Highs and Lows This Week

A week ago tonight (26 March) found me at the International Tap House in Soulard (http://www.internationaltaphouse.com/#!locations/c5ob), where I joined with other St. Louligans (http://stlouligans.com/) in cheering on Saint Louis FC's (http://saintlouisfc.com/landing/index) season opening match. Saint Louis FC opened the season at Real Monarchs SLC, which we witnessed via YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/). Real Monarchs won 1-0 with a 90th minute goal. A disappointment for sure, but it was fun with the large crowd (about 180) of St. Louligans in the house. (Saint Louis FC lost its second match, 3-0, at LA Galaxy II Wednesday night; they are at Orange County Blues tonight.)

Work this past week has been good, with some busy stretches. A particularly interesting time was had yesterday (1 April), and that wasn't an April Fool's joke. I was detached with a colleague to deliver vehicles to the Kirkwood branch, which was very busy. I ended up cleaning up a vehicle there, helping keep the counter going well, and going to our Creve Coeur branch to get another vehicle for Kirkwood. I was returned to Ellisville some three hours later. It was real calm back at Ellisville while I was gone, but picked up before closing time. I worked this morning there and it was quite busy, but our customers were taken care of in good order, as usual.

After flexing out Tuesday afternoon (29 March), I stopped by HobbyTown USA in Ballwin, which is going out of business. The cashier told me the store owner was retiring. I bout a model kit and a die-cast aircraft model, both at 40 percent off list price. That night, I was at the IPMS/Gateway (http://www.ipms-gateway.com/) business meeting, held at Marion Morris' house in Maplewood. We planned the April meetings and discussed other club business.

My off day Thursday (31 March) was full. I got my hair cut at Great Clips (http://www.greatclips.com/) at Tenholder Plaza in Mehlville. After starting my laundry, I headed to the Enterprise branch at Lambert Airport to drop off a card for my friend and colleague Kerry, who gave birth to a baby girl earlier in the week. Then, I drove to the Saint Louis Science Center (http://www.slsc.org). I went there to tour the exhibit "Above and Beyond," which looks at aerospace technology today and in the future. Very nice, with many hands-on exhibits. The exhibit runs until 8 May.

After grabbing lunch in one of the Center's cafes, I took in the Omnimax film "Living in the Age of Airplanes." It's a movie about the role of aircraft in connecting the world through tourism and business. I was very impressed with this movie. I then browsed at the Center's James S. McDonnell Planetarium, where Mercury and Gemini spacecraft were on display. I also viewed an F/A-18B Hornet fighter in Blue Angels colors and markings displayed just outside the Planetarium. Overall, a very nice day. I needed that, after feeling rather down the day before as I wondered if I really was somebody with a future. My colleagues assured me I did.

After work today, I grabbed lunch at Steak 'n Shake (http://www.steaknshake.com/), then drove to the St. Louis County Library Headquarters in Ladue (http://www.slcl.org/content/headquarters). The STL Aspies Meetup group (http://www.meetup.com/STL-Aspies/) met for the first time in about a year. About eight of us got together to tell ourselves how we're doing. It was a nice discussion and then we retired to St. Louis Bread Company (https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/home.html) at nearby Plaza Frontenac (http://www.plazafrontenac.com/en.html) for refreshments and discussion. A good time, and we'll meet again in August.

Later.