Starting to wind down the week

We managed not to get all the snow and other freezing precipitation that was being predicted for the St. Louis metro area. After hearing that it was sleeting in Fenton and the wind blowing past the house around 30 mph, I was not very enthused about Mo wanting to go shopping. Mo, Munchkin, and Mo's mom and sister are heading up to Chicago for a fun girls weekend. And Mo needed some stuff to take with them. They are traveling up on the Megabus so they don't have to deal with vehicles. I know that they are planning on getting to the American Girl store, Macy's, and the old Navy pier.

I also know that I'm happy that I'm not being forced to go shopping. There isn't anything wrong with it, but my approach to shopping is to research possible targets, identify specific target, identify store with best price, execute purchase, withdraw back to home base. Mo's approach is to identify what she wants, go to store and pick up product, and then browse the store for a couple of hours to see if there is anything else she needs. And in the case of clothing stores, no wait, lets not go there.

Munchkin seems to be picking up on the shopping gene from Mo. She loves to go shopping with Mo. Which can end up being a very frustrating trip for both mother and 4-year-old daughter, especially when said 4-year-old is already tired. And it gets compounded when Mo is also tired.

So we had to run to Best Buy at Mid-Rivers last night to check on a few items, a couple of gifts and some stuff for the trip. Mo had picked up a portable DVD player on Black Friday and last night we picked up a case and an 8 hour battery. The DVD player only has a 2 hour rated battery and the trip to Chicago (without weather or traffic delays) is 5 hours. We also picked up a pair of child headphones. Didn't end up getting gifts.

Then we headed over to Target for some other home neccessities, plus a couple more things for their trip. Then it was time to finally head for home. Snow had ended by that time and the sky was clearing off, because we could see the cresent moon in the west. The wind was still blowing just a little and it was definitely COLD!

When we got home, Mo started making the cookies for the cookie exchange on Sunday. Munchkin went to bed, after she had a small melt down with me. She had fallen asleep in the car on the short trip from Target to home and she said she didn't really want to go to bed. Once Mo had calmed her down and got her into bed Munchkin pretty much went right to sleep. I knew she was tired. Anyway, Mo is making sugar cookies and I've got to pick up some pecans this afternoon so she can make the cookies tonight. I'll be going to the cookie exchange alone, because they won't be back in St. Louis until around 10:30pm Sunday night.

This morning was clear and it took a while to get the car warmed up and chipped out of ice. Because it was clear overnight temps were around 12-14 when I got up this morning. Actually wore a heavy coat today, which if you know me, you know I hate having to wear the heavy coat. *chuckle*

If you are down towards Bonne Terre, MO on Saturday (Dec 6), Samaritan Lodge #424 is having an All-You-Can-Eat-Breakfast from 6:30am-10:00am. Breakfast is Eggs,Sausage,Biscuits & Gravy. $5.00 They say to come early and help them prepare breakfast.

If you are in the New Town neighborhood on Saturday (Dec 6), the Tree Lighting is 4pm-6pm at the Town Hall. They will have holiday activities for the kids, holiday music, free cookies (provided by Whittaker Homes) and free coffee (provided by Marsala's Market).

Next week though (Dec 12 & Dec 13), Erin Bode is having a holiday concert at the New Town Chapel (3420 Civic Circle, St. Charles, MO 63301). Doors open at 7:30pm, but you have to get tickets ($20) at the Domain Street Wine Bar (3301 Domain Street #1, St. Charles, MO 63301). To get more information, call 636-90-0457. A portion of the proceeds benefits the New Town Trust for Arts & Entertainment. Cool, cool, cool. But then I really enjoy Erin Bode's music. Also happy that the Domain Street Wine Bar manages to get her and her band for so many concerts.

I'm having a few friends over Saturday night (some lodge brothers and some neighbors) to taste up my pumpkin ale, as well as drinking up some of the other stuff that is sitting in the basement. We'll see how that goes.

Read the story yesterday about the trail for a St. Peters man that was charged with killing his estranged wife in front of her workplace in 2007. The update this morning was that it only took the jury 15 minutes to return a guilty verdict. His formal sentencing happens in January, but it looks like he'll be serving a life sentence with no chance for parol.

Also in the paper yesterday, St. Charles County's Economic Development Center (EDC) announced some new tenants for their business incubators. At the EDC St. Peters branch,

• Respond Right, offers classes in first aid, CPR, defibrillators and extinguishing fires. Typically, the instructors visit businesses to give employees hands-on lessons on site;

• Advertising Communication, which operates KLPW 101.7 FM and is owned by Randy Wachter;

• Dijital Media, an e-marketing and IT consulting company started by Jit Gohill;

• The Envision Group, debt management services agent of United First Financial started by Jason McMillan;

• 2 PH Group, another debt management services agent of United First Financial with Dave Schwent;

At the EDC St. Charles branch, new tenants include the Law Offices of Kenneth P. Carp, and Edward J. Rolwes Attorney at Law with Rosenblum, Goldenhersh, Silverstein & Zafft.

The latest EDC tenant to expand is Keller Williams Realty/The Scotty Patton Group, a real estate brokerage firm formerly known as Camdyn Properties.

The latest company to graduate from the EDC incubator program is Spencer Web Design, now with offices in St. Peters.

And I have a new business hero. According to the St. Louis Business Journal yesterday, a one-man St. Louis startup called Ceramitron LLC has landed a $99,000 contract with NASA to build miniature sensors for weather balloons, land rovers and submarines. What is even better is that Philip Berger, the man behind Ceramitron, sees even more commercial potential for his invention, including monitoring landfills for greenhouse gas emissions. Sweet.