Catching Up in Mid-June

I realized that I have not posted here in just over one month. Somehow, I have not been able to post to this blog though some noteworthy things happened to me in that stretch. Here's a brief catch up.

My last youth soccer referee assignments of the season were on Sunday, 19 May at World Wide Technology Soccer Park. They were under 13/14 girls matches and they went well. (I had some tournament games the following Sunday the 26th, but they got called off due to stormy weather.)

The IPMS/Gateway meeting on Tuesday, 21 May had a good strong turnout of models for the Modeler of the Year Contest. I talked of the recent awards from Missouri Professional Communicators for editing the club's newsletter and writing and distributing the press release for their 2023 Invitational.

Memorial Day weekend started on Saturday, 25 May with going with Julie to the St. Louis CITY SC match against Seattle Sounders at CITYPARK. Julie and I had fun, except that Seattle won the match 2-1.

I did go to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Town and Country for their Greek Festival on Monday the 27th. I had a nice lunch there before going to Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield for the Wings over St. Louis program. I saw the Commemorative Air Force's B-25 Mitchell "Show Me" and some military vehicles on display.

Two nights later (29 May), Julie and I were together again at Missouri Botanical Garden for the first of their Whitaker Concert Series programs. We saw jazz singer and bassist Janet Evra perform, and I was most impressed by Evra's performance.

That Saturday morning (1 June), I was at the St. Louis Artists' Guild to join with other Missouri Professional Communicators (MPC) members in assembly goody bags. These bags would go to registrants at the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) Conference in St. Louis later that month.

On Wednesday, 5 June, I worked the first of three straight Wednesdays as a volunteer for Circus Flora. Their show "Marooned!" played last month at the Big Top in midtown St. Louis. It was a rehearsal show that I witnessed on the 5th, a full show the following Wednesday (12 June), and an abbreviated daytime show one week later (19 June). I was so happy to help volunteer again with the circus, and Circus Flora's company appreciated me and the other volunteers for our efforts.

Julie went with me to see CITY host Portland Timbers on 8 June, which ended up a 0-0 draw. I went myself on 19 June for the match against Colorado Rapids, but CITY lost that one 3-0. Before the latter match, I won the "Schlaffle" raffle held at the St. Louligans' street party by Schlafly Tap Room. The prize package included: a four-pack of Schlafly Supporter Session Hazy Pale Ale; a CITY can coozy; a miniature soccer ball from CITY and University of Missouri-St. Louis; a pair of CITY socks; and a CITY/Lou Fusz Automotive Network banner.

Back tracking a bit, on Sunday 9 June I drove to Overland Park, Kansas for the concluding day of the Heartland Model Car Nationals, presented by KC Slammers. It was great seeing the over 600 car model entries on display, plus seeing fellow scale modelers.

I spent Sunday afternoon and early evening 16 June with Julie. We swam in the pool at her apartment complex, then watched some streaming TV in her apartment with her roommate Joan. Julie and I then had a nice dinner at Applebee's in Creve Coeur.

The June IPMS/Gateway meeting on the 18th featured the annual "Slam Fest," where participants had two hours to assemble and finish a model kit. I built a Spitfire that was in a post-World War II natural metal scheme. The finished models were entered in a People's Choice Contest, with votes determining the top three entries. My Spitfire did not make the top three, but it was a fun time, nevertheless.

Late last week was the NFPW Conference. I will tell you about that in my next post.

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in this Post:

IPMS Gateway Chapter: IPMS Gateway Chapter (google.com)

St. Louis CITY SC: St. Louis CITY SC (stlcitysc.com)

Assumption Greek Orthodox Church: Home | Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (assumptiongoc.org)

Missouri Wing, Commemorative Air Force: Missouri Wing (commemorativeairforce.org)

Missouri Botanical Garden: Missouri Botanical Garden

Janet Evra: Janet Evra

Missouri Professional Communicators: Missouri NFPW affiliate | Missouri Professional Communicators | Clayton (moprocommunicators.org)

Circus Flora: Circus Flora | A St. Louis Tradition For Over 30 years

St. Louligans: Saint Louligans – Supporting Soccer in the St. Louis Area – St. Louligans – Supporting St. Louis Soccer (stlouligans.com)

KC Slammers: KC Slammers – Model Car Club

 

2018 Airshow at Spirit Airport

It was a chilly, gloomy Sunday morning (14 October) when I drove to Spirit of St. Louis Airport (https://www.spiritairport.com/) for this year's Spirit of St. Louis Airshow and STEM Expo (http://spirit-airshow.com/). I went there primarily to help staff the Missouri Aviation Historical Society (https://moavhist.org/) information booth, which was beside the static aircraft ramp. Jim Means and I staffed the booth, but we had few visitors. This was likely due to the reduced attendance that day compared to the day before. We thought the weather was to blame for that. Still, it was good to represent our group at this show.

I was able to get out and look at the aircraft on the ramp. These included several Boeing (http://www.boeing.com/) F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters; this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Hornet's first flight. Several Boeing F-15 Eagles, a CV-22 Osprey, a P-8 Poseidon, and other current aircraft were on display. Older aircraft present included the B-25 Mitchell, TBM Avenger, and L-3 from the Missouri Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (http://cafmo.org/). Also there was the B-29 Superfortress "Doc" (https://www.b29doc.com/), one of only two flyable B-29s in the world.

I caught the air displays, which included several of those aircraft mentioned, although the clouds made the aircraft fly lower than normal. A B-52 Stratofortress made a pass in front of the crowd. I caught the flight by the Royal Canadian Air Force's CF-18 Demo Team (http://rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/cf-18-demo-team/index.page). This aircraft's scheme celebrates the 60th anniversary of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) (http://www.norad.mil/). It was a most spirited display by the CF-18's pilot, helped by the enthusiastic narration.

I left Spirit Airport soon after that demo to head for home. The air show returns to Spirit Airport on 7-8 September 2019, with the US Navy's Blue Angels (https://www.blueangels.navy.mil/) as the featured attraction.

Later.

A Busy Work Week, Then Memorial Day Weekend

A great deal of work was done this past week at the rental branch. Plenty of customers renting for the Memorial Day Weekend, among other reasons, meant some over time for my colleagues and I. Despite that and the heat--temperatures topped 90 degrees F (32 degrees C)--we got it done.

Last Monday (21 May), I heard the great news that Enterprise (https://www.enterprise.com/en/home.html) secured naming rights to the St. Louis Blues (https://www.nhl.com/blues) home arena. Formerly the Scottrade Center, it is now the Enterprise Center ( http://www.enterprisecenter.com/) for at least the net 15 years. I am very happy about this--not just because I work at Enterprise, but also as a Blues fan. Doug Vaughn of KMOV was also happy about this story, as he offered in an opinion piece this past weekend: http://www.kmov.com/clip/14376436/doug-unplugged-enterprise-a-perfect-match-for-blues

Saturday (26 May) was a rest day for me, as I chilled out at home. Watched some programs on TV, including the annual Memorial Day Weekend marathon of war movies on TCM (http://www.tcm.com/). On streaming video, I saw Saint Louis FC (https://www.saintlouisfc.com/) lose 3-0 away to Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

Yesterday, I spent much of the day at World Wide Technology Soccer Park (https://www.saintlouisfc.com/SOCCERPARK) to referee matches in the Gateway Memorial Classic (https://slsgsoccer.demosphere-secure.com/tournaments/gateway-memorial-day-classic/). I had five matches, all middles, on under 8 and under 9 boys matches. These are seven-a-side matches on a small field, approximately one-quarter the size of the full size pitch. Also, I was the only match official on the game, which is a bit challenging in not having another two sets of eyes on the action, but generally things went well. The real challenge was the heat, with the heat index topping 100 degrees F (38 degrees C). I had to reapply sunscreen after every match and ended up using up the sunscreen I had, plus the water I brought. Fortunately, the referee room in the air conditioned cafe there had plenty of bottled water for my colleagues and I.

I got home to shower, eat supper, and rest. Watched TV and streaming video at home that night.

This morning, I drove to Spirit of St. Louis Airport (http://spiritairport.com/spiritairport/index.jsp) to see some vintage warbirds on display, courtesy of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) (https://commemorativeairforce.org/). Aircraft from the CAF's Missouri (http://cafmo.org/) and Heart of America (http://www.kcghostsquadron.org/) wings were present, and most were available for rides. I wasn't interested in rides (for one thing, it was too rich for my blood), but I enjoyed seeing the aircraft on the TAC Air (http://tacair.com/) ramp. They included a TBM-3 Avenger and an L-3E from the Missouri Wing, a Stearman PT-13 from the Heart of America Wing, and a T-6 Texan from Terre Haute, Indiana (https://www.facebook.com/Spanish-Lady-T-6-Flights-464962220369020/). It was fun to see these aircraft up close and to talk with some of the CAF people there for the weekend. The heat did make the ramp rather uncomfortable to stay on for long, though.

I then made my way to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Town & Country for the annual St. Louis County Greek Fest (http://stlgreekfest.com/). There was a good crowd there as I browsed among the vendors there, listened to the music in the large tent, and got some lunch in the multi-purpose building. While waiting in line, I did a cup (3 ounces/85 ml) of ouzo, a Greek spirit. It was the first time I drank this and it has quite a kick. I sipped the ouzo while in line for my dinner, just finishing it when I placed my order: pastitsio and spanakopita, with lemonade. After enjoying the lunch, I went outside to have a baklava sundae before heading home. It was a fun time for me.

Now at home relaxing and getting ready for a busy day at work tomorrow.

Later.

Really Hot Days, Aviation History, and Soccer

This past week at work was a tough one in one sense: the weather. We had a heat wave in the St. Louis area since at least this past Tuesday (18 July), with temperatures topping 100 degrees F (38 degrees C) throughout the week. Yesterday, it hit 108 F (42 C). Making it rougher was the heat index, combining temperature with humidity. That hit as high as 115 F (46 C), and that's most uncomfortable. I needed to take frequent breaks at work, going inside the air conditioned office area to cool down and drink iced Gatorade I bought on the way to work at QuikTrip (https://www.quiktrip.com/). Fortunately, my colleagues at the branch understood this need of mine. Despite the heat, we got things done well.

Right after work Tuesday night, it was off to Calvary Presbyterian Church (http://calvarypresbyterianchurch.org/) for this month's IPMS/Gateway (http://www.ipms-gateway.com/) meeting. We were open early, due to this being our annual Slam Fest, in which we had two hours to assemble and finish a model kit. I took a 1:144 scale F-14 Tomcat kit and got it done in about 1 hour 45 minutes. Mine was one of six models completed and judged by a popular vote of meeting attendees. Mine did not get into the top three for prizes (hobby shop gift certificates), but it was not a bad effort under the circumstances.

Off work Thursday (20 July), I had my annual physical examination. Everything checked out fine. I then treated myself to an iced beverage from Starbucks (https://www.starbucks.com/).

That night, I was at Creve Coeur Airport (http://crevecoeurairport.com/) for this month's Missouri Aviation Historical Society (https://moavhist.org/) meeting. Our guest speaker, Doug (Vasilchin) Kennedy, spoke about flying the F-111 in combat missions late in the Vietnam War. A video about the F-111 and some information on the aircraft's development--including escape pods built in St. Louis by McDonnell Aircraft, later McDonnell Douglas--were also presented.

I had been working on a model to enter at this week's IPMS/USA National Convention (http://www.ipmsusa2017.com/) in Omaha; however, problems that developed during decaling Saturday morning caused me to not complete it in time for this show. I'll work on it for IPMS/Gateway's September contest. I did make rental car and hotel reservations for the trip, but need to confirm with my travel mate regarding his coming along.

Late Saturday morning, it was back to Creve Coeur Airport for the Missouri Aviation Historical Society's annual member barbecue. It was a very nice turnout of members and guests and we enjoyed a good lunch. This event was livened up by the visit of two World War II era fighter aircraft making a fuel stop here. They were a P-51D Mustang and a P-63 Kingcobra, both of the Commemorative Air Force (https://commemorativeairforce.org/) Dixie Wing (http://dixiewing.org/) based near Atlanta. The aircraft were on their way to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for this week's EAA AirVenture. I and others in our Society got to meet the pilot and to walk around the Mustang and Kingcobra before they departed for their next stop. I then went back to the barbecue lunch.

That night, I was at Toyota Stadium of Worldwide Technology Soccer Park for the Kings Cup darby match between Saint Louis FC (http://saintlouisfc.com/landing/index) and Louisville City FC. The two teams played to a scoreless draw in Louisville at the season's beginning. I joined in the St. Louligans (http://stlouligans.com/) tailgate, which was visited by the Coopers, supporters of Louisville City. We raised over $1800 for the Greater St. Louis Food Bank, which helps needy people.

The match itself started off well, with Saint Louis scoring just before halftime. However, a Saint Louis player was sent off early in the second half for a vicious foul on an opponent (at least the screen shot I saw this morning looked vicious to me), and Louisville City took charge. The visitors ran off 4-1 winners.

Stayed home today. Working tomorrow and Tuesday, then it off to Omaha for the IPMS Nationals. Going Downtown. More on that next time.

Later

Back to Work; Nice Holiday Weekend

Work at the branch late last week was good, though rather busy at times as the Memorial Day Weekend approached. I was working there on Friday (25 May) and Saturday morning, then I could enjoy the weekend. I chilled out at home on Saturday.

Sunday, I was at home watching the Indianapolis 500 on television, then headed to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (http://www.assumptiongoc.org/) in Town and Country for their annual St. Louis County Greek Fest (http://stlouisgreekfest.com/). There was a good crowd there to browse among the vendors, to eat and drink, and to enjoy Greek cultural programs. I had a nice early dinner of dolmades, tiropita, and lemonade. I also took in Greek folk dances from youth and adult dance groups. It was a pleasant way to spend some time.

Memorial Day (29 May), off work, I went to Spirit of St. Louis Airport (http://spiritairport.com/spiritairport/index.jsp) in Chesterfield to get up close to some World War II vintage aircraft on display, courtesy of the Missouri Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (http://cafmo.org/). The Wing's North American B-25J Mitchell, "Show Me," was on hand for display and for flights with paying passengers. Also on hand for passenger flights was a Stearman PT-13 and a North American T-6G Texan "Spanish Lady" (https://www.facebook.com/Spanish-Lady-T-6-Flights-464962220369020/). I also saw another T-6, a Nanchang CJ-6A, and a F-1 Rocket. If I had the money to spare, I could have caught a ride on one of those vintage aircraft. Maybe another time.

Back to work Tuesday morning, it was BUSY. We had a lot of vehicles on our lot from customers coming off the Holiday weekend, and there was virtually no let up. We got through the day through some great teamwork and hard work. Yesterday was also quite busy for a Wednesday, mostly the residual from Tuesday. Things went well, though.

Off today, I am doing my laundry and then going tonight to the opening night of Circus Flora (http://circusflora.org/). "Time Flies" is the show for this season, which runs through 25 June at their air-conditioned tent located near Powell Hall in St. Louis' Grand Center. This year marks my third season as a volunteer--helping make sure the seating areas are good before the customers arrive, acting as an usher, and helping police the seats after the show. I will also be a volunteer for performances on 8 and 22 June, and may pick up a couple more shifts during the run. Hope to see you there!

Later.