Two Saint Louis FC Matches--Two Wins

Last Saturday night (11 August), I drove to World Wide Technology Soccer Park (https://www.saintlouisfc.com/soccerpark) in Fenton for that night's Saint Louis FC (https://www.saintlouisfc.com/) match against Las Vegas Lights FC. I joined in the St. Louligans (http://stlouligans.com/) tailgate before the match. The dinner menu that night was a breakfast one: pancakes, sausages, chicken, and scrambled eggs. It was quite a change of pace, but still very satisfying. Plus, the beer on tap and the company of fellow supporters made for a good time.

About 30 minutes before kickoff, we marched into Toyota Stadium and found our seats in Section 8. We would have much to celebrate that night, as Saint Louis FC ran off 4-1 winners. After the match, the players came over to our section to acknowledge our support.

It was back to work at Enterprise (https://www.enterprise.com/en/home.html) Monday morning (13 August). Despite the heat and humidity, my colleagues and I worked hard to exceed customer expectations. We stuck around for awhile after closing time to make sure all the cars on our lot were cleaned and ready to rent the next morning.

Off work Wednesday (15 August), took care of my laundry and finishing up this month's issue of The Arch Scaler News, the IPMS/Gateway (http://www.ipms-gateway.com/) (https://www.facebook.com/IPMSGateway/) newsletter. I sent it out--via US mail and email--the next day.

Wednesday night, it was back to World Wide Technology Soccer Park for another St. Louligans tailgate and another Saint Louis FC match. Being a weeknight, we didn't have the usual dinner menu for the tailgate. Instead, we had donuts from Strange Donuts (http://www.strangedonuts.com/). I had two donuts--one topped with maple syrup and bacon bits, the other topped like gooey butter cake--and they were good.

That night, Saint Louis FC continued its winning ways. Two early goals were enough to defeat Sacramento Republic FC by 2 goals to 1. This was the home side's fourth win in a row--first time in club history--and put Saint Louis FC into 7th place in the Western Conference of the United Soccer League (https://www.uslsoccer.com/). (The top eight teams in each conference make the post-season playoffs.) Hopefully, Saint Louis can make it five in a row tonight, away to Fresno FC.

Later.

Some "Finest Hours" in Fulton

After my visit to Marshall, Missouri today, I drove east to Fulton, about 106 miles (171 km) west of St. Louis. I paid a visit to the National Churchill Museum (https://www.nationalchurchillmuseum.org/) on the campus of Westminster College (https://www.westminster-mo.edu/).

This museum celebrates the life and work of Sir Winston S. Churchill (1874-1965), two time British Prime Minister (1940-45, 1951-55). On 5 March 1946, Churchill came to Westminster College to make a speech titled "The Sinews of Peace," after being introduced by US President Harry S. Truman. This address became known as the "Iron Curtain" speech, after a line Churchill used to describe Soviet expansionism in Europe soon after World War II: "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent."

After paying my entrance fee, I began to walk through the museum, which began with a timeline of events involving Churchill, the colleage, and the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury. The latter was a 17th century church in London that was destroyed by German aerial bombing in World War II, but rebuilt in Fulton in the 1960s. I then walked through a pair of special displays: One of sculptures and busts of Churchill, and a few of Churchill's paintings; the other of some US propaganda posters of World War II.

Then, it was on to the galleries on Churchill's life and times, with many photos, some memorabilia, and a few interactive displays. There were also a few short movies, including ones on Nazi Germany's road to war, Churchill's leadership during World War II, and the "Iron Curtain" speech.

After visiting the museum and shopping in the gift shop, I browsed through the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury. This beautiful structure was designed by the great English architect Sir Christopher Wren, whose other works included St. Paul's Cathedral in London. This church is used for services, including weddings.

After my stay in the church, I went outside to look at the church's exterior, a statue of Churchill, and the sculpture "Breakthrough." This 11-foot (3.4 m) high by 32-foot (9.8 m) wide artwork was created by Edwina Sandys--Winston Churchill's granddaughter--from four sections of the Berlin Wall. It was dedicated by former US President Ronald Reagan in 1990--one year after the wall came down.

Then, I walked to the front of Westminster's Gymnasium, where the "Iron Curtain" speech was delivered. I also admired the columns in front of the administration building before walking to my car and driving home to St. Louis. After dodging some stormy weather in mid-Missouri, I arrived home safe and sound.

Later.