While You Were Camping...

...We went to the baseball game. Leslie got some tickets through a charity auction at work, so we woke up, had some Saturday pancakes, and were on our way to the new Busch. We got there about an hour and a half early, so we had time to explore the new stadium. As I've said before, the stadium is great. It's especially nice going through the front entrance and seeing the large walkway that opens up to the field, the skyline, and the shiny-new scoreboard.

This day, we had Redbird Club seats. They were located on the second level behind home plate. (The picture to the left is a view for our seats, a first inning double off the wall by Pujols. You can see the ball he is getting ready to hit.) We rode the escalator up, and walked through the glass doors to our seating area. Inside it was spacious. There were tables, chairs, couches, lamps, and carpeting. Large glass windows that went from floor to ceiling let fans look out on the entire field as they walk inside. It almost has the feeling of a mall. There are kiosks and stands on all sides selling everything from fresh made stir-fry to pasteries displayed in a glass case. There was even a full-sized bar there. All of these things give the act of going to the baseball game a completely different feel. To me, it feels more like going to an event than simply going to a game. On the other hand, it reminds me of the Homer Simpson quote, "Look at them, down there, watching hockey without sushi...if you can call that hockey!" Still, my overall impression is that they have done a great job with the new stadium.

We walked around the stadium for a while, and took in all the angles and sights. I don't think there is a bad seat in the house. Even the views looking outside the stadium are good, offering little slices of downtown St. Louis. We found our seats again, and waited for the game to begin. As I sat there, I realized another aspect of the architecture that I was impressed with, which was the view toward outfield. Since it is open, it gives you a view of The Arch, the courthouse, and the downtown buildings. It lets you know you are playing in St. Louis, and not just some generic box.



The game was good, a few hits, but all goose eggs up until the seventh. With bases loaded and two outs, Suppan gave up two. It didn't seem like a good sign for the Cards, but the next inning brought a change of luck. Led off by a Pujols single, the Cards loaded up the bases. Milwaukee brought in their closer, but with two outs, Spezio sliced one to the right field wall for a triple. The crowd went crazy, and that was all they needed. It was a really good game, and it brought their magic number down to one, but the Cards, to me, look like they are backing their way into the playoffs. A lucky triple, and hoping that Atlanta will help us out is no way to go into the playoffs. I wish them all the luck, but they're not looking strong. Hopefully I'm wrong.


After the game, we decided to go get some tacos, so we took Kevin's recommendation and went to Taqueria Primo. You know the place is going to be good when the waitress is more comfortable with us speaking Spanish to her, than vise versa. We began our meal with an ordean of guacamole, an it did not disappoint. The chips were hearty, and the guacamole was chunky with bits of onion, cilantro, and tomato mixed in. As with most taquerias, our meals came out soon after the chips. Leslie got a torta al pastor and I got a specially made veggie burrito. Leslie liked hers, and mine was excellent. For a place that didn't have a veggie burrito on the menu, they did a great job. Stuffed full with fresh ingredients, whole beans, and chihuaua cheese, this burrito was tasty. It came with an ensalada on the side made of shredded lettuce, onion, tomato, avacado and crema. I squirted some of the very smoky chipotle salsa on my food from the squirt bottle, and washed down the fire with a Coca in a 12 oz bottle. All-in-all, we were happy with this new taqueria, and we will definately be back.


Tired from the day's activities, we decided to get a movie and chill out for the night. We rented Hoodwinked, which is a CG animation. The basic plot is a humorous, revisionist look at Little Red Riding Hood. Personally, I liked the movie. The CG was good, and the story was funny. I don't know if this movie is for everyone, but if you're not too much of an adult to enjoy a kid's movie, then this one might be good for a light night.


It was a good Saturday, hope you guys had fun camping. (I want to see a camping post)