Time

A quick note on one of my biggest pet peeves (and the answer to the riddle)...

"I don't have time."

This is a statement that we all hear, and are often guilty of saying. With the exception of the start and end, time is one of the few things in life that we all have the same amount of. No matter your race, sex, salary, or responsibilities, each day, week, month, and year are the same for everyone. The answer is never "I don't have time." The answer is "I have prioritized other activities over the one currently being discussed.", "My time management skills do not currently enable me to complete the requested task." or any other similar excuse. It is important to take advantage of the time that we have and recognize time just as any other asset, that needs to be managed and leveraged to appreciate its full value. We all have the same amount so be smart with how you choose to use it and be honest with yourself and others when discussing it :)

Eric & Kenz vs Food

Inspired by the entertaining Man vs Food television series, Mackenzie and I continue to explore the St Louis dining scene. On the show, Adam Richman travels the country in search of unique local eateries and food challenges. Although Kenz is "grossed out" by the show and continues to state "I don't understand why you like to watch him stuff his face" I find it to be inspiring. We recently watched the St Louis episode, and have now been to two of the three establishments featured on the show: Pappy's Smokehouse & Iron Barley.

The show is spot on! (If the show makes a trip to your home town, I highly suggest you check out the restaurants they visit. I know the show has gone to Cleveland) These are two of the best meals we have had in St Louis. I will attempt to give a quick review of the restaurants, but words simply will not do them justice.

Pappy's Smokehouse
We were surrounded by the sweet, savory aroma of hickory smoke from the minute we opened the car door. We arrived hungry and ready to eat with high expectations. Upon entering the restaurant, we saw a line that wrapped around the corner. We followed the line around the corner, and around another corner, and finally made it to the end. We thought this must be a good sign, since it was 2:30 in the afternoon on a random Saturday. The anticipation continued to build as we waited for approximately 45 minutes. We ordered the pulled pork, smoked turkey, and array of sides including coleslaw, potato salad, sweet potato fries and fried corn on the cob. The portions were huge, and the flavors bold. Well worth the wait! If you want bbq when you visit, this is the spot!
http://www.pappyssmokehouse.com/

Iron Barley
Located off the beaten path, Iron Barley is quite the hidden treasure. After a short wait, Kenz and I grabbed a spot at the bar, and selected a few delicious craft beers. As we reviewed the tattered paper menus, we were surprised to find extensive offerings with items ranging from hot dogs to barley paella. We asked the server about the daily specials and after about 20 minutes of incredibly descriptive potential meals, we knew we couldn't go wrong - everything sounded amazing. After much deliberation, we settled on grilled cheese fajitas (appetizer) a double dog reuben (house made hot dogs with melted swiss, kraut and thousand island) and smoked duck breast salad. The food was amazing! The following quotes from Kenz will give you an idea of our experience:

"Tied for top meal in St Louis"

"If no one was looking, I would lick my plate!"

"I think that woman saw me eat that piece of bacon off the table....but it was a big piece!"

http://www.ironbarley.com/

As I said, words can not do the food justice, but I would be happy to treat family and friends to experience either destination to decide for yourselves. Other than the dining, we have been thoroughly enjoying the weather (it was 66 degrees today!) To satisfy our golf hunger, we made a trip out to the driving range. Although my swing is not 100% (Kenz was hitting well) we are looking forward to checking out the St Louis golf scene.

Kenz Job Application Count: 95

Riddle - What is it? (don't just copy and past into google!)

This thing all things devours;
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays King, ruins town;
And beats high mountains down

A (temporary) job!

Hello!

As some of you may already know, job searching 40+ hours/week was wearing me out. In order to give myself something to look forward to, meet new friends, and pull in some cash, I started looking for a serving job.

I stumbled upon Bridge, a Tap House & Wine Bar located on the lower level of our building. I interviewed on a Monday and started that weekend. Bridge has been open less than two weeks but we already have a very steady flow of people throughout the week and we have been SLAMMED both weekends!

I have included the link to Bridge's website below. Check it out.

http://www.thebridgestl.com/

Bridge offers over 200 beers, 36 on tap and over 100 wines with 20 by the glass. There are over 25 selections of cheeses, sandwiches, salads, and of course desserts. A LOT to familiarize myself with! I am currently working my way through the cheese menu. The Tete de Moine from Switzerland is my favorite so far!

The best part about this job is that the restaurant is closed Monday, Tuesday, and I have had Wednesdays off. This leaves me plenty of time for job searching! :)

I love everyone I work with and have been making some great cash! I can't wait to take you all there when you visit! (Hopefully I will have a career by then. :)

-Kenz

Job Application Status: 89 jobs

West of the Mississippi

Family and Friends-

The blog is finally underway. When discussing the idea of starting this blog with an anonymous individual, the following statement was made: "I don't understand why people think their life is so important that others would want to read about it." If you share these feelings, this blog is not intended for you and I would prefer to save my thoughts for those that care :).

With that said, the idea of this blog is to help Mackenzie and I stay connected with family and friends and document our experiences. We have been very fortunate to move to a great new city, and every weekend seems to act as a short vacation. Our goal is to update this biweekly. With the exception of the list below, I will do my best to write using a personalized approach vs. the quick, data-based business updates I have become accustomed to at work. Although it will take some time to incorporate the wit and sarcasm that my cousin Aaron has mastered, I will continue to make progress.

Now that the intro is out of the way, the following list covers the highlights from our first six weeks in St Louis:

• Moved from Cincinnati to St. Louis, Dec. 28th
• Spent Kenz's 24th b-day bar hopping (all within walking distance)
• Took (and continue to take) advantage of the open container policy
• Toured the Anheuser-Busch Brewery (met the Clydesdales and tasted free beer)
• P&G purchased the house, Jan.12th
• Pre-Mardi Gras celebration: Cajun cook-off (open bar with unlimited local Schlafly drafts and Hurricanes)
• Barkus Parade - North America's largest dog parade - thousands of dogs and beer stands on the streets
• Soulard Farmers Market - open since 1779
• Jogs through the city - the Arch is only 3/4 miles away
• Stroll through Forest Park - Over 50% larger than NYC's Central Park (1293 acres)
• Soulard Mardi Gras Parade (2nd largest Mardi Gras celebration in the U.S.)
• Trip to the Casino (also walking distance)
• Dining out at "The Hill" - St Louis' Italian district
• Skiing in Vail, Colorado
• Live blues music at 1860's
• Kenz's ongoing job search. Each post will include a running count of Mackenzie's online job applications. As of February 14th: 79 applications

Sorry for the long list, but I just wanted to start getting some of this captured so I dont forget. I could easily write a blog about each of these experiences, but am just trying to get caught up.

I hope this blog serves it's purpose and is enjoyable to read.

Eric