O.K., so the Blues are for sale – no problem. I would be the first to admit that I am not a big hockey fan. I really couldn’t tell you the last time I attended a Blues hockey game. For my money I would really rather attend an Otters contest right here in beautiful St. Charles. From my perspective the Blues priced me right out of attending any of their contests. On the negative side it would do nothing but hurt the image of our region should they decide to leave; it would leave only professional baseball and football. Some say the void of the Blues could be filled with an NBA team – once again the likelihood of my attending such a contest is highly unlikely. Few attend more high school basketball games than I, and nothing is more exciting than the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, held annually at the Savvis Center. But the idea of watching an NBA contest does nothing for me.
Last Friday evening I took Maggie, Joe and Dee to see a River City Rascals game in O’Fallon. If I were writing a review of the contest, it would get two thumbs up. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house, with the exception of sitting in the left field outfield just as the sun sets. Thirty to forty minutes before sunset you are blinded and can’t see a thing. There are plenty of things for the kids to do in the “Children’s Village.” The up close seating really does make you feel like you’re on the field. Best of all the beer prices are reasonable. If you are looking for something to do this summer I strongly suggest taking in a game. I bet you go back – I know I am.
The next paragraph or two will be nothing other than a personal reflection; read on if you wish.
As a parent I have always wanted to have the kind of household where my kids’ friends would want to hang out. Certainly, always having the right kinds of snacks and drinks helps greatly in this endeavor, but more importantly, I think, is having a pool in the back yard. At any given moment there may be as many as 9 or 10 kids swimming in our back yard. The parents know this and spontaneous cookouts are as common as the swimming parties. I make mention of this because one the families most likely to attend one of these spontaneous parties, The Yothers, will soon be relocating to Indiana. It seems like just yesterday when Nancy Yothers first introduced herself to me and shared that she would love for her daughter Molly and my daughter Maggie (both of whom at the time were 2 years old) to grow up and be friends. At the time I thought it was a strange thing to say, but now that they are leaving, I realize that Molly and Maggie (now both 9) have in fact grown up to be friends, close friends at that. Despite the fact that the Yothers attend(ed) Becky – David, and my kids attend ASH, it was not uncommon for my kids to be waiting at the bus stop for Molly and Sam to come home so they could play. Factor in their oldest son Nate is mature beyond his middle school age years, and can be trusted to be a primary care giver. The patriarch of the family, Geoffrey, hails from Philadelphia and continues to be an Eagles fan, but other than that is a great guy. He would rather drink Bud Lite than Mich Ultra, but we all have our faults.
When we first saw the “for sale” sign in their front yard, I had a funny, sickly feeling in my stomach – even though we knew it was coming. As irony would have it, we were with The Yothers at St. Elizabeth’s Church picnic when Geoff got the call from their realtor that the next day’s open house would be cancelled because they had a firm offer at the right price. I know time cures all, but there will be a void when the Yothers move. My son Joe asked if we could visit them maybe every 10 years or so, which is a longer period of time than we have known them. I seriously doubt that we will. But as I write this I can picture us attending their children’s weddings, and vice versa. As a matter of fact I cannot imagine my children getting married without the Yothers being present.
I know this is no big deal to most, and in the grand scheme of the universe it barely warrants attention. But within the McMurran household it is a big deal – my children’s friends are moving away, and they have never experienced such. To Nancy and Geoff, good luck in life, may all your dreams be realized. The two of you are very caring, fun to be with, and just down right good friends. One request please: Look into job openings for air traffic controllers. I’ve another neighbor I would love for you to take with you.
