Working on a Model and Two Meetups This Weekend

This Labor Day Weekend is almost over, but I did have a quiet time--mostly at home. I did spend time working on a model kit. A few weeks ago, I started work on a 1:46 scale P-39 Airacobra kit from Atlantis Toy and Hobby ( https://atlantis-models.com/). This is a box scale kit originally produced by Revell (https://www.revell.com/index.php) produced in 1955. Atlantis obtained the molds, cleaned them up a bit, and reissued the kit earlier this year. I decided to get this kit to see how I would do with such a kit.

I finished most of the assembly Saturday morning (5 September), and began spraying gray primer paint. There were a few gaps I had not caught in assembly, so I had to fill those in and respray primer paint. I also sprayed the propeller spinner and wingtips white. Earlier tonight, I painted the propeller blades. Tomorrow night, I hope to paint the undersurfaces.

I should have the Airacobra done by next Tuesday night (16 September), when the IPMS/Gateway (https://sites.google.com/view/ipmsgatewaychapter/home) meeting will feature a Modeler of the Year contest.

Last night (6 September), I did venture out of the house for the first of two Meetup (https://www.meetup.com/) events of the weekend. This one was a Labor Day dinner and social for the Single in the City Meetup Group (https://www.meetup.com/STLSingleInTheCity/). There were 11 of us who met at our organizer's house in the South Side of St. Louis for a pot luck dinner and socializing. It was nice to get together with the others and catch up on things, since we haven't had such a gathering since the pandemic hit last March. One of those in the group, I found out, had worked in IT for Enterprise, but recently left to start up his own business. We had a nice discussion about the firm, the IT program he helped develop for use by the rental branches, and on near term job prospects.

I brought some potato chips and dip for the dinner, but only half of one bag was eaten. I took back those chips and dip when I left to go home, along with half of a strawberry cake another attendee brought to the social. (She didn't want to bring the rest of the cake home.)

Earlier tonight, I joined in a Zoom (https://zoom.us/) gathering with the Sex Positive St. Louis Meetup Group (https://www.meetup.com/Sex-Positive-St-Louis). We had up to 11 members remotely talking about how things are lately among ourselves, and sharing ideas for future discussions. There will be more such meetings every Monday night this month.

It's back to work tomorrow morning. 

Later.

Happy Hour Before a Most Frigid Night

Right after work last night (29 January), I drive to The Monocle (https://www.themonoclestl.com/) a lounge in the Grove neighborhood of St. Louis. This hosted a happy hour for the Sex Positive St. Louis Meetup group (https://www.meetup.com/Sex-Positive-St-Louis/). The lounge was pretty full when I arrived, but I was able to get a beer--the Single Speed blonde ale from 4 Hands Brewing Company (http://4handsbrewery.com/)--and some free popcorn. I also was able to chat with a few people there, including Kendra, one of Sex Positive St. Louis' organizers, and with Brian, who I saw the previous Saturday on the tour of the nearby Urban Chestnut Brewing Company Brewery.

After spending about one hour there, I began to head home. On the way, I stopped by a QuikTrip (https://www.quiktrip.com/) to get two taquitos from the roller grill to eat when I came home.

I bundled up in bed overnight and woke up to a very cold day here. We had a low temperature of -6 degrees F (-21 degrees C), with a wind chill of -28 degrees F (-33 degrees C). It was the coldest day here in years. Apart from renewing by driver's license at the license bureau in Oakville this morning, I stayed inside all day. Tomorrow morning, though, I am back at work and back to the cold.

Later.

Into June 2018

Back to work the day after Memorial Day (29 May), and it was one busy day with all the returns off the weekend and the start of a shortened work week. Still, my colleagues and I got it taken care of in good order.

After work the next night, I was off to Toyota Stadium in Fenton for the USL (https://www.uslsoccer.com) match between Saint Louis FC (https://www.saintlouisfc.com/) and Phoenix Rising FC,. I grabbed dinner from the concession stand, then joined the St. Louligans (http://stlouligans.com/) in cheering on the home side. Alas, this didn't go as we wanted, as Phoenix won 3-1.

Off work on the last day of May, I did some household chores. That night, I went to Rick Keasey's house in Edwardsville for the IPMS/Gateway (http://www.ipms-gateway.com/) (https://www.facebook.com/IPMSGateway/) (https://plus.google.com/u/0/109625362829756697296). After enjoying a barbecue dinner prepared by our host, the executive board planned our club's upcoming general meetings and discussed other club business.

Two nights later (2 June), I was back at Toyota Stadium for Saint Louis FC's match against Swope Park Rangers. After enjoying the St. Louligans tailgate--which featured chili and hot dogs--and a 40 minute weather delay, we marched into the stadium for the match. We came away happy this night, as Saint Louis won, 2-0. The players came over towards our corer after the match to thank us for our support.

This past week of work has been a good, and busy one. We welcomed two new people this past week: Rebecca, our new assistant manager, and Ryan, who will be a vehicle service agent during the summer. Both will be great additions to our staff, and most welcome in the coming months.

After work on Tuesday (5 June), I headed to the Sports Cafe (https://www.sportscafe.biz/) in Bridgeton for a happy hour by the Sex Positive St. Louis Meetup group (https://www.meetup.com/Sex-Positive-St-Louis). This event drew 75 people for drinks and conversation. I chatted with a couple of people that I knew, and a few I had not met until that night. Overall, it was a good night.

This morning, I was at the St. Louis Artists' Guild (https://www.stlouisartistsguild.org/) in Clayton for a planning meeting of the Missouri Professional Communicators (http://www.mpc-nfpw.org/cpsiteframepage.lasso?-token.lpuserref=113815.113118&-token.ref=9395.113118&-token.pagecall=page). Five of us talked about what we did this past year and planned our 2018-19 meetings. It was a fine discussion and much was accomplished.

Later.

"Who are we?" "S-T-L!"

I kept hard at work at the car rental branch late last week, including Saturday morning (16 April). The latter was one of the calmer Saturdays I've been working at the branch--not that many rentals, not that many vehicles to clean and park. It went smoothly, needless to say.

That night, I drove to Smugala's Pizza Pub in Sunset Hills (http://smugalas.com/smugalassunsethills), where--after having a beer--I got aboard the Pub2Park shuttle bus that took me to Worldwide Technology Soccer Park for the Saint Louis FC (http://saintlouisfc.com/landing/index) home opener against Tulsa Hurricanes. I was part of a sellout crowd of just over 5500--myself joining in the chants of the St. Louligans (http://stlouligans.com/)--but the match ended in a 0-0 draw. Still, it was great fun and I'm looking forward to many more great matches this season.

The next morning (17 April), I was at Sportport (http://www.sportportintl.com/) in Maryland Heights to referee two under 10 boys league matches. These are 8-a-side, on a smaller field with 25-minute halves. It was my first matches since last fall and I did feel a bit rusty at first, but overall things went well.

After the matches, I drove to Shameless Grounds (http://shamelessgrounds.com/) in St. Louis' Benton Park neighborhood for the Sex Positive STL Meetup (http://www.meetup.com/Sex-Positive-St-Louis/). After lunch there--I had the Chauvinist Pig sandwich of ham, pulled pork, and bacon--the meetup had a discussion of Autism & Dating, with a certified analyst and a group member with Asperger's syndrome (like me) leading the discussion. It was very interesting and I got much out of it. The analyst invited me to contact me about how he could work with me to help me out in the social sector, and I plan to take him up on that.

Work this week has been good, and busy. Plenty to keep me occupied, for sure.

After work on Tuesday (19 April), I headed to Calvary Presbyterian Church (http://calvarypresbyterianchurch.org/) in Mehlville for the IPMS/Gateway (http://www.ipms-gateway.com/) meeting. Rick Keasey gave a demo on making display cases, and we had our Model of the Month "Beauty Contest."

On my off day today, I visited the IKEA store in midtown St. Louis (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/store/st_louis/indexPage) for the first time. I was most impressed by the place, with the size, variety and quantity of home furnishings available for purchase. I bought a couple of small items--a lazy susan for use on my model workbench, and a small picture frame--and had a nice lunch in their restaurant. Plenty to see there and I hope to be back in the near future.

After that, I went by CRM Hobbies (http://www.crmhobbies.com/) in south St. Louis, where I bought some filler putty and a small armor kit, which I hope to finish by next month's IPMS/Gateway meeting. I also have three other kits in progress, and I hope to have them all done next month.

Off to the Missouri Aviation Historical Society (https://moavhist.org/) meeting tonight. More on that--and this weekend's World War II Weekend at Jefferson Barracks County Park--in my next post.

Later.