Stoop Life

    Stoop life is the title of this blog. I spend a lot of time on the stoop. I'm actually writing this on the stoop because it's the only place where I can get an internet connection. Everyone hangs out on the stoop. With ten people making up the two adjacent apartments and another 10 coming from around the neighborhood, the stoop is where everyone hangs out. There's a very nice older woman who lives three doors down and walks her dog around the park I live across from. She is the most vulgar older woman I have run into, but boy, does she love the AmeriCorps kids. She has a dog named Frosty which is pretty much the coolest, smallest, oldest dog I have seen. It rains quite a bit here, which pretty much is every day.

   Week two in Soulard was just about as much fun as week one. There were plenty of unofficial activities planned throughout the week such as cleaning up a historic cemetery, going to Grants Farm, and going to the farmers' market. I didn't end up going to the cemetery because it was pouring buckets and it was cancelled. So instead, my roommate Marty, June, and I went on the Budweiser Brewery Tour. The plant is about 5 blocks from my house so we just decided to go there.

I forgot to mention, this was an outdoor walking tour.

Inside the main lobby

Now that is one cute dog.

All their beers in a nice display case

Marty getting his two free beers plus a few more free ones.

   Thursday we went to Grants Farm, which I am told is a zoo for adults. It's a free zoo that serves free beer.  But it wasn't opened for some reason, so we went home. Friday was a nice day with no rain. I spent a lot of time at the farmer's market. I went with fellow member Allie and listened to her play her guitar for people. We left and came back later with all the members to stroll up and down the two blocks of fresh vegetables, fruits, and other random items. June bought the largest watermelon ever that I carried to the pot luck AmeriCorps was having. This watermelon must have weighed 30 pounds.

Allie singing and having a good time

Wasn't ready for my picture to be taken.

    Saturday there was a party at my house for everyone in the program. My room was turned into Club Lucas with music, dancing, and Frosty the dog. I don't know how he came into my room, but he was a huge hit.

Frosty getting all the attention.

Frosty and I.

And then finally, Sunday the rain came back. That didn't stop people from playing Crumpets, which is a game of field hockey with padded sticks and a dodge ball. I sat on the stoop and watched them, I had just woken up and didn't want to go play in the rain.

Sitting on the Stoop in Soulard watching Crumpets and the rain.

    Tomorrow I actually start work with orientation in the afternoon. Wednesday I leave St. Louis for Quest, which is in southern Missouri where everyone goes before the education team and the emergency response team split. When we do split, ERT will be heading to Montana for about a month. I'll hopefully be able to update this from my iTouch and add photos later, but I never know. Thanks for reading and I'll be updating everyone later from Montana!


Shamucas