Exiting 2011, Entering 2012

I hope my fellow Christians had a very nice Christmas. Mine was fine, considering how dull it felt with my Dad in the hospital. I did see him on Christmas Day afternoon Sunday, and he's doing OK. It looks like he'll be out of the hospital early next week to finish recovering from his broken pelvis at home. After the Christmas Eve service at Calvary, I came home and Mom came home later after she and Dad had communion served at the hospital. We each opened a present that night, and opened the others Christmas morning. Among other gifts, I got a referee kit bag (to replace the old one that was faded and showing its age), and three DVDs Rick got me: "Boogie Nights," "Pulp Fiction," and "Schindler's List." All three were on my DVD wish list. Rick also sent me a copy of the new book "Admiral Nimitz" by Brayton Harris, which Rick edited and I fact checked for Rick. He also sent me another new book, "The Russian Origins of the First World War" by Sean McMeekin, which should be an interesting read.

not much else happening. I did go to Chaifetz Arena Tuesday night (27 Dec.) to watch Saint Louis University beat Texas Southern University 71-39 in men's basketball. There was a good crowd, considering the opponent and that most students were away on holiday break. I enjoyed cheering on the Billikens, who are having a real good season so far. I also chatted briefly after the game with SLU radio play-by-play commentator Bob Ramsey, who I knew from when I was working on SLU's basketball stat crew in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

No special New Year's Eve plans. I'm not for big parties, anyway. I'll just be home and appearing on Naturally Autistic Radio's New Year's Eve show. This Sunday, I co-host Writer's Block from Naturally Autistic Radio from 2-3 pm, Central Time (12-1 pm, Pacific Time). More info on those programs at www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show/. Hope you can tune in.

Here's wishing a continued Happy Kwanzaa to my African-American friends, and I wish all of you a very happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful New Year.

Later.

Merry Christmas 2011!

It's the afternoon of Christmas Eve as I write these words to you. To all my fellow Christians who read this, here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas! (While I'm at it, here's wishing a Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends, and Happy Kwanzaa in advance to my African-American friends.) It's a bit of a downer this Christmas, with my Dad in the hospital now. Last Friday (16 Dec.), he fell at home and was taken to the hospital the next day. The doctors found out he had fractured his pelvis (a flight fracture), and not a broken hip as we first feared. Dad's undergoing physical therapy now and recovering. Mom and I hoped he'd be home by now, but it looks like early next week at the soonest.

Last Friday afternoon, I was at Gravois Bluffs Shopping Center in Fenton, Missouri on behalf of IPMS/Gateway. I presented our club's $250 donation to the US Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) for the Toys for Tots program in Metro St. Louis. Y98 radio was hosting a remote broadcast from Gravois Bluffs that day to raise donations for Toys for Tots, so that's why I was there. (Julie Vaughn, our treasurer, took the photo of me presenting the check to a USMCR corporal.)

That night, I joined Stress Free Fridays at The Signature Room in Overland for happy hour. As usual, it was a real nice time. The next day found me at Gametime in St. Peters for youth futsal refereeing. I had three matches scheduled for late afternoon to early evening, but it turned out my schedule had been changed so that I would have done the one game earlier than previously scheduled and not do the last game scheduled, but the assignor didn't inform me of that. Oh well, at least all games were covered. That meant I was off earlier than scheduled to attend Del Miller's Christmas party that night. We had a real nice time, mixing with people from IPMS/St. Louis and the military reinactors that Del participates in.

Sunday night (18 Dec.), I was at The In Spot in the Delmar Loop area for a happy hour. I hoped to find some Meetup friends there, but for some reason I did not. At least the night wasn't a total waste.

Last Tuesday night (20 Dec.), IPMS/Gateway's meeting featured elections for 2012 club officers. I was unable to run for president again, due to term limits, but I was elected vice president. We got through the elections fine, plus we had a recognition contest (I tied with two others for highest correct scores) and we had a large raffle of prizes. Just before adjourning, I thanked everyone for being their president the past two years, and wished the new executive board well.

I had hoped to hear back this past week on a temp job I interviewed for the previous week, but the temp agency said the client decided not to go with the assignment. They added the client didn't give any feedback or reason for the change. A bummer. We'll see what happens regarding other opportunities.

I got out just about the last of my Christmas greetings today. Just a few left to e-mail. I visit Dad late in the afternoon, then to church for service that night.

Later.

Feeling a Bit Optimistic

I had a good feeling during and after a phone interview this morning. The 15-minute conversation was for a possible temp job with a media organization in Metro St. Louis, doing copywriting and editing of copy for online presentation. I should know for sure either way tomorrow about getting this assignment. It would be a ray of light right now.

One week ago tonight (8 December), I was among the attendees at a bid planning meeting for the 2014 IPMS/USA National Convention. The meeting, held at CRM Hobbies in St. Louis, had info on the projected budget for this convention and assignment of people to head committees. I drew the publicity director slot (natch), and I was also asked to draw up an outline for a convention program. I found copies of the programs from the 1982 and 1991 IPMS Nationals that were held in St. Louis, so I have something to use as a basis for this one.

After supper on Friday (9 Dec.), I was at the Bismark in downtown St. Louis for Stress Free Fridays. It was nice to see the gang for awhile, enjoying some live music as well. The next morning, I was at Christian Academy officiating four futsal matches with a partner. They generally went well, although my partner and I had to crack down a bit on some hard play.

Sunday night found me at Shameless Grounds in south St. Louis for Kinky Bingo, a weekly event they host. I went as part of two Meetup groups. It took an open mind to really appreciate this event (sexual terms replaced numbers), but it was fun, and my first visit to the facility--a coffeehouse--was most enjoyable.

A party of a different sort was where I was at on Monday night, at Dooley's 026 in Fenton. The annual soccer referee Christmas party was held, with a good time had by all. There was free food for us, and they raffled off some referee gear, with proceeds going to the Disabled Athlete Sports Association (DASA). I won a bag tag and a flip coin in the raffle. We also got word of our annual trivia night to benefit DASA and Backstoppers in February. More info on that in due course.

I plan to present IPMS/Gateway's check to Toys for Tots tomorrow afternoon. More info on that in my next post here.

Later.

Into December, Towards Christmas

Rather cool outside now, and we may get a touch of snow tonight. I'll be inside much of the time, though, attending a planning meeting for the IPMS/USA 2014 National Convention bid committee. Hopefully, we'll have a good turnout and work on what needs to be done to have our bid ready to present this August in Lake Buena Vista, Florida at the 2012 IPMS Nationals.

Last Friday night (2 Dec.) found me in midtown St. Louis attending the open house Bake 2 Basics Marketing held for its new office. It was a nice time, and I was able to meet a few people and exchange business cards with them. We'll see in due course if anything good came of it. The night before, I was at a meeting on the American Jobs Act held at the Obama for America office in downtown St. Louis.

The new youth futsal season began last Saturday and I had a double shift of games at Christian Academy in Maryland Heights. The day began with four games in the morning for younger players (under 10s and 12s), then I was back there that afternoon for three. Actually, it turned out to be just two games, as the first of the set was not played due to one of the teams not showing up for some reason. My partner and I had to wait nearly an hour before the second game of this set, but we got though the other two matches just fine. I'm back for more games the next two Saturday.

I co-hosted the monthly Writer's Block online radio show on Naturally Autistic Radio Sunday afternoon. The host Tim Pylypiuk and I discussed novels and books, my views on the written word and history as a genre, and graphic novels. (Erik Estabrook, normally the other panelist, was not on the show this time.) Our next Writer's Block is on Sun., 1 Jan. at 12 pm Pacific Time (2 pm Central Time). Hope you can join us. Show info at www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show.

Monday night (5 Dec.) found me at Katie's Pizzeria in Clayton for dinner with the Dine Out on a Dime Meetup group. About 40 of us were there to enjoy the variety of dishes there, especially pizzas that are a change from what many of us are used to. I had a Genoa salami pizza that included crushed red pepper, onions, and mozzarella cheese on a fairly thin crust. Somehow, I was able to put away the entire 13-inch (33.02 cm) diameter pie at that sitting. Very tasty and a fine time was had there. I definitely recommend both Katie's and this Meetup group.

Running the IPMS/St. Louis meeting the next night, I proceeded the meeting by helping fill the display case at Thornhill Branch Library's lobby with models. The display runs until the beginning of January 2012. The meeting passed rather quickly, with little to discuss except the need for the club to get a new secretary/treasurer ASAP and to play the national recharter fee by month's end.

Rather quiet at home. Watched a documentary on History last night on the attack on Pearl Harbor 70 years ago yesterday and the US government's response. Fascinating with info about President Roosevelt and the 24 hours following the attack that I didn't know.

I wish you all a good day. Later.

Family in Town and After Thanksgiving

I hope my fellow Americans had a very Happy Thanksgiving a week ago. Mine was real nice, especially due to my brothers being in town. For the first time in quite a few years, all three--Rick, Brian, and Doug--were in St. Louis with my parents and I for Thanksgiving. They came with their significant others and kids: Rick with wife Melissa and son Alex; Brian with wife Gretchen, daughter Rowan, and son Fischer; and, Doug with girlfriend Helen. We all had a great dinner at home on Thursday (24 Nov.), and we went to lunch the next day at The Blue Owl Restaurant in Kimmswick, Missouri. My first time there and we had a great dining experience.

(The photo was taken by Doug's camera that afternoon in our back yard. Front row (from left): Gretchen holding Fischer; Dad holding Rowan, Mom with Alex, Melissa. Back row: Doug, Helen, Brian, Bob, and Rick.)

My brothers began heading back to their respective towns on Saturday. I spent a late Friday night at the Moolah Theatre in midtown St. Louis, attending a midnight screening of one of my favorite movies, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." It was my first time seeing it on a big screen (I've seen it on TV and I have the DVD which I've viewed a few times). The good sized crowd (including myself and others from the STL Screeners Meetup group) had a great time with that movie.

The rest of the holiday weekend was quite, but nice. I got my haircut Monday afternoon (28 Nov.), and started firming up my Christmas wish list and finishing up my Christmas newsletter to send to friends and family. I also got my first futsal refereeing assignments of the new season for this Saturday.

This Sunday afternoon (12 pm Pacific Time, 2 pm Central), I'll be co-hosting Writer's Block on Naturally Autistic Radio. I hope you can tune in to the show, streamed on BlogTalkRadio.com. More info at www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show.

That's it for now. Later.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in the USA. It's been going well for me. My three brothers came into town Monday with their significant others in tow. My parents have all their sons and grandkids here and that makes this most special. I know I'm thankful for a family that's been most supportive in recent years.

The brothers and their significant others will be in town for a few more days, so I look forward to more time with them.

Last Friday night (18 Nov.), I was a volunteer at the St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), working at Washington University's Brown Hall. It was a family-friendly night, with five shorts from the "Little Vampire" series, followed by a presentation by the producers of the animated series "Voltron Force." I acted as an usher for this event, as I did two nights before at Webster University. I really enjoyed this stint and look forward to helping out at future SLIFFs.

Last Saturday and Sunday, I was at St. Louis U. High's football field to referee youth soccer games. It was the last weekend of the fall outdoor season. The two games Saturday morning went fine, although we (fellow officials, coaches, players and a few parents) had to help clean up and set up the field for soccer. (It hosted a high school football player off game the night before.) Sunday's two games were OK, although one of the assigned officials didn't show up. We used a club linesman to round out the crew and the games went well, although the rain and wind that day didn't make it feel so good.

Saturday night I was at DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton for the IPMS/Gateway banquet, which was held at the hospital's Archbishop May Center. I was master of ceremonies for the event, which started with an open bar followed by a buffet dinner. After a brief speech recapping the past year in our club, I presented our Modeler of the Year and Bob Stroup (Outstanding Achievement) Awards. Both went to Tom Bogacki, and I was most happy presenting him with these well deserved awards. After that, we attendees socialized for a while longer. It was long enough for me to be introduced to some of the ladies that served us that night. Danette George (wife of long-time club member Mike George) did the intros, specifically selling me as an eligible man to a couple of eligible women among the hospitality staff. I just might find Ms. Right yet!

Tuesday night, I got away from family long enough to host the IPMS/Gateway business meeting, which was held at the Library at Calvary Presbyterian Church (mere steps from the fellowship hall, where our general meetings are held.) The meeting didn't last too long, but enough to plan the December meeting and discuss a bit of club business.

I hope all my fellow Americans have a great Thanksgiving. Take care.

Later.

Of a Book Exchange and the Movies

Last Saturday (12 November) was an odd one for me as a referee. Of the three matches I was scheduled to work at the Scott Gallagher Facility, the first one was called off because not enough players from one of the teams showed up around kick off time. I was informed this was a late change because the other team's original opponents had dropped out of the league. The players that did arrive played a kickabout while my crewmates and I stayed out of the windy weather. The second game came off and that was fine, but the third game was not played because neither team showed up. It's nearly the end of the fall outdoor season (it ends this weekend), so that had to be a factor in all this.

That night, I was in O'Fallon, Missouri for a St. Louis Singles Meetup event at Culpepper's. We were asked to bring a book or two that others in attendance could take home. Hardly any books that I saw really appealed to me, but I found one novel that I did take home. It was a neat idea, although it might have worked better with more people there. (The venue was changed earlier in the week from one in Crestwood, so that may explain the attendance.) The next morning (13 Nov.), I refereed boys soccer games at St. Louis U. High. No problems, apart from high winds that did affect balls played in the air.

I was at Forest Park Community College last Monday night for the annual futsal referee recertification clinic. Few changes in the Laws of the Game, which were gone over at the clinic. Since I had paid my recertification fee and passed the online written test, I got my 2012 badge that night. Season starts the beginning weekend in December.

Tuesday morning (15 Nov.), I was in downtown St. Louis attending my first meeting of the GO! Network, a local group helping professionals in job transition. After a new member orientation, I took in a panel discussion by human resource professionals on how jobseekers can work with these pros on finding work. Quite interesting. We'll see how the GO! Network can help me.

I ran the IPMS/Gateway meeting that night, in which we had the final contest for 2011 Modeler of the Year, along with starting to take nominations for next year's officers.

Wednesday night was movie night at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium. I was there as a volunteer for the Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF). Along with three other volunteers and the volunteer captain, I welcomed the audience to the theater, handed out SLIFF programs, and distributed and collected audience surveys and film ballots. The first film showed that night was "The Welcome," a documentary about US war veterans at a retreat to work out their feelings. Very interesting and moving film, I think. Then, there was a screening of 16 short films by St. Louis area filmmakers. Some most interesting films on display. Tonight, I'll be at Washington University's Brown Hall to volunteer at the screenings of two movies there.

Looking forward to welcoming my brothers and their significant others to town next week, for Thanksgiving.

Later.

Fun in Columbia, Missouri

Saturday morning (5 Nov.), I drove from home in St. Louis to Columbia, Missouri to participate in TigerCon 2011, the first scale model contest and swap meet hosted by Central Missouri Scale Modelers. About a dozen of my IPMS/Gateway mates from St. Louis made the trip (one was a vendor), and the show at Parkade Center was good overall. The hosts did a fine job for the first time out. I helped with contest judging in a few categories. In a category I DIDN'T judge -- Aircraft: Jet, smaller than 1/48 scale -- my 1:72 scale Su-24M (Fencer-D) took third. Admittedly, there were only three entries in that category. Still, I was very proud to accept this award at the ceremony that formally concluded the show.

I stuck around Columbia for several hours afterward, to shop, grab some dinner, and pay a brief visit to my friend Denise in town. After that visit, I drove home and set my clocks and watches back an hour for the end of Daylight Saving Time overnight.

The extra hour of sleep helped, as I had four soccer games to referee Sunday morning, with the first kicking off at 7:00 am. (!) This was the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Girls' Fall Classic at the Soccer Park in Fenton. I worked four matches -- under 13s and 14s -- with two of those games in the middle as referee. I was assistant referee on the other two matches, including a semi-final that went to a penalty shoot out. The two colleagues on my crew were younger and less experienced, but did a fine job overall.

After I got home, right away I joined the panel for this month's edition of Writer's Block from Naturally Autistic Radio. The hour-long show talked about writing and editing work from the perspective of practitioners on the autistic spectrum. The next Writer's Block is Sun., 3 Dec. at 12:00 pm Pacific Time. Details at www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show/. (The archived show from last Sunday is available for download from that site.)

Monday night, I was at the Tivoli Theater in the Delmar Loop for volunteer orientation for the St. Louis International Film Festival, which started tonight and runs to 20 Nov. It was a brief orientation for us volunteers, about 25 of whom were there. I'll be working screenings at Webster University's Moore Auditorium on Wed., 16 Nov. and at Washington University's Brown Hall two nights later. Details on this event at www.cinemastlouis.org. I then drove to Crusoe's in Oakville for the Mehlville High Class of 1982 Reunion committee meeting, but it was called off due to the absence of a key member. We'll meet again later this month (28 Nov.).

Tuesday morning, I was at the Men's Wearhouse in Brentwood for the Yellow-Tie business networking event. It was a nice event, as I meet a few people for the first time to exchange info. I also ran into a few folks I know.

Last night, I was at Ronnie's 20 Cinema in Concord Village for the St. Louis premier of the documentary film "Rise & Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story." I saw a rough cut of this film last spring at a St. Louis United FC meeting. This film is the story of DeMerit, defender and captain of Vancouver Whitecaps FC of MLS, who rose from childhood in Green Bay, Wisconsin, struggling in England just after college trying to break into pro soccer, finally catching on at Watford FC and helping it get to the Barclays Premier League, and being called up to the US National Team and playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. A real inspiring story of perseverance and following one's dream. You can read more on DeMerit and this film at jaydemeritstory.com.

That's it for now. Happy Veterans Day tomorrow (11 Nov.) and a big Thank You to all the veterans out there, like my father, Harold R. Delaney, US Army Air Forces in World War II.

Later.

Wild Cards Win!

The St. Louis Cardinals pulled it out last Friday night (28 Oct.), defeating the Texas Rangers in the seventh and decided game of the World Series. The Cardinals--well back of a postseason spot when September began--are MLB Champions for the 11th time. I would dare say it was the most improbable of those 11 titles. What a ride!

I had soccer games Saturday and Sunday mornings at the Scott Gallagher complex. They went well. I did fill in as referee on one of the Sunday games (a under-15 girls match) as the man who was originally to have refereed it was feeling a bit sore in one let and asked me to fill in for hjm. I did and it was a fine game that ended 2-1, with the deciding goal coming at the death off a free kick.

Sunday afternoon, after my games, I went to Saint Louis University to watch the Billiken men play Xavier in soccer. It was scoreless at the end of full time, with extra time to be played. I had to leave to go to Wentzville, Missouri for a meeting, so I missed the extra session. (Perhaps that was a good thing, as Xavier won the match in extra time, 1-0.) Late that afternoon, I was in Wentzville at Frank Ciccarella's house. He's organizing a bid IPMS/Gateway will make to host the 2014 IPMS/USA National Convention. Just one other member was at this meeting with Frank and I, but we discussed some items that needed planning right away. After the meeting, Frank and his wife invited me to stay for dinner, which I did. Very nice meal and some good conversation besides.

Tuesday night (1 Nov.), I ran the IPMS/St. Louis meeting. Little to discuss, so we got through it rather quickly.

This weekend will be most interesting. Saturday, I'm going to Columbia, Missouri for TigerCon 2011, a scale model contest and swap meet hosted by the Central Missouri Scale Modelers. It's the first show this club's done and I want to show them my support. Hopefully, some others from St. Louis will be there as well. I also hope to touch base with a friend of mine in Columbia before I head back to St. Louis that night. Early Sunday morning, I have some girls soccer games in Fenton. By early, I mean a 7 am kickoff for the first match. (Good thing Standard Time returns at 2 am Sunday.) That afternoon, at 3 pm Central Time, I co-host Writers Block from Naturally Autistic Radio. Hope you can tune in. You can get more info on that show at www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show/.

Later.

One That Matters

I was lying in bed last night when I saw the extra innings played in last night's Game 6 of the World Series. The Cardinals' win over the Texas Rangers evened the series at three games each, and it will all be decided with the final game tonight. It's been a great run for the Cardinals the last two months, win or lose tonight. I do think they will win this one.

Elsewhere, I had some soccer clinics this past week. Monday night (24 Oct.) was the monthly in-service clinic at Grand Glaize Library in west St. Louis County, in which we learned how to use our words to keep control of a match and deal with players, coaches and spectators. Two nights later, I was at the Soccer Park in Fenton for a required clinic going towards my re-registration. With other referees, I learned about how to "Wait and See" on offside situations, to apply anticipation and presence in being where the game situations develop, along with the dynamics of using the whistle and dealing with exposed cleats in player challenges. Having completed this session, and providing proof of my passing the written online test and paying for registration, I was issued with my 2012 referee uniform patch and the latest copy of the Laws of the Game. I'm free for another year.

Last weekend was me work three Midwest Regional League under-16 girls' matches at Oakville High School on Saturday (22 Oct), which went pretty well, considering how these teams were. In my middle, which was the first match of the set, I had to issue four cautions (three for unsporting behavior, one for dissent) and called two penalty kicks, but otherwise the match was fine. The next day, I ran line on two Elite Clubs National League girls' matches at the Gallagher Complex. These had out-of-town teams that were anxious to get going home, and it showed in their play. Generally, they went well.

Last Tuesday night saw me run the IPMS/Gateway business meeting, in which the club's board planned the next month's general meeting and discussed other club business.

This week, I got off some applications for jobs that I feel fit my skills and experience. I'll follow up next week on these and maybe something good will come of them. We'll see.

Later.

Going Nuts About the World Series

I'm not the biggest of baseball fans, but I'm glad to see the Cardinals in this World Series, considering they were counted out of postseason contention one month ago. They are now playing the Texas Rangers in the best of seven series. The Cardinals won the opener at home Wednesday night, but lost game two last night. The series picks up in Arlington, Texas tomorrow night (22 Oct.). Go Cardinals! Perhaps the Rally Squirrel that first appeared at Busch Stadium during the National League Division Series will make an encore appearance. We'll see.

I had a busy weekend of soccer refereeing last weekend. It started on Saturday morning (15 Oct) with three league matches at the Scott Gallagher Facility. The last one, an under-17 girls' match, was one I refereed and was assessed on. This was my annual maintenance assessment, for my recertification. I passed the assessment, with the assessor pointing out some things I did right and a few things I can improve on for next time. Glad to get that out of the way. The next day (16 Oct), I did two boys matches in the Midwest Developmental League at Chaminade College Prep. They went well, including my middle in the first match, an under-13 contest that was decided at the death by the visitors. Quite a thrilling match, I must say. I'm back on the pitch this weekend with travel league matches.

Sunday night, I went to a meetup in north St. Louis County of coffee and jazz lovers at a member's home. We--the host, myself, and three others--had a nice time talking, listening to jazz played on the stereo, and enjoying coffee that the host sells out of her home. She talked about her business and offered any of us to join her, but I said no. Home-based business is just not for me.

Tuesday night, I ran the IPMS/Gateway meeting at Calvary Presbyterian Church. We had a nice turnout of members and of models for the monthly "beauty contest." Two people came to our meeting for the first time and I chatted with both of them and recognized them at the start of the meeting. Hopefully, both will be back next month.

This afternoon, my parents and I went to the County Health Clinic in Sunset Hills to get our annual flu shots. They cost each of us $25, but will be well worth it to stay healthy this flu season.

That's it for now. Wish you all a great weekend. Later.

On the Run of Late

It's been a bit humid, but not too hot here lately. Been running around the neighborhood in recent days, tuning up for soccer refereeing assignments this weekend. Last weekend, I had some Midwest Regional League (MRL) under-15 girls matches on the Illinois side. I worked two games on Saturday in Columbia's Oerter Park, and three on Sunday at Waterloo Senior High School, which I had never been to before. The games generally went fine, although I did cramp up a bit in my last game on Sunday. This weekend, I have arranged for a maintenance assessment on one of my matches. Wish me well.

Last Monday (10 Oct.), with Mom's help, I had my hair dyed, using Just for Men. It covered over the vast majority of gray in my hair, with just a bit of gray on the sides. It came out real well and I'm happy with it. That night, I was at the Mehlville High Class of 1982 Reunion planning meeting at Crusoe's in Oakville. Laura (Bryant) Muehlhauser, a classmate who's a hair stylist, said the dye job looks natural. I do appreciate her expert opinion on hair matters. At the meeting, we discussed several possible venues for the reunion, and should nail that down with a date at our next meeting in early November. Stay tuned.

No good news on the job search, though. I went to a Yellow-Tie networking happy hour at West County Nissan in Ballwin Tuesday night. It was quite nice, and i did meet a couple of people at their first Yellow-Tie event. Time will tell if any of these contacts made that night will pan out for me.

I'm off to the Missouri Aviation Historical Society meeting in Clayton tonight after dinner at home. The group has a business meeting, followed by the general meeting.

Go Cardinals! They play the Brewers tonight in game 4 of the National League Championship Series, leading 2 games to 1 in the best-of-7.

Later.

From September into October

September ended with the monthly referee clinic (26 Sept.), in which we reviewed changes in the Laws of the Game for this season. (Mostly in administrative areas.) I ran the IPMS/Gateway business meeting the next night, and attended a business meeting of the Missouri Aviation Historical Society in Clayton on the 29th.

I was up bright and early on Sat., 1 October to be at the Thornhill Branch Library. They were reserving meeting room dates for the first half of 2012 and I wanted to make sure IPMS/St. Louis had its first Tuesdays lined up. Sure enough, I was the first person there and when the library opened at 9:00 am, I got our regular meeting dates. Back home and with a change out outfit, I went to the Soccer Park to referee three girls' soccer matches that afternoon and early evening. They were all Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) matches. I had the middle on the first one, a under-15 match, and then ran lines on the under-17 and under-14 matches that followed. They went well--my middle went with no real incident--and I was happy with my performance.

The next morning, I was at St. Louis U. High to run line on a under-18 Midwest Regional League (MRL) match. That went well, if rather one-sided. Back home after that, I co-hosted the October edition of Writer's Block, from Naturally Autistic Radio. The show went quite well. You can find out more on that program and others at www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show.

The week started off with me getting my hair--which was cut at the hair salon the week before--colored to cover the gray. Expect some new photos of me soon. Tuesday (4 October), I ran the IPMS/St. Louis meeting, where I gave the good news about our meeting dates and welcomed a first-time visitor to our group. I was at a dermatologist the next afternoon to have someone check out the rash on my chest, back and upper arms. He told me it was eczema and recommended some treatment, including a prescribed creme, which I obtained from the pharmacy later that day. I'm starting to show signs of improvement, and hopefully that will continue in the coming weeks.

I have MRL soccer refereeing assignments coming up tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday in Columbia, Illinois. Hopefully, they should go real well.

Later.

Starting to Plan for 2012

Before I go further (and my apologies for not having post here sooner): I'm on the panel this Sunday for the October edition of Writer's Block, from Naturally Autistic Radio. The show, presented by Naturally Autistic ANCA, airs online from 3 to 4 pm, Central Time (1 to 2 pm, Pacific Time). I and other writers (and editors in my case) on the spectrum discuss our work and how being on the spectrum affects it. You can get show details at http://www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show/. By the way, you can register for free at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ prior to the show and then you can participate in the live online chat during the program. I hope you can tune in this Sunday and tell everyone you know to tune in.

One week ago tonight (19 Sept.), I joined with eight other classmates from Mehlville High's Class of 1982 at Crusoe's Restaurant in Oakville to begin planning our 30-year reunion next year. We started to sketch out what kind of event to hold and to start delegating responsibilities for several things related to this reunion. I'll let out more of the details in due course. The reunion committee next meets two weeks from tonight.

The previous weekend (17-18 Sept.) had some interesting events. On that Saturday, I was at the Al Waha Restaurant in midtown St. Louis for a seminar on online dating, put on by two Meetup groups. It was quite nice, learning a few things that were new to me on this matter. I also was able to get my online profiles critiqued by the seminar moderator afterward, with a few changes she suggested put into place soon afterward. I ushered at church that Sunday morning, then dashed out to St. Louis U. High to referee boys' soccer games. It rained part of the time, but being on artificial turf, we got all three games in.

IPMS/Gateway's September general meeting on the 20th was real interesting. We had: a build night; a contest for Modeler of the Year points (I helped judge); discussion on us possibly hosting the IPMS/USA National Convention in 2014; plugging upcoming events of interest to the members; and, beginning to take nominees for the Bob Stroup Award for outstanding service. We got them all in!

The next day, I met an acquaitance and her friend at the Galleria for a volunteer editing assignment for a non-profit organization's annual newsletter. I was able to get all the material edited and turned in by the following Friday. Gave me a nice added bit of experience.

I refereed a girls' tournament at Sportport last weekend. I worked tow games Thursday night, three on Saturday afternoon, and three yesterday. That included the under-15 final I was in the middle for, which went real well. Both sides' coaches praised me for my game control. Our monthly referee clinic is tonight, with other meetings and events this week.

Later this week, I hope to hear back on an editing job I recently applied for. Ten days ago, I followed up with the hiring manager and he wrote back that they would be taking applications for two more weeks before deciding who to invite for interviews. Stay tuned.

Later.

A Good Time at the 2011 IPMS Gateway Invitational

Last Saturday (10 September), I helped run the IPMS/Gateway to the West Invitational model contest and swap meet, which was held at Hitter's Choice Cages in Eureka, Missouri. We had a good time with the show, which drew a good crowd of people and model contest entries (192 for the latter). The vendors there seems happy, and we raised some money for Toys for Tots through our raffle. I helped judge the contest, in which one of my three entries took third place. (Of course, not in a category I was judging!) My '69 Camaro Z/28 SS was third in Out of the Box -- Non-military. It was my first award at a local show in quite a few years, so I'm real happy about it.

The next day, IPMS/Gateway held its annual picnic at Charles Forrester Park in Vinita Park. I arrived after refereeing girls' soccer at St. Louis U. High that morning. We had a fine time: the club provided meat (burgers and brats) and beverages (soda, beer and water), while the attendees brought side dishes (I brought in two bags of chips). IPMS/Gateway meets this Tuesday night at Calvary Presbyterian Church. Hope to see you there. Info at www.ipms-gateway.com.

The previous Wednesday night (7 Sept.), I was at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis' Forest Park for a book signing and panel discussion. I bought a copy of the new book by Dave Lange, "Soccer Made in St. Louis," which is an illustrated history of the game in this area. There was a panel discussion on the state of soccer in St. Louis and the United States, which was quite interesting. Before and after that discussion, I got the book signed by several soccer personalities mentioned in the book, as well as by Lange and Bill McDermott, who wrote the foreword and moderated the discussion. I shall prize this book.

Speaking of printed matters, I did finally get the temp work done late last week. The assignment finally came through to the agency, and I got in it. It was a typing job, for a marketing agency's client, with some proofreading along the way. I got it done at home and turned it in to the marketing firm, which greatly appreciated my effort. I'm hoping to hear back today on another temp assignment I'm up for. In the meantime, I edited a pair of short columns for Naturally Autistic Magazine, and some biography cards for several honorees at next weekend's Naturally Autistic People Awards in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Speaking of Naturally Autistic, I was a panelist this past Wednesday afternoon on the Naturally Autistic Radio program Adult Speak. It was a nice program, although I did not contribute too much to it compared to other panelists. A week and a half earlier, on Sun., 4 Sept., I co-hosted the monthly Writer's Block program, also on Naturally Autistic Radio. Info on these and other shows at www.naturallyautistic.com.

That's it for now. Later

.

Good Health News, Hopefully Good Work News Soon

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. Been meaning to get to it, but something always stops me. Anyway, I visited two doctors recently that examined my lower abdominal soreness that's I got in mid-August. The first one I saw (on Mon., 29 Aug.) thought that I had a hernia and referred me to a specialist. The following Friday (2 Sept.), I saw that specialist, who examined me and said I don't have a hernia, but a groin pull. That was was I suspected at the time of the injury, but it was great hearing that from the doctor. (By the way, both doctors said I'm in real good health overall.) I haven't had much problems lately with the groin, and I did work soccer games last weekend. The only problem was that I wasn't in full fitness, due to my groin pull, which slowed me down a little. However, I should be in better game shape soon. Since both doctors were in my PPO, I just had to pay the co-pay, which made things easier. Still, it's a bit of a bite into my expenses that I did not need. I got called this morning into the long-awaited temp assignment. I'll report to the client early this afternoon for details. Hopefully, this will go real well. In scale modeling news: Last Saturday, I helped set up a display for IPMS/Gateway at the Jefferson County Library's Northwest Branch in House Springs last Saturday morning. We'll have the display through the end of September. I also made sure this Saturday's IPMS/Gateway Invitational was listed on some online modeling websites (such as Modeling Madness, Hyperscale, and ipmsusa.org). Looking forward to this show. Last night, I ran the IPMS/St. Louis meeting, and that was fine. Take care and talk to you soon.

Gutting It Out

Rather quiet much of the past few days here. I did have a chat Thursday night (18 Aug.) with others on the Naturally Autistic Radio crew, just staying on top of things. Generally, things with the radio shows are going well right now.

Late last week, I had hoped to hear back on the temp job I was up for, but nothing came up. Not until early Monday afternoon, when the agency asked me to start right away. I thought I had to go into the client's office, but instead the client emailed me (through the agency) a brochure for me to proofread and turn back that day. I got it taken care of in short order. I'm hoping to get on to the rest of the assignment soon, just as soon as the agency hears back from the client.

I am still bothered by pain in my lower abdomen when I put pressure on that area (as in bending over). Despite that, I was able to get in my game assignments last weekend. Saturday night, I worked three small sided (8-a-side and 9-a-side) boys' games as part of a two-man crew. No problems. (The only difficulty was making sure we had crews on both fields; there was a mix-up when three of us thought we were on the same field, but it was resolved before the games started.) Sunday afternoon, I worked two under-14 girls' matches (one in the middle, the other on the line). They were early season matches and they were fine. Monday night, I attended the monthly in-service referee clinic, where we discussed what assessors look for in evaluating referees during matches.

Last night, I ran the IPMS/Gateway business meeting. We planned next month's general and business meetings and discussed other club business. More to come on the latter in due course.

I do have a doctor's appointment for this Monday to look over that pain. Hopefully, it's nothing much that can't be cured soon.

Later.

Some Good Despite Some Uncertainty

My games this past weekend (13-14 Aug.) went well. I had three youth games Saturday afternoon and no real problems. I did feel a bit sore in my lower abdomen, from a pulled muscle, but otherwise no ill effects. Sunday morning, I took and passed my referee fitness test. I covered about 2100 meters on the 12-minute run, which was 3000 more than the minimum for my age and grade. I also passed the 50-meter sprint (about 8.5 seconds, 1 faster than passing) and the 200-meter dash (about 38 seconds, 2 faster than passing). After changing at home, I ran line on two men's games. The first one was rather contentious and kept my colleagues and I well busy disciplining players, but the second match was much smoother.

I was hoping to hear back by now on a temp job, but as of late this afternoon, no word from the temp agency. Their client hadn't called back. Strange.

I did get started on a rather easy fact check job my brother Rick asked me to do this week on a historical biography he's editing.

Last night (16 Aug.), I ran the IPMS/Gateway meeting. We had a nice one, in which we had a report on the IPMS/USA National Convention in Omaha earlier this month, a seminar on contest judging, and a last pitch for next month's IPMS/Gateway Invitational in Eureka. Details on the show at ipms-gateway.com

Later.

A Time for Family

Last weekend, I found out the value of family in times like these. My parents agreed to help tide me over on some urgent expenses in my life, until things pick up again soon with work. That was a big load of worry lifted from my shoulders. My brother Rick and his son Alex came in town last Friday for a few days. We--Mom, Dad, Rick, Alex and myself--had a nice time together. Saturday, we were joined by four more relatives: My uncle, Harold Koenig (Mom's brother); his wife, Suzanne; their daughter, Karen Palmer; and Karen's son Trevor. They had traveled from Fircrest, Washington to Suzanne's relatives in Ohio and stopped in St. Louis for a few days. I had not seen them in a few years, so it was a nice time for all of us to get caught up on things. Karen and Trevor really appreciated the air combat videos I showed them the other day (Trevor's into that stuff in a big way). The Koenigs left St. Louis yesterday, one day after Rick and Alex flew back to Charleston.

Sunday afternoon (7 Aug.), I was co-hosting the monthly Writer's Block online radio show from Naturally Autistic Radio. The hour-long program went into how mentoring helped our writing and editing careers, and how different writing for children was from writing for adult audiences. Writer's Block will run on the first Sunday afternoon in the month. You can find out more about this and other Naturally Autistic radio shows at www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show/.

Last Monday and Tuesday, I went to back to see career counselors for ideas on getting my stalled job search back into high gear. Monday's visit was with Saint Louis University's Student Success Center (career center), while Tuesday's was a session with the Missouri Career Center in Arnold. I got good info from both people I saw on this area, and I hope to implement them soon.

Last night, I was at the monthly meeting of the Missouri Aviation Historical Society in Clayton. A former McDonnell test pilot related his story to our group, and I got to plug the IPMS/Gateway Invitational in Eureka on 10 Sept.

I may have some temp work in the coming week. Stay tuned on that.

Tomorrow, the youth soccer season starts anew, and I have some games in the afternoon, plus men's games Sunday afternoon. In between, I plan to take my annual referee fitness test. I should be OK, although I have been resting up a bit today.

Later.

A Most Uncertain Feeling

Before I go further, I should tell you that I will be co-hosting Writers Block this Sunday afternoon, from 3 to 4 pm, Central Time (1 to 2 pm, Pacific Time) on Naturally Autistic Radio. It's a monthly show (which will run the first Sunday of the month), in which writers and editors on the autistic spectrum discuss their work and how being on the spectrum factors into it. It's one of the programs on Naturally Autistic Radio, airing seven days a week. Find out more at http://www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show/

I've been under a lot of stress of late. So little pay coming in, so much I owe (mainly for car repair). It's most frustrating and I wonder just how I will ever get through this.

I had two men's league games last Sunday (31 July) at DeSoto Park. I was an assistant referee for both matches and they went pretty good. No games on tap this week, but the youth season starts up just over a week from now. Looking forward to it.

Tuesday morning (2 August), I braved the heat to go to Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, Missouri. "FIFI," the Commemorative Air Force's B-29 Superfortress, had flown in town for a few days. (It was headed back from Oshkosh, Wisconsin to its home base in Addison, Texas.) Also on display was a B-25 Mitchell, another World War II-era US bomber aircraft. I was able to get close to both aircraft to take photos (including the cockpit of the B-29), and someone took my picture by the Mitchell.

Wednesday night (3 August), I ran the IPMS/St. Louis Meeting at Thornhill Branch Library. Nothing much happened. Only four of us were there and there was little to talk about. (The dog days of summer, scale modeling version.)

This morning, my brother Rick and his son Alex came to town from Charleston, South Carolina for a few days. Good seeing both of them here for awhile. My cousin Karen and her son are coming here in a few days. Should be great; it's been a long time since I've seen her.

Later.

Trying to Feel Up Lately

That business networking event I went to last Thursday night (21 July) at Cabanne House in St. Louis went well, although the turnout seemed lower than last year. Maybe this was due to the great heat. I did meet a few people for the first time and maybe get a good connection or two from it.

Last weekend was rather quiet. No games to do (I was glad of that!) and not much else happening. Just chilled out (literally).

Thanks to a high school classmate's tip, I applied on Monday with a university in this area for a marketing position. In that case, I went on their web site and filled out the application there. Hope to hear back from them soon. My classmate also sent me listings for other jobs she feels I would be good for. I will check those out in the next few days.

Yesterday, I drove to Crystal City, Missouri at midday to the district office of my congressman, Russ Carnahan. I wanted to speak to his staff about the current debt ceiling impasse and wanting the congressman to not support plans that hurt the lower and middle classes and not have the upper classes pay their fair share. The office was closed, though, so I left a letter in the mailbox by the front door. (I couldn't slip it under the door.) While there, I also met for the first time Bunnie Gronborg, who I had known through Facebook and who was also a supporter of progressive causes. It was good for Bunnie and I to have that short chat.

A couple of hours later, I met my Mehlville High classmate Llynda Combs-Walker, who was in town this week from her home in Virginia. We had a great hour-long conversation at the St. Louis Bread Co. location in Mehlville and got caught up on things. I told her of my situation of late (between jobs, little money, no love life), but Llynda was very reassuring in her words of encouragement and wisdom for me. She also said she's looking forward to our class' 30-year reunion next year.

I made the long drive early last night to Doug Barton's house in Foristell, Missouri for the IPMS/Gateway business meeting he was hosting. A rather low turnout, due to various personal matters for several board members, but we got some productive business done, including planning next month's general meeting.

This afternoon, I made the long drive to O'Fallon, Missouri (about 3/4 of the way to Foristell) to a going away party at Llywelyn's Pub. Tom Doll, Lake St. Louis resident and aviation historian, was moving to the western US to take care of a sick relative. Several of us in the Missouri Aviation Historical Society, which Tom co-founded, threw this party to wish him well with the hope that circumstances will permit Tom's return to our area in a few months. A good time was had by all.

I'll post this, then get back to watching the MLS All-Star Game on TV. The All-Stars are facing Manchester United at Red Bull Arena. Should be interesting.

Later.

A Heat Up and a Come Down

It's been real warm in St. Louis lately, to say the least. Temperatures this week have hit 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C), with heat indices topping 100 F. I sure felt that heat last weekend while refereeing. I worked two under-17 girls games Saturday morning (16 July) in St. Charles, part of a college showcase tournament. The second game I worked--which started at 11 am-- had water breaks midway through each half, so players and officials could get some water or sports drink before resuming play. That was most appreciated. Sunday afternoon, I was at DeSoto Park in St. Louis for two men's games. No water breaks there, and it was hotter than the day before, but my colleagues and I were well-hydrated and felt no ill effects. While working those games Sunday, I missed seeing the FIFA Women's World Cup final on TV, but we found out through a colleague's smartphone that Japan beat the USA on penalties after drawing in extra time. Still, a good run by the USA women.

This past Monday, the temp agency e-mailed me to say I didn't get the technical writing job I interviewed for one week before. The message said the client praised my preparedness for the interview and how I performed during the interview, but decided to go with another candidate for this project. I thanked the agency for the kind words and asked them to keep me in mind for future projects.

I'm off to a business networking event tonight at Cabanne House in St. Louis' Forest Park. Hopefully, I can make a few new connections there that can help me in my career project.

Tuesday night, I ran the IPMS/Gateway meeting, after making sure the meeting room was cool enough for the attendees. It was our annual Slam Fest, where participants had two hours to assemble and finish a model, which would then be judged by a popular vote of attendees. There were six models completed and entered, including my A6M2 Zero. Although I didn't place in the top three, it was fun to do. I did win in a silent auction of kits donated to us, with two aircraft kits won for $1 each. Also, our new club shirts arrived. I ordered two of them, and changed into the gray one just prior to calling the meeting to order. They came out real good and I'm going to really enjoy wearing these shirts at club functions and out-of-town shows.

It appears that Mehlville High's Class of 1982--mine--will have a 30-year reunion next year. At least that's being discussed by myself and some of my classmates on Facebook. A planning meeting in September should help this reunion start to take shape.

Hope you all take care. Stay cool! Later.

A Ray of Hope

I had my job interview last Monday afternoon (11 July) in Granite City. I was at the firm for about 30 minutes, interviewed by two people: the manager responsible for this position, and a human resources person. I was among an unknown (to me) number of candidates for this temporary technical writing post. They didn't go too much into the nuts and bolts of the job (such as asking for my knowledge of SAP operations), but wanted to know how I can communicate a process to someone who's unfamiliar with it. I think this interview went well and they said they would let the temp agency know by Friday afternoon who they would select. I would know from the temp agency.

I did research on the firm and about SAP software in the days prior to the interview, and I sought advice from a few friends. One, who works at another industrial firm in Granite City, was particularly helpful in this regard.

Last Saturday, I worked seven games at a 3v3 soccer tournament in Maryland Heights. This was a local stop on a nationwide tour of 3v3 tournaments. These are played on small fields, with short game times (12-minute halves), enabling games to be played within 30-minute slots. These went well, for me. That night, I went to dinner at Pujols 5 Westport Grill in Westport Plaza. It was the St. Louis Singles Meetup Group getting together. Many of them went on to watch a comedy show at the Funny Bone Comedy Club, but I declined that and went home. I was trying to save some money.

Watched the FIFA Women's World Cup the past few days. Saw the USA defeat France and Japan beat Sweden in today's semifinals. The USA and Japan play in the final Sunday afternoon. I'll be on the pitch at DeSoto Park that day, officiating men's league games. I'll be sure to record the FIFA Women's World Cup Final for later viewing.

That's it for now. Later.

Some Good, Some Bad News Lately

Some good news came over the phone last Friday (1 July), when one of the temp agencies offered to have me interview for a temporary technical writing position with an industrial enterprise in Granite City, Illinois. It would be my first real experience in technical writing, but I said yes. The interview is this coming Monday afternoon (11 July). It would entail learning an SAP operation in the firm's offices, document the process, then work alongside an operator on the shelf floor doing the same process. Should be interesting. I'm setting aside much of the next few days getting familiar with the firm and with the system. Wish me luck!

This past weekend was rather quiet, apart from watching the FIFA Women's World Cup and the Copa America on TV. I didn't need a TV to watch the St. Louis Lions Saturday night: They weren't televised, but I did see them in person play the Kansas City Brass at Lindenwood University. The match ended drawn at 1, St. Louis equalizing just before halftime. It was nice to see.

Monday morning (4 July), I was in Webster Groves for that city's parade. I marched with Rep. Russ Carnahan and some of his supporters, several of who were riding on an old fire engine on the parade route. I walked the two-mile (1.2 km) route, helping hand out free candy to the kids along the route early on. It was real nice. Near the end of the parade, by Memorial Park, my friend Bill Michael said hi from the curb. We--Bill, his wife, young son, and I-- chatted briefly, before I returned to the parade. A fine time had by all, I think. I was at home with Mom and Dad that night.

Last night, I ran the IPMS/St. Louis meeting. A light turnout--only five members-- meant we had virtually no business conducted, but we did talk about some hobby news for a while.

This morning, I took my car into the service place to have them check the radiator. I had a radiator warning light go off on the dashboard the night before and I was concerned. They checked the car and the radiator was leaking and needed replacement. They got all done by end of business today, except for installing a new thermostat. The replacement part they got did not fit, so they had to get one for earlier in my car's model year. (It turned out the 2000 Saturn SL was in a split 1999-2000 model year, for some strange reason. The repair technician called in my car's VIN [Vehicle Identification Number] to the parts place, and that's why they had to get the older model thermostat.) That part won't arrive to be installed until tomorrow morning. This will set me back just over $600. Ouch! I've had quite a bit in repair costs in my car already. I would be better off with a new or slightly used car, but my uncertain job situation puts paid to that.

Not much else for now. Hope to have happy news to report Monday night. Later.

On Towards the 4th of July

Last Thursday morning (23 June), I had a late morning meeting with a financial planner, who had contacted me on LinkedIn. He basically wanted to get to know me more and what my career direction is to be, the better for him to help me. It was a nice meeting. That night, I went to a networking happy hour in Des Peres, but that wasn't such a good event. I never could get into the flow of things and hardly talked to anyone, so I left after a short stay.

The next day, I was in downtown St. Louis to view exhibits of Marine Week St. Louis. I first went to Ballpark Village, just north of Busch Stadium, where I saw several items on display. They included a MV-22B Osprey tilt rotor aircraft, a CH-53E Super Stallion heavy transport helicopter, and an M1A1 Abrams main battle tank. I then walked to the Gateway Arch grounds, where other equipment and displays were set up. It was really interesting and I took quite a few photos there.

Saturday afternoon, I was at Chill Frozen Yogurt in Clayton for a singles ice cream social. It was my first time at this place and the first event with the St. Louis Singles Meetup Group I had been to since last March. It was a nice time and I enjoyed some good frozen yogurt and nice conversation with other participants. That night, I was at Amsterdam Tavern in south St. Louis to join other soccer fans in watching on TV the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final being played in Pasadena. (Not so nice: Mexico overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the USA 4-2.) It was a good fun environment.

At the monthly soccer referee clinic Monday night (27 June) at Grand Glaize Library, I was volunteered to help lead a panel discussion of game situations and the correct way of dealing with them. It was a good discussion that benefitted all of us there.

Last night, I hosted the IPMS/Gateway business meeting in our kitchen and family room. We planned next month's general meeting and discussed other club business for about and hour.

Not much today, except for mowing the front lawn. This weekend, I hope to attend one of the St. Louis Lions matches (either Saturday or Sunday), and on the 4th of July, I'm planning to march in the Webster Groves parade that morning. Should be interesting.

Later.

A Little Bit Happening

I did finish my P-51D Mustang model early yesterday and entered it in the Same Kit Contest at the IPMS/Gateway meeting last night. It was one of seven entries in the contest's Out of the Box category; there was only one entry in the Anything Goes (highly modified) category. I didn't win, but at least I got it entered and we did have a nice bit of interest in this. This was the first time our club's done the Same Kit Contest, and the IPMS/Gateway board will study this to improve upon for next year.

I refereed Sunday morning (19 June) in the swamp (sorry, on the pitch) at De Soto Park. There was some standing water in spots on the field, and muddy patches as well. I was truly wet and my boots were muddy by the time that game ended. Plus, I dismissed a coach for his irresponsible behavior. (He kept dissenting at my decisions against his team.) The second game, in which I was an assistant referee, went much better in comparison.

I have a pair of networking events tomorrow -- a one-on-one meeting in the late morning, a happy hour that night. We'll see how that goes.

Later.

An Edit Job Done Well

Late last week, I completed the copy edit, proofreading, and fact checking contract job on a book manuscript. It was a history book written by a woman who had, with her husband, played with me in a trivia night a few weeks ago. I returned the edited manuscript to her, on both a hard copy and a file saved on a thumb drive, last Tuesday morning in Chesterfield. She was very appreciative of my efforts (this was her first book, although she had written several magazine articles before), and said that should make it easier when she turns this over to her publisher. I'll withhold further details on this until it's published.

Took in a conference call with the Naturally Autistic ANCA magazine and radio show staff last Friday night. We have things going you'll hear about in due course. I ushered in church last Sunday morning, the first time in about two months, and it went well.

Got some painting and decaling done on my P-51 Mustang model, which should be completed in time for this Tuesday's IPMS/Gateway meeting. It will be my entry in the Same Kit Contest. (Info at http://ipms-gateway.com) Hope to see you there.

Speaking of IPMS/Gateway, I wrote my column last Monday for the newsletter, and yesterday I ran off some flyers for our Invitational on 10 September and delivered them to Checkered Flag Hobby Country and Schaeffer's Hobby Shop.

This morning, I met a bank executive for coffee at a St. Louis Bread Company location in Town & Country. He and I connected through LinkedIn, and he wanted to know more about me and my career aspirations. He had some ideas to help.

Tonight, I'm off to the St. Louis United FC dinner meeting in U. City, and Sunday morning I'm back refereeing soccer in downtown St. Louis. Yes, my heel's much better now.

Before I go, I took some photos of myself this morning to use on my social networking sites. Some of those photos I have been using for my profiles date back to last November, and I feel I need something more up to date.

Later

Work at Home and Feeling the Money Blues

A week ago today, 3 June, I started major editing and fact checking work on a history book by a local author. I won't tell you the details on this until it's published, but I got it virtually all done today. I have one last question out to the author today, but once it's answered and included in the edited manuscript, it's ready to return to the author. It was quite a fine book to work on. Not too challenging for me, for the most part.

I went to Over Under bar in downtown St. Louis for Stress Free Fridays that night, as the group celebrated its 7th anniversary. I've been with them for two years. Had a nice time there.

The next day had me in south St. Louis, at Amsterdam Tavern, to join the watch party for the USA-Spain friendly in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The defending World Cup winners cruised to a 4-0 win over the Americans, but it looks like the Stars and Stripes put that behind them this week as the CONCACAF Gold Cup got going here in the USA. The Americans beat Canada 2-0 on Tuesday, and play Panama tomorrow night. Should be good.

Last Sunday afternoon (5 June), I co-hosted Writers Block, a new monthly Naturally Autistic Radio program carried over Blog Talk Radio. I was on the phone for the hour talking about how having Asperger's syndrome has affected my approach to editing, and the other panelists' writing work. It came out very well, I thought. Will let you know when the next show comes on. In the meantime, you can find out about this and other Naturally Autistic Radio programs at http://www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show/.

It's been real hot this week here in St. Louis, with temperatures hitting 95 degrees F (35 degrees C). It's cooled down a bit today, but some thunderstorms are hitting this area this weekend.

Last Monday night (7 June) started three consecutive nites out. The Human Sexuality and Relationships Meetup group got together in Sunset Hills for dinner on Monday. It was nice seeing these people for the first time in a few weeks and talking about our personal relationships. I gave a lift home to a new member of this group, who lacked a car and had to catch the bus to come down from Olivette.

I ran the IPMS/St. Louis meeting Tuesday night at Thornhill Branch Library. I renewed my membership for another year, and I was unanimously retained as president for 2011-12. Also talked with a colleague about doing a simple club newsletter, and got some ideas for it.

Wednesday night, I was in downtown Clayton for the Missouri Aviation Historical Society meeting, which was nice. Saw some people including a new member who said he's an aviation writer who's also starting his own publishing firm. I chatted with him and let him know I'm an experienced editor, and he said he'd keep me in mind for any editing help.

Right now, I can use some financial help. Not having paid work lately means I'm really dipping into my savings just to get bills paid minimally. I should be getting payment soon on some recent proofreading work, which should help a bit. It's been so frustrating of late. I did apply yesterday online for a pair of editing and writing openings I saw. I just hope something good happens to me real soon.

Before I go, I can report good news in our family. I'm an uncle again, as my brother Brian's wife Gretchen gave birth to a boy. Name of the boy is to be announced, but he'll join big sister Rowan in their household. Congratulations!

Later.

Taking It Easy on a Sore Heel

Last Thursday night (26 May), I went to a business networking happy hour at The Stable, a brew pub in south St. Louis. It was rather interesting, although I did see a few people I know, most folks there were younger than I. It was crowded and loud, so it was a challenge for me to get around and to talk, but it was OK.

Saturday afternoon found me at the Amsterdam Tavern in south St. Louis with quite a few other soccer fans to watch on TV the UEFA Champions League Final in London, in which FC Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3-1. I was happy with that result, pulling for Barca, and so were quite a few other patrons. A nice time had by all, whether their team won or not.

The next morning found me on the pitch, refereeing men's soccer at DeSoto Park in downtown St. Louis. I had the middle for the first two games I worked that day, and cut that match short by 5 minutes. That was due to two players I sent off from the same team in quick succession. I had just informed one player he was being sent off for using offensive language (he used the f-word in criticizing me for having just cautioned him for dissent), when his teammate shoved me on the chest. Not very hard, mind you (I stayed on my feet), but it was enough violent conduct to warrant his being sent off and (on the advice of my near assistant referee) my terminating the match. I got the ID cards of the players I sent off with both teams' rosters, and wrote up and filed the report to the league the next day. I wasn't scared by this at all; actually, I was more concerned about a blister on my one heel that flared up. I'm taking this week and weekend off from games to let it rest properly.

The rest of the Memorial Day weekend was rather quiet: I listened to the last few laps of the Indianapolis 500 on the radio driving home from Sunday's games; worked on that P-51 Mustang model I'm doing for this month's IPMS/Gateway "Same Kit Contest"; and got the IPMS/Gateway Invitational (on 10 September) posted on a few local community calendar web sites.

Tuesday, I received from an author a thumb drive containing a book manuscript to edit and fact check. I started reading it yesterday (having printed a hard copy), and made notes on what should be changed (usually in punctuation) and what facts to especially check. It should be interesting. I'll be able to tell you more on this project in due course.

Later.

Dodging Storms

We had some stormy weather here late yesterday afternoon into early last night. It rained, there were high winds, and a bit of hail (about acorn-size, I estimate) fell. Fortunately, there was no damage I could tell and the worst of this weather passed us by. I wish I could say the same about the folks in Joplin, Missouri last Sunday -- they got hit real hard by that tornado. My thoughts and prayers go out to those folks.

Friday night, I enjoyed a bit of Stress Free Fridays at The In Spot in the East Delmar Loop area. I've been there a few times before and I enjoyed a nice time hanging with the SFF crowd.

Youth league soccer's spring season ended last weekend. I had three games Saturday morning at Mehlville High and three more Sunday morning at Oakville High. The games generally went well, although in my middle at Mehlville, I dismissed a coach for irresponsible behavior in the last minute. (He bitterly protested his player that went down in the opposition penalty area getting cautioned for unsporting behavior [simulation]. The match was tied at that point.) However, things went well, although my left heel still feels the effects of worn away padding in my shoe. Hopefully, it will be better in time for refereeing men's games Sunday morning.

On a sadder note, my friend Bob Burgess from IPMS/Gateway died from pneumonia a week ago at age 71. He was laid out Sunday afternoon in St. Charles and I drove out there to pay my last respects. Bob was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Monday afternoon. (He was a US Air Force and Air National Guard pilot.) Several mates from IPMS/Gateway and the Missouri Aviation Historical Society were on hand at the funeral home. Bob was best known to me for presenting the aircraft recognition contest at the December IPMS/Gateway meetings for several years. I usually did real good at that one. (I took the photo of Bob -- in the white shirt -- in 1994, when he helped man IPMS/Gateway's display at the Scott Air Force Base Open House.)

I've had something most nights this week. Monday, it was the monthly soccer referee clinic at Grand Glaize Library, where we had a talk on what assessors look for in referees during matches. Tuesday late afternoon, there was the monthly conference call of the Naturally Autistic ANCA publications and radio staff. That night, I was at Larry Ehret's apartment in south St. Louis running the IPMS/Gateway business meeting.

Yesterday's stormy weather caused postponement of the Missouri Aviation Historical Society meeting in Clayton; it will be held on Wed., 8 June. This morning, I was in Richmond Heights for the first meeting of the public relations committee of the 2011 International Institute's Festival of Nations. (The festival -- a multi-ethnic event featuring food, crafts, and entertainment -- will be at St. Louis' Tower Grove Park 27-28 August.) Two others were present; another two weren't there for various reasons. You'll be hearing more about this Festival in the weeks ahead.

Tonight, I'm off to a business networking event in south St. Louis. Hopefully, this will be worthwhile.

I wish you fellow Americans a very happy Memorial Day weekend. Let's remember those who died for this country and to pray for peace.

Later.

Finding Sunshine Among the Clouds

Last Thursday, 12 May, I went to O.B. Clark's, a sports bar in Brentwood, Missouri, for a book signing. George Vescey, sports columnist for The New York Times, was there to sign his latest book, "Stan Musial: An American Life." I went there to buy a copy for my Dad (his 87th birthday was on the 14th) and for Vescey to sign it. He did, along with books for many others there at the event. It was hosted by St. Louis United FC, a soccer viewing support group. (The photo shows Vescey, at left, with Tom Schwarz, head of St. Louis United FC.) I mentioned to Vescey about a column he wrote during the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan, in which he stated his opinion that refereeing soccer was the toughest officiating job in sports. Vescey remembered it and said he still agreed with that assessment. I told him as a youth and amateur referee that I agree fully with that statement. He asked if I think there should be a second referee on the field, and I replied that I think that would ruin the unity of decision that makes soccer good, but I added that augmentation -- be it goal line technology or additional officials by each goal to act as goal judge -- would be a good thing. I gave the book to my Dad and he really liked that gesture. He's started to read the book and is liking it a lot so far.

Last weekend, rain fell during my officiated games -- three Saturday morning and early afternoon at St. Louis U. High, and four Sunday afternoon and early evening at Mehlville High. Fortunately, both venues had artificial turf, so field conditions weren't a real concern. The games went well. I have more games on artificial turf this weekend.

Last Monday (16 May), I interviewed for a part time job at a bookstore in Fenton. It would be to work in the store's music and video section four about 15 hours a week, mostly nights and weekends. I think the interview with that section's manager went well, and I should hear back from her in the next day or so if I got this job. It would be a nice way to earn some money while I try to find something else full time.

Tuesday night (17 May), I ran the IPMS/Gateway meeting at Calvary Presbyterian Church. It went well, with a good turnout (about 30 models) in the quarterly contest. There were seven entries in the Anything Yellow special category (including my 1969 Camaro Z-28). We also had a build night, so I got a bit of work in on the P-51 I'm doing for next month's Same Kit Contest.

This rain and sunshine alternating weather of late does my sinuses no favors. I worry about major allergy problem this spring and summer, with all the rain we've had here lately.

Later

Turmoil and Toil

Since my last post, I had my computer go bad on me. Taking it to the repair shop (Clayton Computer in Concord Village), the technician said the motherboard on the 4 year-old machine had gone bad and would be too expensive to replace it. He recommended I get a new computer, which I did, thanks for a load from my parents. I got the laptop (an Acer Aspire, by the way), from the shop, the home internet and TV connection went bad. I had to wait until the next day to have a technician fix the set up, so we could watch TV and get back online. It's all better now in that regard, although it was a lot of trouble. More than I need right now.
On Friday, 29 April, I had a nice breakfast meeting in Richmond Heights with a woman I met about two weeks before at a networking event in Creve Coeur. She's a financial planner, but she had told me she was in my shoes (between jobs) and wanted to help me as best she could. I gave her a briefing on my background and she appreciated that. She also got in a plug for her services. I saw her again yesterday morning at a networking event in Clayton.
I had some games the past two weekends, including tournament games in Cottleville, Missouri and league games in St. Charles, Maryland Heights, and Mehlville. Last Sunday, my crew had four games at Mehlville High's artificial turf field, on a rather hot day, with high school age boys. I was one tired referee when the last game ended -- my calves were cramping me during that match.
On Wednesday, 4 May, I traveled to Hitters' Choice Cages in Eureka to present its owner, Tony Kirk, with IPMS/Gateway's Bob Stroup Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2010. He had been unable to attend the banquet last December to receive it, and he's been too busy with work at his place to come to our meetings, so I came to give Tony the award. He was most appeciative of it, and thanked me for coming out to give it to him. I also gave him some flyers for our Invitational at Hitter's Choice Cages this September, and Tony said he'd display them at the place.
I was at a trivia night last Saturday (7 May) at CBC High School, which benefitted New Dimensions Soccer in St. Louis. I joined four others at a table and we did pretty good -- about the top third of all tables that night in correct scores. It was fun and I was happy to help a good cause.
Last night, I was dining at Pietro's in south St. Louis with the WAWWA (We Are Who We Are) social group for young adults with Asperger's syndrome. I joined about six other WAWWA members and two counselors from TouchPoint Autism Services, which suns WAWWA. We had a fine time with Italian cuisine and conversation. I mentioned my online radio interview last month and my work editing Naturally Autistic magazine, and the group (especially the counselors) were real impressed. I gave the counselors the Naturally Autistic web site that they can check out and I'd give them the link to an archive of my radio interview.
I am hoping to hear soon about a temp data entry job I'm up for, which could start as soon as tomorrow (Thursday). I should hear either way from the temp agency later today.
Later.

Weathering the Storm

I've read the Bible's account of how it stormed while Jesus was crucified on the original Good Friday. This past Good Friday (22 April) had a major storm, with high winds and rain, plus a bit of light hail. The worst of the storm -- a series of tornadoes -- hit well north of me. I'm just so glad no person was seriously injured by those tornadoes. I was at a party at Fraley's in south St. Louis County, which several people I knew in high school had gathered. A few of them I have been in fairly regular contact, primarily through Facebook, but others I had not seen in years. It was neat, although the news about the storm did take an edge off things.
One of those Mehlville alums, Elena Billot (maiden name Arnavat), had asked through Facebook for a lift, as her car was destroyed in a recent crash. I volunteered to give her a lift to the party, and she accepted. I drove to her residence to pick her up, and took her to the party. I had not seen Elena in many years, and we both enjoyed ourselves at the event. I drove her back home, by which time there was just a light rain and slight winds. (The attached photo from Elena is of her and yours truly at that party.)
The next Day (Sat., 23 April), I was refereeing boys soccer in Maryland Heights. The games went real well.
Easter Sunday (24 April), I went to church with my parents, and enjoyed dinner at home. Just relaxed at home the rest of the day.
Monday (25 April), I went to The Creative Group office in downtown St. Louis to get reactivated with that temp agency. Hopefully, I'll get some assignment soon. (The previous Friday, I was reactivated by the other agency I've signed with, Creatives on Call.) I went to the monthly soccer referee clinic that night, where we had a discussion on employing common sense in our refereeing.
Tuesday night (26 April) saw me in House Springs, Missouri for the IPMS/Gateway business meeting, hosted by Brad and Julie Vaughn at their house. We had a light meeting among the officers present, and planned our May general meeting.
Last night (27 April), I was at St. Louis University High School (SLUH) in west St. Louis to run line on an under-14 boys Midwest Regional League match. It was pouring rain much of the night, so we were glad it was played on artificial turf. The game went well, despite not having as much light as we want on the field. (One of the field's light standards was blown down by a recent storm and improvised lights weren't ideal.)
Later.

A Road Trip, Then Car Trouble

Last Friday (15 April), I had a brief visit to Lola in downtown St. Louis for Stress Free Fridays. It's one of my favorite happy hour spots, and I enjoyed being there for the good times, including a nice band playing 70s and 80s r&b hits. I got home and got some sleep, for I was up just after 4 am the next morning.
Before dawn on Saturday, I got in my car and started driving to Kansas City for the IPMS West Central Missouri Model Fest show, which was held in the Gathering Place (multi-purpose hall) of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. It was a real nice show, with nearly 400 model contest entries, plus several vendors (including two from Metro St. Louis: Chris Merseal's CRM Hobbies, and Frank Ciccarella's Frank & Sons Tri State Hobbies). I had three entries in the contest. Neither were serious contenders, but that's not the point; the point is that I entered. Having bought six raffle tickets, I got lucky with two prizes (both model kits). I helped judge the armor entries in the contest, and there were some real fine models entered. While at the show, I also got to plug IPMS Gateway's Invitational on 10 Sept. in Eureka, Missouri. (Details at http://ipms-gateway.com.) I took a self portrait as the contest awards were handed out at the end of the show.
After the show, I made the drive home (just over four hours each way), and as I pulled the car into the driveway, the engine sputtered and stopped. I somehow got it restarted and pulled it into the driveway. The next day, I called AAA and -- after a mechanic looked at it and we gave the engine a test run -- a tow truck towed my car into a auto service place. I got it back late Monday afternoon, after having over $400 in repairs done to it. The service place mechanic told me I should think about getting a replacement car soon. After I told this to my parents, they said they would help me in getting a good used car. That's most appreciated.
The expense that will likely entail, combined with health insurance premiums (just been approved for a plan) and a lack of near term income forced me to cancel my further tae kwan do lessons, at least for now. I told the facility's grandmaster today of my decision, and he understood my circumstances. He immediately cancelled any further membership payments on my part, and hoped I would be able to rejoin when conditions improve. (He and the chief instructor both liked my efforts as a novice, and I told them I really enjoyed this and that my decision to withdraw had nothing to do with the facility, its instructors and with tae kwan do, but rather a case of bottom line economics.
Running last Tuesday's IPMS Gateway meeting, we weathered quite a storm outside (high winds and rain, and a possible tornado threat). Fortunately, the worst of the storm passed us by and we got through the meeting without incident.
To all my fellow Western Rite Christians, I wish you all a very Happy Easter this Sunday. Also, Happy Easter one week early for my fellow Eastern Rite Christians. Also, a belated Happy Passover to the Jews reading this.
Later.

Workouts and An Online Radio Interview

I was back to refereeing soccer last weekend. Saturday, I worked four matches (all of under-14 boys) at a showcase tournament in Maryland Heights, Missouri. The four matches had teams from Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska and Missouri, and each had their own challenges. Overall, they went well.
Sunday afternoon, I was interviewed online about my editing work, on the Blog Talk Radio program Autistic People, People First. The hosts interviewed me over the hour on my experiences working as a publications editor, and how my Asperger's syndrome has factored in my work. It went very well and I am very happy with this interview. You can download the interview and listen to it on your computer by going here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/autistic-people-/2011/04/10/anca-sundays--with-special-guest-interview-editor-bob-delaney
Sunday night, I worked one under-14 boys soccer game at St. Louis U. High in west St. Louis. It was a Midwest Regional League match involving two local teams, which was scoreless until one team scored the only goal late in the match.
Tuesday morning found me at a financial services firm in Creve Coeur for a Yellow tie networking event. I chatted with a few people there -- some I've known, others I met for the first time. One of the latter said she knew someone in PR that I should meet with and would get back to me on that matter. (She hasn't yet, as I write this.)
I was at the martial arts studio on Wednesday midday for taekwando. Afterward, the headmaster offered me to join up and start going twice a week, instead of once a week has I had. I agreed and will be doing so in the coming week.
Been making minor repairs on a model today, getting it ready to take to Kansas City, Missouri this Saturday for the IPMS West Central Missouri show, Model Fest. I'm looking forward to it; it's a neat event and it's also a great way to promote IPMS Gateway's Invitational in September.
Later.

A Successful Campaign Ends, and Tae Kwan Do Begins

Tuesday night, I was at the Seven Gables Inn in Clayton to celebrate the election of Jake Zimmerman as St. Louis County Assessor. Along with other volunteers, I had placed hundreds of phone calls on Zimmerman's behalf to likely voters in the days leading up to the election, and on election day itself. They helped pay off in Zimmerman's comfortable victory margin over his opponent, Chip Wood. I'm gratified that I could play at least a small part in this success.
The past two Wednesdays found me at a martial arts studio in Oakville taking my first lessons in Tae Kwan Do. I had won a gift certificate at the soccer referee trivia night last February for a month's lessons at the facility, so I decided to give it a shot. It was an eye opener for me, never having tried any martial art before, and all the stretching made me a bit sore afterward, but I stayed with it and the instructors there are most helpful. I'll be back and take this as much as I can.
A week ago (31 March), St. Louis United FC had its monthly dinner at The Pasta House Co. in U. City. They had a buffet dinner, a raffle for some prizes, and a screening of the documentary "Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos." I lent the DVD to the group, and it was well received by this crowd. Some men who either played with or against the Cosmos during the late 1970s/early 1980s were there to share their stories. A fine time had by all.
Back to soccer refereeing Saturday afternoon and evening, and Sunday night. This Sunday afternoon, I'm on an internet radio show, from 2 to 3 pm (CT); that's 1400 to 1500 hours CT on 24-hour time. This program is Autistic People, People First, presented by Naturally Autistic ANCA on Blog Talk Radio. I'll be interviewed about my editing work (including for Naturally Autistic magazine), and how having Asperger's syndrome affects my work. You can find out more on the show here: http://www.naturallyautistic.com/radio-show/. I'll hope you tune in and join in the chat room or call in with your question during the show. They will have the program available to download after the show, in case you miss it when it airs.
Before I go, my parents Harold & Joan Delaney celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, 6 April. The three of us went to dinner at Bristol Seafood Grill in Creve Coeur, Missouri and had a wonderful time.
Later.