A little rap...

So since I have been absent in the blogging recently (I swear I have been spending every free moment packing for Chicago!) I thought I would write you a little rap. I know what you're thinking, "Kat raps?" Why yes, yes I do. It is a newfound interest that came after sharing some Gumby's pokey stix with a few friends who decided to show Brittany and I their free-style rapping skills. Since then Brit and I haven't been able to stop. Even Marissa gets in on it! So here you go, it's a rap about this blog.

WELCOME TOOOOO
Katillac Exploration
It's a divine sensation
that's sweeping the nation
and even Jamaicans.

I seek and I find
with open eyes and mind
then take it back and rewind
to project and define.
New thoughts are the best
you take them, read and digest.

Tales, clean spicy fun like a dish from Rick Bayless.
Good times a plethora but still you payless
than the Elles or the Cosmos.
Here you get more than BOGO's
or designers and logos.

I Hope you enjoy, though my remarks are sometimes coy.
And if my style somehow finds you amiss
I'll just have to place my faith in the abiss.
But my intent, by far, it that it brings you pure bliss.


There you have it folks. I know, I'm not the next Wale or Weezy, but I still have fun. Maybe one day I'll even get brave enough to record it and put it up here. Until then, just try to imagine a flow because I swear to you there is one!

Two Great Lakes?

We have been really fortunate to have an extremely pleasant summer weather wise this year. I'm talking ridiculously mild. Beautiful scenery, cool breezes, and best of all a complete lack of humidity. My hair has really loved it.

Anyways, the point of all of this wonderful weather talk is that it makes for very enjoyable hiking and exploration weather. Lots of walking has been happening here, and I have been privileged to have friends who also love to walk and take in the scenery. I have been to random rope swings, parks, the big tree, developing neighborhoods, and even down the pedestrian paths to Walmart. The other day, Brittany and I were in want of a new path and so I decided to take her to a path by a dog park I had been to a few times.

While driving there I was ranting about something or another and passed the spot that I had intended to turn onto. I kept driving and came upon an exit for the MKT trail that I had never noticed on my many drives down Forum. What the heck, I thought, and turned in and parked. We began our journey down the wide and very accessible MKT trail. Various people passed by us, a woman walking her dog and a few hippy looking bikers. I am in the bad habbit of listening to everyone, so you can imagine my intrigue when I overheard the very rough hippy-esque woman on a bike tell her friend the third member of their party had stopped at the lake.


"A lake would be amazing right now," was
the exact thought that crossed my mind at that moment. Luckily the same thought crossed Brittany's mind and we decided to find this lake.

We did not have to walk far at all to find the trail that branched off toward a lovely field with much greenery. The gravel path wound around the field which then turned into a beautiful lake and wildlife area. I was absolutely astonished. Seriously? Seriously. How had I never known this existed?

________

There were wildflowers and tall grasses; old trees and benches with dedication engraved onto them lined the pathway circling the lake.

Strolling around the lake was not only and enjoyable setting for scenery but also for conversation. Twin Lakes is so engaging, I went back the next week with Marissa and caught the lake at sunset. If you are in Columbia, this should be a must see for you. If not, go find a spot like this near you. They pop up in the most surprising places!

A Fiasco can be a good thing...

This was it, my chance to see Lupe Fiasco in concert. I had been dreaming about this since my brother played The Cool for me a few summers ago and now, not only was I seeing him in concert, I was beneath the St. Louis Arch and the show was absolutely free.

I arrived downtown with my brother and Brittany to sunshiny happiness and a cool breeze. Since we arrived early, Brit and I decided to explore our Fair St. Louis food options. During our stroll down the boardwalk, we came upon this lovely woman dressed in a pink tutu with a video camera and a box full of props. I am fairly positive she has some issues, but she definitely caught our eye and the eyes of nearly every person in the audience.

After Brittany used her charm to convince a man at one of the food booths to grill her up some peppers for her brat (they were intended to be added to the Philly cheese steak) we headed back to the stage and awaited the start of the show.

At last, a group of DJs headed onto the stage to get things moving. Now while these DJs were fantastic, they were not nearly as incredible as the two signers who were translating every word, spoken or rapped, to the audience with a good deal of urban zeal. Just as we grew tired of watching the signers, a civilian break dance circle formed and put on an impromptu show to a mix of hip-hop and some Michael Jackson mix tapes.



We were already thrilled with our experience at the arch that night, but it was only the beginning. Black Spade then took the stage. He and his crew along with his brother Tef Poe and Made Monarchs filled the stage, some wearing giant card board shells with painted alien faces on them. While Black Spade was good, Made Monarchs stole the show when their lead man Rockwell Knuckles removed the alien shell covering him and dove into some awesome rhymes. The most astounding part was that we all thought he was intoxicated out of his mind while he was just kickin' it on stage two minutes earlier. Never judge a book by its cover folks, he came outta nowhere!



Just as the sun was setting, Lupe took the stage along with a fellow rapper, a DJ, and the most incredible drummer I have seen to date. The guy was a giant wearing a black T-shirt featuring Barack Obama with a ballin' ball cap photo shopped into the picture. His drum set was a gorgeous 33 red pieces and he played every piece splendidly.

Lupe had a fantastic set, and I was inspired to see how into each song he was, even after performing them a zillion times. He even featured one of the signers by performing part of a song right next to her. Great, I'm telling you, just great stuff. Young guys everywhere were dressed to impress, Lupe style and even some toddlers speckled the audience on their parents' shoulders. We were lucky enough to hear his new single from LASERS, Shining Down featuring Matthew Santos (whom I enjoy very much). The single leaked a few weeks ago, and every true Lupe lover knew each word already.


The night ended on a high note with a group of people dancing in circle to the late great Michael Jackson under fireworks shooting off over the river. There were no crazy people to disrupt the show and everyone was there to fully appreciate the hip-hop culture. Concerts do not get any more enjoyable than this people. If you couldn't be there, I hope this will give you some small idea of how truly incredible the whole night was.