Going Through July: Heat, FIFA World Cup, CITY Returns

Carrying on through this month, I continued to follow the FIFA World Cup, which concluded with Sapin's 1-0 win over Argentina in today's Final. On 6 July, Julie and I went to 2nd Shift Brewing to see USA play Belgium play in the Round of 16. It was quite a letdown, as Belgium won 4-1 to advance to the Quarterfinals and the USA was out. Oh, well.

It has been very hot of late, with temperatures topping 90 degrees F (32.2 degrees C) and heat indices topping 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C). It made for quite a challenge at work, but my boss made sure I hydrated and took frequent breaks.

I made progress on two models on my workbench. This week, I plan to apply decals to the 1:200 Artemis I rocket I look to enter at next month's IPMS/USA National Convention. I also made progress on the 1:350 USS San Francisco model I should have completed in a month from now.

Last Thursday (16 July), St. Louis CITY SC and the rest of Major League Soccer were back. CITY hosted cross-state rivals Sporting Kansas City at Energizer Park. Julie was not able to go, so I sold my extra ticket the day before and came to the stadium straight from work. CITY went out to a 2-0 lead int he first half, before Sporting got one back late in that half and leveled it in the second half. CITY won it off a penalty kick in the 85th minute. A good start to the second half of the season.

Yesterday afternoon (18 July), Julie, her roommate Joan, and I went to B&B Creve Coeur West Olive 10 to watch the new movie directed by Christopehr Nolan, The Odyssey. It was an epic telling of Homer's epic poem, filmed in IMAX. We really enjoyed this film, which was nearly three hours long but did not feel like that. The Odyssey is highly recommended. After the movie, I spent time with Julie and Joan--and their dog, Molly--at their apartment before returning home that night.

This morning, I was a greeter at Eliot Unitarian Universalist Chapel. We had a very nice turnout for the service. After the post-service coffee hour, I headed to St. Louis Union Station to see Union Pacific's Big Boy 4014, a restored huge steam locomotive on a cross-country tour. There was quite a crowd there to see the locomotive, but it was great to see this machine built in 1941 still running.

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in this Post:

2nd Shift Brewing: 2nd Shift Brewing

FIFA World Cup: FIFA World Cup 2026™

St. Louis CITY SC: St. Louis CITY SC

Energizer Park: Energizer Park | St. Louis CITY SC

B&B Creve Coeur West Olive 10: Creve Coeur West Olive 16 Movie Showtimes & Tickets | Creve Coeur Movie Theater — B&B Theatres

The Odyssey: The Odyssey | Movie Site & Trailer | July 17, 2026

Eliot Unitarian Universalist Chapel: The Odyssey | Movie Site & Trailer | July 17, 2026

St. Louis Union Station: St. Louis Union Station | Home

Union Pacific Big Boy 4014: Big Boy No. 4014 | Union Pacific

  

 

Fun in the Lou with Doug and Matteo

Last Thursday (24 March), my brother Doug and his son Matteo came to town. They flew in from Los Angeles to spend a few days here with my mom and I. It was great seeing Doug, and meeting Matteo for the first time. Matteo's twin brother Luca was home with his mother (Doug's wife) Helen. My Mom went with Doug and Matteo to visit parts of the St. Louis area while I was at work on Friday.

Saturday (26 March), after some work around the house, the four of us went to St. Louis Union Station. We began with a trip to The St. Louis Wheel, a 200-foot (61 m) tall ferris wheel. This was the first time for any of us at this attraction. We got into a gondola and went on four circuits. We really enjoyed the view from the large gondola windows.

From the St. Louis Wheel, we got views of the Enterprise Center, Stifel Theatre, Gateway Arch, and the under construction Centene Stadium.

After riding on the St. Louis Wheel, the four of us walked inside Union Station to tour the St. Louis Aquarium--another new place we were visiting. After waiting in line (it was rather crowded that day), we got inside the Aquarium. Many aquatic creatures were on display, ranging from fish and otters from the rivers in our region to sharks and rays of the seas. It was very interesting to see these animals in something approaching their natural habitat and there were also interpretive displays on these creatures, their habitat, and the need to preserve them for the planet's health.

Matteo wanted to try the Rope Course, but it was sold out for the day. Doug, Matteo, and I returned to Union Station the next morning (27 March) to try the Rope Course. We were each fitted with a harness, connected to a bungee cord mounted on a rail above our heads, and began to navigate the course. It included rope bridges, tightropes, and two zip lines. I felt confident doing the course, knowing that the bungee cord gave me a secure lifeline in case I slipped on the footpaths. 

The zip lines were a new experience for me. I stepped off the platform on the first line, a fairly short straight line, after assuring myself that I had this. Then, I traveled on a longer and curved zip line. It was a thrill to be sure and I felt more confident than ever going on the rest of the rope course.

Matteo also did the zip lines, but Doug didn't. (Doug told me I was a braver man than he.) We had about one hour of fun before calling it a day.

We then returned home for a light lunch, then Doug and Matteo packed up to fly back to Los Angeles. They got an Uber ride share to St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

Last night, I officiated two under-15 girls St. Louis Youth Soccer Association (SLYSA) matches at Sportport International in Maryland Heights. After running as assistant referee in the first match, I took charge of the second one. Both went very well.

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in this Post:

St. Louis Union Station: St. Louis Union Station | St. Louis, MO (stlouisunionstation.com)

The St. Louis Wheel: The Wheel at St. Louis Union Station | St. Louis Attractions (thestlouiswheel.com)

St. Louis Aquarium: St Louis Aquarium at Union Station | Missouri's New Family Destination

Rope Course: Rope Course | Union Station - St. Louis, MO (stlouisunionstation.com)

Uber: Explore the Uber Platform | Uber United States

St. Louis Youth Soccer Association: Home - St Louis Youth Soccer (slysa.org)