it does happen) We are comfortable in safely knowing about the stomach capacity of pythons and the mating rituals of Titwillows without having to learn them the hard way. So Zoos are very popular especially with Familys. Since today is Father's day a lot of Dads are taking their kids to the Zoo, or rather the kids are taking their Dad to the Zoo.
My first recollection of Zooing was of odors, thousands of them, and being able to pick out cotton candy and start hollaring for some Cotton Candy!!! I wondered why they had Bambi in a cage.
I also wondered why they Fed Thumper to a Boa Constictor. (this was back in the 50's and they hadn't invented childhood traumas yet) But most of all I loved the tiny Trains that ran all around the Zoo Grounds. I could have stayed on those trains forever, and according to my parents, I tried.
Ted Drews Custard is one of those local phenoms, that catch on with a generation and a few generations later have immense popularity with all generations. We have one now emerging as a contender with a shaved ice snow cone stand just down from the first shopping mall. My current fave is a root beer float cone, with root beer on the outside and cream in the middle. They only open on hot days, and are the only reason many snowconeans in our area pray for the temp to go above 75. I like Custard but I am more of a Cheese Chile Dawg kind of Guy. Lots of onions. and a Root Beer Float. It takes a real man to drink Root Beer in the town that BUD built.
But hey, my real fave is BBQing Pork Steaks. I don't know why but Pork Steaks are the thing to do in the Summer in St. Louis. They claim we invented the hamburger at the 19something worlds fair, but Pork Steak is king today. I like to get the coals good and hot, sear the pork steaks on both sides put the lid on and close the lid for a few minutes, take out the steaks and put them in a pan full of sauce and bake them in the oven until they are fork tender. This gives my sister time to make potato salad,
and time for the strawberry jello to gel. It is not unusual for St. Louisans to have macaroni and cheese and potato salad at the same meal. We love Starch. Hell we even starch our shirts!!!
Not that we don't like our greens too. green beans. peas. spinach. Popeye was a very popular cartoon in St. Louis. We have always been fascinated with the ocean for some reason. Even though we host the convergance of the greatest river system in the US, the Missouri and Mississipi Rivers.
So how does this relate to Computers, Gaming, or Tech help? It doesn't. But it does show that there are other things to do, once in a while besides level up, tweek your rig, or flame your news group. Something I have to constantly remind myself when those Special Days come along. While I still intend to do those things, I am going to do the other stuff too. Nothing like a little pork steak in your beard and sauce on the chin when you are trying to describe what its like to die in nightmare for the first time. It adds flavor and atmosphere if you ask me.
Posted by: Chako
We once had a zoo here in Sault Ste Marie Ontario, but several people complained about the humanitarian aspects of zoo keeping and how the animals didn’t have enough space, and hence they sold the animals to other zoos, tore down the structures, and built a parking lot out of the whole thing. I can remember being a kid and going there to look at them. I was fascinated with the mountain lion, and the arctic foxes. Now, this zoo wasn’t all that big. Nothing like you would see in St Louis. There were only around 30 enclosures, none of them really big. I can remember the black bears pacing back and forth in their 30’x40’ enclosure. That was all they did, pace back and forth. Wasn’t much to see, but when I was around 8, I used to think I was a black bear in that enclosure, pacing back and forth. It didn’t take much of an 8 year old imagination to know what was wrong. In a sense I think I was grateful when they tore down the local zoo.
As I write this, there are only 2 days left of school. Exams will last a few more days. I can tell you that it was hot in the classrooms. So hot that the third floor teachers sent out students to scour the lower floors for fans. Almost turned into a turf war. I know for I was on the second floor, valiantly protecting my one and only fan from their clutches! On Friday, had most of one block 3 class sign out due to the heat. Many told me they where going to the beach. I was a little envious for I was stuck in that sauna room, left with 4 other students who decided it was best to stay and do some studying instead of cooling off in the lake. Needless to say, no air conditioning in our schools.
I have been grilling Italian sausages of late on the BBQ. They are tasty with some relish and mustard, nestled in some locally made wheat buns. Occasionally, I throw a ham steak on the barby, making sure no fat is left. Now that is a tasty treat on a warm sunny day. Nothing beats eating out on the patio, enjoying the birds singing joy over finding our 3 backyard bird feeders. Sometimes watching the local cats try to catch a bird. So far birds 6, cats 0. If it gets really warm, many people head out to the local Dairy Queen for an ice cream cone or a banana split. Others like myself head out to the neighborhood Mikes Mart for a Coca Cola froster. Got to be careful with those things though for it is all too easy to get brain freeze.
There is not much to do in this town. Many people head out to the river front and watch the Great Lakers go by to destinations around Lake Superior. Many also like to see cruise boats dock up to town whenever they come from Europe. Personally I would rather go to the Bahamas then here, but then I imagine people in the Bahamas would rather go here. Funny how we would like to travel elsewhere then where we live. Mostly, people are oblivious of the splendors around them. We have a beautiful promenade that runs along the river front. Many Saulits like to take long walks along the water front. It spans the canal right up to the Holiday Inn.
Our second thunderstorm in 4 days. We just passed through a heat wave. Worse one as I can remember in 10 years. Us northerners are not used to heat. We tend to like things in the 70’s. With the humidity, we got treated to something like the 90’s. Now things seem back to normal, and the cool weather is most refreshing, almost invigorating.
You are right Laborat. Sometimes we spend too much time in front of a computer screen. We should be out and about, enjoying life to the fullest. Seize the day, enjoy the nice weather, visit some friends, make memorable times. I for one will start my annual camera clicking spree. I primarily like taking nature photographs. This year will be better for I now have a digital camera with the best macro mode around. So people should start seeing me in and around town clicking away. These are the hobbies that make life interesting. You know, I wouldn’t have things any different!
Posted by: tkron
He he he, you already, killed Diablo in normal mode of D2, and you are in nightmare. I think I know what you have been doing most of your waking hours with that new Computer. 
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