Saint Louis FC Opens 2020 with a Win

Last night (7 March), I went to World Wide Technology Soccer Park for the Saint Louis FC (https://www.saintlouisfc.com/) 2020 USL Championship (https://www.uslsoccer.com/usl-championship) season opener, against The Miami FC. Some time before the match, I went to the St. Louligans (https://stlouligans.com/)` tailgate. I got my dinner there--Cuban sandwich, with black beans and rice--and it was most tasty. I had two cups of Schlafly (https://www.schlafly.com/) Ale d'Or beer from the St. Louligans trailer, and bought some raffle tickets for a St. Louis BattleHawks (https://www.xfl.com/teams/st-louis) ticket and souvenir package. Proceeds this night benefitted Colorectal Cancer Alliance (https://www.ccalliance.org/)--the first Charity du Jour of the season.

About 30 minutes before kickoff, the St. Louligans marched into West Community Stadium for the match. As Saint Louis FC was about to kick off, the St. Louligans unfurled a tifo over our section of the stands, celebrating the start of the new season. The tifo was then pushed back and over the rear of the stand so we could watch the match. Saint Louis FC scored twice in the first half before Miami FC pulled one back just before halftime on a penalty kick. In the second half, Saint Louis FC scored twice to pull away 4-1 winners. Overall, a very good night for Saint Louis FC and their supporters.

After the match, the players came over to our section to acknowledge our support. Head coach Steve Trittschuh also came to the corner and he drank beer from a bucket on behalf of the team, who were all voted as the St. Louligans' Men of the Match. Then the players sang their victory song to the St. Louligans.

I then walked back to the tailgate for a bit, before walking back to my car and going home happy.

Later.

Toasting the 2020 STLFC Kickoff with the St. Louligans

After work Tuesday night (3 March), I drove to 2nd Shift Brewing (http://www.2ndshiftbrewing.com/) in St. Louis' Hill neighborhood. The St. Louligans (https://stlouligans.com/) gathered for their Kickoff Toast event ahead of the Saint Louis FC (https://www.saintlouisfc.com/) season opener tonight.

I ordered the Flying Pig dinner from the Guerrilla Street Food (https://www.facebook.com/guerrillastreetfood) booth there, and selected the new Key Lime Brewligans beer (http://www.2ndshiftbrewing.com/beers/key-lime-brewligans/), and later had tacos from a buffet line set up by Mission Taco Joint (https://www.missiontacojoint.com/).

We chatted, walked around the hospitality room, and watched the St. Louis Blues game on the TV screens. We were asked about our hopes for this season in a recording to be posted on the St. Louligans' podcast, "This is Silly with the Louligans!" (https://stlouligans.com/archives/category/podcast)

Those of us who ordered this year's St. Louligans' scarf--such as myself--received it at this event.

Three of us modeled Saint Louis FC's new away shirt--white with thin navy hoops on the front. It will be worn with white shorts and socks. (The home kit remains the same as last year's.)

I later had another 2nd Shift beer, Bruce's Best Brown (http://www.2ndshiftbrewing.com/beers/bruces-best-brown/). Sometime after finishing that beer, I left for home.

Saint Louis FC hosts The Miami FC tonight at 7:00 pm at West Community Stadium of World Wide Technology Soccer Park. The St. Louligans' tailgate starts two hours before kickoff. See you there!

Later.

Leap Day with MPC and St. Louligans

Yesterday morning (29 February) found me driving to the St. Louis Artists' Guild (https://www.stlouisartistsguild.org/) for the February meeting of Missouri Professional Communicators (MPC) (https://www.facebook.com/MissouriProfessionalCommunicators/). Lawyer and community activist Denise Lieberman was the featured speaker. A long-time voting rights activist, she coordinates the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, a group of organizations, and is also director of the Power & Democracy Program for Advancement Project, a Washington, DC-based civil rights and racial justice organization.

Lieberman spoke on how the media can help or hinder voter equality, and on voter suppression efforts in recent years. She also talked about how she and other attorneys are working at for protect voting rights at this year's primary and general elections. It was quite a fascinating program, highly relative with the Missouri presidential preference primary coming up next week, the main primary election in August, and the general election in November.

After coming home to change clothes and eat lunch, I went early that afternoon to World Wide Technology Soccer Park for Saint Louis FC's (https://www.saintlouisfc.com/) final 2020 preseason match. They were hosting Forward Madison FC (https://www.forwardmadisonfc.com/) of USL League 1 (https://www.uslsoccer.com/usl-league-one), which is one level below USL Championship (https://www.uslsoccer.com/usl-championship).

Before the match, I joined others from the St. Louligans (https://stlouligans.com/) in a joint tailgate with The Flock (https://fwdflock.com/), a supporter group backing Forward Madison. We chatted with each other, drank beer, and participated in a raffle whose proceeds went to the Disabled Athlete Sports Association (https://www.dasasports.org/).

We then walked into West Community Stadium for the match. Forward Madison took an early lead with a 6th minute goal. Saint Louis had a penalty kick just before halftime; however, Madison's goalkeeper stopped the shot. Saint Louis scored twice late in the match--a penalty kick in the 80th minute and another tally at the death--to run out 2-1 winners.

After the match, the St. Louligans and The Flock returned to the parking lot to drink and socialize a bit more before leaving. I got some cans of beer that The Flock brought down with them--beers I have yet to try.

Saint Louis FC opens the regular season at home this Saturday night (7 March) with a 7:00 pm match against The Miami FC. Before that, the St. Louligans will be at 2nd Shift Brewing (http://www.2ndshiftbrewing.com/?age-verified=f79a9b4611) in south St. Louis for a season kickoff event. Should be fun!

Later.

Marching with the St. Louligans at Soulard Mardi Gras 2020

Yesterday morning (22 February), I drove to downtown St. Louis, parked in the garage just west of Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village, and walked to the staging area just south of the stadium. There, the floats and marchers of the Bud Light Grand Parade of the Soulard Mardi Gras (https://stlmardigras.org/) were assembled. I was there to march in the parade with others from the St. Louligans (https://stlouligans.com/). We were also promoting Saint Louis FC (https://www.saintlouisfc.com/) in the parade.

We gathered for just over two hours before the parade began at 11:00 am. Our group socialized, drank, and prepared our two carts that will hold the beads we would fling to the crowds gathered along the parade route.

We were early in the parade--unit 25 of approximately 100--and we began going down the path from south of Busch Stadium to just north of the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Soulard. Early on, I helped carry our banner at the front of our group. I switched off with someone later in the parade and went towards the back, and helped throw beads to the spectators. It was a lot of fun to do, helped by the pleasant weather for a February in St. Louis. It was the first time I ever attended a Mardi Gras celebration, much less marched in a Mardi Gras parade.

After the parade, I caught a ride on one of the cards up towards the staging area. I then walked around Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village before getting back to the car and driving out of the garage.

I stopped by a Popeyes (https://www.popeyes.com/) restaurant in Affton for lunch before returning home.

Later.

IPMS Gateway Meeting: Contest and a Demo

Last Tuesday night (18 February), I arrived after work at Calvary Presbyterian Church (http://calvarypresbyterianchurch.org/) for this month's IPMS/Gateway (https://sites.google.com/view/ipmsgatewaychapter/home) meeting. I brought in the two models I had just finished the night before--a 1:72 scale F6F-5 Hellcat and a 1:76 scale T-34/85 tank--to enter in the Out of the Box Contest. This was the first contest for Modeler of the Year, and all entries were out of the box.

Both models were up against some stiff competition and neither placed in its respective categories. However, I did earn two points for each model--one for entering in the category, and the other for being in the Special Category this month--Out of the Box.

At the meeting, it was announced that IPMS/Gateway will move their meetings from Calvary to Affton Elks Lodge 2635 (https://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=2635), starting this April. This move was made necessary by Calvary's announcement last month that they will close this July, due to a declining congregation. I was told that this Elks lodge is a great fit for us--location, size, facilities, and cost.

Also at this meeting, yours truly gave a demo on painting and weathering aircraft landing gears. I used a 1:48 scale P-38J Lightning kit's landing gear parts to demonstrate how to paint then for authenticity. This included using chrome silver paint for the gear struts' oleos, using porter tack putty to mask off wheels while painting tires, and a paint wash for weathering landing gears and gear bays. I also asked the attendees for any thoughts on materials and techniques. This demo went off very well, considering I only firmed up the details the night before.

Later.