...beers and brats...

Andy and his sister and parents

Oktoberfest!

St. Louisans love their beers and brats! In fact, Andy was telling us how Quiktrip used to sell brats, but they only sold well in the St. Louis market, so they discontinued them.

There are several Oktoberfests to enjoy in the area, but one of the biggest and best is the St. Charles Oktoberfest, mostly due to the fact that Andy's sister, Heather, is on the committee. And there couldn't be a more perfect evening for a festival.

Held on the riverfront, we were shocked at the sheer magnitude of it all. The hungry and thirsty masses crowded together in long lines (that moved quite quickly) to get a sampling of brats, pretzels, bavarian sliders, beers and ciders, and other festival foods.

The first bite

Those that weren't waiting for food and drinks were trying to sift their way through colossal crowds to hear the performing groups, peruse the merchandise tents, or simply sit by the riverfront and enjoy the evening.

I enjoyed my very first brat (yes, my first!) while sipping on some tasty hard cider. Andy found a tent where he could purchase a liter beer stein, and when I saw the dance floor, I pulled Andy out into the open taught him a simple polka as the German band played.

I can't believe this was our first year attending this event. It was so much fun, and such a lovely evening to be outside.

You have one more day to check out this fabulous festival, celebrating community and German heritage. Don't miss out!

For more information on the St. Charles Oktoberfest, click here.

The picture is blurry, but you can see how happy I was.

...defying gravity...

I was shaking, a bit uncontrollably, as I stood on the small rectangular frame high above the net. I had just ascended a way-too-high ladder, and was clinging to the thin ropes and bars for dear life. Somehow, so high up in the air, I had completely forgotten that I was safely harnessed in.

Evan powdered my hands with chalk and reminded me what would be happening. Matt gave us a basic run thru on the ground, but it all seemed to seep out of my brain as I stared at the ground far below. Evan pulled the bar close and I reluctantly grabbed it with my right hand. Then, he held onto my harness as I reached out with my left hand to grip the other end. I panicked as I tried to tighten my grip. Evan made sure I was ready and steady before yelling “Hup!” the universal symbol for “Go!” in trapeze flying.

As awkwardly as possible, I forced my feet from the frame. “No no no no no!” I screamed, as I hurtled through the air. (Yes, I screamed. In my defense, it is pretty nerve rattling! At least it provided some comic relief for my fellow classmates and teachers.)

But when my senses semi came back to me and I realized I was still hanging on, I heard Zach call: “Okay, are you ready to do a knee hang?” I thought, well, I'm already up here. I might as well try. I gave a meek okay, and then heard “Knees up!”

One of the best parts of this trapeze flying class are the teachers. Matt, Elliana, Evan and Zach are excellent flyers, but, more importantly, they're stellar teachers. And here's why: Did you hear Zach's question? Are you ready to do a knee hang?

Not “Are you going to?”

Not “Do you want to?”

Are you ready to?

A great teacher believes in you before you ever believe in yourself. They see the possibilities and they encourage and train you toward them. I was full on terrified, and convinced I'd fall off. I was sure I would embarrass myself. But each teacher took a part in patiently encouraging and nudging me toward the goal.

And guess what? I hooked my knees over that bar! Then I let my arms fly free and arched my back as I reached for the other side! It took everything in me to pull arms back up to the bar, but I did it! Then I dropped my legs down and let Zach safely drop me down to the net. (I wasn't interested in attempting the backflip dismount...at least not the first time!) 

I crawled, laughing, shaking, panting to the edge as Matt and Elliana helped me flip off the side onto the mats. “Breathe,” they kept repeating, “breathe.”

It took me a moment to re-learn out how...

We practiced several more times before ending the class with a few “catches.” Here is video proof of my catch!

I admit, I kind of look like a frog on take off, and my dismounts are less than desirable, but look at what I accomplished after ONE ninety minute class!

You can, too!! But you don't have much time left.

Circus Harmony will close its swings for the season on October 19^th. If you are interested in going, let me know. Our friends and family will receive 25% off the cost of a class. More if we can get a group together! With available class times Tuesday – Saturday, we can find something that will work for everyone. Don't wait, though! This is one adventure you won't want to miss!

I know Matt, Evan, Elliana, and Zach would love to teach you how to fly!

Can't wait for a group? Wanna fly today? Call Matt at 314.436.7676 to schedule your adventure!

...google plus...

Can someone please explain it to me? I don't understand how it works. Circles, notifications, chats...I'm getting super lost.

Admittedly, I'm a bit of a dunce when it comes to social media. But here is something I do know.

Since I started my blog, there has been someone consistently 1+ing my posts, and to that person, I want to give a special thank you.

You have encouraged me to keep going when I wanted to throw in the towel. Your simple feedback is invaluable to me. Sometimes, you even 1+ my worst posts. It's really so sweet of you. And I have no idea who you are.

(Unless, of course, it's some computer 1+ing stuff...or google automatically 1+ es me every time I post.)

Although that seems more likely, I still want to take a moment to say thank you to those of you that read my adventures, my non-adventures, and my mad ramblings.

You matter to me. You make a difference in my life. I hope I can do the same for you someday. Let me know how I can encourage you on your wildest adventures!

xoxo!

...Taste of St. Louis...

Today, we tasted St. Louis...

...and it was delicious!

To end our anniversary weekend, Andy and I joined our friends Matt and Arun at the Taste of St. Louis.

It was a gorgeous day, almost chilly with the wind, and though the event was well attended, it seemed a bit more spacious in this Chesterfield Park, than in past years on the streets of downtown.

We walked the circle of 42 different restaurants three times, sampling 65 chicken, orange chicken, ribs, kobe beef sliders, toasted ravioli, cupcakes, and cheesecake. It was all amazing!

My greatest disappointment of the night? Steve's Hot Dogs had no more mac and cheese for their famous gorilla mac and cheese dog! It was really all I wanted to taste. Mac and cheese and hot dogs is my childhood!

I hope you had as wonderful a weekend as we did!

Marriage to this guy is still my favorite adventure!

(...I might need to go to the store and buy some mac n cheese and hot dogs...)

...The Great Forest Park Balloon Race...

The Great Forest Park Balloon Race is a St. Louis staple. It is the largest balloon race of its kind in the world, bringing in ballooning experts and people come from far and wide to cheer on them on. I had never been, so Andy and I packed a lunch and drove to Forest Park for a long afternoon.

We arrived early because I had heard parking could be a bear. We laid on our blanket, surrounded by other picnickers, and took a nap before walking around to the different booths.

The day was warm and sticky, and the sun got hotter as the afternoon wore on. The air was thicker on the launching grounds because of the huge array of people littered across the lawn. I love this diverse city!

The best part: Dogs were allowed!! We brought Buddy, and I think he might have been the best attraction. Every where we went, young and old asked to pet him, and he was so sweet, allowing them to pet him and snuggle him.

Due to high winds, the race was delayed, and some balloons didn't make it off the ground, but the ones that did were sent off with loud cheers and applause from the audience. The way they swayed and tilted and buckled in the wind. What an adventure! Maybe someday we can take a balloon ride.

Here are a few pictures from our day:

Hamlet the Beggin' Strips dog.
(Our "kid" with his favorite mascot!)

This one took forever to get on it's way.

I honestly wondered if this one would tip over.

Pretty site

This one landed in our condo common area this week.

It's awe-inspiring to be so close to these delicate giants. It brought out my inner child, my sense of wonder and imagination, and I can't wait for next year!

Have you ever been to a balloon race? Have you ever taken a hot air balloon ride?

...progressive dinner...

Andy and I celebrated our fourth anniversary with a progressive dinner around the Central West End last night.

A sweet person walked right up
to us and asked if she could take our
picture. We were so grateful!

The CWE is a trendy suburban St. Louis neighborhood with several great eateries within walking distance. We did have to fight some heavy traffic on the way, but once we arrived we found a meter-less parking spot and walked toward our first destination for drinks: Sub Zero Vodka Bar.

Blueberries, vodka
and champagne

The Sub Zero Vodka Bar boasts over 750 vodkas from around the world and a huge array of other drinks. Vodka is really the only hard liquor that Andy will drink, and I prefer my alcohol to taste like fruit punch, so we were both able to find something to make us happy. Our waitress was so fantastic that we even got an order of sweet potato fries (BEST EVER!) and chatted about our lives thus far before heading out for appetizers at Bar Louie.

Sliders - yum!

The patio at Bar Louie was packed, but the dining area was a ghost town during that happy hour. Our waiter didn't really seem to care that we were there, but the bacon cheeseburger sliders were delicious! We got out of there pretty quickly and walked over to the Tenderloin Room in the Chase Park Plaza.

An unexpected cheesecake

The Tenderloin Room is an elegant restaurant that has been around since the fifties. Our waiter, Todd, was magnificent and encouraged us to try the pepperloin a la tenderloin which was just amazing! I thought the side potatoes were delicious and Andy said the green beans were the best he'd ever eaten. I couldn't even eat all of dinner so Andy had to help me. When we were finished, Todd brought out a slice of key lime cheesecake to celebrate our anniversary.

It's the little details that make all the difference.

World's Largest Chess Piece

We were so stuffed and exhausted that we didn't make it to dessert at Bissingers. So we walked back to our car and headed home listening to selections from Ella Fitzgerald and Muse as we drove.

This was a really fun activity! I would encourage you to give it a try in your own area. We loved walking around and seeing the people and sites. I think will try it again, maybe with some friends next time. Next time we'll allot more time at each place. An hour wasn't enough.

If you do this, I'd love to hear about it!

...a mile in her shoes...

I love discussing future goals. Andy does it to appease me.

This winter, when we were having our yearly chat about how and where we wanted to grow, he asked me if I had any ideas as to where I would like to volunteer. I immediately blurted out, “I think I want to get involved in the sex slave industry.” (I should write things down before I say them.) Thankfully, my husband, who completely understood my meaning, corrected my sentence and encouraged me to get started.

But where to start?

So I did a lot of reading and researching online. As I sifted through the statistics, I found them all in equal parts horrifying, heartbreaking, and rage-inducing.

I'll let you google the human trafficking statistics yourself.

The A21 Campaign was the first website to open my eyes to the issue of modern day slavery. Not only did they give me information, but they also provided me with ways to get involved.

Their goal is to abolish slavery in the 21^st century and they do this through prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships. You can read more about all these things here.

In an effort to help the A21 Campaign abolish slavery in my lifetime, and to make this upcoming half marathon a bit more fun, I'm choosing to put myself on the line and do some silly things to raise a few dollars. I've started a Crowdrise Fundraising campaign, which you can check out here.

If I raise:

$250: I'll wear silly socks

$500: I'll wear silly socks and a tutu

$1000: I'll wear all the above and jingle bells

$2500: I'll wear all the above and a silly hat/head piece

$5000: I'll wear all the above and wear chains

$10,000: I'll wear all the above and run the race in heels

There are lots of ways you can support me and my goal. You can:

Help me reach my fundraising goal by donating money. Even a few dollars can go a long way in providing a hope and a future.

Pass this blog or fundraising site on to your friends.

Be a running buddy for some longer runs.

If you live in the San Francisco area and are willing to get out of bed at 6am, you can cheer me on at the race.

Cheer me on from the comfort of your home by liking and commenting on my Facebook running post the day of the race, October 19. It will send real time cheers to keep me going!

Ultimately, I'd really love to see some spontaneous conversations regarding human trafficking entering our daily chat. I didn't really know it was such an issue until recently. And I think we can all agree that it shouldn't be happening.

Ready to donate? Click here.

What's wrong with people?

...are we? Are we?

The sky was deep and dark and gray when I hit snooze for the third time this morning. Rain drenched the already soaked earth, and I sloshed through the grass in flip flops as I tried to balance an umbrella, a leash and my phone.

The day couldn't have been more gloomy, until this story popped into my inbox.

What's wrong with people?

I recently finished The Book Thief, both the book and movie, and watched The Boy in the Striped Pajamas on Amazon Prime. I had been doing some minor research when I discovered that St. Louis has a holocaust museum. After my morning classes, I drove to the Jewish Community Center in Creve Coeur to walk through the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center.

I arrived drenched with rain, but was warmly welcomed and ushered toward the entrance. With an audio guide in hand, I strolled and listened and stopped and read and stared.

This was not my first Holocaust Museum experience. I had been to the one in Washington DC several years ago, but for as many times as you hear the stories, I don't think you can ever really prepare yourself for the horror they hold.

Entire classes of children that were wiped off the face of the earth save but one. Mentally disabled persons being starved to death, or given lethal injections, or gassed to death, so as to create a perfect race. Death marches, concentration camps, outright murders.

My eyes ached after 90 minutes of trying to hold back tears.

And the only thought that kept running through my mind was...what's wrong with people?

How were so many so led astray? How could they swallow the lies they were being fed? How could humanity have allowed this to happen?

And then, of course...how would I have responded?

My heart and head were heavy as I stepped out into the warm, humid sunshine of a late summer day in St. Louis. I felt like the sun shouldn't be allowed to shine after what I'd just seen...but shine it did, hot and bright.

When we are not directly affected by tragedy, it's easy to turn a blind eye to the atrocities that surround us. It's painful to admit that our humanity has so grievously missed the mark.

Then, you hear this story.

Every day, may we each choose to live like this man.

...serendipity...

Do you have a hankering for a sweet treat? Are you willing to take a walk on the wild side?

Then head over to Serendipity Ice Cream Shop in Webster Groves where you can sample:

Cookie Monster! - Cotton Candy ice cream with Oreo pieces.

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake - I didn't try it but it's obviously a St. Louis staple.

Coffee Chocolate Bacon Ripple - yes, you read that correctly.
What's wrong with us? Isn't this just excess and overload?
(All my coffee, chocolate, bacon loving friends would LOVE this!)
I'm not a coffee fan, so the flavor was not for me, but I could see the appeal.

I opted for the Cinnamon ice cream. It was heavenly! Andy got Peach and Strawberry ice creams. He's already making plans for us to go back. Since they change their menu frequently and come up with new ideas, you might want to head over there soon if any of the above sweets interest you.

Serendipity is "the aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident." I wonder if all their ice cream flavors are happy accidents? They are definitely desirable, since they ship their ice cream out to over 100 restaurants. That's no small feat, considering that all the ice cream is made in house with all natural ingredients. No frozen dairy dessert here! 

This delightful little place is truly worth a visit. Check them out!

They also had a stl250 cake! Only, like...200 more to go! ;)

Happy accidents can make any adventure better. When was the last time you were surprised by serendipity?

...challenge nation...

Back in the saddle...

It's not that I haven't been going on adventures, it's just that I've been so exhausted by the end of the day that I fall asleep sitting up in bed trying to relay the details to you in this blog.

But today was too fun not to share! (Plus, it's the weekend, meaning I can stay up late. I'm still super tuckered, though.)

Anyway...

Have you ever heard of Challenge Nation? Challenge Nation is an urban adventure race mixing a 5k with a scavenger hunt. Think the Amazing Race on a much, much smaller scale.

It's really like a dream come true for me.

When I saw the reduced price on Groupon, I asked Karen if she would be interested and she agreed. Soon she began asking, "So...what is this?" and sadly, I had no solid answer for her. We didn't know what to expect, except that we would be enjoying each others company and running around the city. We decided it would be fun nonetheless. 

And was it ever! Here are a few pics with some details:

Pre-race selfies. I don't feel awkward. We weren't the only ones.

As the team captain, I waited in the circle for our clues.

Our very first stop, we had to find a particular statue and then use
the provided noodles to spell MO for Missouri.

On the stepping stones between the giant pink suit sculpture and the
giant head. We did get turned around a bit on this one.

Copy the pose of one of the two Cardinal greats whose names match
those of a Tarheel coaching great! (See, you had to figure it out.)
It was tricky!

Have a faux marriage ceremony on the church steps to someone else on your
team with another Challenge team officiating and acting as a wedding party.
These people were so nice!

Find someone from a state beginning with the letter N, C, T or L.
Take a photo of them with their license and then act out a scene from a
movie or show that was based in their state. Since he was from New Mexico
we wanted to do Breaking Bad, but we settled for the The Lone Ranger.
Ladies of New Mexico: This guy's a keeper!

Buy a postcard. Address it to someone on your team. Purchase a stamp.
Find a blue mailbox and take a photo. This was the most challenging
since most places selling stamps were closed. We were given a stamp
by a nice man at the 360 rooftop bar when we went to get a selfie with the arch.
Everyone should go to 360 just to support such nice people!

By a fluke, we saw the police car and gave our best Charlie's Angels pose.
This was the last of our 11 clues and we bolted away toward the finish line.

Karen and I laughed a lot as we ran back to race day headquarters, The Wheelhouse. We were sure we were close to last, since I'd seen from the previous year that many people were finishing in under and hour and we were well over an hour and a half at that point, but we didn't care. We decided to finish strong, and so we hit a steady stride and let our legs carry us to the finish line.

Interestingly enough, we past several (at least 5, by my count) other groups that were sauntering toward the finish line, and we raced past them...right into 49th place!! 

Never give up! Always finish strong!

Out of 175 teams, we placed 49th and are now eligible to compete in the National Challenge in Las Vegas for $5000. 

We won't go to Vegas, but we will definitely sign up for next year's challenge! This event was so much fun, so well organized, composed of some of the kindest people, and just an all around great way to spend the day! We couldn't stop raving about it!

The next one in St. Louis will be September 5, 2015. Mark your calendars! Hopefully we'll see you there!

The St. Louis Songbirds