Let the invasion begin

So here we are, folks. We've made it all the way to August. Congrats one and all. Shots of Jaegermeister all around.

Now that we've made it over the hump of blistering mid-summer, life is about to change drastically for all of us Cape nightcrawlers.

The kids are coming. Life is going to change.

Ready the kegs.

The kids are coming.

By the time you're reading this, it may already by too late. Now you might be saying "What the hell are you rambling on about, Sanders?"

I'm talking about college kids, folks. You may even be a college kid. If so, sorry to talk about you in the third person like this. But you're a sport, right? Good.

This month marks the time of a new social season for Cape -- a time when downtown turns into a big frat/sorority party. Yes, college kids are always here. But for the next nine months or so, you won't be able to raise your right arm without hitting one of them. So goes life on the river.

So with those college kids in mind, OFF took a little dip into the downtown scene. We scoured the bars, tasted the food, imbibed the drinks, played the games (hard work, huh?) all in an effort to tell you where to go to do what downtown.

I never want to hear you say there's nothing to do in Cape again.

If you're more into food than getting plastered, remember the annual BBQ Fest is coming this month, too. Last year I was a judge, and I can say from experience the food is great (so are the mixed drinks).

But OFF's not all about partying. We also want to expand your mind. So we asked two Southeast Missouri State University art students to recount the time they spent this summer at an arts festival in Bulgaria.

Sorry, but you can't read about it here in the magazine. You'll have to go online for that. Media synergy is a wonderful thing.

Speaking of media synergy, have you checked out my blog on www.semissourian.com yet? Let me tell you, it's the coolest thing on the Web. Well, maybe not cooler than YouTube. But almost as cool.

See you in Cyberspace.