The Curtis Clan - Fall 2019
Fall Equinox to Winter Solstice
Late September
Fall began with a evening of being double proud of Jane: 1) She gave blood for the first time at the Holy Redeemer Blood Drive and 2) when offered a treat of DQ or fries she said no thank you but there was something she did want now that I mentioned it: some gasoline in the car, PLEASE. Well played dad manipulation.
| 1st Blood Donation |
Gussie and Pepper at the Circle K watching the fill up |
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All smiles for National Daughter Day
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| Happiness is a Warm Pizza |
Blaze Pizza BOGO Anticipation |
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As we begin looking at colleges with the girls, the increased competitiveness of the top tier schools from when RnB looked at schools several decades earlier became very clear.
Fall Camping 2019
We skipped the annual camping trip last year at Ondondoga Cave due to Randy's mother's death just before hand. After a 2 year hiatus, we went back to the NPS Pulltite campground on the Current River. Randy went down on Thursday filling the Cheverse with all the camping gear to set up and float on Friday. ). He floated on Friday afternoon with the early arrivers, a group of 13 as the number of retirees has increased.
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Randy considers Meaning of Life on the Friday float
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The rest of the Curti got there Friday after the girls got out of school (~7 pmThe hollow log Friday night, while not as stunning as in years past, was still better than a normal campfire.
| The Curti women arrive on Friday |
Randy and Jane on the way out |
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| Curti Women and Uncle Charlie |
Bethany and Jane enjoy the fire |
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| Randy uses a cordless bellows |
Charlie stocking the fire |
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| Friday Happy Hour on the Current |
Pultite Hollow Log Fire |
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Happy Campers at Pultite Saturday morning
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The trip marked the first time we used the Cheverse's trailer hitch Randy installed (hauling the kayak trailer Bethany drop us off at Aker's Ferry on Saturday).
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Bethany dropping the girls off at Akers Ferry
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| Curtis crew launching at Akers Ferry |
Jane maneuvering her kayak hard |
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| Crew breacking fof lunch |
Gravel bar lunching |
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| Randy & Cate at entrance to Cave Spring |
Jane at Cave Spring |
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| Large group of paddlers in 2019 |
Randy and Cate canoeing |
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Following the float on Saturday, it started raining about 5:30 pm putting an end to socializing as a group and having group fires. Still with the easy up canopy over our picnic table we stayed dry while cooking and eating until we shuffled off to bed.
It rained throughout the night but Bethany, having a cot, wasn't lying in a puddle this year. Can't say the same for Jane but she didn't crab. Packing up was easier since it was clear everything was soaked and would have to be put out to dry.
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Jane and Cate on Sunday morning
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Goodbye to West Drive
After nearly two decades on West Drive and over four decades in University City, Bethany's folks Amy and Alvan sold their home. Before turning the keys over, the Townie Sage had one last pool party to say good bye to a good friend (we spent 5 ½ months there while adding on to our house in 2003).
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West Dr Sage farewell
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The Sage Pointer
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Pool party women
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Curti at West Dr
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| Looking good for Rose Swaine's Wedding |
Rolla Pi Kapps: Chris Randy and Steve |
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Jane is the Serendipity Name of the Day (On her Grandma Curtis's Birthday)
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Columbia Day Road Trip
On Saturday, October 19, Bethany and Randy made a road trip to Columbia to go Whining with friends Anthony and Lesha. Instead of just going to a single whinery, it turned into a day long restaurant crawl in Columbia and nearby Rocheport overlooking the Missouri River. To be honest, we don't think we ever visited this many places in our youth in one day.
1. Street taco place
2. Shakespeare's pizza
3. Tropical Liquors at
4. Lucky's in Columbia
5. The General Store Rocheport
6. Les Beaujolais Rocheport
7. Kat fish Katie's at The Station
8. Dog Master Distillery
9. Café
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Shakespeare's Pizza is always a treat
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Stop 3 Tropical Liquors in Columbia with Anthony and Lesha
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| Les Beaujolais in Rocheport overlooking the Missouri River |
Bethany at sunset |
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Chicago
The WGHS musical in 2019 was Chicago, one of Cate excitedly tried out for the cast snaring one of the newspaper reporter. A small role but she LOVES the play and very much wanted to be a part of it beating out more experienced drama/theatre or choir kids for the role. Given the racy stocking and bustiers for the Cell Block Tango girls, her parents were just as glad she didn't get one of those roles and ended up as one of the most clothed woman in the cast.
| Reporter rehersal |
Chicago rehersal |
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The dark satire of the American adoration of the celebrity criminal that takes place in Jazz age years remains as relevant today, 44 years after it was first produced and 50 years after the original non-musical play was written based on actual criminal and crimes of the time in Chicago. The music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb were a fine follow-up to their earlier and equally dark Cabaret. Bob Fosse choregraphed and directed the original and gets a writing credit but it's unclear how much he wrote. After watching the Fosse/Verdun mini-series it seems Gwen Verdun should have received more credit than just originating the role of Roxie Hart but its not clear whose telling is most true.
| Cate with the other reporters |
Cate reporting on Roxy Heart |
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Cate had a large turnout of family and friends each night's performance with Amy and Alvan, Rosemary, Uncle Don and Aunt Katie (who came in from Pittsburgh), catch the opening night show. Van and Gwen and neighbors Ann and Pete Ruger catching the second night. Both parents caught two performances but Jane saw all three nights.
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Bethany, Rosemary, Don, Kattie, Amy and Alvan catch the opening night
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The WGHS Chicago musical blog: http://wgdramapastshows2.blogspot.com/p/fall-musical-2019-chicago.html
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Cate's flyer for the WGHS Fencing Club
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In late October, Randy participated in a 12-hour public information forum with the Jacksonville District for the Naval Air Station Banana River Off-Base Disposal Area (NASBRODA) Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) south of Patrick Air Force Base on the Florida Space Coast. The outreach was to meet with the public and listen to their concerns following his team locating documents that showed the Navy had operated a landfill on the land developed a decade later as the South Patrick Shores residential subdivision. The event was well attended and appreciated by most people who attended, including the local press: Corps' new probe of old South Patrick Shores military dump could be done by early 2020
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Randy meeting with the public at NASBROBDA
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Halloween
For Halloween 2019, Cate and Randy give out candy out around our fire pit placed on the sidewalk on a chilly October evening (37 degrees). Neighbor Britt came over and joined us for the second half of the evening as we listened to the kids tell us their riddles and jokes (a fine St. Louis tradition that I would hate to see disappear).
| Passing out candy (Too cold for only a sleeveless T-shirt) |
Cate as Freddie Mercury of Queen (her costume at school) |
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Meanwhile, Bethany and Jane drove up to Monmouth College in Illinois for her first official college visit on Friday. Bethany was college chums with one of the professors (Julie Grebenz Rothbardt) and as a Pi Phi wanted to make the pilgrimage to the Holt House where the fraternity started. Monmouth has a charming, well-appointed small campus with many similarities to W&J would provide a safe welcoming nest for our first birdling to fly out of the nest with a new, albeit limited engineering program with a liberal arts bent.
| Bethany and Jane celebrating in the hotel room |
At Momouth College with Julie |
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That evening when we all got home there was a smell of gas when entering the house. The Spire (Laclede) gas company guy was there within 15 minutes and it turned out that the furnace in the old house was no longer lighting and given the 25+ year age it was clear it was time to replace it. Fortunately, we had a working furnace for the 2003 addition, which with a fan distributing some heat to other parts of the house too. We piled on extra blankets and argued more than usual over who got to hold the dogs while watching TV for a couple weeks until our local furnace guy Curtis was able to come and replace it (not being in crisis need, we were fine letting other customers jump ahead in his cue. Still it was nice when it came in and served as the impetus for cleaning out part of the storage room.
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Our 95% Energy efficient Furnance
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November
Saturday, 2 November the girls attended their second WG-Kirkwood Friendship Dance with their friends, with the event being held at WGHS this year. There was only mild amounts of drama getting the girls off.
| Friendship Dance ready |
Jane and friends |
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Cate and friends
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Randy's desk on 11 November as he worked the Federal holiday as is his habit to have quiet time to focus and get partially caught up
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In mid-November Bethany went on a girl's weekend with Lisa and Laura to a B&B in Ste. Geneviève, wine touring on Saturday.
| Laura, Bethany and Lisa |
Charleville Vineyard |
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After two years, on Tuesday, November 19, Cate got her top braces off. Her bottom ones would follow a week later.
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Braces off or TEETH UNCHAINED
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The Saturday, before Thanking giving, the girls both spent the day participating Model UN with other high schools in St. Louis County making the Netherlands and Finland proud. Like Leslie Knope in Park and Recreation, the girls love Model UN and consider it one of the best high school activities.
| Model UN Netherlands |
WGHS at Model UN |
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Netherlands and Findland solving the World's Problems
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Sunday, was unseasonably warm and in the afternoon, RnB drove to Forest Park for fun followed by wine bar on De Mun. We both thought this is what our weekends might be like once the girls were away at college and it was alright.
| RnB at the Muny Bandstand pond |
A topless Sunday in the Park |
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Thanksgiving Thursday was a low-key affair with the family noshing at Waffle House for dinner echoing our trip 5 years earlier on the way back from Universal Studios in Orlando.
| Curti at Tesson Ferry/Lindbergh Waffle House |
2019 Thanksgiving Dinner |
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We went a saw Ford Versus Ferrari and then the girls went for a second round to take in Frozen II, with the parents taking a pass. Other films for the quarter included: Jersey Boys; Charlie's Angels (new Elisabeth Banks version); Blazing Saddles; Joker with Cate and The Good Place.
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Frozen 2
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On Thanksgiving Friday, Randy and the girls had a mellow Black Friday shopping trip to Kohl's, Wal-Mart, Target, Hot Topic and Microcenter. All were less busy than a typical Saturday, as the big shopping holiday isn't what it used to be.
| Baby Shark |
Doo doo, doo doo doo doo |
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Following this came Randy deep-frying turkeys with Van for the 7th year for the Sagegiving with the townies at Rosemary's.
| Sagegiving Turkey Fry #1 |
Sagegiving Turkey Fry #2 |
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Thanksgiving Saturday, had us celebrating at Fast Eddies after the Alton River Race run with the participants (Barry, Rosemary and Patrick) and the non-participants (Van Gwen Randy and Bethany). Many $ were spent with good camaraderie/
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Inside the Bon Air
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Outside the Bon Air
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December
| Jane's Fall Orchestra at WGHS |
Dairy Queen...I like Dairy Queen |
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Hilton Head Road Trip
On Sunday, December 8th, RnB left on a road trip to Hilton Head. As Bethany's mom was staying with the girls for the week, we spent some time in the days preceding getting things cleaned up around the house but perhaps it is more accurate to say cleaner as opposed to the more definitive "clean". We haven't felt really clean since the kids have both gotten around on two feet. Straightening out the pantry so you could actually walk inside was nice, as opposed to the usual game of food stockpile Jenga (for Baby Boomers think Mr. Woopie's closet on Tennessee Tuxedo).
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Mr. Whoopee's closet
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As we navigated in sunshine, past the harvested fields of the farmland of Illinois and Kentucky, we had good and positive conversations about the kids, the house and life. We both love driving, so time in the car for long periods of time is generally relaxing for us though we know it sounds horrible to many people. Some thoughts from the open road:
Does anyone else only hear Alec Baldwin's SNL imitation every time they hear Tony Bennett sing anymore? Bethany and I always bust out laughing when he pops up on any of the Holiday radio stations. With this one, I imagined his intro"Here's a great little ditty from Meet Me in St. Louis. St. Louis, what a great town. They got those crazy deep-fried raviolis and that square cut pizza with the cheese that sticks to the roof of your mouth. St. Louis, Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas...
Worst songs to include on a Wedding CD (but that sooo last decade):
* Love the One You're With
* I Hate Myself for Loving You
* Oh, What a Night (December 1963)
* Paradise by the Dashboard Lights
* Every Morning
* It Was Just One of Those Things
* It Alright with Me
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We rolled into in downtown Chattanooga, visiting for the first time despite passing through the outskirts on the Interstate numerous times in the last 20 years. Stayin at the Residence Inn, we found the closest restaurant was a Mellow Mushroom that had $2 Yuengling's on draft. When we got to back to the hotel, we watched Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, a loving travel brochure of a film for Savannah directed by Clint Eastwood, with a Johnny Mercer soundtrack staring John Cusack and Kevin Spacey (a better film when it came out). A great end to a good day.
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Feeling Mellow
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On Monday, after a hearty upscale breakfast at the Residence Inn, we drove diagonally through Georgia to the Atlantic coast which always takes longer than it seems it should each time we make it. Arriving in downtown Savannah in the late afternoon, we parked among the Spanish Moss laden trees in Emmet Park above River Street and were sipping frozen Margaritas on the riverfront within minutes. This was soon followed by a second "roadie", "traveler" or "go cup" for walking around and exploring a bit. We were smitten and clearly wishing we booked for a hotel in Savannah. With dusk, we left and made the drive into South Carolina, checking into our resort on Hilton Head. Randy had bought a multi-day package for a few days and nights on the cheap with the only hitch being we had to listen to the Marriott Vacation Club pitch for the 5th time (not a time share anymore but a dream vacation point system; eye roll). Our space was HUGE with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a spacious living room, dining table, kitchen and balcony. It would have made a great space to have brought the entire family for a few days with no agenda when it was warm. There were moments of wishing that kids were there to revel in the space too but they were just that: moments.
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Savannah Emmet Park above River street
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Tuesday, we got up and began a relaxing day wondering through downtown Savannah, day drinking. We had purchased tickets for the Trolley Tours with free parking that allowed us to hop on and off, hearing snippets of history along the way. Don't recall the names of the places we stopped for lunch, dinner or cocktails but we were in Savannah all day carefreely enjoying the beautiful weather and charming ambiance walking through the town squares. The only museum we took in was the Prohibition Museum, included with the price of the Trolley Tour but it was good non-the-less. It was again with remorse we returned to Hilton Head instead of staying in Savannah with so many more places to visit and things to eat that we didn't get to.
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Randy, Bethany, James Oglethorpe and a couple travelers at Chippewa Square
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Wednesday, started out with our Marriott Vacation Presentation. Although the accommodations were terrific it was easy to take a pass without signing up given that:
* We've had practice in saying no
* we hadn't spent any significant time at the resort, instead pinning that we weren't staying in Savannah instead.
* we still have lots of hotel points from travel for work, so lodging for vacations aren't usually a big issue
* the resorts aren't in places overly appealing unless you want to play golf (we don't) or be near a beach (one of us loves that but the other half...meh)
* it took over a year and a half to schedule this trip (and even than it wasn't without inconveniences to make happen).
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After the presentation, we did spend time walking on the beach and exploring HH a bit. What was striking was the complete lack of people that weren't eligible to join AARP. It like the Pied Piper came and had taken not only all the children but teens, young adults, thirty and forty somethings. We did eventually see a youngish bagger at the grocery story but it was eerie (to be fair it was a school day which certainly affected this somewhat). The experience gave us another reason to not seek a return to the island. It was nice but the Pleasantville vibe but was a bit discomforting. The independent cinema that was the business treat of our HH as we took in the Mister Rodgers feature with Tom Hanks: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
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At Hilton Head
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Thursday was a driving day through Georgia and a return to Chattanooga. We selected to stay at the Resident Inn in the suburbs instead of downtown as the hotel points were significantly less during the week. After a Bass Pro Shop visit and dinner, we had another movie date night to see Dark Waters and Mark Ruffalo play an attorney that takes on DuPont regarding findings of waste disposal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) around the Washington Works plant in West Virginia. An important well told story that will be ignored except by most. On Friday, we lingered in Chattanooga on a rainy overcast day. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Hunter Museum of American Art on the bluffs overlooking the river but the rain limited our wanderings around town. Returning to see the famed Tennessee Aquarium and other sights seems fun for a future trip.
| Reflections at the Hunter |
Thomas Hart Benton's Wreck of the Ole 97 |
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The last leg of the trip returning home on Saturday proved as anti-climactic as usual for a road trip.
Back in Webster, Bethany was the name of the day at Serendipity so we got ice cream with the family and then watched Christmas Vacation together.
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"Bethany"Serendipity
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Jane and Pepper
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The following week Randy returned to central Tennessee for work (Arnold AFB on a sunny December day). He had a great time meeting up with his Junior High and WGHS friend Boyer Barner for dinner and drinks with in Nashville.
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Drinking my per diem with Boyer
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