Into November; Family in Town

This past week has been good at work. A good amount of business at the car rental branch. We had a low key Halloween on Monday (31 October), with three of us dressing up as animals. I was not one of them.

It was off to Mark Twain Hobby Center (https://www.hobby1.com/) in St. Charles right after work Tuesday for the Mark Twain Model Club meeting. We had a demo on chipping techniques for weathered models. Brett Avants showed with a tank model how to weather a model using hairspray or chipping fluid. A handout was also provided that summarized this method. I also gave a talk about my visit to the National World War I Museum in Kansas City.

Another session of the Portuguese Language: Beginning II class was Wednesday night (2 November) at St. Louis Community College at Meramec (http://www.stlcc.edu/MC/). Elizabeth, our instructor provided to the college by the Viva Brasil Association of St. Louis (http://www.e.vivabrasilstl.org/home), guided us through more verbs and their conjugations. I came home from that class to see the Chicago Cubs win the World Series.

I was out and about a bit on Thursday. First, I got my Corolla's oil changed at Jiffy Lube (https://www.jiffylube.com/). Then, I succeeded at getting St. Louis International Film Festival (http://www.cinemastlouis.org/about-festival) at one Mehlville location each of Starbucks (http://www.starbucks.com) and Saint Louis Bread Co. (https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/home.html), on their community bulletin boards. The Festival began that night; my first volunteer shift is tonight at Webster University's Webster Hall, Moore Auditorium. I'm at the Tivoli Theatre late Thursday afternoon and Washington University's Brown Hall late Saturday afternoon. Hope to see you there!

Yesterday, my brother Rick, his wife Melissa, and their two children (Alex and Kate), arrived in St. Louis from Charleston, South Carolina for a visit. They came home with Mom just before I co-hosted this month's edition of Writer's Block (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/autistic-people-/2016/11/05/connected--writers-block-10am-pstradio-drama-the-princess-7-11am-pst). Host Tim Pylypiuk and I discussed time travel in literature, especially in science-fiction.

All of us got together at Chili's (https://www.chilis.com/) in Kirkwood for dinner. We were joined by Melissa's cousin Oliver Block, his wife Astrid, their two children, and Astrid's parents, who were visiting from Germany. It was quite a nice get together. Except for Astrid's parents, we were all at Calvary Presbyterian Church (http://calvarypresbyterianchurch.org/) for the Rememberance Day service, in which new sanctuary doors were dedicated to my late father Harold. After the service, we had cake, cookies and coffee in the Fellowship Hall, then went to Cafe Telegraph (http://cafetelegraph.com/) for lunch.

Later.

Saluting Ozark Air Lines; Vacation in KC

I worked Saturday morning (22 October) at the rental branch, then headed for the St. Louis Science Center (http://www.slsc.org/) for a special program presented by the Missouri Aviation Historical Society (https://moavhist.org/). This was a special tribute to Ozark Air Lines, which operated from 1950 until 1986. Several former Ozark employees told of their experiences at the airline, and two documentary films were screened: "The Swallows' Tale: The Story of Ozark Air Lines" and "Ozark Air Lines: The Sky's the Limit." Additionally, the Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum (http://www.airandspacemuseum.org/) displayed Ozark artifacts in its collection. It was quite a nice program, with quite a few former Ozark employees in attendance.

Midday last Sunday found me at Whitfield School (http://www.whitfieldschool.org/), where I helped referee an under 13 boys' soccer friendly. Two teams from the same club played the match, and it was intended for giving the players plenty of match experience in a more relaxed environment. It went well, I thought.

Work this week has been busy, but good. It was a manic Monday as usual, but we got through it well.

Right after work Tuesday night (25 October), I headed for the Delmar Loop (http://visittheloop.com/). After dinner at Chipotle Mexican Grill (http://chipotle.com/), I walked to the Tivoli Theatre (https://www.landmarktheatres.com/st-louis/tivoli-theatre) for volunteer orientation for this year's St. Louis International Film Festival (http://www.cinemastlouis.org/about-festival), which runs from 3 to 13 November at 11 venues in Metro St. Louis. I and several other volunteers got a briefing on our duties, had our questions answered, and we received some posters and cards to promote the Festival in our neighborhoods. I'm working three Festival shifts: Sun., 6 Nov., 6-10 pm, Webster University's Webster Hall; Thu., 10 Nov., 4:30 to 7 pm, Tivoli Theatre; and Sat., 12 Nov., 3-6:15 pm, Washington University's Brown Hall. Hope to see you there!

Thursday (27 October) marked the start of a three-day vacation I took in Kansas City, Missouri. After renting a car that morning from Enterprise (https://www.enterprise.com/en/home.html) in Ellisville, I headed west. My first stop in Metro Kansas City was at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum (http://www.trumanlibrary.org/) in Independence. I had not been there in many years, but I really enjoyed seeing the museum's presentation on Truman's life and presidency. After making some purchases in the gift shop, I drove by the Truman home (https://www.nps.gov/hstr/index.htm) a few blocks away to take pictures of the building before going to check in at the motel in Independence.

That night, I was back at the Truman Library for a discussion with historian and author H.W. Brands (http://hwbrands.com/), author of the new book "The General vs. The President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War" (http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/253136/the-general-vs-the-president-by-h-w-brands/9780385540575/). The library's director interviewed Brands, then opened the floor to some questions from the audience. After that, Brands signed copies of his book--including one I bought that day at the museum's gift shop. (I actually started reading an ebook version recently, but could not pass up the chance to meet Professor Brands and to get his autograph on his book. A very nice person, he is.) It was a very interesting and informative evening, which was recorded for telecast.

After a good night's sleep, I was up early Friday to enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then began a busy day of sightseeing at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (http://www.nelson-atkins.org/). In approximately two hours spent there, I enjoyed seeing a great variety of art objects, ranging from Baroque era paintings and English pottery to modern photography and African masks. A terrific place to get immersed in fine art, and it's hard to beat its admission cost: Free.

Then, it was quite a change of sightseeing gears, as I went to the National World War I Museum and Memorial (https://www.theworldwar.org/). It was a most impressive museum, starting with walking on a glass bridge over a field of 9,000 poppies--one poppy for each 1,000 persons killed during the war. There are displays and artifacts about Europe and the world before, during, and after World War I. Display items include weapons, equipment, uniforms, art, and photos. The museum also has a recreation of a Western Front Trench and a large shell hole, helping give you that "you are there" feeling. There are also interactive displays that help you understand the war and those who fought it. I also went to the top of the 66 m (216 foot) tall Liberty Memorial, and enjoyed the view (although it was a bit windy). After raiding the gift shop, I left the museum with a great feeling. I highly recommend this place.

Before going back to the hotel, I dropped by Country Club Plaza (https://countryclubplaza.com/), a gorgeous and long-time (since 1922) shopping and dining complex. This is a great place to at least window shop, with many fine retailers (including Barnes & Noble, Tiffany & Co., and Tesla Motors), plus some local shops. I also spent time admiring the Plaza's J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, a real beauty in a city of fountains. I got dinner at Burger King before returning to the motel for the night.

I checked out Saturday morning before visiting a few more sights. First, it was the American Jazz Museum (http://americanjazzmuseum.org/), located in the 18th & Vine area. I very much enjoyed reading on the history of jazz and of jazz greats: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Kansas City's own Charlie (Bird) Parker. I then walked to the nearby Charlie Parker Memorial, a simple, yet eloquent memorial to the great saxophonist.

I drove to the National Airline History Museum (http://www.airlinehistory.org/), located at Kansas City Downtown Airport (the former Kansas City Municipal Airport). A volunteer showed me and two other visitors around the museum's displays of photos, maps, models, crew uniforms, and other artifacts from various US airlines over the years. The volunteer took us to the hangar, where several aircraft (including a DC-3) were being restored, and took us into a Martin 4-0-4 airliner. He then took us out on the ramp and into their Lockheed L-1049 Constellation airliner. Quite a nice little museum.

Then, I made my way across the airport to the TWA Museum at 10 Richards Road (http://www.twamuseumat10richardsroad.org/), which told the story of Trans World Airlines from its founding in 1925 until it was merged with American Airlines in 2001. Photos, models, advertising, crew uniforms, dining service items, and memorabilia told the TWA story. They also had flight procedures trainers and airliner seats on display, and we also got to go aboard the TWA McDonnell Douglas MD-80 "Wings of Pride," with its unique red with white trim scheme. Another nice little museum, and also--like the National Airline History Museum--worth a visit.

My time in Kansas City concluded with lunch at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant (http://www.gordonbiersch.com/), located in the Kansas City Power & Light District (http://www.powerandlightdistrict.com/), a neighborhood of shops, restaurants, and bars. I enjoyed a Czech Pilsner beer, brewed on the premises, with a Marzen BBQ burger and garlic french fries. After walking a bit around this area, I got in my car and drove home, arriving that night.

Just been relaxing today, getting my laundry done and doing a bit of piece work. Back to work in the morning. Happy Halloween!

Later.

Two Nights of Soccer Activities

After a busy Friday at work, it was time to relax a bit on the weekend. Late Saturday afternoon (15 October), I met with my friend and fellow referee Austin Gomez at his house, then we and another colleague, Kevin Winkelman, met with two others--Zorinko Milicevic and his son, Ivan--before we headed to America's Center (http://explorestlouis.com/meetings-conventions/americas-center/) in downtown St. Louis. There, we attended the 46th Annual Induction Dinner of the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame (http://www.stlsoccerhalloffame.com/). After a happy hour, we entered the dining hall for dinner, followed by the program, which was hosted with his usual aplomb by Bill McDermott. Four future soccer stars (two boys and two girls) were recognized, and ten people were inducted. These inductees included my Saint Louis University (SLU) classmate, Steve Maurer; my former refereeing colleague, Nancy Lay-McCormick; and Karen Lombardo-Baker, wife of my friend from SLU Pat Baker.

Several other awards were presented, including one to the 1966 Quincy College men's soccer team, which went undefeated and won the NAIA National Championship, and to the New Dimensions Soccer Program, which uses soccer as an outreach program for refugee, immigrant, and underserved children in Metro St. Louis. I also saw a few people I knew there, including several fellow soccer referees (among them: Holly Hollingsworth, Randy Masterson, Sam Chan, and Tom Lutker), former Webster University men's soccer coach Marty Todt, and my SLU classmate Steve Hunsicker. Overall, it was a very wonderful night for remembering St. Louis soccer's greats and looking forward to the future.

Sunday morning, I proofread a calendar for my friend, Janette Lonsdale (http://janettelonsdale.com/), which she had prepared for her client. It went very well, with hardly anything needing correcting. That night found me at the Lou Fusz Soccer Complex in Maryland Heights. I ran line on two St. Louis Youth Soccer Association (SLYSA) (http://www.slysa.org/) matches. They went well, although my legs were a bit sore afterward.

Back at work Monday morning, it was a busy time at the rental branch. We all worked hard to keep things moving forward and getting our customers completely satisfied. It was unseasonably warm early in the week, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) on Monday, but things cooled down to more fall-like temperatures by mid-week. It was rainy yesterday afternoon (19 October), with temperatures getting down to about 45 degrees F (7 degrees C) that night.

After flexing out of work Tuesday afternoon, I took care of personal business at home, then went to Calvary Presbyterian Church (http://calvarypresbyterianchurch.org/) for this month's IPMS/Gateway (http://www.ipms-gateway.com/) meeting. I supplied photos our Invitational last month, which were projected on a screen during the meeting. We also had a good turnout for the Model of the Month "beauty contest."

After work last night, I went to St. Louis Community College at Meramec (http://www.stlcc.edu/MC/) for the first session of Portuguese Language: Beginning II. There were four others in this class--all but one had been with me in the Beginning I class that ended the week before. We are instructed by Elizabeth Bittencourt, provided to the college by the Viva Brasil Association of St. Louis (http://www.e.vivabrasilstl.org/home). I enjoyed the first session, despite noise from the air conditioner making it hard to be heard at times in the classroom, and will be back for the remaining seven sessions.

On my off day from work today, I went to Kaldi's Coffee (http://kaldiscoffee.com/) in Kirkwood, where I met Norm Podorski, a networking contact. We chatted for nearly 45 minutes before he had to leave, and got caught up on things. I then had my semi-annual check up at my dentist. It went well--no cavities. After lunch at Qdoba (https://www.qdoba.com/), I bought some cookies and brought them to the Enterprise branch in Kirkwood, in thanks for my helping them out last week when they were short staffed. The manager there, Kelley, greatly appreciated the gesture.

Later.

Two Nights of Soccer Activities

After a busy Friday at work, it was time to relax a bit on the weekend. Late Saturday afternoon (15 October), I met with my friend and fellow referee Austin Gomez at his house, then we and another colleague, Kevin Winkelman, met with two others--Zorinko Milicevic and his son, Ivan--before we headed to America's Center (http://explorestlouis.com/meetings-conventions/americas-center/) in downtown St. Louis. There, we attended the 46th Annual Induction Dinner of the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame (http://www.stlsoccerhalloffame.com/). After a happy hour, we entered the dining hall for dinner, followed by the program, which was hosted with his usual aplomb by Bill McDermott. Four future soccer stars (two boys and two girls) were recognized, and ten people were inducted. These inductees included my Saint Louis University (SLU) classmate, Steve Maurer; my former refereeing colleague, Nancy Lay-McCormick; and Karen Lombardo-Baker, wife of my friend from SLU Pat Baker.

Several other awards were presented, including one to the 1966 Quincy College men's soccer team, which went undefeated and won the NAIA National Championship, and to the New Dimensions Soccer Program, which uses soccer as an outreach program for refugee, immigrant, and underserved children in Metro St. Louis. I also saw a few people I knew there, including several fellow soccer referees (among them: Holly Hollingsworth, Randy Masterson, Sam Chan, and Tom Lutker), former Webster University men's soccer coach Marty Todt, and my SLU classmate Steve Hunsicker. Overall, it was a very wonderful night for remembering St. Louis soccer's greats and looking forward to the future.

Sunday morning, I proofread a calendar for my friend, Janette Lonsdale (http://janettelonsdale.com/), which she had prepared for her client. It went very well, with hardly anything needing correcting. That night found me at the Lou Fusz Soccer Complex in Maryland Heights. I ran line on two St. Louis Youth Soccer Association (SLYSA) (http://www.slysa.org/) matches. They went well, although my legs were a bit sore afterward.

Back at work Monday morning, it was a busy time at the rental branch. We all worked hard to keep things moving forward and getting our customers completely satisfied. It was unseasonably warm early in the week, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) on Monday, but things cooled down to more fall-like temperatures by mid-week. It was rainy yesterday afternoon (19 October), with temperatures getting down to about 45 degrees F (7 degrees C) that night.

After flexing out of work Tuesday afternoon, I took care of personal business at home, then went to Calvary Presbyterian Church (http://calvarypresbyterianchurch.org/) for this month's IPMS/Gateway (http://www.ipms-gateway.com/) meeting. I supplied photos our Invitational last month, which were projected on a screen during the meeting. We also had a good turnout for the Model of the Month "beauty contest."

After work last night, I went to St. Louis Community College at Meramec (http://www.stlcc.edu/MC/) for the first session of Portuguese Language: Beginning II. There were four others in this class--all but one had been with me in the Beginning I class that ended the week before. We are instructed by Elizabeth Bittencourt, provided to the college by the Viva Brasil Association of St. Louis (http://www.e.vivabrasilstl.org/home). I enjoyed the first session, despite noise from the air conditioner making it hard to be heard at times in the classroom, and will be back for the remaining seven sessions.

On my off day from work today, I went to Kaldi's Coffee (http://kaldiscoffee.com/) in Kirkwood, where I met Norm Podorski, a networking contact. We chatted for nearly 45 minutes before he had to leave, and got caught up on things. I then had my semi-annual check up at my dentist. It went well--no cavities. After lunch at Qdoba (https://www.qdoba.com/), I bought some cookies and brought them to the Enterprise branch in Kirkwood, in thanks for my helping them out last week when they were short staffed. The manager there, Kelley, greatly appreciated the gesture.

Later.

Serving and Eating a Brazilian Dinner

Last Saturday evening (8 October) found me at the Cardinal Rigali Center (http://archstl.org/cardinal-rigali-center) in St. Louis. This venue hosted the annual Taste of Brazil Dinner presented by the Viva Brasil Association in St. Louis (http://www.e.vivabrasilstl.org/home). I was among the volunteers at this event, helping serve a full course dinner to a sell-out crowd. (Many of the attendees came to the dining hall from a Portuguese language Mass celebrated at the Center's St. Vincent de Paul Chapel.) After helping serve for the first hour, I was relieved to enjoy eating the dinner, which included a green mango salad, chicken stroganoff with rice and shoestring potatoes, and pork chops with creamy pumpkin. It was all very tasty, and everyone I chatted with had a good time. Brazilian music was played over the public address system, and a large screen showed a presentation on Viva Brasil STL and some Brazilian travel videos. I was very happy to have helped out at this event, and seeing some of my friends there.

Early the next morning, I was at the Lou Fusz Soccer Complex in Maryland Heights, officating in the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Fall Festival youth tournament. These were my first games since last spring and I was concerned about how well I would do. Fortunately, all three games (under 13 and 14 boys) went well, including refereeing the first match of the set.

After my games, I got lunch at Which Wich (https://www.whichwich.com/#!/), a sandwich shop, in Des Peres. I had a reuben with chips, soda, and a cookie. A very nice lunch.

Back to work Monday morning (10 October), I did my part keeping things rolling at our branch. We also started using wash cloths for wiping down interior surfaces and glass, in place of the paper towels we've been using for many months. The reusable cloths are working out very well so far, proving to be more effective than paper towels in efficiently cleaning the interiors.

Late Tuesday afternoon, I was dispatched to our Kirkwood branch to help them out, as they were otherwise down to two people. After I reported in there, my colleague Leah--who had previously worked with me at Ellisville--chatted briefly with me before leaving for an appointment. I got some vehicles cleaned and dropped off some customers. Things worked out very well and the assistant manager, Abby, thanked me for helping out.

After work Wednesday night, I was at St. Louis Community College at Meramec (http://www.stlcc.edu/MC/) for the final session of Portuguese Language: Beginning I. Sandra, who taught this class on Saturdays, filled in for Priscila, who was moving out of town with her husband. We did some more exercises on basic verbs and their proper use. This morning, I signed up to take the Beginning II class, which starts next week, also at Meramec. I have gotten much from studying Portuguese, and look forward to continuing this class.

Relaxed at home today, doing laundry and watching TV. As I write this, I am watching the St. Louis Blues (https://www.nhl.com/blues/) play their home opener against the Minnesota Wild. This season is the Blues' 50th, so they had some special ceremony before the tame started.

Later.

Serving and Eating a Brazilian Dinner

Last Saturday evening (8 October) found me at the Cardinal Rigali Center (http://archstl.org/cardinal-rigali-center) in St. Louis. This venue hosted the annual Taste of Brazil Dinner presented by the Viva Brasil Association in St. Louis (http://www.e.vivabrasilstl.org/home). I was among the volunteers at this event, helping serve a full course dinner to a sell-out crowd. (Many of the attendees came to the dining hall from a Portuguese language Mass celebrated at the Center's St. Vincent de Paul Chapel.) After helping serve for the first hour, I was relieved to enjoy eating the dinner, which included a green mango salad, chicken stroganoff with rice and shoestring potatoes, and pork chops with creamy pumpkin. It was all very tasty, and everyone I chatted with had a good time. Brazilian music was played over the public address system, and a large screen showed a presentation on Viva Brasil STL and some Brazilian travel videos. I was very happy to have helped out at this event, and seeing some of my friends there.

Early the next morning, I was at the Lou Fusz Soccer Complex in Maryland Heights, officating in the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Fall Festival youth tournament. These were my first games since last spring and I was concerned about how well I would do. Fortunately, all three games (under 13 and 14 boys) went well, including refereeing the first match of the set.

After my games, I got lunch at Which Wich (https://www.whichwich.com/#!/), a sandwich shop, in Des Peres. I had a reuben with chips, soda, and a cookie. A very nice lunch.

Back to work Monday morning (10 October), I did my part keeping things rolling at our branch. We also started using wash cloths for wiping down interior surfaces and glass, in place of the paper towels we've been using for many months. The reusable cloths are working out very well so far, proving to be more effective than paper towels in efficiently cleaning the interiors.

Late Tuesday afternoon, I was dispatched to our Kirkwood branch to help them out, as they were otherwise down to two people. After I reported in there, my colleague Leah--who had previously worked with me at Ellisville--chatted briefly with me before leaving for an appointment. I got some vehicles cleaned and dropped off some customers. Things worked out very well and the assistant manager, Abby, thanked me for helping out.

After work Wednesday night, I was at St. Louis Community College at Meramec (http://www.stlcc.edu/MC/) for the final session of Portuguese Language: Beginning I. Sandra, who taught this class on Saturdays, filled in for Priscila, who was moving out of town with her husband. We did some more exercises on basic verbs and their proper use. This morning, I signed up to take the Beginning II class, which starts next week, also at Meramec. I have gotten much from studying Portuguese, and look forward to continuing this class.

Relaxed at home today, doing laundry and watching TV. As I write this, I am watching the St. Louis Blues (https://www.nhl.com/blues/) play their home opener against the Minnesota Wild. This season is the Blues' 50th, so they had some special ceremony before the tame started.

Later.

Fall Not Going Away Quietly

It was warm this past week, as October got going. We had temperatures as high as 85 degrees F (29 degrees C). It looks like it will cool down this weekend. This will be most welcome.

After flexing out of work Tuesday afternoon (4 October), I came home to relax and get some stuff done. The next night, I was at St. Louis Community College at Meramec (http://www.stlcc.edu/MC/) for the next to last session of Portuguese Language: Beginning I. We had a nice session, which was the last one for our instructor from the Viva Brasil Association of St. Louis (http://www.e.vivabrasilstl.org/home), Priscila, who was leaving St. Louis to go with her husband to another city with his job. Another instructor will lead our last session this Wednesday night. I wish Priscila and her family all the best, and thank her for her instructional work.

My off day Thursday (6 October) saw me go to the Enterprise branch in Ballwin with some doughnuts for my colleagues there. They greatly appreciated my gesture. I also got some pressing personal business taken care of that day, which I am proud of having done.

It was a busy Friday at the branch, after I brought some doughnuts for my mates there. We were a bit short handed, but we got our business done and even stayed for a while after closing time to make sure all our vehicles were clean for the next day.

This morning was a good one at work--so good, in fact, that I was free to leave work 15 minutes early. We were that caught up on car prepping by that time. That was quite a change from the many cars to be cleaned two hours before.

Off to dinner tonight in Shrewsbury. More on that in my next post.

Later.