Memorial Day Weekend 2022

After a busy Friday (27 May) at work, I came home for dinner with my mother and relaxed at home. The next morning, I cut the front and back lawns, then relaxed at home until late afternoon, when I left for Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Town and Country. They were hosting the annual St. Louis County Greek Fest this weekend. This year, it was only a drive through food ordering and pickup, so I placed my order and came back a while later to pick up my dinner: Pastitsio and Karithopita. They were tasty.

I ate that while driving to the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood for Art Outside, a festival it was hosting this past weekend. I bought a can of Schlafly's Dortmunder, a lager beer, and browsed among booths staffed by various area artists offering paintings, sculptures, jewelry, housewares, and leather goods for sale. A cover band was performing rhythm & blues classics for the crowd. It was a nice event to attend.

 

Home on Sunday morning (29 May), I watched the Grand Prix of Monaco on TV, then the pre-race coverage of the Indianapolis 500. I could not watch the race itself, as I had to be at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton. The final day of the Gateway Memorial Classic, a youth soccer tournament jointly hosted by St. Louis Scott Gallagher and Lou Fusz Athletic clubs was yesterday. I was assigned to officiate two finals in the under-11 age group. In my first match, I was in the middle for a girls group final, which went well. After a nice break, my crew did a boy's match with me on a line. That also worked out well. The only thing bad about that match was the heat--it got up to 85 degrees F (29 degrees C) but felt about 10 degrees warmer on the artificial turf field.

After that match, I got home and quickly took a shower and changed clothes before driving to Bartolino's South Italian Restaurant in Greek Park. Our neighbor, Ed Reinhardt, was moving to a senior residence in Texas, and his daughter Jill threw a dinner in his honor. My mom was already there, along with Reinhardt's son Ed and his wife, Ralph and Charleen Sartori, and a few other friends of Reinhardt. It was a very tasty dinner with some enjoyable conversation.

Today, I chilled out at home, except for taking mom out to Walmart to buy some groceries. We stopped at Steak n Shake to get lunch before coming home. I spent time after lunch restoring the headlights on my Toyota Corolla, which had yellowed over time. After about 45 minutes of work using a restoration kit from 3M, my headlights are much better looking. More importantly, the headlights will be more effective with a clear lens.

 

Back at work tomorrow morning. It will be a busy morning for sure.

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in This Post:

St. Louis County Greek Fest: St Louis County Greekfest (stlouisgreekfest.com)

Schlafly Bottleworks: Bottleworks Brewpub - Schlafly Beer

St. Louis Scott Gallagher Tournaments--Gateway Memorial Classic: St. Louis Scott Gallagher — Club Soccer in Saint Louis (slsgsoccer.com)

Bartolino's South: Bartolinos South – Fine Italian Dining in South County (bartolinosrestaurants.com)

Walmart: Walmart.com | Save Money. Live Better

Steak n Shake: Steak n Shake | Steakburger & Homemade Milkshakes

3M Headlight Restoration Kit: 3M™ Headlight Restoration Kit, 39194, 4 per case | 3M United States

Going Greek on Memorial Day

I basically stayed home for Memorial Day weekend, relaxing after a long week of work. The branch was closed on Memorial Day last Monday (27 May).

In the middle of that morning, I did venture out to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (http://www.assumptiongoc.org/) in Town & Country, Missouri for their annual St. Louis County Greek Festival (http://stlgreekfest.com). I parked about 0.5 mile (0.8 km) in an office complex parking lot, then walked to the church.

After browsing among the craft vendors in the tent located near the sanctuary, I walked into the gymnasium for lunch. I ordered dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with ground beef, rice, and herbs, topped with a light lemon sauce) and spanakopita (chopped spinach, seasonings, and feta cheese in layers of buttered filo dough), with lemonade to drink. It was most tasty.

After lunch, I walked outside to see some Greek dancers perform to recorded music. It was nice seeing the routines from different areas of Greece, with the dancers' costumes from those different areas.

After the performance, I went back inside to treat myself to karithopita (honey walnut cake with a light syrup) with Greek coffee. This was most satisfying.

Soon after that dessert, I walked back to my car and headed home. I had some personal matters to attend to before watching Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final that night between the St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins. Let's go Blues!

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.

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.

Holiday Weekend, Soccer and Circus

I worked the first part of the Memorial Day Weekend, being at the car rental branch Saturday morning (28 May). Then, I drove to Kirkwood Station Brewing Company (http://www.kirkwoodstationbrewing.com/) for a watch party of the UEFA Champions League Final. The party was organized by Saint Louis FC (http://saintlouisfc.com/landing/index), which also launched its new beer, Ale Fleur One, developed by Kirkwood Station Brewing. I had a nice lunch and enjoyed watching the match on TV. (Real Madrid defeated Atletico Madrid on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.)

Sunday morning, I stayed home to watch the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 on TV. I was at World Wide Technology Soccer Park (http://saintlouisfc.com/soccerpark) that night to cheer on Saint Louis FC against USL (http://www.uslsoccer.com/) rival Rio Grande Valley FC. Along with the St. Louligans (http://stlouligans.com/), I had a great time, as the teams drew 1-1.

Monday, the holiday, I went to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (http://www.assumptiongoc.com/) in Town and Country for the St. Louis County Greek Fest (http://stlouisgreekfest.com/). It was very nice, enjoying Greek food and dance performances, plus browsing among the gift items, jewelry, and paintings on sale. I also viewed a travelogue of Greece. It is always a fun time.

Back to work the next day (31 May), it was a Tuesday that felt like a Monday with all the returns from the weekend plus rentals for the week ahead. Our branch got through it fine, though.

After work Wednesday (1 June), I headed to World Wide Technology Soccer Park for the third round Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tie between Saint Louis FC and Minnesota United of the North American Soccer League. I joined with other St. Louligans to cheer on the home side, but Minnesota United triumphed, 2-0.

My off day on Thursday was very nice, with plenty of time in Midtown St. Louis. First, I went to the Samuel Cupples House (http://www.slu.edu/samuel-cupples-house) on the Saint Louis University campus for a tour, along with others from the St. Louis Historic Sites Meetup. We had an enjoyable tour of the historic house, as our guide told about the furnishings, the architecture, and the people who lived there. After the house tour, I and several others in our group walked to City Diner at the Fox (http://citydinerstl.com/) for lunch. I had a nice lunch there and conversed with two others in our group who would tour the Samuel Cupples House in the afternoon.

That night, I was back in Midtown for the season's first performance of Circus Flora (http://circusflora.org/). "Pastime," a baseball-themed show, is the circus' 30th anniversary presentation. I was there with other volunteers making sure the seating areas were ready and acting as ushers before, during, and after the show. Oh, and we also got to see the wonderful show. This night was a peanut-free show for audience members with food allergy issues. I will be back this Thursday and on 23 and 30 June. Hope to see you there!

Yesterday afternoon (4 June), I was co-hosting this month's edition of Writer's Block (http://bobbyd0702.blogspot.com/2016/06/holiday-weekend-soccer-and-circus.html). Host Tim Pylypiuk and I discussed plagiarism in scholarly works and storytelling. It was quite an interesting program, and I contributed from my experience in editing. The program--which airs on the first Saturday of the month at 10 am Pacific Time/Noon Central Time/1800 GMT--is available to access and download.

Last night, I drove to Belleville West High School (https://website.bths201.org/index.php/schools/west) to catch the 2016 home opener of Fire & Ice SC (http://www.fireandicesc.com/), an amateur women's soccer team. They played Cincinnati Sirens to a 1-1 draw. That match was proceeded by all-star matches with high school seniors--boys and girls--from the Illinois side of the St. Louis area. These all-stars were recognized at halftime of the Fire & Ice match, they being congratulated by 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup champion Lori Chalupny.

I went to Calvary Presbyterian Church (http://calvarypresbyterianchurch.org/) today for their annual picnic, which was held in the Fellowship Hall. It was nice to have a lunch and to chat with several parishioners.

Later.

A Holiday Weekend, and Two Thrilling Matches

Late last week saw much business at the car rental branch, as many customers were renting vehicles for the Memorial Day Weekend. We still had a few customers with vehicles needing repair from last month's hail storm. I worked last Saturday morning (23 May) at the branch, then went to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Town and Country, Missouri for the St. Louis County Greek Fest. This annual event featured Greek food, music, dance, and crafts, plus tours of the church. I have gone there in the past few years and enjoyed it each time. I had lunch--a souvlaki (shish-ke-bob) sandwich--under a tent set up on the parking lot, and later had galatobouriko and Greek coffee in a cafe inside the church. To keep informed about next year's event (Memorial Day Weekend 2016), check out their website: www.stlgreekfest.com.

Much of Sunday was spent at Worldwide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. In the late morning and early afternoon, I officiated three youth soccer games in a tournament. These were all small-sided (8-a-side) games with under 9 to under 11 teams. I ran lines on all three matches--I should have done one middle, but there was a mess up on assignments with the officials on these fields. At least I got these games in and a bit more money will come in.

After coming home to shower and change, I was back at the Soccer Park for Saint Louis FC's USL match against Louisville City FC. It was a thrilling match that was halted by lightning and heavy rain for about 60 minutes. The pause came in the 63rd minute, with Saint Louis up 2-1. After the break, the teams traded goals until it ended in a 3-3 draw. (The pitch was artificial, which came in handy this night!) Much of the crowd went home, but I waited in the car until word came that the match would resume and joined those who stayed around. Quite a match.

Prior to Saint Louis FC's match, some soccer veterans played a brief game that payed tribute to Paul Dueker, a former soccer player, official and fan who died last year. It was fun to see these guys try to show their stuff on the pitch. At halftime of the Saint Louis FC--Louisville City FC match, a portion of the grandstand--where my season ticket is located--was dedicated as the Paul Dueker Stand. A fitting tribute to "Duke," who I was so glad to have known before his sudden passing.

I just relaxed at home on Monday (25 May), the Memorial Day holiday. I did go to the workbench to work on a model for the upcoming IPMS/USA National Convention. It's part of IPMS/Gateway's group entry of UFOs. I should have this done within the next two weeks.

Back to work the next day, we had a busy day at the branch with returns from the holiday weekend and customers renting out for the week (including vacations). I cut out early that day, as I'm working this Saturday. (I traded Saturday shifts with a colleague who asked me to work this weekend.) After supper at home, I went to Tom Bogacki's home in south St. Louis for the monthly IPMS/Gateway business meeting. It was a brief one, but we got our meetings for June planned. More on our club here: ipms-gateway.com.

Yesterday, I worked a full day, which was not as hectic as Tuesday. Right after work, I drove to Worldwide Technology Soccer Park to cheer on Saint Louis FC. They were hosting Minnesota United FC, a NASL club, in the third round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. A large crowd saw the teams play to a 1-1 draw through extra time, sending this match to penalties. Saint Louis FC won the shootout 3-1 to advance to the fourth round on 16 June at Sporting Kansas City. Info here: www.saintlouisfc.com and www.ussoccer.com.

Tonight, I volunteer at opening night of Circus Flora's 2015 show, One Summer on Second Street. I'll be working three additional Thursdays in June on the show, helping with set up, ushering, and cleaning up. Looking forward to it. More on this circus here: circusflora.org. More on this show in my next post.

Later.