Wonderful Weekend in Missouri!
When ESPN pushed Sunday's game back to 7pm from its originally-slated afternoon slot, I decided to visit longtime family friends in Boonville, Missouri (just west of Columbia) in between games. The Cooper family is, simply put, my childhood memory sunk into a family living in a remote place. The parents of the family were my parents' best friends and we typically visited them every summer. Their 3 sons gave me the big family I wanted but did not have, and I loved them like brothers. I have such fond memories of all of our doings together, including sleeping in the back of a station wagon in our pajamas while our parents watched a drive-in movie, boating at Lake of the Ozarks (when I enjoyed my first peanut butter and banana sandwich), attending the boys' baseball tournaments and motorcycle races, catching concerts with them at the Missouri State Fair, etc. I haven't seen them in a long time . . . I think the last time was when I attended the oldest son's wedding, and he now has a daughter in the third grade. So I was excited to see them!
But first, I flew into St. Louis on Saturday morning. On the way, I wrote this:
I am “most myself” when I travel. There is no feeling quite like the one I experience just as I begin a new trip, whether I am waiting for the plane to take off or putting the top down on the car just before beginning a road trip. I adore the anticipation of what I will see and hear and smell, and eat and drink. I daydream about the conversations I will have with strangers I meet along the way, some natives of the place I’m visiting and some wanderers like myself. My trusty and beloved D70 camera (aka “Puccini”) will be at my side, helping me make art from life. And I will try to make a bit of time each day to write about what I’ve experienced, piecing the details together from the little black notebook in which I jot things I don’t want to forget.
At this very moment, I am savoring the excitement of seeing
(1) City Museum, which promises, “a magical world forged of recycled, recovered and reshaped treasures” and “some of the most captivating interactive art” that “unleashes the fascinated, childlike spirit stored within every explorer who passes through its doors”;
(2)
(3) Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, a lovely-looking place near
(4) a Gateway Arch riverboat tour on the
Frankly, I’m not sure how exciting the last of these options will be, but today’s forecast for
I have also researched
Airport observation: there is nothing in the world sexier than a well-built man with beautiful shoulders who loves books so much that he is reading while standing in the boarding area.
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That sounds like a lot to accomplish during what would be approximately 4 spare hours not spent watching baseball and visiting friends, right? Well, it was! Especially because I aimed straight for a pedicure upon landing . . . something I ran out of time to do before heading out of town, but which was desperately needed. The experience was wonderfully relaxing--much needed--but when I finished, I was starving and had just enough time to eat lunch before heading to the Stadium. So, I crossed exactly NONE of the above items off my list! Instead, I drove toward downtown St. Louis in my amazing ride, a Hertz car that was only a few dollars more than my standard mid-size, but that much to my surprise, offered a sunroof, spacious leather seats and XO radio that could be controlled from the steering wheel! I liked it so much that I photographed it:
And then I found lunch here, at Delmonico's soul food joint:
The place was wonderful, very one-of-a-kind. I wish I had not felt too intimidated to photograph the interior of the place, but it was hung thickly with photographs of Martin Luther King and others, and various foil decorations, including lettering, and some old-looking leather diner booths. The food was home cooking at its best, with baked chicken so tender that it literally fell from the bone. I chose green beans and fried potatoes to go with it, as well as corn bread that was the only off-note (slightly dry). The lady at the cash register was dismayed and somewhat sickened by my choice of unsweetened tea--she only likes the sweet stuff. I was tempted by the delicious-looking cobbler options, but held back. I read the local African-American community newspaper while eating. It was extremely well written, not even adding "for a local paper," and held my interest completely.
I reluctantly tore myself away from the air conditioning, returning to the 103-degree heat. On my way downtown to the stadium, I saw some interesting sights, like this very broken-down area:
and this police-escorted bike ride (not quite the ride to the Champs-Elysees of the Tour de France):
I easily found close parking (for only $6!) and followed the crowds to the game. On the way, I saw Cubs fans and a fountain:
I also saw the famous arch:
There was a long line for entry to the game, even though it was an hour before game time. This lucky gentleman was giving away free cheese before the game:
(Not what I had in mind for such a steamy hot day, but everyone else seemed to love it!)
Busch is a nice place, even if the concourses make you feel like you are on a steam table when it is so hot and humid outside. This view shows the scene:
and the requisite closer-up view with the Arch:
I thought it was a good omen that my seat was just below the "Chicago" flag, representing the Cubs:
and the hotel where I would spend the following night:
and a grouping of red chairs, because I love chairs:
The national anthem was nicely sung by a young girl from Indiana with a fabulous voice:
I loved my seat, which allowed me to see Derrek Lee and my other beloved Cubs up close:
There was a funny D Lee incident during the game. A loudmouthed drunk guy near me, probably not even old enough to drink legally, was nattering on about how D Lee had struck out in this year's All Star Game. His obnoxious comments were stopped dead in their tracks, however, when smack in the middle of his rant, Derek Lee hit a 2-run homer that broke the tie and gave the Cubs a lead they would never relinquish. We enjoyed the newfound peace and quiet in Row 1 of Section 243 for at least a few minutes after that.
The game was an exciting one, with a final score of 6-5. The Cards nearly came from behind to win it in the bottom of the 9th inning, but the Cubs ended the game (and the Cards' hopes) with a double play when shortstop Neifi! Perez caught Albert Pujols' line drive, then doubled a runner off second base. Neifi! was to play an important role in the next day's game as well, but I did not know this yet. On this day, it was enough that the Cubs won and would not be swept by the hated Cards:
Happy with the win, I headed West on I-70 to Boonville. On the way, I saw this sign, which made me laugh:
In how many places can find one a street named in the Southern tradition of the double-name?
Sadly, I have no pictures of my time with the Cooper family. I was having so much fun that I did not even think to bring the camera out! I stayed up late Saturday catching up with the parents, and then visited with the boys for most of Sunday, even delaying my return to St. Louis to spend more time with them.
There were a few shadows. The absence of the youngest son (just a year older than me), who died in a car accident when we were in our early 20's, was something I felt keenly at times during my visit. Also, the mom now uses a wheelchair as a result of her M.S., something that I could tell frustrates and saddens her. However, she is so adept at getting around and accomplishing things despite her physical limitations that I barely noticed these limitations at all. I have always thought her to be smart and a role model, but I find her new accomplishments especially inspirational.
One highlight of the visit was meeting the boys' kids--the oldest of the Cooper sons has 2 daughters, both of whom are adorable and nice. The middle son is a single dad and has one boy, who is impossibly bright, cute and energetic. He can chat with the best of them and is so engaging that, strangely, I miss him after having spent only a day with him. At his request (insistence), we conducted a walkie talkie experiment in which he sauntered down the street while talking to me to see how far the signal between the talkies would carry. It was no easy task, as he wanted to carry on a running conversation via talkie, with me answering his every comment, if only to acknowledge receipt.
Despite the addition of the kiddos since my last visit years ago, it felt like old times. I felt a little shy and didn't say much . . . I just enjoyed relaxing and listening to the guys talk about the things they talk about every day. In fact, one of their friends commented several times that I would go back to Dallas and talk about the bizzarre crowd I hung out with in Boonville with their "truck talk" and all, but the truth is that I have always loved their crowd and their talk and nothing has changed in that regard. The Cooper family is easy to spend time with and they fold you in and make you never want to leave. That I voluntarily missed the first few innings of Sunday night's Cubs game so that I could spend more time with the family is a testament to this fact, as I NEVER miss part of a Cubs game! I want to figure out another time to visit them soon.
I reluctantly tore myself away for the 2-hour drive to St. Louis, driven to do so only by the 6:35 a.m. departure time for my flight the next morning, which if I had spent the night in Boonville as Mark suggested, would have entailed getting up at 3:00 am. I listened to the Cubs game on my car radio along the way and was dismayed when Mark Prior, my favorite Cubs pitcher, gave up 3 solo home runs in the first inning. This is unprecedented for him. I contemplated going to my hotel for an early sleep, but we Cubs fans DO NOT GIVE UP WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN.
So, I arrived at Busch and learned that latecomers like me are punished by being forced to walk all the way around the park to find the lone entrance kept open for stragglers. On the bright side, my walk gave me the opportunity to see this view of the old stadium next to the new stadium:
Busch Stadium looks pretty when lit up for a night game:
It was even more beautiful in my eyes in light of the fact that the Cub were catching up, cutting the Cards' lead to 3-2 just after my arrival. Cubs catcher Henry Blanco was on fire, raising his batting average from the .160s or .170s to over .210 by the end of the game. He also had 2 key RBIs, the first two runs the Cubs scored that kept them in the game. Shortly after my arrival, Aramis Ramirez hit a 2-run homer that put the Cubs out in front 4-3:
This was only possible because Prior completely shut down the Cards after his shaky first inning. My seats were not as close for this game, but I sat near some fun Cubs fans, so that made it all right. As with all Cubs games, this one was a nail-biter, as the Cards tied up the score 4-4 in the bottom of the 9th inning. But all was to be well, because Neifi! Perez came to the plate in the top of the 10th with the bases loaded and hit a grand slam, which proved to be the game-winner:
We Cub fans were JUBLIANT, with such celebrations as I have not seen in a long time happening in the stands. The Cubs were happy, too:
I joined the throng and headed back to my hotel, where many of us celebrated the victory together. I then retreated to my room for a quick sleep before my flight. But first, I took an arty slow-mo pic of the Arch with the lights of passing traffic:
Then I took another, which included an unplanned overlay of the interior of my room:
posted by Lisa at 8:34 PM
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