I started off the day at a Waffle House for breakfast after getting my rental car. Then it was on to see a friend in the hospital who is having surgery. She is at St. Luke's in Chesterfield. I did fine for most of the drive but made a few wrong turns when I was close. In fact I went to an outpatient clinic at first. I noticed it had a sign about Albert Pujols, the baseball player. The Down syndrome center was named for him, he would be the benefactor. Once I found the parking ramp at the hospital I still needed to make my way through a rat maze to the part I needed to be in. I went to the gift shop and got a card as I didn't want to arrive without a gift. Then I asked where I could sit down and write it out, was directed to a nearby chapel. I said I didn't want to look like I was loitering. Then it was on to see my friend. When I arrived she had two friends in the room, and her parents showed up as well. Her mom spoke of me, saying you were the one that had lunch with her last year. I was, and said I was flattered and modest when informed her daughter spoke well of me. I called myself an 'Aw-shucks', shy, small-town Iowa kid. Her mom said they were from a small town as well. Her friends were a couple, the husband was interested in how I attended last night's baseball game. The wife spoke about health care, I asked about her job and she said she was a dental hygienist. She also said
something about working in hospitals for a while. My friend's cousin then showed up, and was interested in hearing how I do stand-up comedy. When I left it was shortly after her friend from a book club arrived, and said her other book club friends would be arriving soon. I had been there for just over two hours by then, and I needed to move on to go do other things. The song 'Landslide' by The Dixie Chicks was playing as I drove away from the hospital. I did go back to the gift shop as I wanted a paper, and a stamp for my postcard to send back home. I liked how my friend said I could have some of the candy brought by the first couple, I chose the Reese's peanut butter.
Music is everywhere, to some it may be stale to hear me say this. But it's true. I liked how I got some comments to a Facebook posting this morning after eating at the Waffle House, since I got four songs played on the jukebox for a dollar. They were: Sunday Morning, Johnny Cash. Applause, Lady Gaga. Love the way you lie, Eminem and Rihanna. Wake me up when September ends, Green Day. The university accountant was surprised to hear they still had jukeboxes. The bus fare comic said he missed Waffle Houses with a passion.
I had hoped to make it to Forest Park before the game but didn't have the time, hopefully I can tomorrow. I headed downtown on Metro-Link and got out at the Busch Stadium stop, then went to the Arch as I wanted a smashed penny souvenir. I got a few other items as well. Postcards were five for two dollars, and I got a wooden magnet, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Then it was on to Ballpark Village, I got a look at the part of the Hall of Fame before going inside the museum. It was $12 to tour the museum, also couldn't justify the time when I wanted to go inside the stadium fairly early and get the giveaway item, the Cardinal blanket. It was a night where people could bring their dogs. I liked having some ice cream in a little souvenir helmet. I also got a hot dog with fried sauerkraut if I'm not mistaken. The couple next to me liked to hear me speak of how I make annual visits for Cardinal games, I gave them my business card so they could read my blog. They did tell me of meeting online, and another couple in my section said they met online as well. So I like to know how it works for some, but it hasn't for me yet. The husband spoke to me more, and his wife was between us. She did speak of some of the demographic problems with education, and I liked hearing about this. He said he had been to a Shop and Save grocery store in the airport suburbs where I found a plaque celebrating the 1934 Cardinal team, known as the 'Gashouse Gang'.
I should also write about the game! The Washington Nationals scored early, and were up 1-0 in the first inning. St. Louis tied it in the 3rd. Then the Cardinals got 3 more in the 7th, the first was a solo home run by Matt Adams, and went on to win 4-1. The crowd was announced at over 44,000, about 3,000 more than Friday. No surprise there, as more out-of-towners tend to make it on a Saturday. I got my name on the video board as the St. Louis tourist bureau wanted to hear where fans were from. I got a picture of it when my name appeared on the board. After the game I walked around downtown for a little while and found more of those birthday cake statues. Two of them were found near The Arch before the game, the number found is now at seven. There was one at the Old Courthouse, one in a park, and one at the Hilton. The Hilton cake was about a military battle, which happened on the site in the 1700s. I made it to two hotels where the movie 'Up In The Air' was filmed, one of these was the Hilton. I found this was the best time to go in and get photos, as there was a big crowd after the game and I blended in well. This meant fewer people would ask questions about what I was doing. I prefer to leave before I am asked to. In one I asked if I needed help, I said no. It was at an information desk and I picked up a card about the hotel. And there was the music here of course! While in one I liked hearing 'This Love' by Maroon 5, a song I have spoke of before. It reminds me of how much my life has changed in 10 years. Then there was 'Springsteen' by Eric Church that a cover band was playing. I got a photo of somebody with an event staff shirt on enjoying the music from afar. I like 'Springsteen' as the lyrics explain why I write about music constantly. 'Funny how a melody becomes a memory' as I often connect music to certain memories, in terms of where I have heard it played. The ride back to the airport was largely uneventful, since the lion's share of the baseball crowd had been on the earlier trains. It sure was uneventful compared to the ride in, where I saw some kid try to play '3-card Monty'. I said wasn't that exposed as a fraud years ago?
something about working in hospitals for a while. My friend's cousin then showed up, and was interested in hearing how I do stand-up comedy. When I left it was shortly after her friend from a book club arrived, and said her other book club friends would be arriving soon. I had been there for just over two hours by then, and I needed to move on to go do other things. The song 'Landslide' by The Dixie Chicks was playing as I drove away from the hospital. I did go back to the gift shop as I wanted a paper, and a stamp for my postcard to send back home. I liked how my friend said I could have some of the candy brought by the first couple, I chose the Reese's peanut butter.
Music is everywhere, to some it may be stale to hear me say this. But it's true. I liked how I got some comments to a Facebook posting this morning after eating at the Waffle House, since I got four songs played on the jukebox for a dollar. They were: Sunday Morning, Johnny Cash. Applause, Lady Gaga. Love the way you lie, Eminem and Rihanna. Wake me up when September ends, Green Day. The university accountant was surprised to hear they still had jukeboxes. The bus fare comic said he missed Waffle Houses with a passion.
I had hoped to make it to Forest Park before the game but didn't have the time, hopefully I can tomorrow. I headed downtown on Metro-Link and got out at the Busch Stadium stop, then went to the Arch as I wanted a smashed penny souvenir. I got a few other items as well. Postcards were five for two dollars, and I got a wooden magnet, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Then it was on to Ballpark Village, I got a look at the part of the Hall of Fame before going inside the museum. It was $12 to tour the museum, also couldn't justify the time when I wanted to go inside the stadium fairly early and get the giveaway item, the Cardinal blanket. It was a night where people could bring their dogs. I liked having some ice cream in a little souvenir helmet. I also got a hot dog with fried sauerkraut if I'm not mistaken. The couple next to me liked to hear me speak of how I make annual visits for Cardinal games, I gave them my business card so they could read my blog. They did tell me of meeting online, and another couple in my section said they met online as well. So I like to know how it works for some, but it hasn't for me yet. The husband spoke to me more, and his wife was between us. She did speak of some of the demographic problems with education, and I liked hearing about this. He said he had been to a Shop and Save grocery store in the airport suburbs where I found a plaque celebrating the 1934 Cardinal team, known as the 'Gashouse Gang'.
I should also write about the game! The Washington Nationals scored early, and were up 1-0 in the first inning. St. Louis tied it in the 3rd. Then the Cardinals got 3 more in the 7th, the first was a solo home run by Matt Adams, and went on to win 4-1. The crowd was announced at over 44,000, about 3,000 more than Friday. No surprise there, as more out-of-towners tend to make it on a Saturday. I got my name on the video board as the St. Louis tourist bureau wanted to hear where fans were from. I got a picture of it when my name appeared on the board. After the game I walked around downtown for a little while and found more of those birthday cake statues. Two of them were found near The Arch before the game, the number found is now at seven. There was one at the Old Courthouse, one in a park, and one at the Hilton. The Hilton cake was about a military battle, which happened on the site in the 1700s. I made it to two hotels where the movie 'Up In The Air' was filmed, one of these was the Hilton. I found this was the best time to go in and get photos, as there was a big crowd after the game and I blended in well. This meant fewer people would ask questions about what I was doing. I prefer to leave before I am asked to. In one I asked if I needed help, I said no. It was at an information desk and I picked up a card about the hotel. And there was the music here of course! While in one I liked hearing 'This Love' by Maroon 5, a song I have spoke of before. It reminds me of how much my life has changed in 10 years. Then there was 'Springsteen' by Eric Church that a cover band was playing. I got a photo of somebody with an event staff shirt on enjoying the music from afar. I like 'Springsteen' as the lyrics explain why I write about music constantly. 'Funny how a melody becomes a memory' as I often connect music to certain memories, in terms of where I have heard it played. The ride back to the airport was largely uneventful, since the lion's share of the baseball crowd had been on the earlier trains. It sure was uneventful compared to the ride in, where I saw some kid try to play '3-card Monty'. I said wasn't that exposed as a fraud years ago?
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