Cripes!

I haven't posted in over a month????? I am the worst. What have I been doing? Don't really know, actually.

The Chef and I just came back from this place (see photo), where I never need to live. Actually, the people are nice, although they move too slowly for this New Englander (and that's saying something). It's not the prettiest place in the world that we could see, unless you totally dig run-down houses and trailers. And if you do, no harm, no foul.

But Son just moved there, so we did the "go and fill the pantry and cook delicious meals" trip. (I did not cook a thing, obvs.)

And we had our traditional Golden Corral trip, since Son keeps moving to states WITH multiple Golden Corrals, which makes me weep for society, regardless of which state we happen to be visiting for the dinner treat. (They do have a cotton candy machine, though, which was good, so there's that...)

ETERNAL by Kristi Cook Cover Reveal (Wahoo!)

THERE’S NO HIDING FROM DESTINY…

In the final book of the Winterhaven trilogy, Violet McKenna and her friends find themselves right in the middle of a vampire war.  The stakes have been raised, the danger unavoidable now.  As the Warriors’ senior year draws to a close, not everyone makes it out alive.  Who will be left standing at the end of it all?  Will Aidan be a part of Violet’s future, or is he just a specter of the past?

About The Author

YA author Kristi Cook is a transplanted southern gal who lives in New York City with her husband and two kids. Her YA debut, HAVEN, was released in Feb. 2011 by Simon Pulse.

Website † Facebook † Twitter † GoodReads

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I forgot to tell you how awesome I am.

Publishers Weekly said about Capers,  “Piva fuses romance, family, food, travel, and a touch of mystery in this charming, character-driven story narrated by 17-year-old Hazel…. Hazel’s credible and often funny narration keeps Piva’s novel moving at a bracing clip.”

You thought I forgot, didn't you???

Happy Birthday to the best son ever! Yay SeanPiva*!!! 25 years old!!**


*Yes, that is supposed to be one word. I think it's funny, even if no one else does.

** I think. Math is hard.

I think I am in love with Siri

Fun with Siri

We just got iPhone 5s.

Siri is quite the jokester/minx, isn't she?

The Chef: I love you Siri.
Siri: You are the wind beneath my wings.

The Chef: curse word, curse word, non-curse word, curse word?
Siri: Ask nice, Chef. [She said his name.]
Then! She stopped talking to him!
The Chef: I'm sorry.
Siri: No need to apologize.

The Chef: Happy Kwanzaa.
Siri: I could be wrong, but I believe Kwanzaa was on the 26th.

Because what else is there to do on a Monday night?

That's not aspic, by the way. It's vanilla vodka and Diet Coke. Yum.

I've been a bad blogger.

This, I know. And it makes me have the sad. But I have been thinking about you all, so that's something, right?

Here's the thing: I've been SO BUSY having fun doing fun things and also having fun writing more fun books for you that I left you high-and-dry.Some fun things I did:

• Not make any resolutions (except to be a better blogger, which I am doing right now!!).
• Hung out with my son who visited from a far-away land (Missouri).
• Crocheted a massive blanket that was almost too heavy to lift and a bunch of scarves. (If you didn't get one yet, that doesn't mean you're not going to, although it may be too warm for scarves at that point. Hmmm.)
• Aaaand...The Chef and I had super fun when we saw these guys on New Year's Eve at a fancy-pants (not really) event. I may have danced a little bit, but not on the dance floor because that would be NUTS!!

This is Brass Attack. I knew all the songs!!! Shocking! Loved them!!

Happy New Year!

SOMETHING DARKER by S.A. Price Release Party! (Giveaway)

Welcome!

Today we have a special guest post by authors S.A. Price! They are here to share an epic giveaway with everyone that you will not want to miss out on!

And now over to S.A. Price!

Happy release day to us!

So Audra and I have a new book out today called SOMETHING DARKER, and we are really excited about starting this new, sexy series!

The one thing Syrus Alcot, the God of Death Osiris in the Egyptian Pantheon, wants in all the worlds is the woman he loved and lost returned to him. When he gave up his powers, and freedom for a life of service he was promised her return. That was over one thousand years ago. A member of a team of dark gods charged with keeping humanity safe, he leads a loveless existence in New York City, searching for the one thing that could bring his wife back to him, a lapis scarab that was lost to him ages before.

Gwen Stapleton, a mild mannered librarian, is unaware that she holds the key to not only Syrus’ happiness, but her own. Seemingly stuck in a hopeless relationship with a man she doesn’t love, she has no idea that a chance meeting in Alphabet City will start a landslide to her heart’s content. Because Gwen is the keeper of the scarab, and is everything Syrus has ever wanted… and he’s not the only one.

An Ancient evil is waking, and its servants will stop at nothing to see it seize its rightful place as the new pantheon of earth. And in order for Syrus and his team to save the world, Gwen is going to have to accept him, and show that love does make all the difference.

Sexy right? What’s not to like about strong gods and sassy librarians? Exactly!

So to celebrate this momentous occasion, we are having a HUGE contest, as we want YOU to enter!

$2.99 really CAN change a person’s life, and kick a career into high gear…

Want to win something awesome? What’s awesome? How about this: Registration to AAD (2013 or 2014 if you are already registered for 2013), a VIP package including VIP early seating and entry badge, and welcome goodies from the hotel, a gift basket fulla goodies and our backlist books and Breakfast with us on Tuesday morning.  Awesome right? We thought so.

So how do you win? Simple.

We have a new book available called Something Darker, the first in our Inferi Dii series. You can pick it up at Amazon on kindle and in print. Simply buy the book, and send us the receipt from Amazon. That will get you entered for the big prize.

What’s that you say? You want more entries? 

We have other ways of adding to your entries…

• Going to Authorgraph.com and requesting we digitally sign your book will get you 3 extra entries.
• Tweeting the contest will get you 2 more entries
• Facebooking the contest will get you 2 more entries
• Liking the Book on Amazon will get you 3 more entries
• Liking our other books on Amazon will get you 2 more entries per BOOK (and yes we are counting both print and e book likes!)
• Posting a review before the end of the contest (a real review) will get you 5 entries per place you post (max of 10 entries for posting on Goodreads and Amazon.com)
• Buying other books in our backlist will get you 10 entries PER BOOK you send a receipt for (sorry guys, has to be bought between December 18 and the end of the event and MUST NOT be returned! We will know if it has been!)

Now here is the kicker…. We have to hit a minimum of 200 sales before the big contest prize goes into play. Why? Because it’s a VERY expensive prize, and we cannot offer it and make it worth our while without a minimum of 200 receipts!

And if we get this book in the top 100 at Amazon, I will throw in the coup de grace, your hotel room for AAD from Tuesday-Sunday FREE OF CHARGE! This prize is already worth $1000! Add in the room and its worth almost $2000! Isn’t that worth paying for a $2.99 book?

So you ready to win baby? Send your receipts to: everversestella@gmail.com with “SOMETHING DARKER CONTEST ENTRY” in the subject. (For other books put: SOMETHING DARKER CONTEST ENTRY---(NAME OF THE BOOK). Contest runs from December 18 to January 15^th. Winner will be announced on January 18^rd 2013!

Wanna join in on the release day fun? Join the Release day group at Facebook and hangout!

http://www.facebook.com/groups/119691931527783/

Print Link: https://www.createspace.com/4084874

Kindle Link:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AOT77GW

Book Blurb:

The one thing Syrus Alcot, the God of Death Osiris in the Egyptian Pantheon, wants in all the worlds is the woman he loved and lost returned to him. When he gave up his powers, and freedom for a life of service he was promised her return. That was over one thousand years ago. A member of a team of dark gods charged with keeping humanity safe, he leads a loveless existence in New York City, searching for the one thing that could bring his wife back to him, a lapis scarab that was lost to him ages before.

Gwen Stapleton, a mild mannered librarian, is unaware that she holds the key to not only Syrus’ happiness, but her own. Seemingly stuck in a hopeless relationship with a man she doesn’t love, she has no idea that a chance meeting in Alphabet City will start a landslide to her heart’s content. Because Gwen is the keeper of the scarab, and is everything Syrus has ever wanted… and hes not the only one.

An Ancient evil is waking, and its servants will stop at nothing to see it seize its rightful place as the new pantheon of earth. And in order for Syrus and his team to save the world, Gwen is going to have to accept him, and show that love does make all the difference.

*** Please note that borrowing the book from the kindle lending library will not be accepted as a “Buy Receipt”. In order to be entered to win the grand prize, you must purchase the book.***

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Hihowtheheckareyou?

so...tired...

I'm exhausted from skipping toward the end of school, waving furiously and smiling in a creepy way (although I don't mean for it to seem creepy--that's just an unfortunate result of the time of year).

But I wanted to say "Howdy!" and that I will see you so soon because we are so close to the end of the semester and I can almost taste the delightfulness.

I leave you with this:

20 days until my birthday!

Shop early; shop often!!

Cover/Blurb Reveal & Giveaway: SOMETHING DARKER by S.A. Price!

Expected publication: December 18th 2012

SOMETHING DARKER (book one of the Inferii Dii)

The one thing Syrus Alcot, the God of Death Osiris in the Egyptian Pantheon, wants in all the worlds is the woman he loved and lost returned to him. When he gave up his powers, and freedom for a life of service he was promised her return. That was over one thousand years ago. A member of a team of dark gods charged with keeping humanity safe, he leads a loveless existence in New York City, searching for the one thing that could bring his wife back to him, a lapis scarab that was lost to him ages before.

Gwen Stapleton, a mild mannered librarian, is unaware that she holds the key to not only Syrus’ happiness, but her own. Seemingly stuck in a hopeless relationship with a man she doesn’t love, she has no idea that a chance meeting in Alphabet City will start a landslide to her heart’s content. Because Gwen is the keeper of the scarab, and is everything Syrus has ever wanted… and hes not the only one.

An Ancient evil is waking, and its servants will stop at nothing to see it seize its rightful place as the new pantheon of earth. And in order for Syrus and his team to save the world, Gwen is going to have to accept him, and show that love does make all the difference.

To learn more about authors Stella and Audra Price, visit their Website:

www.stellaandaudra.com

***VIRTUAL RELEASE PARTY NEWS***

On December 18th, SOMETHING DARKER will be available for purchase and to celebrate the release authors S.A. Price are giving away some AMAZING, out of this world prizes! TRUST ME, you DO NOT want to miss out!

What are they giving away?

Are you ready for this?

A registration to Authors After Dark (2013 or 2014 if you are already registered for 2013), a VIP package including VIP early seating and entry badge, and welcome goodies from the hotel, a gift basket fulla goodies, backlist books, and Breakfast with Stella and Audra on Tuesday morning.  Awesome right? We thought so.

To learn more about Authors After Dark visit www.authorsafterdark.org

And wait, it gets better!!!

There will be a second and third place winner!

SECOND PRIZE winner will win a Nook Touch.
THIRD PRIZE winner will win tons of signed swag.

There's a little extra, too, but you will have to wait until December 18th to find out! :)

Mark your calendars... DECEMBER 18th!!!

Right now we're kicking off an early celebration with a $20 Amazon/BN Gift Card - Winners choice.

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Cover Reveal hosted by...

 

I am thankful because of reasons.

November is the time of the year when Facebookers crank their status updates to full-throttle positivity and thankfulness because Santa is in the house.  Or at least in the mall, and that's close enough to the house.

I always forget to hop on the bandwagon, because I'm not really all that coordinated and even if I did hop up that high, I don't think I'd be able to hoist myself up and into the music-filled vehicle. So it's best I stay with my feet planted on the ground rather than take a tumble and get run over by the danged thing. (Just another reason to stay away from musical stuff.)



Yes, a bandwagon is an actual thing.

But I digress, because that's how I roll.

I started out planning to make a list of all the things I am thankful for because during a final-ish pass of a millionth revision, I just rewrote the ending to my novel Fare Well (out soon!) and the main character, Madeleine, is very thankful for all the wonderfulness in her life. (I know that sounds sappy and very unlike me, but I promise it is NOT sappy and is VERY MUCH like me.)

 But I digress. Again.

So in my head, I started to make a list of things that make me happy, like my family and friends and amazing guy who fits into both categories. And my health, which is at times wonky thanks to this, but I am still good to go every single day.* And my books, which you should check out.** And and and...

So rather than narrowing my thankfulness down to a single day or even a single month, I give you my thought on the subject:

So if you are thankful for someone, tell them. Or if there's something you're thankful for, tell everyone.  I'll start.

*Even incredibly lazy days when I can't get out of my own way because there is much TV that needs to be watched. I love you, HGTV.

**Or I will fight you.

Cover Reveal (or: Go buy this book! Now!): Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin

Release: December 27th

Blurb:

I was never supposed to be a rock star. I had my life all planned out for me. Play football in college. Go to the NFL. Marry my high school sweetheart and live happily ever after.

I broke both our hearts that day when I told her I was leaving. I was young. I made the right decision for me, but the wrong decision for us. I’ve poured my soul into my music, but I’ve never forgotten her. Her smell, her smile.

And now I’m going back.

After ten years.

I hope I can explain that after all this time.

I still want her to be my forever girl.

My grandma once told me that I can do anything I want, so I am.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, I now live in picturesque Vermont, with my husband and two daughters. Also renting space in our home is an overhyper Beagle/Jack Russell and two Parakeets.

During the day you'll find me behind a desk talking about Land Use. At night, I'm writing one of the many stories I plan to release or sitting courtside during either daughter's basketball games.

I'm also an active reviewer on The Readiacs - a site I own with my best friend and uber special beta, Yvette.

Website † Facebook † GoodReads † Twitter


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GIVEAWAY
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This giveaway is open INTERNATIONAL.

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Best Meal I Ever Had. In My Whole Life. Ever.*

So for The Chef's birthday a little bit of time ago, we spent a few days in New York City, which is one of my most favorite places, which surprises me more than it does you.**

But I fall in love with it a little more each time.

For the Great Birthday Weekend, we saw Book of Mormon (front row!) and Jersey Boys (third row!).

And we ate at Babbo, which I enjoyed much more this time than the first time we went.*** And if you go, which you totally should, you'd darned well better get the Tasting Menu, otherwise, you're not getting the most for your time and money. You should trust me. I know lots about food.  But I'll tell you about Babbo another time.

And I'll tell you about Eataly another time too--which is one of our favorite places in the whole wide world.

But the biggest and bestest birthday dinner (which was, in fact, lunch) of all time was at Del Posto, the only 4-star Italian restaurant in NYC and one of only 7 four-stars in the city.

We got the tasting menu, which if you don't know, is when you get forty thousand small courses brought to you over a couple of hours. It included the best salad ever made: Bitter HERBS & LETTUCES with Truffle Dressing. Salad isn't a thing that I love, but I could eat this every single solitary day. For the rest of my life. But I digress, because that's how I roll.

Anyway, the reason why you should always get the Tasting Menu is because you'll receive a variety of dishes you probably never would have chosen for yourself, which expands your experience and makes it unique. Plus it's at the whim of the chef so each visit is a surprise. And it means you don't have to choose one thing and regret your choice. <--I hate when that happens.

And speaking of surprise, when we got there and were chatting with the maitre d', one of the owners popped in and we chatted with him for a bit.  You may know of him--Joe Bastianich from MasterChef fame. We asked him to have lunch with us, but he was running in and out. And you'd think, well, that's the end of the story.

Except that would be 1. boring and 2. not the way our lives work.

So in our chat with Joe, The Chef may have mentioned we were there for his birthday. A throw-away comment in a longer discussion.  And yet not, because at the end of our meal, when they were bringing us FOUR dessert courses, one of them happened to be a super-rich chocolate birthday cake, complete with candle and well wishes written on the plate in chocolate, all accompanied with an olive oil gelato that made us weep with delight.****

I could go on for a thousand years, but I will spare you, and instead will go write, in order to make more money, because The Chef has another birthday coming up in nine months and I suspect I know where we're going for dinner.*****



* For some reason, Blogger is being an asshat and won't let me add pictures. Sorry! Check out the links!!

** You know--on account of I don't like noise or crowds or weirdness.

***I was DYING on that trip two years ago--I felt kind of lousy the whole time and then on our way home, I asked if we could, you know, stop at the hospital cause I felt that crappy. So, 8 days later, when I finally left the hospital...  Yeah, I didn't really enjoy Babbo's $300 dinner price tag as I probably should have. (By the way, I still can't eat prosciutto, which was one of the last things I had on that trip. ::shudders just thinking about it::)

****The Chef says I have to tell you about my most favorite parts, which includes a member of our team of servers and buspeople bringing an embroidered (by Italian vestal virgins) footstool upon which to lay my purse, lest it rest on the immaculate carpet. And we shan't forget the table covered with linens woven that morning by saints, which rested upon a plethora of batting, made of angel wings and unicorn manes, much softer and more plush than any bed on which I shall ever lay my head.

*****And this lunch was $350.00, so I can only imagine the cost of dinner. Gotta go!

So. This happens.

Do you know what this is?

If you guessed awesome, then you are correct!! A million cupcakes for you!!

Hi! Hi! Hi!

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!*"

I have ignored you, my sweet little blog, ignored you for so long that even a cute picture of a kitten isn't going to make up for the lapse.  How about two kittens? No?

Okay. I'm going to try to catch up, because I still have to tell you about
Summer
A trip to Dallas
A trip to NYC
A book
Writing
Another book
Delicious delicious amazingly delicious meals.

And that's just stuff I can think of while another tutor in this writing center I'm working at right now speaks really really really loudly and I can't think of anything except he needs to be quieter! I know! I can't even think about rainbows or glitter. That's shocking!




*Apparently, and this is a point I can neither confirm nor deny, when I fall asleep on the couch** and The Chef wakes me up, this is how I respond.

**Which rarely happens***
***This is a lie

In which I break the "What happens in Vegas" rule

Also while I was away from you, we went to Las Vegas. For WORK. The Chef's work, not mine--although prepare yourself to be featured in a book sometime soon, Las Vegas. You've been warned!


We stayed here:

The Venetian. You have to sleep here. You may also want to dance in the lobby next to Thomas Keller's bakery with an Australian guy who hasn't slept in 48 hours because he just came from Kuwait.

You HAVE to eat here. "The menu, created by James Beard Award-winning Executive Chef Luciano Pellegrini, features an array of traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine that includes a variety of homemade pasta dishes, enticing entrees and decadent desserts." That's a fancy way of saying you want to put every morsel of food they make right in your face.

We also ate at the Mexican restaurant, right there on the right, which was weird as the gondoliers sang "O Solo Mio."

But the best part? Besides being there with The Chef?  This:

Obviously I didn't shoot that video, but we saw this one in real life, and can you say SUPER COOL? (I thought you could.) The best of the zillion fountain shows we saw. "Just one more!" I kept saying. The Chef is so kind to put up with my shenanigans.







We're so AWESOME!!! And we're definitely staying here next time!

I did realize during the trip that I may not be cool enough for Las Vegas. I was shocked--SHOCKED!--that in all the amazing shops in all the amazing hotels, I did not see one bookstore. NOT ONE! What the...?  Las Vegas, you've got some 'splainin to do.



The Secret

I was debating whether or not to tell you this, but since we're such good friends, I figure I probably should.  You may have noticed the difference and I don't want you to think I've been captured by mild-mannered aliens or anything. Ready? Here goes.  ::deep breath::

I am uncaffeinated.

No, not in the "Holy crap, I forgot to go to the store and I may die" way.

The "I'm going to cut down on DC/soda/caffeine/Nutrasweet" way.

See? It still loves me, no matter what.

One Thursday a couple of months ago, I called The Chef and said, "I'm not going to have Diet Coke any more." Kind of like when a toddler spits out the binky and never wants it again.

Except not like that at all, because I still want it.  And I want it bad, man, real bad.  I still have half a can in the morning with breakfast, but I have gone days without that too.

I think in the beginning, The Chef was very very afraid for his life. He's okay now, though. I think.

I miss the taste and the bubbles and the awesome feeling of actually being alive and alert.  I don't miss the needing a fix and doing whatever needs to be done in order to get it.  I don't walk around whining "I miss soda" anymore. Aloud.  Much. I did have some with dinner last night and was awake until 2 a.m., but that may have been because The Chef was away and no one told me to go to bed. (Oh, look, and it's 12:21 am already! Whoops!)

And for you holier-than-thou-ers out there, I didn't do it because you obsessively sent me stupid undocumented "sciency" research about the dangers of soda/artificial sweeteners/things in cans/anything that tastes good/caffeine/anything that makes you happy/all words with the letter C. I made the decision because I was tired of the constant chase for more. Not only did I want the DC all the time, I wanted it exactly the way I wanted it. And it was starting to cost a fortune. A Large Diet Coke with extra ice (LDCEI) doesn't come cheap.* And it made me hungry all the time, which meant more eating and more soda and more eating and more...you get the picture.

Do I still have it when we go out? Yes, sometimes. Sometimes not. And not usually 47 refills in one meal. And not close to a two-liter bottle (in varying forms) throughout the day. Every day.

My only worry? Not getting a birthday card from The Coca-Cola Company, like I usually do. By the way, six months and ten days until my birthday.  Shop early; shop often!

I would do this. In a heartbeat. No joke.

Sad that the Diet Coke post is over? Go read about A Social History of Diet Coke!!



*Except now it does, because McDonald's is running their any soda/any size $1 special again this summer.  ::shakes fist at the golden arches::

The Arch. She sways.

 The Gateway Arch is known as the "Gateway to the West". It was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel in 1947 and built between 1963 and October 1965.

During my time away from you, I visited St. Louis and while there, The Chef and I went up in the Arch--and by the way, that's just a nickname for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial--because we thought we should. It's actually quite lovely, but before I go any further, I have to tell you a few things:

• I don't like to be closed in.
• I am not one of those people who sees a little kid and gets all mushy; in fact, I'm the opposite. I run away from them.*
• I don't love heights.
• I have wicked vertigo.
• Not a fan of crowds.

 It stands 630 feet (192 m) tall and 630 feet (192 m) wide at its base. The legs are 54 feet (16.5 m) wide at the base, narrowing to 17 feet (5.2 m) at the arch.

Knowing we had to return the car by whatever o'clock or we owned it (or some other penalty), we sprinted from the parking lot to the Arch.**

 There is a unique tram system to carry passengers to the observation room at the top of the arch.

We beat the line by offering to go up in separate pods--like the single rider feature at any amusement park. A good idea, right? No, because:

1. You do not want to ever get into anything called a "pod," especially with strangers.
2. Children may be some of the strangers in your pod.

Lets take a tiny little look into some pod facts:

• Eight small capsules, used in each of the two Arch trains.
• Each train capsule has a 5-foot diameter barrel that is open on the front and closed on the back.
• There are five seats in each barrel, so the weight of the passengers helps keep the capsule in an upright position.
• Each capsule rotates approximately 155 degrees during the trip to the top of the Arch.
• Each of the Arch trains carries 40 passengers and is capable of making a round trip with passengers in 9 minutes including loading and unloading passengers in both directions.

There is nothing in that list that gives the impression of, "Hmmm, that sure sounds like fun!" Nothing.

So we got to the top and as I rolled out of the capsule, I expected to see something glorious inside the Arch. I don't KNOW what, specifically, I expected to find. Maybe something in the tone of Disney. Instead, we got something in the key of crowded old doctor's office. And more kids. Gah!

Look beyond the handsome and blurry Chef for a minute.
See those tiny little windows?
Yeah, that's what you get on both sides.
And you have to lean over an angled, carpeted area to see out them.
Okay, now you can look at the handsome Chef
and please note that he's not that blurry in real life.

But, of course, I guess you could say that the glory of it all is the view.

Hello, vertigo, my old friend

Nothing personal, St. Louis, but your buildings aren't very big, especially for the largest metropolitan area in Missouri..

And then the Arch moved. Or swayed.  "Can you feel the movement?" The Chef asked his delicate flower of a girlfriend, who felt more woozy than after three-quarters of a margarita.

We took a few more pictures and vamoosed because we had to hurry to get to the airport to...do nothing because our flight had been cancelled. Apparently someone coughed in Georgia or something and we were trapped until the next day. Trapped and tired and uncaffeinated and cranky. And that was just me! Poor Chef. He puts up with so much crazy.

I get just as dizzy looking at these pictures as I did when I took them.

But you've got to give me an A for effort, right?
Unless these are the ones The Chef took,
which would explain why they're clear and well-composed.

Apparently, there is more to St. Louis than the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, I wouldn't mind checking it out, which will probably happen in the near future because if you want to get to Columbia, MO, where my son lives, and not pay one gajillion dollars for a plane ticket, you visit "Rome of the West" / "Gateway to the West" / "Mound City." Heh heh. I said "mound."

*Except little kids who have proven themselves to be cool and worthy of being in the vicinity of my awesomeness. You parents who have children who have passed the test know who you are.

**Yes, by sprint I mean The Chef walked quickly and I went slower and slower as I looked around and then came to a full stop. The Arch is a VERY big, VERY shiny thing. Shiny sense overload.

PSSST! Unless otherwise noted, I swiped the info from Wikipedia, because I'm cool like that. Yay me!