Crepe Girardeau beats sleeping in on Saturday

There are all kinds of "to do" lists this time of year. There are lists of activities to do with your children over the summer and lists of things to do to get beach ready. There are lists of things to do before heading off to college, along with lists of ways to deal with a newly-empty nest. You can find an endless number of "to do" lists on a wide variety of topics ranging from travel, hiking and fishing to home renovation, lawn care and everything in between.

I am going the opposite direction and sharing a list things you should absolutely not do on a Saturday in Cape Girardeau.

First, you should not get up early on Saturday. If you get up early, you may miss out on the guilt of feeling like you wasted half the day. You may discover you have plenty of time to fit both productivity and fun into the same day. You may even begin feeling like the world is your oyster.

The line began forming at 7:30 a.m. for the decadent delights.Submitted by Mary Ann Castillo

Second, if you do get up early, you definitely don't want to make things worse by attacking any fitness-related endeavors. Exercise may result in your body releasing "feel good" chemicals called endorphins, which could cause you to ... ummm ... well ... feel good. Who wants that? Not to mention, exercise almost always leads to hunger, which means your happy little self will have the task of hunting for something to quell the hunger pangs.

Third, and this one is a doozy, if you accidentally get up early and conquer your fitness goals, you absolutely do not want to let your endorphin-fueled buzz lead you to the Cape Riverfront Market located at 35 S. Spanish St. in downtown Cape Girardeau. If you do not heed my advice, you may find yourself like I did last Saturday: sweaty, hungry and excitedly salivating while reading the chalkboard menu in front of one of the market's newest additions, Crepe Girardeau. Then, just when your brain has finally settled the internal debate between sweet and savory, you may discover Crepe Girardeau is completely sold out. Your eyes may become a bit misty as your hunger pangs are quickly replaced by heartache. You may begin to doubt yourself and your decision to get up early, conquer your fitness goals and visit Crepe Girardeau at the Riverfront Market. As you are contemplating your life choices, you may feel a tap on your shoulder. You may turn around to see a triangle shaped box from the Crepe Girardeau tent being pushed in your direction. You may hear a friendly voice say, "We had enough for one more." As your brain begins to register what is happening, you may even get a friendly smile from entrepreneur/crepe-making extraordinaire Isabelle "Belle" Schott, behind the griddle. You may find all of the nearby tables occupied and be forced to ask for a seat at a stranger's table. You may find yourself welcomed with open arms. You may open the box and discover a treasure worth more than gold inside. You may carefully fill your fork with a bit of each ingredient (crepe, banana, cream cheese, pecans, and bourbon caramel) before sliding it carefully between your lips.

Throwing in the towel is tough when you want to savor every last bite.Submitted by Mary Ann Castillo

You may experience pleasure overload with the first bite and wonder if you've died and gone to Heaven. You may thank God for the morning and the moment. You may realize you haven't died after all because in Heaven you would not be full. In Heaven, you would have room for more. You may realize you have to save the rest for later, while silently selecting a savory option for your next trip.

Beautiful music will play as you walk away and in a moment of bliss you may even believe you heard the lead singer utter your name. Crepe Girardeau's "Lindsey" crepe is so good you may wonder if you are living a dream ... and, really, who wants that?