Overheard on the WELL: Topic 1 [homeowners]: Introductions (or: Home is where you hang your hat.) #257 of 259: Fawn Fitter (fsquared) Tue Dec 1 '98 (17:37) 5 lines Dave! Congratulations! Karen, I grew up in St. Louis and I know the neighborhood you're referring to. Next time I'm visiting the parental units, I'll make a driveby and admire. Topic 1 [homeowners]: Introductions (or: Home is where you hang your hat.) #258 of 259: Karen G. Freeman (karen-golden) Tue Dec 1 '98 (20:10) 1 line Oh, say. Gimme a call. I'd love to meet you. Topic 1 [homeowners]: Introductions (or: Home is where you hang your hat.) #259 of 259: home spring home (terry) Wed Dec 2 '98 (04:55) 2 lines I also was born and raised in St. Louis, Fawn and Karen. I went to Bayless High School in Affton.

Several members of my husband's family emigrated to St. Louie (that's just how they say it, too) from France in the 50s and 60s. We haven't been since '96 ourselves. They all live in Creve Coeur, and my husband's uncle is the president of the St. Louis-Lyon, France sister city thing. He's the "diplomat" that coordinated the whole exchange and was recently awarded France's "Palmes Academiques" by the French ambassador. Great zoo.

I once met my daughter at that zoo. She didn't recognize me cuz she was only 17. I introduced myself as an ape. She was lookin' at the apes, so I went over beside them and waved and said, "Hey, hi, I'm Jim, your dad. Just call me Dad." She pretended like she was ignoring me, I think. But it was still one a those special occasions I'll nevah fergit. Doesn't hurt to be with yer family ever once in a while.....right?

Jim, is it true you like following me around? :-)

It's one of the most fun things I've ever done. And it's easy. And it's pretty rewarding. A French ambassador once gave me 300 dollars for telling where you were. I wasn't supposed to tell you. But he's not alive anymore, so I'm not worried. He was crushed in a swarm of movie actresses who wanted to be on his TV political discussion show.....it broadcasts out of Lyon, btw. Mink Stole, Divine, Edith Massey, Mary Vivian Pearce, Cookie Mueller, Anne Heche, Charles Grodin's wife, Pam Grier, Mary Woronov, Drew Barrymore, Judy Davis, Demi Moore were all part of the swarm. None of 'em were indicted. I think I don't know who she was who was dressed up as Divine. That Divine impersonator took over as host of the TV show, though.

I spent a week in St. Louis in November of 1995 (and I lived there for a short time as I child). I was amazed at the number of smokers in the city. Perhaps coming from Austin (where they had recently started to disallow smoking in restaurants) it just seemed excessive. I skated around the park with the art museum and all the squirrels. I didn't like the zoo at all. Only two habitat 'exhibits' the rest of the animals were crammed into a tiny little area. Most disturbing I think was the organtuan. He just looked and looked and looked into you. A huge intelligent active being and sentenced to a life behind plexiglass. I really was disturbed by it all. The Denver zoo is worse in some ways. The big cats spend most of their days in this aquarium sized tank and take rotations in the out of doors. sorry to go off on a tangent there... The arch was fun, the ride up in those rickety old shell-like cradle things.

The most smokers I have ever seen per capita had to be Vermont. Alcohol sales, New Hampshire. Guess there's not much to do when winter sets in.

Having never smoked a cigarette in my life, I fathom a guess that perhaps it keeps one warm??!?!

Well, no, not really. But it's something to do when it's too cold to set foot outside during their bitter, darker (northern latitude) winter. Incredible suicide rate as well.

I killed myself several times when I was in New Hampshire. Had to find out if cats were the only ones who have 9 lives. They're definitely not (the only ones). But they sure move fast when the food comes out. And before the food comes out, Jah will knock things over.... communicating to me that I'm ignoring his appetite. People were dying right and left all around me in Vermont. They must've reached number 9 (or....whatever it was, there number was up). Wish I coulda done something.

Tahja pats my mouth with her paw to tell me she's hungry Rafikki cries and follows me around (always managing to stay BETWEEN my feet somehow)

Sounds like you have cats.

We love cats! We love them even more than St. Louis! We love them more than smoking, and suicide!

we love them in a box we love them in their socks

I was going to say that St Louis, smoking, and suicide, aren't exactly on the top of my list.

Well then, what's your dream destination?

I have always been kind of partial to Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas

Hmmmm, don't know if there's a topic for that...

I don't think so. There really isn't much to discuss. It is a place you go to get away from the busy, action-packed lifestyle. Once you get used to life in the Bahamas, it is extremely difficult to get upset over missing an appointment, or being a slave to any kind of schedule. It kind of puts life into perspective.

Sounds like either heaven or hell, I'm not sure which...

It can be hell, until you get comfortable with it. Example: The 9 am bus will probably arrive by 10, almost certainly by 11, for sure by 12. Unless it's late.