The Curtis Clan - Fall 2024
Fall Equinox to Winter Solstice
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Is murder the standard 23rd Anniversary gift? (At the REP for Dial M for Murder)
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In late July, Bethany and Randy began using a St. Louis Pizza Passport that offered 50% pizzas at lesser-known regional establishments, frequently mom-and-pop places that have been around decades with a local following. First-up was Bianca pizza from Lilianna's on Tesson Ferry near Lindbergh. This would be the beginning of a quest to sample most of the offerings in the Passport before it expired in November. Some other favorites: Guido's – perfect sauce on a great crust; Monte Bello's - current favorite; Mama Belle; Vito's dinner Grand Center, Cafe Piazza. Schottzie's; and Uncle Leo's (rounding out the Concord area trifecta of great pizza places).
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Wood fired Anniversary love
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I am a chairman for the college...
I am a chairman for the college,
Propping up the nightlife tent
Connecting students with another fun event
I see them chatting in the commons
I can hear them through the blare
And the Witchita Chairman
Is still in the chair
(This parody makes more sense if you got Glen Campbell singing "Witchita Lineman" playing in your head; Cas had nothing to do with it)
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Shocker Nightlife Committee Chairperson - Cas Curtis
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In November 2023, Cas became the WSU Student Activities Council (SAC) Nightlife Committee Chairperson. Initially she had limited influence over the events she was responsible for in spring.
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Meeting freshman during a welcome to WSU "Tabling" shift
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With the Fall 2024 term, she became to hit her stride in the position having the experience and confidence to push her vision and put her own stamp on the events she was delegated in charge of. That doesn't mean she wasn't restrained by conventional wisdom and didn't receive push back from the paid staff.
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SAC Tatooing event (No branding despite cowboy motif)
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A good example was one the first events of the year where the goal was for new students to mingle with one another and theoretically make friends. Launderable goal but it had the rather uninspired moniker: "Meet Your Match" which was also laden with a creepy matchmaker undertone. Cas figured giving it a playful theme would allow the activities and decorations to flow better, and struck upon the a cheesy pirate theme with a revised name "Find Your Crew". Simple change that met the goals, while diluting the implied partnering up connotation of "match" while instilling a light and silly tone to the event. The advertising shows the partial success (she's not allowed to do the flyers either).
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Rrrrr...what a mediocore flyer
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But what about school, you know the whole reason for being in Witchita: In the fall she took classes in alcohol and marijuana and excelled in both. No really these were required classes for her curriculum (that she enjoyed mentioning to others, milking it for comic effect). In spring, she took Arson.
Later in the semester, WSU asked Cas to be in a photo shoot that would be part of their promotional material for prospective WSU students. Can you guess what demographics Cas was supposed to be signaling to in a non-threatening way to their base student body? Transparent image manipulation perhaps but she did get some spirt ware swag out of the deal.
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WSU Propaganda pic (Note: the Shocker hand sign)
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Getting coffee at WSU is so much fun! Become a Shocker
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Fall Camping
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Bethany and Bingley wishing Randy fun times sleeping outside on the ground
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October started as it has most ever year for the last few decades for Randy: Camping trip with former Tuxedo Blvd. neighbors. It was easy packing for the weekend at Pulltite in the 7 passenger Traverse for only me, especially since I decided to not bring a kayak, choosing to rent a canoe or skip the floats altogether. On Friday to relax, journal and chat with the other non-floater around the campfire. On Saturday, Dan lent me one of their kayaks to join the gang floating from Akers Ferry back to Pulltite. The double stack hollow log offered stunning 12-foot-high flares .
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Pulltite pre-dinner cocktail hour
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| Obligatory pic with NPS welcome sign |
Communal hollow log camp fire doesn't disapoint |
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Meanwhile back home: Snuggle Puppy
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Jane's Fall Break Visit
In Mid-October Jane came home for a few days over her fall break. A new puppy might have had something to do with it, maybe. She chose to take the bargain Avelo flight out of New Haven, CT which was an hour further than Logan but a fourth of the price (She left at 2 in the morning to get there for the pre-dawn flight). We picked her up from Lambert and took her to Breakfast at First Watch in Brentwood. Soup and sandwich deal, yummy.
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Jane and Bethany ordering breakfast
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That evening we corrupted the low- carb Townie Sages with a trip to Pasta House.
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Pasta House - Sage Invasion
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Fall based on when you first needing to wear a sweatshirt inside, the next day was arguably the first day of fall. Dinner with Rugers with terrific soup and the conversation was a treat.
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At the Rugers
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While home, Jane made sure the dogs got walked daily. She returned to school after four short days but was the best visit we've had with her since she left home.
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Group picture before heading back to WPI (Mmmm...a yummy stick on the ground)
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That weekend, Bethany had a girls weekend at Cliff Edge winery with Lisa and Laura leaving Randy home with the dogs. His college pal Matt came to town for a visit from Pittsburgh. As a dog guy himself, he was completely supportive of thinking of the dogs first and took care of them before Randy got up a couple days. He had the self-driving feature turned on in his Telsa and volunteered to "drive" Randy on an outing to the Art Museum. It was immediately clear to see how different the autonomous driving worked than a personal driver, The Tesla stopped in line with the stop sign and then eased forward to where you need to be to see oncoming cross traffic; slowing down intersections despite not having a stop sign at the location; hanging in the left lane when not passing or getting prepared to make a left turn. This was all legal, some strictly legal, but it was all behavior I would have commented on to a new driver to correct.
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With Matt at Art Hill
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Bingley Break
| Practicing the adorable head tilt |
Watching TV with Dad |
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Seeing is Believing
There is a reason there are bears on the Missouri State Flag. Following on last year's sighting of a bear in Webster Groves, Richmond Heights and Maplewood, there was this one three house down from us on Tuxedo near the end of October.
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Tuexdo Park bear
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Bingley asking about the last picture: If not friend, why friend shaped? Of course I'll stay with you.
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We decided to vote early this year which meant heading up to the new STL County Board of Elections office in Northwest Plaza as opposed the previously super convenient Sunnen one. There was a 50-foot line outside the door but it was a beautiful October day and it only took 30 minutes total.
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Voting early at NW Plaza
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Halloween this year had different fears and scares as Bethany went in for an emergency Endodontic (Root Canal) consult. Her ~25-year-old root canal failed and was infected. There were no happy choices but she chose to get an implant as opposed to another root canal. It will be a multi-phase effort that will take place over the better part of a year. Her Aunt Katie has gone through the process and did much to setting Bethany's mind at ease. The first oral surgery was the next day to have her #21 tooth extracted.
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Jane set for Halloween with her roomates Hannah and Sarah
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Randy passed out candy with Britt to the Trick or Treaters around the fire on one of the warmest Halloweens in a while.
Tuesday, November 5, 2024 – Election Day
"The good Lord willing, and the creek doesn't rise" Deer Creek by our house flooded and they shut down Laclede Station Road for the third time Randy recalls in his 36 years of living in north Webster Groves. He went around across a higher elevation bridge. Perseverance. is the word of the day. That was the optimistic thought in the morning as we got like 8 inches in two days. Pulltite on the Current River really got hammered with our regular camp site was under about 20 feet of water.
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Local flooding - Deer Creek and Laclede Station Rd.
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That wouldn't be the worst thing that happened that day.
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Bingley exploring the front yard
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Bethany, Van, and Rosemary enjoying lunch
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| Canoodling dogs |
Is it love or being cold |
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Meanwhile at WPI
| Head of the Charles River Fall Fun |
Some Alpha Xi Delta event |
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Jane bouldering
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Thanksgiving Week
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Fall sunset from the balcony
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Thanksgiving week began with Bethany get phase 2 of her dental implant: the bone graft (that should have been on Halloween, IYKYK). Thankful for good insurance.
Cas drove in on Wednesday at 2:45 pm from Wichita, plenty of time before her friends came by at 3:30 as she hosted a Friendsgiving gathering for her WGHS pals.
On Thursday we picked up Amy and Alvan at the airport in the morning and we get them settled back in for a few days. The rest of actual Thanksgiving was super laid back for the Curtri (sans Jane). Another Samosa and Momosas night.
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Mimosas and Simosas (There doesn't seem to be any OJ in Mom's Mimosa...Ooopsie!)
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We hosted Sagegiving this year on Friday as Rosemary and Patrick were flying to California for the Notre Dame football game inspiring the holiday hosting switcheraroo). Earlier on Thursday afternoon we cooked the 18-pound turkey giving us plenty of time to remove all the meat without any rush. Definitely the way to go. We did the stuffing earlier too avoiding the disaster of an electric roaster that was burning it. We only lost the perimeter stuffing but it was a minor crisis that was best handled without the eminent arrival of guests. Having the neighbor's refrigerator available to us to make ice and hold the stuffing and turkey was a huge relief (we watched their dogs). Besides the earlier food preparations Bethany, having set the table up fancy the day before so it was a relaxed morning of preparations.
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Sagegiving 2024
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After most of our guests left at 6:30, Cas and Dad did bargain shopping for her school Secret Santa: Kohl's, Bass Pro Shop, Home Depot, 5 and Below, Old Navy, Wal-Mart and Target. Seven stores in 2 1/2 hours. No Secret Santa gift but we did find some other 50% bargains. Van and Gwen were still at the house when we got home after 9 as they talked with Bethany the whole time. Perfect end to the evening.
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Cas saying goodbye for a couple weeks
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December
December began with a afternoon screening of When Harry Met Sally at the Hi-Pointe. Sure we seen it a bunch of times, but this is the 2nd time on the big screen since 1989 for both of us. Definiately a favorite film for both of us.
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Hi-Pointe Afternoon Date
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As this is a digital scrap book, here's the girls Spotify favorites lists for 2024:
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Swinging by Rolla on the way home to see Kate (Where's the Cavern?)
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| Winter comes earlier to Boston |
"Soup of the Day" |
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Bethany and Lisa meeting Santa and giving him their wish list
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The next Saturday, we got up to walked a mile at Webster's "Santas on the Loose" from the library and through the Park. We weren't the last but close to it, but our goal was to get out and about mostly.
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Santas on the Loose Finishers
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Following a Sunday matinee Million Dollar Quartet Christmas at The Rep (A fun rock and roll fantasy retelling of the same story of the afternoon Elvis Presley, Jerry Kee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins jammed at the Sun Studios) we went to the Rep's 2nd Holiday Benefit featuring guest Sean Gunn (We Love Kirk). The Rep reported raising over $300k of which we were a very tiny portion. We had fun making an initial bid on the live auction items and then quickly drop out. No guitars signed by Taylor Swift or weeklong trips to Greece for us but we did score some tickets to a live tapping of PBSs Donnybrook in May.`
| Home town favorite: Sean Gun |
Outside the Rep |
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For Lisa Liss's birthday, she and Bethany went on a local Staycation enjoying a fancy lunch at Annie Gunns Restaurant, lots of shopping, relaxing, games, etc, and topped it all off with a trip to Woofies Overland Mo for a Woofie Dogs.
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Bethany and Lisa at Annie Gunns
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Randy with office UXO themed tree (We placed second...Nothing but the 2nd Best for Us)
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Christmas Break
Friday the 13th we picked up Jane at Lambert, parking to avoid the Southwest pickup lane hell. Was it an arm stretched out for hugs welcome home? Nope, she was immersed on an MQP team (aka senior design project) conference call with people who didn't finish their part on time. It was over by the time we left the garage. There are worst things than a conscientious student,
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MQP Zoom call at the airport
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Pepper and Bingley are ready for the festivities
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It was the puppy's first Christmas and Bingley generally took the decor changes in stride except one. The 2-foot-tall Santa Snoopy figure caused her to stare and bark at it since she first noticed him. She didn't like him one bit and would sporadically bark at him throughout the holidays.
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Bingley staring at the Snoopy (god?)
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