You, sir or madam, should go fly a kite. You can either pick up one of those disposable plastic dealies from that cardboard bin by your grocer's check-out stand, or you can splurge on something nice and durable, something that will provide you hours of fun for many springs to come. And then get to the nearest park or playground (mind the electrical lines, though) and dance your little marvel across the sky.
Oh, what's the matter? Nervous? Afraid that the golfers will laugh at you while you try to launch? You just need some confidence -- and maybe a few hints from an expert. The Gateway Kite Club is here to help. The club members fly at Forest Park at 1 p.m., and they'd love to show you the strings, as it were. Their raison d'être is to promote kiting in all forms, and once you've witnessed the aerobatic maneuvers performed at their command, you'll be hooked. Call Ace at 314-588-1833 for more info, and by April (National Kite Month) you'll be ready to fly with the best of them. --Paul Friswold
Grappling With the Issues
Having a grown man pull your legs up and apart while straddling your chest apparently isn't just for prostitutes and masochists anymore. It's still bad when it happens, though, because the Saturday Night Ride is one of the more painfully humiliating pin moves in the world of amateur wrestling. Lacking the more theatrical attacks of pro wrestling (fans of the People's Elbow and the Stinkface, look elsewhere), the NCAA Division I wrestling tournament features nothing but the hardest-grappling mat action outside of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The future legends of the sport begin their quest for immortality at Savvis Center (1401 Clark Street) in six sessions spread across three days (Thursday, March 18, through Saturday, March 20) in what is known as the Super Bowl of U.S. college wrestling. Check out www.stlouissports.org for the full schedule of events, and call 877-722-1604 for tickets ($15 to $110). -- Erik Carlson
'Sup, Derrty?
Good clean fun
SAT 3/20
Remember playing in the dirt on warm spring days? Making mud pies, performing earthworm emergency surgery, taking your Hot Wheels off-roading and knowing at home you'd "get it"? Let go of the fear -- at the Missouri Botanical Garden's (4344 Shaw Boulevard) Gardening Help SpringDig, they want you to play in the dirt! Hurrah! Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Missouri's master gardeners will offer presentations on gardening in St. Louis, plus soil-pH testing and lots of personalized advice. Registration is required; the cost is $35 for garden members, $40 for non-members. Call 314-577-9441 or visit www.mobot.org for more information. -- Amy Helms
