Where Did You Go to High School?

It's been said, all too much I might add, that the act of asking a person where they went to high school is a behavior uniquely St. Louisian. And, maybe it is. Although I really doubt it. It reminds me of the time when I used to think that the "you know what they say....if you don't like the weather in STL, just wait 5 minutes cause' it will change" was a STL statement. Then I moved to Texas and heard on their local news "you know what they say....if you don't like the weather in Austin........." I felt so gullible at that moment.

But, I digress.....So, the high school question has definitely come up a lot in my post secondary lifetime, but only in the context of a conversation something like this: "Me: A lot of kids in my high school smoked cigarettes. It wasn't a big deal. Other person in conversation: My school was like that too. Where did you go to high school?" That scenario is fairly ubiquitous. You ask because you're curious or maybe you're trying to find a commonality. But, I think, that the STL version of the question is usually posed as a way to learn about a person's class and/or socioeconomic status. Either way, it never meant much to me for a couple of reasons = #1 I don't put off a "talk-to-me" vibe in new social situations, #2 I'm not usually in new social situations, and #3 it seems to be irrelevant once you've hit a certain age.

But, having a kid that's entering pre-k in the fall means that school talk has entered the Henske vernacular. What's been so surprising during our researching and evaluating and visiting in the last year is how important it is to get your kid into the right school, right away. Well, at least that's how you're made to feel.....whether it's truly important is obviously debatable. But, seriously, parents of kids entering elementary school are already thinking about secondary schools! I thought that only happened on TV. Maybe on the Coasts or in big cities like Chicago, but never the Mid-West and never STL. So imagine my surprise to not only find it in STL but to also find myself getting sucked into all of that drama and competition. For example, I was cool when Willa was wait-listed for school choice #1. Lots of competition, very few spots. Wait-listed was actually expected. But, I was emotionally and intellectually devastated when she was also wait-listed for school choice #2. That was the safety school! What now? It was like, "Well, I guess the kid will just work in a glue factory." And, that mindset continued until we found out in early May that we made it off the wait list and were enrolled in school choice #2. Naturally, I'm happy but I've also had time to go back to what-does-it-matter-anyway thinking. Of course, I say that with the confidence of knowing that at least we got into school choice #2. But, does it really matter? I suppose that the answer to that question is somewhere in that great big gray area--the same place where you find most of the answers to life's little quandaries.

Willa enjoying the Dragon at St. Margaret's of Scotland School

Feeling Proud 2009

Like we have for the last 4 or 5 years, we walked up to Grand Avenue today to watch the Pride parade. The STL Pride organization's website says it's the "largest celebration in the Midwest." I can't verify that statement but I can tell you that it was !PACKED! --most definitely the biggest crowd that I have ever seen at the parade.

Get Your Culture On

The Henske three went to see The Sleeping Beauty as interpreted by the Saint Louis Ballet. It was an outstanding show! The dancing was amazingly beautiful and delicate and fluid and alive. Took my breath away actually. Tear, in my eye, right now, just thinking about it...sniffle, sniffle. We also got an unexpected treat. Erin King, who was Willa's first ballet teacher at COCA, recently, as in earlier this month, quit teaching to dance with the Saint Louis Ballet. We already had our tickets but hadn't even thought about the connection until we got to The Edison Theatre today. And, there it was--her name in the program. Willa was so excited! It was too bad that she didn't get a chance to talk to Erin in her costume and have a picture taken. Maybe next time.

My Jetta hearts Ernie Patti

I've never owned a car that I really liked for more than a few months until my VW Jetta. It has everything that I need in a car: decent gas mileage, a worthy interior package, and an appealing exterior look--not too sporty, not too conservative. The only issue that I have had with the car since I bought it in 2001 is the color. I call it blue-ish. VW calls it green-ish. They even gave it a fancy paint name which is something like "midnight green at dawn in january." I think everyone else calls it "the color of pavement." As in, my car and most paved roadway surfaces are the same color. And, it must be true because I have been hit 3 times since I've owned the car. Which is how Ernie Patti Collision Center and I became good friends. And while I appreciate the awesome work that they have done rebuilding my car over the years, they have done just as fine of a job helping me to keep her clean. I take the Jetta in about once, maybe twice, a year and let them work their magic. It's a little pricey but entirely worth it. And when the Jetta comes back, she looks brand new, well as brand new as a 7 year old car with a 3 year old co-pilot can look. So, go spend part of your "stimulatin' the economy check" on giving your car a fancy bath. I did.

Book Review: When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

David Sedaris is, and I'm takin' it back 90's style, da bomb. He would be "the person that I would most like to have dinner with" except I doubt he'd go for it. My loss. Oh well. So, Sedaris has a new book of essays out titled, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. As usual, it is effortlessly witty, insightful, and hilarious. Not as laugh-out-loud funny as some of his earlier work, but really funny nonetheless. I can't decide which story is my favorite. Go buy it. Read it. Leave a comment telling me which is your favorite and why.

Summer Vacation? Huh?

Ask a teacher and they'll probably tell you that they really don't get much of a summer break. You may not believe them but it's very true. Take me for instance. I teach. I get a summer break. But does the break really add up to any more than a 2 or 3 week vacation, which is what most people get who work year-round? Let's do the math. My last day of school was May 30th but I had to work June 2-4 & the 6th. So I had one day of vacation on the 5th of June. From June 9th until today, I've been writing curriculum with Laura, our Library Media Specialist. Everyday, for almost 3 weeks, working in the library (pictured above). And, while it is a beautiful library, it was also work. Since we're done writing, I'm taking tomorrow and Friday off. Now, I'm up to 3 days of vacation. I still owe the district 2 weeks of curriculum writing for my 20th Century Studies class so I may knock those out from June 30 to July 14th. Then, I'll work at least one week on planning and organizing for next year. Let's say I'll use July 15 to 21st. Now, I can start my vacation--a grand total of approximately 3 weeks before work starts back on the 11th of August. So, the next time someone wants to talk about how much time teachers get off in the summer, remember this story.

More Outdoor Movie Fun

Wow! Everyone in the STL Metro area has started showing movies outside. I thought it was just one group, but guess I was wrong. Last night, we went to the Old Gazebo in Webster Groves and caught a showing of the 1979 classic, The Muppet Movie. Movin' right along.....

The Little Pond

Our friends Dan and Colette have a nice little pond in their backyard that we've been admiring for awhile. It looked fairly easy to set-up so we decided to give one a try in our backyard. We bought the solar powered pump and basic heavy duty pond liner online last winter. Once we decided where the pond would go, and weather permitted, we dug the hole. Bill actually graduated the depth of the pond, giving consideration to potential freezing and, most importantly, death by cat. We took a few Henske Farm stream bed stones from a started, but never finished, walking path in the backyard and gave them new life as part of the pond habitat.

We need a few more stones to complete the project but, as you can see, the pond looks quite nice. Willa even picked out three goldfish, two tadpoles, and some plant life to add to its authenticity.

Twangfest, Part Deux

We saw an excellent line-up at Twangfest on Friday, which was sponsored by local fave radio station KDHX. I Love Math from Dallas opened. Miles of Wire from St. Louis were up next followed by Hayes Carll. All the openers were great, but the last two just felt oh so right! The Old 97's were headlining so they played last. They alone were worth the price of admission. And, I bet they played for at least 2 hours. Sounded awesome!

Twangfest

Tomorrow night, day 3 of Twangfest. Tomorrow night, Old 97's @ The Pageant. Tomorrow night, can't wait.

Walking Adventures 2008

Woo Hoo! Dona and I have started considering the various destinations of our 2008 summer walks. As usual, Tower Grove and Carondolet Parks will play heavy in the rotation for a couple of reasons---#1 I live by TGP and Dona lives by CP, #2 Both are decent sized parks with lots of walking opportunities, especially on days where you want to walk for exercise rather than a potential adventure (not that I won't have my camera), #3 They are shady and scenic, especially TGP (well, I'm partial). Because I'm still gathering destinations, I would love to hear from locals who might have a suggestion for a potential adventure walk. We've typically stayed in the city-- walking its neighborhoods, parks, and sites--but there are no hard fast rules here.

I'll Get Ya, Commie!

I was doing some end of the year cleaning and came across this photo that I had forgotten about. It's of Chynna, the student, presenting Robs, the teacher, with a unicorn play set called "Cold War Unicorns Play Set starring Commie versus Freedom". Too funny! Here's the back story. We had been studying Communism (USSR, The Cold War, spread in SE Asia, Korean War, Vietnam War) in my 20th Century Studies class and the kids got really involved in the topic. They were especially interested in the Vietnam War because Robs was a Vietnam vet who had, over the years, captivated them with anecdotal information about the War and humored them with his anti-communist musings. So, while talking about the Cold War, I had used a photo of this toy as an attention grabber. The kids loved it and thought Robs would too. I bartered with them--you track it down, you find out ordering details & I'll buy it for the class to give to Robs. They fulfilled their end, so I fulfilled mine.

Bill and Bob: Birthday Fun

May 24th is the birthday of Bill (as in my husband) and Bob (as in Dylan). Bob sent his regrets.... previous engagement or something like that. So, Bill and I started off at Revival, which now occupies the space where King Louie's used to be. I had mixed emotions about going from the start. I was HUGE King Louie fan! Loved the atmosphere, loved the food, loved the drinks, loved the patio. And, based upon the positive reviews, I was worried that I might like it just as much, or more, as King Louie's and that would betray my fond memories. But, life goes on and so we went to Revival. In general, the food was good--not memorable--but good. But, if you go, do try the spicy rubbed ribs (appetizers). They were awesome! The space was itself had changed very little--great booths and tables, awesome bar, awesome woodwork~all still there! But they painted the walls white --totally changed the feel of the place. Not bad, not good, just bright.


After dinner, we went to The Pageant to see Robert Earl Keen. I can't remember how many times we've seen him now but he never disappoints. He starts right up, plays song after song without stop and without much chit chat, and wraps things up with an encore song. No pretense, just great music. I guess that's why the place is always packed.

Graduation 2008

I don't know who's happier on graduation day, the students or the teachers. I'd put my money on the teachers, but I'm a little biased. This year, after the graduation ceremony on Friday, the MRH crew went to the Sport's Attic Bar which is down the street from the high school. It's as unimpressive as it sounds. Food wasn't too bad though. I had a pretty decent veggie quesadilla.


After the Sport's Attic, we drove down the street to a place called Double D's on Brentwood Blvd. for karaoke. This was Kelli's idea and it was a good one. I hadn't been to a karaoke place in a million years! And, while I was no where near inebriated (i.e. I would not be performing), some of my friends were (i.e. good laughs ahead). Unfortunately, I couldn't stay long enough to see them perform. I bet it was hilarious!

Kendra, Nikki, Kelli, & Melissa looking for singing material. Derek hamming for the camera in the rear.

Ahoy Matey!

The Morton-Holden's invited us to the Boathouse in Forest Park on Sunday. I've written before of my love of the eats, drinks, and views at the Boathouse so it was an opportunity not to be missed. Dan, Evan, Bill and Willa boarded the 4-person paddle boat and headed out into the lake for an hour ride while Colette and I talked shop, life, and whatever in the comfort of these big, red rocking chairs.



Boathouse updates: #1 Be aware that spring and summer are their peak seasons. This means that a long wait for a table is typical. It also means that the great service that you get used to from the wait staff in the winter and fall suffers tremendously. #2 The menu has changed. Lots of familiar options but with noticeably fewer choices, higher prices, and smaller portions. On the bright side, the food is still good.

Party Envy

My friend Colette throws the best parties! She's the Midwestern Martha Stewart. The themes, the activities, the food, the fun. Everything is so well planned that each segment leads straight into the next one. Seamless! I really don't know how she does it. Here are a few scenes from her son Evan's 5th birthday party.

Beer Dinner

Thanks go out to our friends Dona and Paul who turned us on to the beer dinner. Here's the deal. About once a month, a local restaurant and a local brewer partner up to sponsor a multi-course meal in which the perfect beer is selected to compliment each predetermined course. Our first beer dinner was at the Newstead Tower Pub House. The Griesedieck Bros., O'Fallon, and Schlafly were there with some tried, true and delicious brews while AB brought a newer one called Shock Top. Shock Top is canned Bud's micro brew-poser, want-to-be-cooler younger brother. He tastes a little better, he tries to look a little better but he still just doesn't cut it. The outer package says it all.

We had such a great time at Newstead that we went to another beer dinner on Thursday night at Mangia Italiano on South Grand. It was a outrageous six course monster sponsored entirely by Schlafy. All I can say is delicious! Oh, and you should definitely go to the next one.

Compton Hill Reservoir Park

Willa calls the Compton Hill Reservoir Park "Ariel's House." Ariel as in The Little Mermaid. And, yes, she does believe that Ariel lives in the water tower. Who am I to ruin her fun? So, I drive by this park at least twice most days. It's at the corner of Grand and Russell Avenues. It is actually not that much of a park, especially if you judge a park by its the size of its green space. Rather, it's more of a system of sidewalks, concrete paths, and well-worn grass trails that run the perimeter of both the park and the reservoir. The park also has a couple of interesting architectural features, the most prominent of which is the afore mentioned water tower. There are also a couple of nice sculptural elements on the exterior of the reservoir. On a final note, if anyone out there knows what the deal is with the ponds, i.e. why one was filled in and why the other remains unfilled, please drop me a comment.

Front Yard Features

Last summer, I noticed that they were showing outdoor movies in Tower Grove Park. It sounded like a great way to meet people and show support for local STL activities so we went. I guess the Front Yard Features were successful because they're at it again this year. On Saturday, and yes, it was cold, the Henske family headed to the park for the first movie of the season, Alice in Wonderland. I've seen it a bunch of times but never outside and never on a big screen. Makes a big difference. I'm not sure about scheduled locations and films but you should check out their web site for more info if you're interested.

How We Spent Prom

While the kids danced the night away, well....until 10:30 anyway, Bill and I entertained ourselves in other ways. One, we kid watched. If you haven't done this recently, I highly recommend it, especially for its anthropological value. Two, we walked the perimeter of the room. As a chaperone, your main duty to make sure that the kids aren't being inappropriate (having fun, in their words). Three, we made art from Eiffel Tower confetti. When a student observed that following Monday that she liked our tessellations, I nearly cried (seriously, how many of us might have used that word, especially at 17, especially correctly?).

Afterward, Bill and I went to a local neighborhood fave, VanGoghz, for a martini. I'm not a huge fan of most martinis but I stop dead in my tracks for a great coffee flavored one. Absoluti Goosed and Van Goghz make the best in St. Louis (both happen to be within walking distance of my house!). If you know any other places that serve great coffee martinis, please drop me a line.

What Color is Your Dress?

It's prom season. Boobs and boutonnieres. woo hoo. When I was in high school, I refused to go to prom. If I remember it was something about...exploitative, excessiveness, starving children, and, probably, "the establishment" (because really, what isn't it behind). I've never regretted not going yet I find myself rather strangely excited about chaperoning this year's MRH Prom, which is tomorrow night at the Sheldon. After some careful consideration, I've decided that my desire to be part of this prom experience stems from: #1 My unfaltering love of the movie Pretty in Pink, and #2 The love that I feel for the kids that I teach (you know, wanting to be part of their happiness & fun & whatnot).

rathergood

MissileFits Model Rocketry Club

There's been a soft buzz of excitement around my house in anticipation of the 9th Annual MissileFits Rocket Launch in Forest Park. But, now that the weekend of the launch is upon us, the soft buzz has grown into a full blown frenzy of excitement. A sample of phrases heard around my house this week: "That's MY rocket!" "Watch out below!" "Where's the fire?" "I'm just looking at it." "Can we shoot it off now?" "Oh, yeah!" So, Willa named our entry Tammi. It's decorated quite nicely with glitter glue and puffy paint, which you can't see too well in these photos. And, there's plenty of room in the nose for our little tiny fuzzy blue chick pilots and parachute.

UPDATE: Things went well for the dynamic duo. Check out Willa's Rocket and its worm pilot.

Senior Pranks

Yep, it's that time.....time for Senior Pranks! woo hoo! Yesterday morning, all the teachers came into their classrooms to find this message:

It says, "Look really hard for them all!" They hid all our dry erase markers and replaced them with chalk. Funny, funny stuff. Today, the prank was even better. The kids found a way to hijack the school's intercom from a regular classroom phone. Once the gained access, they looped some music which played until, presumably, they got tired or caught. Much funnier prank.

The best senior prank was from last year's seniors. Apparently, they put the school (calling it a 'building') and the school's property up for sale in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. I hear it was a steal! Get this. They managed to find out the principals school cell phone number and gave that as the contact number. Brilliant!

UPDATE: They got caught! Apparently, the music also played over the Middle School intercom too. Not so bad in itself but REALLY bad when MAP testing is going on. Not cool. So, the kids were given the choice: 5 days suspension or a week of working the 6th grade academic camps this summer. They both opted for the later.

Gas Prices

I hate watching local news but do like to be in the know. So, occasionally, I read the local going-ons via the internet. Tonight, I went to ksdk.com and this headline caught my attention, "Activist Plans to Lie in Front of Bus to Protest Gas Prices." While I applaud this guy's activism, I am appalled that he, and most adults, still do not understand how gas prices are determined. So, before you go standing, or lying, in the path of a very large vehicle, take a little time to get informed about the issues. Metro, Mayor Slay, Gov. Blunt, Congress, President Bush.....they do not control gas prices! If you want to know who does, click this. Then go tell someone.

Ban Bottled Water!

If there is any one good reason to drink bottled water, I haven't found it. But, I can offer you four GREAT reasons (in no particular order) not to drink bottled water: #1-always resist plastic (which relies on petroleum), #2-tap water is generally pretty tasty, #3 tap water is free, and #4-you shouldn't create unnecessary waste. Yes, I know that you're thinking, "Well, what about recycling them?" Problem is, no one really does it. Doug James of Cornell says that "Since its recent popularization, bottled water (in all its flavors) has become one of the most consumed, yet least recycled beverages. For example, it is estimated that in 2005 alone approximately 30 billion plastic water bottles were purchased, with only about 12% recycled (in part due to out-dated deposit laws). The remaining 25 billion bottles were either landfilled, littered or incinerated." In fact, you should check his video. Cool stuff. And, St. Louis City is doing it right too. In addition to several influential restaurants, the city has pledged to reduce and, eventually, eliminated bottled from offices, meetings, events, etc. Way to go greener St. Louis City! You too can take the pledge. Just click here for more info.

Couple with the Kid

When you're a hetero couple but don't have kids, people assume a couple of things about you. One, you're not married. Two, you're not ready yet. Or, three, you're not having kids at all because you're selfish and hate all children. Since Bill and I began dating in our mid-twenties and didn't marry until our late twenties, we got lumped into group three when we didn't start poppin' out those shorties right away.

Although Bill and I never have hated children, I do distinctly remember feeling very annoyed when inconsiderate people brought their even more inconsiderate children into restaurants that we frequented. It made me cringe when I saw them walk through the door. And, the more baby-distracting gear that they carried the more likely that their kid was going to be a major problem to my excellent dining experience. So, now that we've popped one out, we've become more like that couple. But, we've also tried to be sensitive to others. We eat at weird times on non-popular days. We try to find "kid friendly" even among the independent restaurants that still suit our sensibilities. Or, and this is just the best option most times, gotten a babysitter.

Still, I always thought that the inconsiderate parent problem was not mine because Willa never exhibited anything but a natural talent for being well-behaved and charming in public. But our recent trip to our local fave, South City Diner, demonstrates a contrary experience that is increasingly becoming the norm around our house lately. We walked to City Diner, that was fine. We arrived at City Diner, that was also fine. We entered City Diner and that was when something happened. It was like a dog whistle in that, whatever it was that upset the balance, neither Bill nor I saw or heard it coming. Well, it finally ended but not before feeling extremely uncomfortable, embarrassed, humiliated, and, believe it or not, a lot like one of them! Ugh. And double Ugh.

Niki de Saint Phalle @ MOBOT

Fall is my favorite season of the year but spring is good too. The blossoms, gentle fragrances, cool breezes--It's all about the rebirth and, I gotta mention, the allergy problems (the latter is a nod to my inner curmudgeon, I apologize). So to soak in some springtime goodness, I took my first 2008 trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden. I had forgotten that they're putting up a new sculpture exhibit for the year. The sculptures are mosaic works by the artist Niki de Saint Phalle. I love the whimsy of her work which reminds me of a lot roadside attraction/insider art. I've always had a hard time resisting the pull of a good roadside attraction. I mean, seriously, who hasn't said, or heard someone say, something along the line of "Can we please stop to see the world's largest grotto made entirely of bottle caps and limestone?" BTW, does anyone else out there remember that PBS show out of KC called "Rare Visions and Roadside Attractions"? I was a huge fan. Anyway, if you get the chance, check out the Niki de Saint Phalle exhibit at MOBOT.