15 March 2012

A Somewhat Sleepless Weekend, A Somewhat Hectic Tuesday

Last Thursday night (8 March), I made some calls to contact some Mehlville High 1982 classmates to let them know about the reunion this October and to confirm contact info. I only spoke with one classmate then, who indicated he wasn't interested in the reunion. I left messages for the others, one of whom did call back the next day with the info I was seeking.

Saturday night (10 March) found me at SLUH refereeing under 14 boys' soccer games. The three games went well, with no real hassles. After getting home, I turned my watches and clocks ahead one hour, for Daylight Savings Time that began at 2 am Sunday, 11 March. I had to be up early for a pair of games at the Scott Gallagher Facility, so I didn't get much sleep. I got through both games, but the first one--a middle on an under 14 boys Midwest Developmental League match--was a most challenging one. I had to keep some rather tight control on these teams, and issued eight yellow cards and two red cards (both for second yellows). I had to file the necessary report to the league office that afternoon. Fortunately, a match like that is very much the exception rather than the rule for me.

Sunday night, I was happy to see that Saint Louis University did make the NCAA men's basketball tournament and will play Memphis tomorrow (Friday) night in Columbus, Ohio. It will be a challenging game for the Billikens, for sure, but a victory is quite possible for SLU. Go Billikens!

Tuesday morning (13 March) had me at the St. Patrick Center for the GO! Network's weekly meeting. They had a presentation on a job seeker's "elevator speech," that 30- to 60-second pitch to a prospective employer or someone who could lead you to one. With another attendee's thoughts, I composed my elevator speech and delivered it to the assembly, which gave a positive overall response. I've went ahead and typed up my notes on that and posted it in my office, so I can practice it and fine tune the speech.

I did make a bit of use of that a few hours later, at a Yellow-Tie networking happy hour at CMS Solutions in Overland, Missouri. I spoke with one of the CMS employees there, who said they may hire a copywriter in the coming months. I gave her my card and we'll see what happens. It was only a short stay, as I had to dash over to Oakville for the Mehlville Oakville Alumni Association (MOAA) board meeting. It was my first time as this meeting as the group went over plans for upcoming alumni events. After that meeting, I volunteered to be the Mehlville '82 class representative to the MOAA board and they reunion committee head said for me to go ahead.

Looking ahead: Soccer games this Saturday and Sunday, and the IPMS/Gateway meeting Tuesday night. I'm giving a demo on scratchbuilding aircraft interiors (cockpits and landing gear bays) for models lacking them. Club info at http://ipms-gateway.com. Hope to see you there.

Later.

08 March 2012

March Coming in Like a Lion

Last Friday (2 Mar.), I brought two boxes of models and some club flyers to CRM Hobbies, for pickup by Don Hoffman. He's an IPMS/Gateway member who arranged a display this month at the Festus (Mo.) Public Library in his town of residence. I could not make it down to Festus the next day to help set up in person, so this was a compromise I arranged with Don. It should be interesting to see how this goes.

The reason I could not get down to Festus was that I was co-hosting Writer's Block on Naturally Autistic Radio that afternoon. I called in to talk with co-host Tim Pylypiuk and we discussed reading and writing experiences as children and how parents and teachers can encourage a love of reading and writing in their children. A nice hour as usual. You can find out more and download the archived show here: http://www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show/. Our next Writer's Block program is on Sat., 7 April at 2 pm Central Time.

That night, I was at GameTime in St. Peters for the final night of futsal this season. I was scheduled to work three games, but only the middle game of the set was played. Neither team showed up for the first and third games. Rather anticlimactic, I'd say. The next afternoon (4 Mar.), I was at SIU-Edwardsville's Ralph Korte Stadium to officiate three U15-18 boys' games. They went well; I had the middle on the first game of the set. We did get a bit of snow falling down during the last game of the set, but it was sporadic and did not stick when it touched down.

We had some pretty stiff winds blowing around here this past week. The gusts were high enough for high wind warnings being issued on Tuesday (6 Mar.). At least it was pleasant otherwise. Tuesday night, I ran the IPMS/St. Louis meeting at Thornhill Branch Library and it went well. I got to show off my current modeling project and see a few others that were brought in.

Last night, I was refereeing at the SLYSA Complex in St. Charles, doing the middle on a under-14 boys' match and lining an under-13 girls' match. They went well, although I had to deal with a coach upset about a call my assistant referee didn't make in my middle. Fortunately, that did not persist.

Please give my family your thoughts and prayers. My dad's having a hard time getting around lately. He's seeing a doctor tomorrow to check his spinal column, which is bothering him.

Before I go, I didn't want to end this without acknowledging both International Women's Day and National Proofreading Day today.

Later.

01 March 2012

Fourth-Best This Time

Last Friday night (24 Feb.), I was at the Eastern Missouri Soccer Referee Association (EMSRA) Tom Smith, Jr. Memorial Trivia Night at Andre's in Oakville. The team I'm on had a good outing, but not good enough to "three-peat" as champions; we finished fourth best this year. Still, it was a good night overall. Our table won the scavenger hunt game and got some sports team hats and restaurant gift certificates as prizes. The big winners, though, were the Disabled Athlete Sports Association (DASA) and Backstoppers, which will receive the proceeds from this event.

My three scheduled futsal games the next night turned into six. The assignor called me in mid-afternoon, asking me to fill in for someone who broke his ankle playing soccer and could not do his three late afternoon games. So I quickly dressed and drove up to Christian Academy. The games went well, although the next-to-last game was a forfeit because only one team showed up.

Late the next morning (26 Feb.), I was at St. Louis U. High for three games. They went well--I had the middle in the first game and it was nice.

Also last weekend, I received the Missouri title on my Corolla, so now my new car is officially mine. I put the license plate stickers on the car yesterday morning (29 Feb.), so my license plates are good for another year.

Tuesday night, I was at Marion Morris' house in Maplewood for the IPMS/Gateway business meeting. We planned the March meetings and discussed a bit of other club business.

Today, I was at Jefferson Barracks for a ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first parachute jump in the world. After a few short speeches in the administrative building, the crowd went to the parade ground, where a skydiver landed after jumping out of an aircraft, just as Albert Berry did on the same parade ground on 1 March 1912. It was a very nice day--sunny, mild, no clouds.

Before I go: This Saturday, at 2 pm Central Time (12 pm Pacific Time; 2000 hours GMT), I co-host this month's episode of Writer's Block from Naturally Autistic Radio. It's the monthly show--airing the first Saturday of the month--on writing from autistic people's perspectives. I hope you can tune in on Saturday. Show info at http://www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show.

Later.

22 February 2012

One Less Car Matter to Worry About

Last Thursday (16 Feb.), I was at Carmine's Steak House in downtown St. Louis for the monthly luncheon of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) in St. Louis. The event featured a panel discussion of online news start-ups, with experiences good and bad related by the panelists. I was there at the invitation of an editor and writer, Janette Lonsdale, for whom I had just performed a proofreading job. It was good meeting Janette, the lunch was good and I enjoyed this event. Well worth the $15 I spent as a non-SPJ member to attend.

Late that afternoon, I was at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport to attend the re-dedication of the Black Americans in Flight mural in the terminal building. Two others from the Missouri Aviation Historical Society (MAHS) were there to attend the ceremony, which was very nice. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley were among the speakers.

Then, I drove to downtown Clayton for the MAHS meeting, which featured a presentation about the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) from two MAHS members with CAP ties. A nice, little yet informative presentation on the CAP and its role in US society.

I got my federal and state income taxes done Friday night, on the computer (thanks to TurboTax). Saturday (18 Feb.) was a bit odd. I had been assigned five futsal games that afternoon at Creve Coeur Racquet Club (CCRC) earlier in the week, but was told then that the second game was a forfeit. Saturday morning, the assignor called to say the third and four games were now also forfeits, leaving me just the first and fifth games of the slate. After that first game, I drove to West County Center to browse for awhile before returning to CCRC for the 5 pm match. However, neither team for that match showed up. So, I ended up working only one game, but I will be paid for those other assigned games as well. Oh, well. Season's nearly over. The next morning, I was refereeing under-16 boys' games at Scott Gallagher. The three matches I worked went well, including my middle in the first game. A close game, but one I kept in good control.

Tuesday morning (21 Feb.), I received a last bit of documentation from Weiss Toyota, a notarized lien release. After picking that up at the dealership, I then went to the license office in Oakville to apply for the Corolla's title, pay the state tax on that purchase, and renew the license plates that were transferred from my Saturn SL. That's a big relief. I should have my car's title in just over a week, and the license plates due for renewal at month's end will be good for another year.

Tuesday night's IPMS/Gateway meeting at Calvary Presbyterian Church was good. I helped judge the model contest, which drew 20 entries--a good total for the first contest of the year. I also won some money with the winning 50/50 raffle ticket. Additionally, I signed up for the same kit contest, paying my fee and picking up the kit to complete by the June meeting.

This afternoon found me in Brentwood. First, I went to a meeting of the GO! Network's marketing committee, to start laying out ideas for promoting GO! Network among job seekers and the local media. Then, I stopped by O.B. Clark's to watch the UEFA Champions League games on TV with several fellow St. Louis United FC members.

Later.

15 February 2012

Moving Along Through Single's Awareness Day 2012

Not much happened late last week. The weekend was different, though. On Saturday morning (11 Feb.), I refereed futsal games at Creve Coeur Racquet Club. I had four matches scheduled, with a break before the last match, but the second match was a forfeit--one team did not show up. Generally, the matches went well. Just three weeks left before the season ends.

That night, I was at Syberg's in Maryland Heights for the St. Louis Singles Meetup dinner and flower exchange. We had about 40 people there, in a private room, were we enjoyed a nice buffet dinner, followed by an exchange of red flowers. I bought a rose earlier that day, which I exchanged with a gal. A few more exchanges later, I ended up with a red carnation. It was pretty nice. Certainly, something different for me.

The next day (12 Feb.), I was at the Lou Fusz Complex in Maryland Heights to work a pair of outdoor boys' games. My middle went well; a bit of a one-sided affair on the scoreline, perhaps reflected by the play, with one team showing greater class. The second game (I was assistant referee on it) was pretty good.

This past Valentine's Day went without much notice. No personal greetings came either by US Mail or online. Perhaps it was just as well. That morning, I was at the University of Phoenix facility in Brentwood for a Yellow-Tie networking event. It was not much for me to write home about, with few people to talk to and none I really wanted to connect with. (On the other hand, I did win a pen from the hosts for answering a Valentine's trivia question.) Then, I was at the St. Patrick Center in downtown St. Louis for the weekly GO! Network event. They had a talk about using social media to help with finding work. I did find a few nice points in the presentation, including things I did not know before. There was one person at the end who offered to put me in touch with someone who can help a socially awkward person with finding work, but I haven't heard back from that person yet.

This afternoon, after doing a bit of painting on a model I hope to finish for next week's IPMS/Gateway meeting, I was at O.B. Clark's in Brentwood to watch the AC Milan vs. Arsenal UEFA Champion's League match on TV there with fellow St. Louis United FC members. (AC Milan won 4-0.) On the way home, I stopped by Weiss Toyota to pick up documents for my Corolla, which were ready for me that morning. Now I can get my license plates reupped for another year.

Later.

08 February 2012

A Memorable Birthday

I turned a year older yesterday (7 Feb.), and it was a happy time in a way. That was the day I got my new ride, after having evaluated used cars for the past two and a half weeks. That morning, I spoke with pre-owned salesman Chad Meyers at Weiss Toyota/Scion of South County and he said they had recently taken in a 2006 Toyota Corolla CE with only about 60,000 miles on it and that would fall into my budget. I checked out the car, test drove it, and told Chad I want it. We got a deal arranged, where I traded in my 2000 Saturn SL/2, which had about 145,000 miles on it for the Corolla. I just have a bit of formalities to work out (registration and title), but now the Corolla is mine. I'm real happy already with it and know it will serve me well for years to come. Weiss Toyota's website, by the way, is http://www.weisstoyota.com.

On a sadder note, I learned yesterday of the passing at age 84 of St. Louis soccer legend Harry Keough. His playing career included starting at right back for the USA in their 1-0 upset of England at the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He later coached Saint Louis University to five national championships in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I got to know Harry in the mid-1980s, after he left SLU. We refereed a high school soccer game together in the late 1980s and ran into each other in various soccer functions over the years. Harry was a great man, on and off the pitch, and I will never forget him.

Later yesterday, after supper at home, I was interviewed by Erik Estabrook for his Naturally Autistic Radio show The Essence. He asked me about my editing work and how important that work is for writers. That marked three appearances for me on Naturally Autistic Radio in four days. Last Saturday (4 Feb.), I co-hosted the monthly program Writer's Block for one hour, then made my dramatic radio debut on Radio Drama in the next hour. I (literally) phoned in my role of Tim in "The Silent Affliction," a play set in high school. I used Skype for my calling in, to save money on my cell phone bill; however, it did cause some reception problems during the play and I was relieved of my role with about 15 minutes left for that reason. Still, I felt good about that performance and may do other roles on future Radio Drama shows. More info on Naturally Autistic Radio at http://www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show.

Last weekend began on Friday night (3 Feb.) by attending my first Greater St. Louis INFJ Meetup at Kaldi's Coffeeehouse in Kirkwood, Missouri. It was a nice time, myself and three others, sitting in a booth and talking about each other. Look forward to more meetups of this sort in the near future. The next night, I refereed futsal at Creve Coeur Racquet Club. My partner and I had been scheduled to work three matches, but the first was not played as one team decided not to show. So we waited until the next game, which was an intense match involving two strong teams, but we got through it fine.

Later.





02 February 2012

My Drive to Find a Used Car

Last Friday (27 Jan.), I began looking at used cars at some lots not too far from my house. Specifically, I narrowed it down to either the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla (2007-11 models). Consumer Reports rated both cars highly for reliability and overall value. Now with my parents' backing for financing, I'll check out some more lots in the coming days. Hope to finalize this by mid-February.

Refereed futsal at Game Time in St. Peters Saturday night. The games went well. I had an odd schedule: one game, then a break, then three games. Oh, well. Back with futsal this Saturday night.

I attended the monthly referee in-service clinic, which had a presentation on how to respond to various situations in games. The next night, I made the long drive to Frank Cicarella's house in Wentzville for the 2014 IPMS/USA National Convention bid planning meeting. We got some detailed info on arrangements, and I made a suggestion regarding the convention program, which will be modified based on the committee's feedback. Hope to have a revised layout by the next meeting.

Last night, I refereed boys outdoor games in Maryland Heights. The first game--an under-15 contest I was in the middle for--was a scoreless draw, but at least both teams had their chances to score. A close, competitive match, but I kept it under control. I then ran line on a U17 match, which was a blowout from the start; one team clearly outclassing the other.

This Saturday, there will be a double shot of me on Naturally Autistic Radio. First, at 2 pm Central time (noon Pacific Time), I co-host Writer's Block at its new time (first Saturday). Then, I make my radio performance debut in this week's installment of Radio Drama at 3 pm Central (1 pm Pacific). You can find out more on these shows at http://www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show/. I hope you and your family/friends/associates can tune in on Saturday.

That's it for now. Later.