Ferguson Embers

Around the time all hell broke lose in Ferguson there were parallel demonstrations miles away in the south side of the city proper, centered on Grand Boulevard and Arsenal Street. There have been, shall we say, some problems between police and residents in that area, too.

That part of the city is known for its international population - southeast Asian, Middle Eastern, Bosnian and more. There is a strip lined with one terrific ethnic restaurant after another. Although there was not nearly as much violence as in Ferguson, there was some. Local businesses boarded their windows for safety. Local artists adorned the boards.

These pictures were taken by my daughter, Emily, who lives nearby and is a pretty good shooter, too. In the bottom poster, Imo's is a very popular local chain of pizzerias, known for their cracker-thin crust St. Louis style pies. 

I've been bad about comments this week. Work has been off the meter but things will calm down soon. And, hey, we get to NYC on Christmas Day. There's no place like home for the holidays.             

Perfumed Rice

Yesterday's planned shoot did not take place due to a variety of the usual factors, ranging from flat light to baby's nap times. Maybe another try today.

So Carolyn, Emily, Madeleine and I decided to go out to dinner at a new-ish Moroccan restaurant we've been wanting to try, Baida. (Capsule review: people - very nice. Decor - okay but rather spare. Food - eh. Go back - not soon.) It's on the strip of South Grand Boulevard lined with international eateries, leaning toward East Asian, Middle Eastern and North African, with a favorite old Italian place thrown in.

A fixture of the street is Jay International Foods, shown here with some shots through the front window. May your rice emit sweeter perfume than the Grand Boulevard bus.                        

Thursday Arch Series (Christmas Edition)

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Merry Christmas From St. Louis

Here we are, near the end of another year. Santa advises us to "wine a bit - you'll feel better," a concept endorsed by some of our CDPB colleagues (you know who you are). I must have been a good boy all year, 'cause look what was under my tree! (Below. left.) Well, actually we don't have a tree - haven't had one since the kids moved out. That's not important to us. We have each other.

I am grateful that my wife and I and our two children are all together today; that we are all healthy; that we all have jobs; that the mortgage or rent is all up to date and that there's enough left over for a couple of bottles of that stuff Santa is pushing. We don't need no stinkin' tree.

WHAT HAPPENED ON OUR QUEST FOR AN OPEN RESTAURANT LAST NIGHT: our favorite Vietnamese restaurant was closed, too. There is a stretch of South Grand Avenue with a regular United Nations of ethnic restaurants. We ended up at Mangia Italiano, happy as can be. They were busy! Two of the five lawyers in my office are Jewish so I asked their advice earlier in the day. Get Chinese carry-out and go to a movie, they both told me. Now there's a Christmas tradition.

TOMORROW: winter whirl.

There is a new Arch photo today on GATEWAY.
It's kinda cheesy but you might like it.
Oh, and a story! Everybody loves a story.