Advertisement
Published: October 31st 2006
Edit Blog Post
OK, so in case you don't know or haven't heard yet... The Cardinals won the world series in game 5. It was actually the fourth game, but it got delayed due to the rain and ended up being played on Friday. Either way we got to be there and had a phenomenal time.
I know I mentioned that the Red Bull Soap Box Races were in town. Well people from all over the US packed up their home built contraptions and drove to St Louis to compete. Didn't get to see the race but we were in the parking structure that we kept sneeking into downtown when one of the entries misjudged the hieght of their load and got stuck inside the garage. Matt came running to tell me to come and see. The school bus looking race car had wedged itself under one of the beams in the parking garage. I decided to help after I finished laughing and shooting some video and pictures of course. The 4 of us ended up bouncing on the back of the truck until the driver was able to inch forward and free the miniature school bus. I dont think their combined weight
was enough. Because for some reason, when I joined in, and started jumping on it, the truck bed bounced more than enough to help out. Glad to see that my beer belly was being used for good instead of evil. There is a first time for everything I guess.
Aside from that, we were majorly confused about when the victory parade was for the Cardinals. We had heard on the radio, that it was on Tuesday. So we booked our way home since we couldn't stay that long. Then we heard that it was on Monday. We were mad that we already had tickets to go home on Sunday. But still decided to leave and didn't want to change our plans. After all of that, we got suspicious and decided to check online what the actual date of the parade was. Turned out to be Sunday. Well I dont know about you, but one more day isn't going to kill anyone. At least I hope it wont. So at 3am on Sunday morning my brother and me were both on our cell phones calling the airlines and changing our flight reservations. We eventually got to stay and go to
We're all in.
5 of a kind beats 3 of a kind. the parade. But you already knew that from the pictures, right. Moving on.
Forgot to tell you guys this one. Had to take a cab home from the bar one night. I wasn't the only one standing out there waiting for one, when a taxi happened by. A group of 3 ran over to claim it. I asked where they were going and if we could share it. The girl looked at me and said, "We don't even know who you are", and walked to the cab. O.K. bitch. So I waited some more. But then they all walked back to the corner we were on. They were talking amungst eachother about why the guy even stopped if he already had a fair and that they wouldn't let them in. I couldn't resist. "Maybe it's cuz they didn't know you...", and I just smiled and chuckled. We ended up sharing a cab anyway because cab drivers want money and they were only going down the street. I tell ya, kids these days...
In the 1800's, St Louis was the most westward of major american cities. Anything west of that was uncharted by the colonies. Hence it was known
The show me state!?
Showed us a good time. as "The Gateway to the West" for american expansion. So the arch was built to symoblize that in the 1960's. I think it does the job just fine. So going up to the top was definately on the iterary for me. It's gotta be good, Right? Well, let me tell you my fiends. Bought my ticket for the ride up and waited in the short line. There were only a few of us that weekday morning. The waiting area was a slightly sloping staircase with small evelator type doors (about 5ft high) spaced out along the staircase wall. The tram came a few minutes later and the doors opened with people getting out. I leaned over to fit through the doors of what was an egg shaped container with 5 seats in it. It was a very small space and I was happy to be the only one in it. It was not tall enough for me to stand in and i could touch every wall easily by just reaching out my arm. It was painted all in white and all of a sudden I felt like a chicken in an egg. I would not call myself a clostraphobic person,
The short bus gang.
These 4 drove into the structure and got their soap box racer stuck. but I have freaked out twice before from feeling trapped in a confined space.
If I have already told you these stories, please skip to the next paragraph. The first was, some years ago, I was in the bottom bunk of a sleeper train in Italy. A lady had gotten on at one of the stops and placed all of her luggage in the aisle of the car almost entirely enclosing me into my bottom bunk. When I woke in the middle of the night, I found myself in a box basically. The second time was my first open water SCUBA dive in Australia. Took me a bit of time to adjust to having no peripheral vision and feeling trapped in the gear. Well, if you're gunna make an omlette, you have to break some eggs. Not sure how that applies here, but I do like saying that. Oooo, and put hot sauce on the eggs too. MMMMMM. Oops, back to the story...
So sitting there in St Louis, I wonderd if this 4 minute ride in an egg was going to be my third experience. The other two times I was able to talk myself through it.
St Louis Arch
Guzman Arch. Both evenly impressive. But only after some alone time of panic. This time turned out to be smoother. I was fine. No freak out in the arch. But at least I was alone, so that if i did start clawing at the walls, no one would have to watch me do it. That was the longest 4 minutes ever though. Small place, with the car jostling around with no way to see where I was going and all I wanted to do was get outta there and run free. Hey, now I know how sperm feel. Deja vu. Deja vu.
But the fun wasn't over yet. Once I got to the top, and the viewing deck I stumbled a bit walking to get a picture. So I paused a second to catch my balance. I know what you're thinking and you're right; sure, I had been out the night before, but this was something different. As I stood there looking down at my feet, I could feel the arch moving in the wind. I looked up to see a park ranger was there smiling giddily at me. "The arch was constructed to withstand high winds and was built to allow for 18inches
Bud Factory
Home of Kevin's little buddies. of sway. 9 in either direction." Those were her exact words. I asked why there wasn't a sign downstairs letting you know BEFORE you come up? She didn't know. I guess it's just one of those wonderful little things that come with being somewhere new. At over 600ft tall, believe me, the last thing you want while standing on top of it, is the structure swaying in the wind. So I just got my photos, absorbed some historical tid bits and was on my way.
So here's some more maniacal mayhem mumbo jumbo about my momentous Missouri movements. That was stretching it, but I think you get the jist.
Days in St Louis: 7
Games attended: Me 3, Matt all 5.
Walking tours went on: Anheuser Busch.
Time we spent standing on that trash can: about 45minutes.
FYI: The Atomic Cowboy opens at 5pm on Sat & Sun. Wish I would have know that before we showed up there at 1pm on Saturday.
Hours spent outside 'the cowboy' because we were able to use the wireless connection: 1.5
# of Romano brothers we got to hang out with: 3
Nights we got a way better rate at hotel
Randy on parade
Hey that guy looks familiar. just for arguing about it: 2
Times I spelled clastraphobic right the first time: only once. DAMNIT. Ruined that stat.
Times we crossed over to Illinouis: 4
Times we crossed over on purpose: 1
Pictures taken: 257
Toothbrushes forgotten: 1
Days we took advantage of the open container O.K. law in St. Louis: all 7
Times driven on Mark Maguire Highway: 11
Birthdays celebrated while there: 1
Flight out: $326.74
Charge to change flight: none
Bar tab hanging out the extra day; $87.00
Parking garage fee: $0, snuck in again.
2006 World Series Champions beenie: $21.00
Watching your friend that you used to copy off his homework as a kid, in a championship parade with people screaming his name: priceless.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.231s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 6; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0512s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
MONICA
non-member comment
HEY...
I DIDN'T KNOW RANDY PLAYED FOR THE CARDINALS UNTIL I SAW HIM PITCH IN A GAME...I KEPT TELLING MY KIDS "THAT GUY LOOKS FAMILIAR" AND EVEN AFTER THE ANNOUNCERS SAID HIS NAME I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT WAS HIM PLAYING IN THE WORLD SERIES!!! ANYWAY, HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH YOU AND IF YOU TALK TO RANDY TELL HIM I SAID CONGRATS!!! MONICA