The Shaved Duck

A couple of Fridays ago, Bill and I met Dona and Paul for dinner at The Shaved Duck. I'm not a fan of duck but I did see alternate options on the online menu that looked pretty tasty. Plus, I'd been really wanting to check this place out -- first when it was called Pestalozzi Place (I think that was the name -- or something like that) and now as The Shaved Duck.

Bill ordered the Pork Tenderloin which he described as being "good, but not the best ever." I ordered the Beef Brisket which while having an excellent flavor was really very dry. I had to improvise by putting my cole slaw on the sandwich to give it some moisture. Not a bad quick fix to the problem but, as a customer, I shouldn't have to work so hard to be creative. I also ordered a Caesar Salad which was very tasty -- their secret? Homemade corn bread croutons. Yum.

So would I go again? Yes. For a few reasons. One, it's in the neighborhood and supporting local businesses is important to me. Two, the food was decent and worth another try. Third, I enjoyed the ambiance. I recommend going to the bathroom for a surprise -- a fully loaded beauty tray. I tried the hairspray.

Visiting City Garden

We finally visited City Garden a couple of weeks ago. While I didn't get to explore and appreciate the art as much as I would have liked to -- my tour guide was an impatient, swimming-suit wearing 4-year old named Willa -- I was still impressed. For those of you who don't consider yourself an art buff, I say no fear! The sculptures here are very accessible -- they are easily and straight-forwardly interpreted, they have a broad asthetic appeal, and, for those of you in the kinesthetic crowd, using and touching is encouraged! If you haven't had a chance to get to the City Garden, I highly recommend it. We had a great time. It was especially awesome to be a part of a big, happy, eclectic crowd of people enjoying friends, family, and art on a hot Sunday afternoon.

Book Review: Lucky, A Memoir by Alice Sebold

I was introduced to the work of author Alice Sebold when I read her book, The Lovely Bones. And while it's been quite some time since I read Bones, I remember it being very beautifully written, ethereal despite its horrific subject (the rape and murder of a young girl). I didn't realize during the time that I was reading Bones that Sebold is a rape survivor. Her memoir, Lucky, is an account of that rape.

Sebold's memoir begins where the story does, the night of her rape. Her words, like the rapist's actions, are powerful, graphic, and violent. Yet, the rape is only the beginning of the story – the introduction. The rest of the book is spent dealing with the aftermath of rape and trying to find a way to recover.

So, what to make of this book? Well, it ain't no Bones. The writing style is drastically different. Where as Bones drew you in and filled you with emotion and a sense of optimism Lucky was detached, devoid of emotion, and, surprisingly, dull. Okay, so I'm not well read in the rape-memoir genre. And, yes, I realize it’s a grim subject. But, if you really want to read a rape survivor’s memoir, I suspect that there are much better ones out there.

Book Review: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Awhile ago, I bought two books by author Junot Diaz -- Drown and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I started with Drown, twice, but I never really got into it. Then, I mostly forgot about both books until recently. This time I picked up Oscar Wao. And, I'm glad that I did.

Through the book's narrator, Yunior, we are introduced to Oscar, an affable urban DR variation of Ignatius J. Reilly (The Confederacy of Dunces). Yunior, who is also a character in Drown, becomes a sort of keeper of Oscar, both during and after his life. An eventual friend whose devotion to Oscar is evident in the care that he takes in describing him, exposing him, explaining him, remembering him. And while Oscar's life is mostly a solitary one, his story is not. It weaves in and out, layer upon layer, from New Jersey to the DR and back and forth again, connecting him to his family, his friends, and, ultimately, his history -- the ancestral fuku ("the curse") -- that continues to haunt Oscar and the other characters in the story.

The book is an amazing piece of fiction yet it also informs us about the complexities of intimacy, identity, homeland, and oppression. Because of this, it's hard not to get quickly absorbed into Oscar's world and feel compelled by Diaz's rich characters and their stories. No wonder this book won both the highly coveted Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

The Fountain on Locust

Bill and Willa and a Strawberry Fountain Soda

Bill and Willa and a Strawberry Soda, take 2

Bill had to go to New York this week for an environmental sustainability conference so we decided that we'd go out for dinner on Saturday night -- his choice since he was the one leaving. He picked The Fountain on Locust. It's located on Locust Street, east of SLU, in historic Automotive Row. The interior is casual, yet artistically sophisiticated -- a lovely art deco, soda fountain-ish decor. Maybe that why it claims to be St. Louis's most photographed restaurant. The menu consists mainly of soups, salads, and sandwiches and a variety of handmade delectable ice cream and chocolate treats for dessert -- think a newer, more upscale take on Crown Candy. Can I mention that I LOVE Crown Candy? Yes, I think that I can. That gloriously positive post is for a different day. Just to be clear though, I did like The Fountain. Even a lot. The food was good (Bill and I both ordered the hot roast beef melt with the St Louis salad and Willa ate the cheese foccaicia pizza. We followed with a banana split and a hot fudge/hot caramel sundae) as was the service and the location. I'd definitely go again.

Onesto Pizza and Trattoria

Onesto Pizza and Trattoria had come up in recent conversations that I've had with people about restaurants that they wanted to try. An upcoming dinner date with my friend Laura provided me the perfect opportunity to give Onesto a try. Beforehand, not having met anyone who had actually been there, I went straight to my source for all things restaurant in the St Louis area, Sauce Magazine. I didn't read any reviews but I did scope out the menu which looked promising for a causal dinner or lunch. Laura and I planned an early dinner tonight so we arrived before the mad rush. And, it was a full house by 6:30 -- both inside and out on the patio. The wait staff was very friendly and, initially, very attentive but that waned as the restaurant became more and more crowded -- but I never felt totally neglected. Our order was place, salads were brought out, followed by the pizza that we had ordered. The Caesar, sans chicken (i HATE chicken), was very good -- just the perfect amount of all things Caesar. The pizza was hot and tasty with a sauce that was especially catchy -- not too tart, not too sweet (but definitely more on the sweet side). Overall - good food, good atmosphere, good time. I left feeling that another visit would be in order soon (calzone, here I come!).

Arrested Development

Summer vacation is a good time for me to catch up on the things that I didn't have the time to do during the school year. For me, it's a little TV watching. Not new TV shows or even really TV at all. Just one or many episodes of TV shows that I #1 missed during the year, #2 was curious about but didn't want to invest in at the time, or #3 TV shows that I miss because they aren't on anymore. This summer it's reason number 3 and the series is Arrested Development. AD was a critics darling that never got the following that it was due. I still can't figure out why people didn't watch it -- it's a phenomenal show-- well cast, well written, and well worth your time. And, I should mention it is HILARIOUS! So, I suggest that you order it up on Netflix, pop some popcorn, and watch all three seasons in one sitting. Trust me, it's time well spent.

City Garden

I haven't been yet -- maybe I'll get some time this week -- but City Garden looks awesome! It's just what we needed downtown. Can't wait to check it out!

Pride Fest 2009

It's that time of year again! Pride Fest! Although we don't generally stick around too long for the actual 'fest', we like going to the parade to show our support and grab some beads and other parade-freebies. Normally, we don't get moving fast enough to get a good spot but this year, with the nice weather, we packed up the water bottles and camp chairs and arrived early. And, we got a sweet spot -- street-side near the northwest corner of Grand and Arsenal. Or, so we thought until we realized that somebody brought a crazy lady to the parade and stood her right behind us. She complained the audibly the ENTIRE time -- about something, about nothing, and about everything else in between! Mostly though, here complaints involved not being able to see. Now, I might have been more compassionate had she been nice about all of this but she was not. So I ignored her as did everyone else in our vicinity. Eventually, she must have even started embarrassing the people who brought her because they started hushing her. I was tempted to turn around and take a look at her, maybe even remind her about parade and public etiquette but before I decided the wind intervened -- divine? karma? I'm not sure. But what I can tell you is that the tent canopy behind us suddenly took flight and clocked her in the back of the head. Her complaining finally stopped but, unfortunately, it was only because she began yelling at the people with the tent. That eventually stopped too but, by that time, she had walked far enough away from us that we could no longer hear her.

Book Review: Death in Yellowstone, Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park by Lee H. Whittlesey

Yes, more on Yellowstone. I'll move on soon. I promise.

Review:
No mystery what the book is about; the title says it all. However, word of caution: If you're hoping for a Faces of Death account of death in Yellowstone, this isn't your book. But, if you'd like a tastefully written, historical recounting of the various ways in which people have died in Yellowstone in the last 100 years, then Whittlesey's book IS for you. Lots of interesting information, lots of common sense reminders about life in the the wilderness. Whittlesey says it best:

"While appreciating its (nature) wholeness, we must never abandon a healthy respect for wilderness. Wilderness is impersonal. It does not care whether you live or die. It does not care how much you love it. So while we are loving the Yellowstone wilderness, while we play in it, indeed revel in it, taking it on its own terms and helping to protect it, we foolish mortals must always remember to respect it. For not only can it bite us, but, indeed, it can devour us."

Yellowstone and Teton Vacation 2009

This was an awesome vacation. And I mean that in all sincerity. Going to Yellowstone is all about extreme ranges. Look at this data from our trip. We experienced all of them in 9 days within the boundaries of both Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

Weather: Snow, Sleet, Rain, Fog, Overcast, Crystal-Clear Sunshine
Temperature: Cold, Cool, Warm
Flora: Lodgepole Pine, Englemann Spruce, Yellow Monkey Flower, Spring Beauty
Fauna: Bison, Bears, Elk, Marmot, Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, Dung Beetles
Lodging: Historic & Commercial Inns & Hotels, Rustic Cabins, Campgrounds
Congested: Mammoth Main Entry, Old Faithful Area, Other Visitor Centers, Little Used Trails

Extreme ranges. Most definitely. Most definitely awesome. My final word: Go to Yellowstone! I would encourage you to go in June too. The guide book say that in Yellowstone there's July, August, and Winter. I say phooey! Go in June! Avoid the crowds (I hear it's bumper to bumper within the park by July) and the heat and more predictable weather. You can find more of our vacation photos by clicking here.

Book Review: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

In The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery examines issues of life and death, beauty and art, philosophy and the human condition, and social class through the observations of the two outwardly misanthrope main characters, Madame Michel and Paloma Josse. Superifically, it appears that Madame Michel (the middle-aged, informally educated, gruff, peasant-stock concierge) and Paloma (an acutely intelligent 12-year old daughter of educated upper class parents) share little in common except geography (they live in the same small, but elegant Parisian apartment building) and routine (they perform their obligations and rituals with self-imposed anonymity and contempt). Yet, through their observations and journals, their inner lives are revealed to be strikingly similar: rich, astute, and painfully and accurately observant of the human condition. As the mystery of each character is slowly revealed and related to one another a little ray of hope blossoms in the novel. The blossom is, of course, bittersweet (darn those French!). My opinion? Definitely, read it. It's a solid 4 star novel -- 5 stars for content and style and 3 stars for the rambling philosophy 101.

Book Review: Female Chauvinistic Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture by Ariel Levy

While this is not a greatly written or very exciting book, it is a great little contribution to the new wave of feminism writing (are we still in the third wave? Or, is it the fourth now?). Basically, Ariel Levy explores in her book, Female Chauvinistic Pigs, two central questions -- #1, What does modern feminism look like and how/why does it differ from that of our parents and grandparents age? #2, Does female raunchy culture compliment or derogate modern feminism? Very, very interesting stuff, especially if you spend anytime around female tweens, teens, and 20's, which, as a teacher, I do. But, probably most interesting to me, because I feel this way too, is that Levy, who plants her feet firmly on the ground that condemns sexual objectification and emulating sex star behavior/attitude/dress/etc as empowering--among other things-- comes to this conclusion: that it's while it's easy to be firmly, ethically, socially, and politically opposed to this new kind of raunch culture as feminism it is culturally difficult to argue against raunch when those who support it make you feel like a square peg. Square peg. Love the song, hate the feeling.

Yellowstone and Teton

We're heading to Yellowstone and the Tetons tomorrow morning.Woo hoo! We'll be gone for two weeks but I hope to post photos and funnies along the way as internet access allows.

Summer 2009

Summer vacation has finally arrived! And while I won't have as much time this summer as I would like to there is still plenty of time for having new adventures and repeating old, favorite ones. Yesterday, we repeated an old fave -- the St Louis Zoo with a few of Willa's friends from school. Good times were had by all. Today, not much planned except a few chores and errands. Woo Hoo!

Crawfish Boil

Some SMOS parent friends (parents of Willa's friend Ava) that live in Benton Park invited us to a crawfish boil in their backyard. Boiling crawfish in the Midwest? That's what I said. Seems a little geographically and culinarily odd to me - but what do I know about boiling and/or eating crawfish? A big nothing except that I hate all things related to touching/cooking/smelling/eating shellfish. That said, who can pass up a crawfish boil? Not me. While I didn't touch the stuff, it was a great time -- great weather, great conversation, great drinks, great fun, and, of course, great hosts.

Another Funny Photo Comparison

My own little Farrah. Well, not quite. But, pretty funny anyway.

Stingrays at Caribbean Cove

There's a new attraction at the St Louis Zoo called Stingrays at Caribbean Cove where, for a $1.50 (for Zoo members) and up, you can have about 10 minutes in the pool area and pet the new stingrays. Last night was the STL Zoo members free preview night so we decided to go. We waited in line for about 20-30 minutes but it was worth the wait. Definitely fun stuff. But, the best part will be catching the rays at feeding time (which seems arbitrarily decided upon by the keepers based on the perceived hunger of the rays) when, for a small fee, you can buy ray food and feed them. Clearly this photo has nothing to do with stingrays but I took it last night and couldn't resist making the obvious art history comparison (The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo). Naturally, Bill is playing the role of God and Willa is starring as Adam. Yes, I'm a geek. Sorry.

Book Review: My Horizontal Life, A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Handler

After forcing myself to power through that mediocre Sloane Crosley book (see previous entry) I needed to be seriously entertained by my next choice. And, hallelujah, I was. Thank you Chelsea Handler. My very limited knowledge of Handler came via my little dirty habit. I watched a few short clips of her show and I was intrigued. Handler was funny, intelligent, witty, and bold. But, I probably would have forgotten about her had I not realized later that she had written a couple of books. So, I decided to start with My Horizontal Life, A Collection of One-Night Stands. One word: hilarious. At the beginning of the first essay, my eyes widened and my jaw hit the ground. The only time that expression left my face, which was actually quite often, was when I was laughed so hard that I nearly became incontinent. Seriously, I would laugh, have to put the book down because I was laughing so hard, pick the book up to start reading again, laugh some more, have to put the book down again (you get the idea). Honestly, this book is that funny. Go read it.

Book Review: I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

When I'm in the mood to read, but I don't feel like reading any of the 18 million unread books that I already own, I head to a bookstore (if I also need an outing) or log on to Amazon.com. On Amazon, I especially love the feature "Customers who bought this item have also bought this." This is how I stumbled across Sloane Crosley's I Was Told There'd Be Cake. I was sold on Sloane when I read the review and the book cover which stated a claim something like - if you like Sedaris and Vowell you'll love Crosley. "OMG!" I thought. "I love Sedaris! I love Vowell!" Um, well, I didn't love Crosley. In fact, I didn't even like Crosley. I tolerated her. Here's what I think in a nutshell: The writing was okay and, a couple of times, even funny. Yet, overall, I found Crosley's style and content predictable, unimaginative, and average. Maybe she's more entertaining in real life?