St. Louis

All posts in the St. Louis category

Book Review: Katana by Cole Gibsen

Published March 12, 2012 by LS Murphy

Synopsis: Rileigh Martin would love to believe that adrenaline had given her the uncanny courage and strength to fend off three muggers. But it doesn’t explain her dreams of 15th-century Japan, the incredible fighting skills she suddenly possesses, or the strange voice giving her battle tips and danger warnings.

While worrying that she’s going crazy (always a reputation ruiner), Rileigh gets a visit from Kim, a handsome martial arts instructor, who tells Rileigh she’s harboring the spirit of a five-hundred-year-old samurai warrior.

Relentlessly attacked by ninjas, Rileigh has no choice but to master the katana–a deadly Japanese sword that’s also the key to her past. As the spirit grows stronger and her feelings for Kim intensify, Rileigh is torn between continuing as the girl she’s always been and embracing the warrior inside her.

The Cover: Great sense of what this novel is about without reading the synopsis. A blonde chick with swords, the cherry blossoms, and the slashes through the title are enough to know Japan has something to do with the story.

The First Line: “I stepped outside the department store and felt something squish against my heel where concrete should have been.” This line serves as insight into the main character and I got the hint that she was a bit of a diva.

The Good: Rileigh kicks serious ass, whether she wants to or not. I enjoyed the shifts back into 15th century Japan and thought this was used perfectly. The reader gets a feel for the past without being overwhelmed by it. Gibsen could have easily fallen into overusing 15th century Japan to tell Rileigh’s story, but she avoided it with expertise. Rileigh’s a strong character and really reflects some of the struggles teenagers, and let’s face it a lot of adults, face in figuring out who they are.

Also, there are a lot of laugh out loud moments.

The Bad: The first chapter moved a little slow for me, but once Rileigh’s samurai spirit kicked in, the novel took off without looking back.

Recommendation: If you like strong female characters, this is a must read.

2012 Winter Warm Up Preview

Published January 10, 2012 by LS Murphy

The Annual Winter Warm Up is less than a week away and fans in St. Louis will be lining up to see their favorite players past and present. While plenty of people are aware that the Cardinals franchise player for the last decade will be absent for the next decade (or longer), there are still plenty of autographs to be had. And it ALL goes to Cardinals Care, one of the most notable charitable organizations in St. Louis.

There are some great bargains to be had if you’re an autograph seeker. BUT a lot of the tickets are already sold out. Yes… SOLD OUT.

Crazy? Maybe, but Cardinal Nation is strong even without the faces that have been associated with the team for last sixteen years. So if you missed your chance to plop down the dough for Lance Berkman or David Freese, don’t despair. You can still get in on the free autographs and hear the baseball chatter as we wait impatiently for Spring Training to start.

Head downtown to get into the baseball spirit this weekend. I promise you won’t regret it.

The following players will be signing free autographs and will not require an autograph ticket.

CURRENT PLAYERS

Matt Carpenter
Zach Cox
Brandon Dickson
Mark Hamilton
Pete Kozma
Shane Robinson
NEGRO LEAGUE PLAYERS
Jesse Rogers
DeMorris Smith
Sam Taylor
FORMER PLAYERS
George Altman
Alan Benes
Andy Benes
Glenn Brummer
Jerry Buchek
Danny Cox
Mike Crudale
Boots Day
Ken Dayley
Chuck Diering
Jim Donohue
Chris Duncan
Cal Eldred
Neil Fiala
Curt Ford
Phil Gagliano
David Green
Tom Henke
Rex Hudler
Dick Hughes
Mike Jorgensen
Tom Lawless
John Mabry
T.J. Mathews
Ed Mickelson
Wally Moon
Tom Pagnozzi
Ken Reitz
Kerry Robinson
Stan Royer
Ted Savage
Jason Simontacchi
Bob Sykes
Lee Thomas
Mike Tyson
Bill Virdon
Ray Washburn

Glowing in Forest Park

Published September 17, 2011 by LS Murphy

This summer has been beyond busy and moved at lightspeed. Sadly, my blog has fallen by the wayside. I plan on remedying that in the upcoming months with a new look.

Until then, here are some photos from The Great Forest Park Balloon Race and Glow.

Energizer Bunny

Lighting Up the Park

Meet Me in St. Louis

 

Save Del Taco

Published June 24, 2011 by LS Murphy

When word got out that developers planned on tearing down the iconic Del Taco building on South Grand, people took to the Internet to voice their displeasure. Right now, the “Save St. Louis Del Taco” Facebook page is at just over 8,500 followers.

A lot of people are wondering what the big deal is. I’ll tell you.

First, the building is on the National Registry of historic places. It wouldn’t be on the list if it wasn’t unique. It wouldn’t be on the list if there wasn’t some historical significance. Why tear down something that has character? Is it as beautiful as the Fabulous Fox Theater down the street? Nope. But can you really imagine anything else in that spot? Nope. Even when Del Taco closes, as it inevitably will, the building will stand out in its individuality.

Second, people care because they have memories there. As someone who can’t show her daughter where she really went to high school because the building is gone, I can understand the outcry. Students at St. Louis University frequent the taco shop and create memories there. It’s no fun to drive past a location where something used to be and try to recall it. But seeing it as it once was, even under a different incarnation, still holds that memory. And continues to create memories.

This morning on the radio one of my favorite talk show hosts was all for tearing down the building and creating something new. In his opinion, it would give people jobs. Yes, that is true. BUT what about all the abandoned buildings in the area that are falling in on themselves? What about all the empty historical homes that could be refurbished and made beautiful again? There are jobs there too, but he didn’t say anything about that.

Tearing down the building is all about the cold, hard cash. The developers see an opportunity to add more business in one spot, thereby boosting their own income. There isn’t anything wrong with that. That’s what they do. If only they could see the value of history over the value of a buck.

Like so many other people, I hope the building stays. I hope that another restaurant can open up there and continue the late night food craving tradition. And I hope that the developers look at the building for what it is, not what they want to put there.

St. Louis has a rich history. It would be a shame to start tearing it down.

Marine Corps Week

Published June 21, 2011 by LS Murphy

This week St. Louis has been invaded by the USMC.

Watch the aircraft fly in and land at Ballpark Village:

The Albany Marine Corp Band:

Fredbird joins in as the band plays Earth, Wind, & Fire:

M1 Abrams

Osprey

Marine Week is a welcome addition to St. Louis. It gives civilians a look at what it means to be a member of The Corps and the equipment that they use to protect our freedoms. It’s a chance to get to know some of the men and women behind the uniform. And a chance to say thanks.

Semper Fi.

Trivia Night BIG WIN

Published April 18, 2011 by LS Murphy

Last week was National Crime Victims’ Rights Week which ended in the St. Louis area with a Trivia Night. The Probation and Parole office located on S. Jefferson in St. Louis organized the 7th annual event and the amount of money raised was staggering.

This year’s Trivia Night had a new look. Out was the guy who had, for the last three years or so, written the questions and emceed the event. Shawn Bilant from The Big 550 KTRS took the mike and did a fantastic job with the questions.

The silent auction items were mind-blowing and included a picnic basket with two bottles of wine and over $80 in gift certificates as well as a signed baseball by St. Louis Cardinal center fielder Colby Rasmus. Local merchants like Joey B’s restaurant and  Mound City Shell Nut donated items for the silent auction. The Gateway Grizzlies and St. Louis Cardinals donated baseball tickets. Even ABinBev pitched in to help.

Victims of Crime, with the help of donations, can get the help they need. The OVC (Office for Victims of Crime) has a mission “to enhance the Nation’s capacity to assist crime victims and to provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. OVC accomplishes its mission in many different ways:

  • Administering the Crime Victims Fund.
  • Supporting direct services.
  • Providing training programs.
  • Sponsoring demonstration projects.
  • Producing publications of promising practices in victim services.”

But TRIVIA was the name of the game and it was one fun night. There is a trick to a good trivia night. The questions have to be fun, but there need to be a few tough ones to separate the men from the boys. The first question of the night under the St. Louis category was: St. Louis Cardinal Lance Berkman last played for what team? Well, the answer was New York Yankees, but some answered Houston Astros, the team Berkman spent the majority of his career with.

The highlight of the night came in the final round: Finish the Lyric. By the tenth round, tables that are out of contention tend to lose focus. Not at this trivia night. Everybody sang. Even if they were singing the answers, they didn’t care. It was fun to hear a gym full of people singing “American Pie” and “Piano Man” after the music had cut out. The eighth question was to finish the lyric from “Party in the USA”. And that’s when everyone got a show. A gentleman at one of the tables in the back of the gym stood up, lip-synced the words, and danced like he was on American Bandstand. It was ah-ma-zing. He was given a standing ovation when the music cut out.

All-in-all, it was a great Trivia Night. Not for just the team that took the top prize but for the organizers as well as the victims.

And that staggering sum of money I talked about… Almost $13,000 was raised for Crime Victims.

I’d call that a BIG WIN.

Get Your Mardi Gras On

Published March 6, 2011 by LS Murphy

Ah, Mardi Gras. An annual right of excess for Catholics and those pretending to be Catholic for the day. Or even religious. Granted Fat Tuesday is the REAL Mardi Gras, we here in St. Louis have taken to celebrating our inebriation on the Saturday before.

I just like to walk the parade route.

The floats didn’t disappoint this year. The theme of “Great American Treasures” gave Krewes plenty to pick from. Our float tipped its hat to the great American tradition of Tailgating.

Even the Marines showed up to provide a little music.

The most psychedelic bus to hit city streets since the 60s tipped their hat to, of all things, The Muppet Show.

And it wouldn’t be called Great American Treasures without about 80 Marylin Monroes on one float and some had beards.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a parade without Evil Knievel. Or lots of Evil Knievels.

There was so much to see and so much creativity on the floats that it blew my mind. One Krewe paid tribute to Mom’s Apple Pie with a giant pie on the top of their truck that had “steam” coming out of it. That’s just awesome.

And then there is the parade itself. It’s like being a rock star for the day.  Everyone loves you and you love them back with copious amounts of beads. It has to be experienced.

Yep that’s me in the blue hair.

So if you ever find yourself in St. Louis next February or March or whenever Mardi Gras falls next year, come down the parade and get your bead on. It isn’t New Orleans, but we don’t try to be. St. Louis has its only little Mardi Gras niche and I promise a good time is had by all.

Twisters and More

Published February 28, 2011 by LS Murphy

I made my feelings about tornadoes pretty clear in my post The Fear of Twisters. Yeah, not a fan

Imagine my surprise when the wind woke me up last night. No, not a tornado siren, it was all wind.

Was it a twister? It felt like it , but probably not.

I was sound asleep when it all came down. At 11:44pm, the wind hit my house and started shaking it. Yes, I looked at the clock as I tried to untangle myself from my covers and grab my daughter at the same time.

Just as I snapped awake, my husband rushed into the room and shouted, “Get to the basement. NOW!”

Um, yeah. Got that when I thought I was going to become Dorothy and scoot on over to Oz. But that wasn’t the time for sarcasm.

After we were safely cowering in our basement, my hubby told me what had happened before the wind tried to carry me off.

He had stayed up to watch the radar online, on his phone, and on TV as the warnings grew closer. About ten minutes before the storm hit, the sirens in our little town hit their high note. For about twenty seconds. Then they wound down. So, no need to worry, right?

WRONG!! 

Until the house started doing the Funky Chicken.

We were lucky. There wasn’t any damage to our house or our cars. People down the street weren’t so fortunate. Plenty of houses had siding torn off, trees uprooted, and more substantial damages. Other towns in the area didn’t fare so well either as tornadoes and high winds ripped down signs, dropped trees on cars, and even shut down a highway by knocking some powerlines across it.

It’s too bad that the science in the movie Twister hasn’t caught up with reality yet. Good old Hollywood magic. Maybe I would’ve been in the basement long before the storm attacked had the sirens continued. Maybe I would’ve felt a teensy bit safer instead of racing down the steps with a two-year old asleep in my arms.

I just hope my luck holds up for next time.

Robbing with Machete?

Published February 22, 2011 by LS Murphy

When I read this story yesterday about a man robbing a 7-11 with a machete, the first thing I thought was Jason Vorhees was on the lose in South St. Louis. I was totally flabbergasted. Who walks into a 7-11 with a freaking machete?

And, to make this even more interesting, the clerk finished his shift!

I’m sorry, but if someone robs me and threatens my life in the process, I’m not going to work the rest of the night. Nope, not going to happen. Probably another reason I don’t work in the convenience store industry and never have.

And this is just another reason why St. Louis gets a bad rep.

Thankfully, we have an awesome baseball team. Go Cards.

 

Just Call Me Brett Favre

Published October 18, 2010 by LS Murphy

At the end of the 2009 softball season (co-ed rec league), I mulled retirement. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that it was time to hang up my cleats.

Truth is I’d been wavering back and forth since the great knee injury of 2006. I was, as usual, playing third base and fielded a sharply hit grounder to my left. As I came up, still running, to throw the ball, my left foot stuck to the ground while my body continued moving to the left. I went down hard after feeling my knee pull apart and snap back together.

My shortstop came over to help me up. I told him to call for an ambulance. I wasn’t going anywhere on my own. Turned out to be a partial tear on my ACL. I got lucky. No surgery. (For the record, I did throw the guy out at first.)

That was the first time I thought about retirement.

But I came back and played first base  that fall even though I couldn’t run. I could barely hobble. I’m a glutton for punishment.

I missed the 2008 summer season because I was pregnant but played that fall. We won the league championship. Still, I wondered if I shouldn’t stop. My newborn was my top priority.

Again, I came back for the summer 2009 season. Somewhere along the way, softball stopped being fun. I didn’t enjoy being on the field at all. Even my fun-loving teammates were getting on my last nerve. So that was it. I decided then and there that I was done.

Until Saturday.

My old team needed a girl for the playoffs on Sunday. I didn’t have anything else going on and the games were early so I said why not, figuring this to be a one-time, good-deal. Plus the weather was great for October.

We sucked big time, losing both games. My fielding wasn’t great, but I was out of practice. I went 1 for 2 with a walk in the first game and 2-4 in the second. There was only one at-bat that wasn’t quality.

Most importantly, I had a blast. I joked with my team and our opponents. I told the outfielders to “Stop playing like Randy Winn and hit the cut-off man” and the pitcher to “Stop pitching like Lohse, we need Wainwright”. That got several chuckles. When one guy on an opposing team came to bat, I shouted “He’s been drinking  heavily; get him out.” He shook his head at me with a big grin.

Whatever was missing last summer had return. Softball was fun again. I relished it.

After the game, the manager asked me if I was going to play next year.

I smiled then told him I’d think about it.

I’ve got time.