Yesterday morning (8 January), I and others braved the chilly weather to come to World Wide Technology Soccer Park. It was time for the annual Winter Classic Charity Soccer Match between the St. Louligans (a local soccer supporter group I am in) and the St. Louis Chapter of the American Outlaws (supporter group for US National teams).
Arriving at the Soccer Park, I first gave young volunteers some canned food I bought at Schnucks this past week. They were being donated to the St. Louis Area Foodbank, which helps food insecure people in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. After parking my car, I then entered the lobby to get warm.
As more of us participants gathered, I headed onto the field to begin warming up. It was approximately 25 degrees F (-4 degrees C) at kick off time. After jogging a bit and kicking the ball around with several fellow St. Louligans, I stretched my legs muscles. With that, I was ready to play.
We were playing 30-minute halves, with free substitutions. I was not a starter (good!) but came in for two shifts in each half at a defender. The players were refreshed with beer donated by Urban Chestnut Brewing Company. I had a can each of Big Shark Grapefruit Radler and Thrales, a Russian Imperial Stout. It was my first time with both beers, and I liked them quite a bit.
I didn't get any touches of the ball with my feet while on the pitch but got a touch each with my forehead and my rear end, blocking American Outlaws shots towards the St. Louligans goal. Not having done much running in recent weeks made me rather winded in a hurry. Still, it was fun to be out there.
(Sarah Robertson of the St. Louligans took the four above action shots of yours truly. These were downloaded from the St. Louligans Public Group Page on Facebook.)
The match ended up a 3-3 draw, but the real winner was the St. Louis Area Foodbank. We raised enough food and household supplies to fill 17 barrels to overflowing and an eighteenth was about half full. Additionally, over $3100 of money was raised by the St. Louligans and American Outlaws for the foodbank. A cold, but fun time was had by all. I even took some home extra Urban Chestnut beers after the game.
The New Year of 2022 began at last weekend, with the stroke of Midnight on Friday 31 December/Saturday 1 January. It was all low key for my mom and I. Work ended early for me, and after making a shopping trip, came home for dinner. I was actually in bed when Midnight came, so I just slept through the beginning of 2022.
I was home all day yesterday, watching various programs on TV. They included the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California (which I had attended in person in 1992), and some documentaries on various channels. I also set up my account on IPMS/USA's new online membership and event system, which went online that morning. It should make it much easier for everyone to sign up for society membership and national convention registration.
That night, mom and I watched the Discover NHL Winter Classic, in which the St. Louis Blues played the Minnesota Wild in Minneapolis. It was a cold night for an outdoor hockey game, the temperatures ranging from -5 Fahrenheit (-21 Celsius) at face off to -10 Fahrenheit (-23 Celsius) at the end. and wind chills reaching -20 Fahrenheit (-29 Celsius). Mom and I were happy, as the Blues won the game 6-4.
Home again today, with freezing conditions outside. Started work on this month's The Arch Scaler News for IPMS/Gateway. I am trying some new ideas for the newsletter, especially moving the club officer's directory from the back to the second page and adding pictures of these officers. The club meets next on 18 January, with the annual Swap & Sell and Kit Auction.
Back to work in the morning. Should have plenty to keep me occupied.
Entering this past week, I didn't feel much Christmas spirit. Uncertainty about the future and my present situation had me feeling low. A few friends tried to cheer me up. We'll see how that goes.
Last Tuesday night (21 December), I went to the monthly IPMS/Gateway meeting at the Affton Elks Lodge. We had voting for next year's club officers and for this year's Stroup Award (Member of the Year). I was reelected President by acclamation, as no one else was nominated for the post. I am happy to serve another year as club president. The Stroup Award will be presented at next month's meeting. I am one of the three nominees for that honor.
We also had a buffet dinner, with entrees from Smokee Mo's BBQ and sides provided by club officers. (I brought some cupcakes from Schnucks.) We also had the annual Recognition Contest, in which we had to guess the war movie from the theme music. I got 20 of 23 correct for the best score of the night and earned a $10 gift card from Schaefer's Hobby Shop.
Finally, we had the big kit raffle, in which all members had a chance to win a model kit. With my winning ticket, I selected a kit of the German battleship Tirpitz.
After the rental branch closed early on Christmas Eve (24 December), I drove to Super Smoker's BBQ in Affton to pick up a Christmas Eve dinner my brother Doug ordered for my mom and me. It was delicious, featuring sliced turkey, green beans, and potatoes.
Up the next morning, my mom and I went to the Christmas tree set up in our living room to open some presents. I bought mom a pair of slippers, which she greatly appreciated. I received from mom and my brother Rick several books, including five from Rick's employer, the History Press. I also received a book I ordered from the National Museum of the United States Air Force's gift shop about the XB-35 and YB-49 flying wing bombers, and a large book with maps of key battles over the centuries.
Midday today, I was at Olympia Athletics & Events Centre in St. Charles to referee St. Louis Youth Soccer Association (SLYSA) futsal matches. These three matches were with under 9 boys' teams, and I worked them solo. I had not refereed futsal in about two years and was concerned I would be rusty, but fortunately all the matches went well. I hope to work some more futsal matches in the season, which runs until early February.
Midday yesterday (20 November), I drove to the Tivoli Theatre in the Delmar Loop neighborhood for my final volunteer shift at this year's St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF). I was in the lobby scanning tickets (printed and on mobile devices) of patrons attending films early that afternoon. I used an iPad equipped with a QR code scanner to scan the tickets.
During my shift, I scanned tickets for three films showing at the Tivoli's three auditoriums: Any Day Now (a Finnish feature about an Iranian boy and his family seeking asylum in Finland); Try Harder! (a documentary about San Francisco high school seniors seeking admission to their favorite colleges); and, Delicate State (a drama about a couple expecting a child in a near future US torn apart by civil war).
Late in my shift, I traded places and stood outside one of the auditoriums handing out fan ballots and festival surveys to the patrons. I then rested at a lobby table for a few minutes until the venue captain released me from my duties with SLIFF's thanks. I thanked them for working with me and hoped to talk and work with them again soon.
After that, I walked east on Delmar to Subterranean Books, an independent bookseller. I browsed there for awhile before leaving. Then, I walked west to Blueberry Hill, where I stopped at the bar to enjoy an Incarnation beer from 4 Hands Brewing.
Then, I headed home to mow the front lawn and collect the leaves that fell onto the lawn. Made a great deal of progress on that, but much needs to be done with the back yard.
Yesterday afternoon (13 November), I drove out to World Wide Technology Soccer Park for a tailgate with the St. Louligans. They were meeting up before the MLS Next U-16 and U-17 boys matches between St. Louis Scott Gallagher and St. Louis City SC.
I brought in a 24 ounce (709.8 ml) can of Milwaukee's Best Ice (aka Beast) to contribute to Tallboy Roulette. Before that event, they had Uncle Claude's Yard Sale, named for the St. Louligans' Claude Karraker. Surplus soccer shirts and scarves were put up for sale for $5 each. I bought two shirts--one each of KS Cracova and SK Rapid Wien--plus a Charleston Battery scarf.
Then, it was time for Tallboy Roulette. Those of us who agreed to participate donated a can and $2 for the right to take part, and we had to drink all of what we selected. One by one, we reached into one of two buckets filled with cans and ice. I pulled out a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon, which I was able to drink up in about 30 minutes.
Just before kickoff, we walked into West Community Stadium for the U16 match. The St. Louligans gathered in Section 8, located in the southeast corner of the stadium, to watch the action. I was able to watch the first half and early in the second half before I had to leave for a volunteer shift with the St. Louis International Film Festival. (St. Louis Scott Gallagher won the U16 match 5-4; St. Louis City SC won the U17 match 6-1.)
It was fun getting back together with the St. Louligans, who plan to gather at these matches in the coming months. Plus, I added to my soccer shirt and scarf collection with some unique items. Best of all, the tailgate raised funds for the St. Louis Area Foodbank, a most worthy cause. Wins all around.
This past week, I worked three volunteer shifts in the 30th annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), which began on 6 November and runs until next Sunday (21 November).
My first shift was last Wednesday night (10 November), in the Winifred Moore Auditorium of Webster Hall at Webster University. The documentary "Chuck Connelly: Into the Light" ran that night, but there were only two paying customers. I watched the movie after making sure my volunteer work (handing out fan ballots and festival surveys to attendees). Too bad there were so few viewers, as I though this was a very interesting film about Connelly, a neo-expressionist painter who battled alcoholism and continued to work.
I was back at Webster University the following Saturday night (13 November) for my second shift. This time, there was a much larger crowd for a trio of French surrealist movies from the 1920s and early 1930s. This started with two short silent films, "An Andalusian Dog" and "The Seashell and the Clergyman." These films were accompanied by live music composed for these films and performed by The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra, a local group. The night concluded with the 1930 feature "L'age d'or" (The Golden Age), a surrealistic classic directed by Luis Bunuel. These were some most interesting movies to watch, to put it mildly, but they and the orchestra did get my attention.
This afternoon, I was the Brown Hall of Washington University for a third shift. There were a handful of patrons for the documentary "And So I Stayed," which dealt with three New York State domestic violence survivors who served prison time for killing their abusers. It was difficult to watch at times, seeing these women failed by the criminal justice system, but not impossible to watch. The directors, Natalie Pattillo and Daniel A. Nelson, were on hand for the screening, and they fielded questions posted after the movie by Cinema St. Louis Executive Director Cliff Froehlich and audience members. I congratulated Pattillo and Nelson on their superb film, and thanked Froehlich for his and Cinema St. Louis' work. (Barry E. Albrecht, a member of Cinema St. Louis' Executive Committee, was the venue captain during my shift.)
My fourth and final scheduled volunteer shift is this Saturday afternoon (20 November) at the Tivoli in the Delmar Loop. SLIFF concludes one week from tonight.
Off work today, I got my hair cut at Great Clips and my flu shot at CVS, both near South County Center. My fun part of the day would take place to the northwest of St. Louis.
Late this morning, I drove to Historic Main Street in St. Charles, which has many historic buildings, shops, and restaurants. I walked from the parking lot near the Missouri River to Magpie's Cafe for lunch. After waiting for some time, a table was free for me on the patio.
Magpie's Cafe opened in 1984. In 2019, after its original owner Rhonda Crane died, my friend and Mehlville High School classmate Donna Schaffrin purchased the cafe and runs it to this day. A few weeks ago, I ran into Donna at World Wide Technology Soccer Park, where I was refereeing and her sons were playing. I wished her well on Magpie's and Donna invited me to come have lunch there sometime. Today was that sometime.
I ordered a Half & Half combination of soup and sandwich. The server recommended the Baked Potato Soup, which I selected to go with the Philly Beef sandwich. They were delicious. The Baked Potato Soup--a baked potato, cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions--is a long-time staple of Magpie's.
After that, I had room for dessert. Again, I went with the server's suggestion and had the Blackberry Cobbler, served ala mode. It was decadent, but most satisfying.
Before I left my table to pay the bill, I told the server (whose name I didn't get) about how I knew about this restaurant. She thought it was a small world that I knew Schaffrin, and she would tell Donna hello for me.
After paying my bill at Magpie's, I walked up Main Street to Main Street Books. Earlier this week, I ordered a book for sale there, Unleashing the Soul. It's a collection of poems written by my friend, T.M. (Tara) Pedroley. We knew each other from a singles Meetup group we were in a few years ago. (Tara was the group's organizer.) I am looking forward to reading these poems, and Tara said she would sign my copy when we meet next month for an event in town.
Walking along Main Street to return to the parking lot, I saw some straw figures in a small park. The city was holding a straw poll of these figures, asking visitors to vote for their favorites. I didn't vote, but noted two witches on display.
Back home now, I will be out volunteering at Circus Flora tonight.
