Variety of Early December Activities

After a long Monday at work (3 December), I went to Firehouse Bar & Grill (https://www.firehousebarandgrillstl.com/) in Mehlville for the annual soccer referee party. I chatted a bit with some colleagues, but otherwise I was not in much mood to talk. It was nice, though.

The following Saturday afternoon (8 December) found me at Creve Coeur Airport (http://crevecoeurairport.com/) for the Missouri Aviation Historical Society (https://moavhist.org/) Christmas party. It was a nice time, enjoying a catered lunch and chatting with other members.

That night, I came to the The Post Sports Bar & Grill (https://thepostsportsbar.com/?fbclid=IwAR1gOULXTJdOANvT4YaRqgx4EnXuohhBt5W_1mUa2wSJsDxN1XIbvCmL0N0) in Fenton. This was for a watch party for that night's MLS Cup match being played in Atlanta. Saint Louis FC (https://www.saintlouisfc.com/) put on this watch party, with the St. Louligans (http://stlouligans.com/) there in force and #MLS4THELOU (https://mls4thelou.com/) also present. I munched on toasted ravioli and chicken wings while watching Atlanta United FC defeat Portland Timbers 2-0 on the TV screens. It was a fun evening.

I was up early the next morning (9 December) to get to Forest Park (https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/parks/parks/Forest-Park.cfm) by 5:45 am. There, I was serving as a volunteer at the Allstate Hot Chocolate 15k/5k runs (https://www.hotchocolate15k.com/), which benefitted the Make-A-Wish Foundation (http://wish.org/). I joined with some other volunteers at the finish line, before the race to set up the finishers' medals for presentation and the cups of sports drink to offer to the runners. We were all ready when the first runners set off at 7:30 am, despite the sub-freezing weather. (I handled up, yet my toes and fingertips froze.) The first runner for the 5k run came to the finish about 20 minutes later, and I was offering up sports drink to them as they passed by.

The first finishers from the 15k run came about one hour after the start, and its was a steady stream of finishers that came past my fellow volunteers and I. The last finisher came across the finish line some three hours after the run began, and I helped to tear down the tables where the refreshments were placed. After that, I came to the volunteer tent to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and a fondue of molten chocolate with mini pretzels, marshmallows, and other treats. It's quite a nice treat for helping out. I also got a nice cold weather running shirt as a thanks for volunteering.

This past week, besides work, I put together this month's issue of The Arch Scaler News, the newsletter of IPMS/Gateway (https://sites.google.com/view/ipmsgatewaychapter/home). Wednesday (12 December), after visiting some colleagues to drop off Christmas greetings and treats, I made a follow-up visit with my doctor. Generally, I am well, though I could lose a bit of weight.

After work last night (14 December), I went to a house in midtown St. Louis for the final Stress Free Fridays party. The organizers had decided to end the program after 14.5 years, and it was a nice last hurrah. I chatted with others I had not need in many months--due to my work schedule, I had not been able to attend these events--and had a pleasant time.

Later.