I have come to an unfortunate realization: I do not feel safe walking around any part of St. Louis or its surrounding areas at night. Last night I went to Schnucks to pick up some groceries at about 11 PM, and the parking lot was filled with unsavory characters just standing around seemingly ready to plot whose apartment they were going to toss later that night. The other night my girlfriend and I were pursued for a few feet by someone looking for a handout after we came out of Blockbuster Video.

It even happens during the day. We made the unfortunate decision to visit the Schnucks on Delmar last weekend and were actually panhandled while we were shopping. A disheveled woman claimed she needed $15 to pay for her prescriptions, yet later on we walked past the prescription counter and it was closed (it being a Sunday and all). Today I walked over to the Loop during my lunch break to return the game we rented from Blockbuster, and I had to avoid an unshaved old man who was walking around aimlessly and rambling incoherently to no one in particular. Rachel claims she is a target for random weirdos, but I think I've stolen that crown from her this week.

I guess this is the price I pay for going to school someplace that actually has things to do rather than be at home in Stuart, FL, where it is usually pretty tame at night but that is because all of the residents went to bed after Matlock about 5 hours earlier.

Here are the promised pictures of Admiral Rufus Fish VIII in all of his glory. He has this nasty habit of almost jumping out of his bowl if I put my fingers too close to the water when feeding him, but I guess the skittishness comes from years of naval campaigns to protect the colonies under Her Majesty's Royal Navy.

The Admiral bathed in light.

A little darker so you can see his name placard.