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)

  

A Weekend of Soccer and a Wedding

I made my way to World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton last Saturday (8 February) for the first preseason match of Saint Louis FC (https://www.saintlouisfc.com/), against Memphis 901 FC. This match was for Season Ticket Members only, and played at West Community Stadium.

Before the match, I hung out in the parking lot with the St. Louligans (https://stlouligans.com/), who held a tailgate party. We then walked into the stadium for the match, which Saint Louis FC won 2-1.

After the match, the Season Ticket Members were invited to a Meet the Team event in the Soccer Park's conference room, where there were complementary refreshments. I took this in for about half an hour before having to leave to return home.

After getting home, I got dressed in a suit and got ready for the wedding of my friends Leah Dungan and Drake Maret. For the first time, I used Uber (https://www.uber.com/) to get a ride to the venue, Wild Carrot (https://www.wildcarrotstl.com/), in south St. Louis.

Waiting around for about 30 minutes, I found a place in the rear of the meeting hall for the wedding ceremony. My friends and Enterprise (https://www.enterprise.com/en/home.html) colleagues Justin and Hannah Bollinger were there. After Leah and Drake walked down the aisle for the first time as a married couple, we headed to the bar area. I got a beer after a considerable wait and waited until the meeting hall was reconfigured for the dinner. I made my way to the upstairs section, where I was assigned a table with the Bollingers and other guests. There was a buffet dinner and some nice conversation.

After the dinner, there was dancing with a DJ providing the music. I got on the dance floor to dance with some other guys, but no one-on-one dances with women.

After the reception ended, I chatted briefly with Leah and Drake before walking two blocks west to Sasha's on Shaw (https://www.sashaswinebar.com/) for the after party. I was rather tired at this time, so I didn't stay long before calling for a ride home from Uber.

The next day (9 February), I was back at the conference room of World Wide Technology Soccer Park. This time, it was for the St. Louligans Annual General Meeting, where the group discussed their plans for the coming Saint Louis FC season and sought volunteers for projects (such as with the tailgate dinners and painting tifos). There was free beer from the bar, courtesy of the club, and there was a photo booth that I and others went to for having our pictures taken.

We in the St. Louligans are looking forward to the new Saint Louis FC season. It should be fun.

Later.