A night of sparkling lights...

The first year ron and i met, before we officially started dating, Ron tells me the story of how he wanted to ask me to go drive around and look at Christmas lights. He even bought a vintage thermos for hot chocolate that we could drink from. Mind you that never happened, but it has every year after and we always end up drinking Starbucks and not from the Thermos.{But we still have the Thermos--Ron}

This past Saturday night, we went to eat at the Tap Room. They have a new menu and we wanted to see. After a short wait in the bar (i ordered the pilsner and ron ordered the Coffee Stout, a new favorite of his.){Yes the coffee stout is a new favorite(thanks, Barb). I haven't been a big fan of stout types of beers since I actually started liking non-stout beers. But I like this one a lot. A few years ago, I had a "beershake" at the Chocolate Bar. It was made with chocolate stout and cinnamon ice cream. Delicious. I can't wait to try it with this.}, we were seated. Same place, same set up, almost completely revamped menu. We ordered one familiar thing, the goatcheese rarebit. so good!! but all of our old standbys were gone including the salmon sandwich and match (fake meat) burger. we SPLIT a salad and the tilapia reuben. the tilapia was beerbatter-fried, a major dissappointment. so i took it off and ate the reuben by itself, the way i used to enjoy it there anyway.

After a quick stop back by the apartment, we needed to get the camera, and a drive-thru starbucks, we were off to look at Christmas lights.

First stop Candy Cane Lane (aka Murdoch Ave) in St. Louis Hills. This is a favorite street of mine. All of the families on this street decorate their homes and come out on the weekends in december to greet you. This year, they had a movie screen, set up, showing Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. They were collecting donations for salvation army and handing out candy canes.

Candy and Peanuts from ronald weaver on Vimeo.

We drove throughout the rest of the St. Louis Hills neighborhood. When my sister Holly and i go walking around that park, there is one house that we always get a kick out of. They have three big picture windows one to display the dining table, one the Big screen T.V. and the other the garage for some fancy car. they also have a yard full of fountains and gaudy yard ornaments and huge clock that hangs on the front of the house. this year for christmas, a yard FULL of christmas inflatables. {this house makes me wish more than ever for an official Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot range model air rifle --with a compass in the stock. I freaking hate inflatable lawn ornaments.!!! If I get one this year, I'm going back.}

It looks like Night of the Living Dead.

We drove by our old neighborhood, tower grove park, to see the house on Magnolia Ave.that has a flying santa every year.

We almost missed Gurney Court (which sits off of Magnolia), usually a delight, was quite a disappointment this year. the lights were turned off for the evening, but the light up deers were both tipped over and half of the houses weren't even decorated. We did have a great time anyway!!

i hope your christmas light search this year brings some great discoveries!!