05 June 2014

Running Off to Join the Circus

One week ago tonight (29 May), I did the first of three volunteer stints with Circus Flora, an annual circus staged in midtown St. Louis. It was opening night for this year's show, "The Pawn," a chess-themed presentation. I came to the tent pitched behind Powell Symphony Hall and joined other volunteers in getting programs ready for the audience before the show, and then serving as an usher. I had never seen Circus Flora before and had never attended a circus for years, but I was impressed by this show. The audience we had at opening night was happy, and so were the other volunteers as far as I can tell. I will be volunteering again tonight and next Thursday (12 June), so I hope to see you there. More info at www.circusflora.org.

Work has been going real well of late, as we get more families coming in to rent vehicles for their vacations now that school was out until fall. The recent heat and humidity--plus rain yesterday--did make things a bit more challenging for me, but nothing that I could not handle.

Last Monday night (2 June) found me at Plaza Frontenac Cinema after work, joining The Monday Indie Movie Club (STL) Meetup group to see the documentary "For No Good Reason." It's about British cartoonist Ralph Steadman, who provided the visual sided of Gonzo journalism from the late 1960s. Actor Johnny Depp visits with Steadman and interviews the artist about his life and work, and the people Steadman worked with--especially writers Hunter S. Thompson and William S. Burroughs. A most interesting film, and I recommend it.

After work on Tuesday, I was at Mark Twain Hobby Center in St. Charles to run the IPMS/St. Louis meeting. Only four of us were present and we didn't have a program, so it was a brief meeting. Big hobby news came around midday today, when I got word that IPMS/Gateway will host the 2015 IPMS Regional Convention, in September of next year. Alright!

One week from today, the FIFA World Cup begins in Brazil. Looking forward to it.

Later.