Easter Eve 2015

I was back at Fox High School last Sunday morning (29 March) to referee youth soccer matches. All three games went well, and I ran into a fraternity brother from college, who was helping coach one of the teams in those games. We were able to touch base a bit after that match.

After work the next day, I was at Grand Glaize Branch, St. Louis County Library for the monthly soccer referee clinic, where we had a discussion of International Football Association Board Decisions regarding the Laws of the Game and how we should apply them in our matches.

The next morning, I drove not into work but to a meeting called of Vehicle Service Agents (VSAs) in our area to review procedures for checking in and cleaning vehicles. It was nothing new for me, but a good refresher.

That night (31 March), after work, I was at Maryville University's Auditorium for a talk by writer Blaine Harden, who talked about his latest book, "The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot." It was about Kim Il Sung, North Korea's first leader, and about No Kum Sok, a North Korean fighter pilot who defected tot he US in 1953, just after the Korean War armistice. IT was quite an interesting talk by Harden about that period and how it affects North Korea today. Harden then signed copies of his book, including mine. I came away very interested and informed about North Korea's history. You can find out more at Hardens' website: http://www.blaineharden.com

Friday, after working a full day at the branch, I went to Smugala's Pizza Pub in Sunset Hills, where Saint Louis FC held a Meet the Team party. I picked up a scarf that identified me as a season ticket holder and chatted with two of the team's players, team staff, and some fans. I feel really excited for Saint Louis FC's home opener next Saturday (11 April). This was my first time in Smugala's and enjoyed it quite a bit. More info at http://smugalas.com/ and http://saintlouisfc.com/landing/index

Today, I was at Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis for the USA-New Zealand women's soccer (football) friendly. After picking up my friend and refereeing colleague Austin Gomez at his residence, we went to the stadium area. Before the match, we strolled through Ballpark Village before going to the nearby stadium. The USA won 4-0 in a match they thoroughly dominated before a crowd of 35,817--the largest to watch a stand-alone USA women's international friendly. Match details here: http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2015/04/04/16/21/150404-wnt-v-nzl-gamestory

Happy Passover to my Jewish friends, and Happy Easter tomorrow to my fellow Western Rite Christians.

Later.