The Curtis Clan - Spring 2025
Spring Equinox to Summer Solstice
Cas turns 21 at WSU
| Cas with a Birthday Baja Blast (Not a recommended base drink in case you were wondering) |
Luke, Emma and McKenna burrow Cas's hats to celebrate (which took a long time for her to notice they were her hats) |
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For a week in late March / early April, Randy's college roommate and his family came to visit and see the sights of St. Louis. The Keklikians (Jake and Andrea) stayed in the basement guestroom with the boys (Milo 7 and Chalie 5) on the futon. There were beautiful spring days with blooming red buds. interrupted by periods of pouring rain hampering the scope of their sightseeing, though to be honest they placed a premium on tranquility and stress-free time as opposed to a rigid regime of experiences to be accomplished. Jake has always been a very patient man and even more so as a parent. Randy took off some of the week or only worked part of the day, catching up with them at the City Museum or the Gateway Arch.
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Sabroso in Maplewood
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We had dinner out a few times (e.g., Sabroso in Maplewood, Rich and Charlies because Charlie share a name) but the home cooked meals scored higher on the enjoyment level like our make your own burritos night or dinner at the Swaine's, though that had more to do with the magic of Steve's creativity, which brings joy to all ages.
| City Museum with boys with mild camera allergies |
At the top of the Arch with wiggly boys |
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First week in April when the Redbuds are blooming Best time to visit Missouri
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April
In early April Bethany got letters to the editor printed in both the Post Disptach and the Webster Kirkwood Times. She was annoyed the Post changed her suggested title: Save The Institute Of Museum & Library Services to make it more partisan. (AND THEY REMOVED AN OXFORD COMMA which really pissed her off (you can imagine what she thinks while reading this family blog with all its grammatical errors that "professonals" would be so inept.)
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Bethany's Letter to editor
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Hands Off Rally - The first Saturday in April, after "Tariff Liberation Day" on Wednesday that caused the largest drop in the stock market since COVID, we stood in the 45-degree rain for two and half hours at the corner of Brentwood and Eager Roads with hundreds of others including the Lisses. Randy, the rookie, didn't wrap his sign in plastic and it fell apart quickly.
| Early view of Bethany and Lisa protesting (i.e., while Trumpty Dumpty hadn't disinegrated yet) |
Speaking Loudly and carrying a stick with snarky slogans |
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We were glad to have brought our cowbells to keep up the positive noise level up and drown out the lone anti-activist that showed up and screaming about abortion. That wasn't really the topic of the day but he did understand we weren't his people. Best to ring out the freedom than engage him. Coming home afterwards, it was nice to have two hot water tanks when we both wanted to just stand in the shower for an extended period of time.
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The extended family joining us at the Pittsburgh rally
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Enjoying being dry and an evening out with the Lisses at Cafe Piaza
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In early April, Big Army dictated immediate cuts in their environmental program because the political hacks at the top could. Clear threats of layoffs or forced retirements were on the block. It was a roller coaster of a week as this started serious consideration of retiring as the window for the second Deferred Retirement Program (DRP #2) was open that week. Fortunately, the dictated 20% cuts were shared equally across the board (i.e., 6 of 30 military slots in St. Louis), and the team was able to weasel it without needing to nudge anyone into retirement, with other folks agreeing to take the DRP #2 deal. It was an extremely stressful over a HUGE life decision Randy wasn't really ready to make yet (despite 2 non-running Spitfires in the garage needing love and attenttion).
That weekend, Randy made a wild hair trip to Columbia for a change of pace and to hopefully break out of his mental funk (24 hours of fun). Hanging out at Cooper's Landing on the Missouri River through sunset with Anthony, Lesha, Alex and their friends, followed by Addison's for nachos and French fries. Staying the night, we hit Trumans for carbs (shared platter of tots and a round $2 pancakes) and an outing to Jefferson City and the Central Dairy eating it outside the Capitol ground and memorials on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River
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Coopers Landing sunset
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Speaking of Triumphing over not retiring? (Bethany is a tolerant woman)
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Cas becomes SAC President
In mid-April, Cas was elected President of the WSU Student Activities Council (SAC). Her ambition for power was fairly discrete but she really didn't want the front runner putz to get it, so she assembled a coalition of friends to vote for her. Being president will drive her a little bit crazy but she will learn a lot and it will look good on her resume so worth totally it.
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15th Annual WSU SAC Drag Show
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Why did Cas win? Multiple reasons like doing a good job on lots of events like the annual Drag Show event helped. What really helped was the success of an event Cas created based on a really whimsical (i.e., stupid) idea. Potato Palooza. A gala in honor of spuds at a school with a wheat mascot was delightfully off brand and inspired bit of none sense that worked. Cas also had an inexplicable plus up to her committee's budget that needed to be spent so were they had ridiculous amounts of $ to spend on food, T-shirts, and other giveaways. There were dozens of additional ideas that were suggested that were nixed by the university. The no to potato cannon contest wasn't a surprise but the reasoning for the no to potato give aways and other potato games was clear. Still the silly idea makes for a great college event that was rated the SAC's top event for the year. Elections were held a week afterwards and the chair was elected to lead the whole organization.
| WSU SAC Potato palooza ad |
Cas masterminding her next move (Bwa-ha-ha) |
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Potato Palooza Highlights
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Bethany gets all the puppy love
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Meanwhile at WPI In an unusual move, Jane volunteered / campaigned to be her sorority's Greek Week Chairmen her last term. It's conventional wisdom to not rely on a graduating senior to be enthused and organized about anything, particularly with one month left to go. Our Jane was both, and then some (driven to win). Having analyzed the point structure and focused on getting the "easy" points, she single handily found 4 of 4 hidden cogs for 100 points each). Her spirit and tenacity paid off, leading Alpha Xi Delta to a commanding win overall among all Greeks whether they liked it or not.
| Raider of the Lost Cog? |
WPI Greekweek awards |
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Jane's last formal collage
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Talk loudly and carry a stick...with a sign
On a Saturday in late April, we participated in the 50501 Hands Off Protest in St Peters. Another rainy spring morning to stand with snarky signs with hundreds of other area liberals at one of thousands of events across the country. This time along the perimeter of Mid Rivers Mall hilltop overlooking Interstate 70 in the very Republican St. Charles County.
| More signs and umbrellas than hands |
Best to wrap them in plastic in the rain |
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Two weeks later, we were protesters 3, 4 & 5 at US Routes 50, 61, 66 and 67, spending another two hours in the rain. It's nice to have friends pushing you to get off the sideline and do the slightly uncomfortable that need doing.
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Protesting at US 50, 61 & 67 at the intersection with old 66 (We were among the first ones there)
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RFK Jr. DELIVERING MEASLES TO YOU
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A week after that, it was back to Brentwood and Eager Road with beautiful weather for a change and oddly fewer people. A First Watch guy came out and gave us BOGO breakfast cards, so the MAGA cult was partially right, we were PAID protesters just no George Soros $ though.
| It seems wrong to protest without the rain |
Back at Brentwood preaching to the already converted |
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Puppy Power
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Bingley and Bean welcoming home dad from work
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We are thankful daily for both of our dogs but are most entertained and thankful for the antics of our Caviler. Bingley's youthful, joyful cuddles and kisses are a treat, particular after the flying leap to one's head from the couch cushion (is smooshing a word?). Arguably not desirable good dog behavior with the most guests but it makes us happy.
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Bingley stopping to smell the flowers
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Written proof she graduated from her puppy obedience classes (Because demonstrating her "skills" is less reliable)
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She also cracks us up with her desire to go to bed starting at about 9 pm. Her most reliable self taught "trick" is putting herself in her crate when we finish an episode of the current sit com we're watching (e.g., Modern Family) and the end credit music plays. She races for the crate and is sitting in anticipation before the turning off Roku sounds play. It recalls one-year old Jane insisting it was "Night-night time" to go to bed. Such cute behavior certainly convinced her parents to have more adorable creatures like that. This was before "no" became Jane's favorite word a few months later. Cas is a testament to good timing.
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Bingley is such a smarty
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Dunkin? I'll go to Dunkin (And hopefully get a pup cup because I'm so cute)
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Tuxedo Park Wildlife
Besides deer and bear sittings, this spring neighbors recorded pictures of a coyote and a wild turkey. Social media certainly makes us more aware of the unusual visitors but there is definitely more wildlife in the burbs then when we grew up and raccoons and opossums were the extent of the exotic critters which aren't even worth mentioning anymore.
| Wille E Coyote |
Tuxedo Park Road Runner? |
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Happy Cinco De Mayo! Eat the lime!
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Donnybash LIVE at The Sheldon
Having won tickets at the Rep's fall silent auction fundraiser, we had four tickets to go to the live broadcast of the local PBS show political analysis show: Donnybrook at Sheldon Hall. We took our neighbors the Ruger's and got fourth row seats to the left of the stage. We were very close to the full 6-person panel: Wendy Wiese, Bill McClellan, Alvin Reid, Joe Hollerman, Sarah Fenske, Charlie Brennan. Alumnus Roy Hartman was about 12 feet from us too as we shared the room with the St. Louis powerful and influencers.
| With the Rugers at the Sheldon |
Donnybrook Panel |
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Jane graduates WPI
On Wednesday 14 May, Bethany and Randy left St. Louis for Jane's graduation. We made it to Pittsburgh that evening and enjoyed Eat N' Park with Katie and Don. On Thursday at WPI, we had reservations to local favorite Boyngton's with huge portions and a booze bucket she and her dad shared (note: they ate Boyington's on our her college visit trip in March 2021, the alpha and omega eatery).
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The Boyngton Bucket
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| AXiD roommates: Jane, Hannah & Sarah |
AXiD graduating seniors |
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Choking on her honor chords
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Friday, May 16 was the big day after 4 years of hard work. She earned enough graduation honor cords to make a rope thick enough to choke herself along with a sash for her sorority (and a cane for some reason?). By happenstance, we picked seats directly in line with where she was lined up. It helped us keep track of her among the sea of graduates over the lengthy ceremony in the Worster municipal hockey stadium. A difference than in the past as we were able to text back and forth the whole time (as did everyone else). Thinks stay the same with updates.
| WPI Civil Engineers lining up |
Her diploma in hand graduation walk (Note her solemn decorum of the occasion) |
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| The graduate with her folks |
Group of graduate frineds |
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She stuck her tongue out after receiving her diploma (a la Rory Gilmore) visible to all on the jumbotron. It took a while to find one another in the mayhem afterwards, but we posed for some pictures before going out to toast the occasion.
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Dinner after graduation
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Meanwhile back home, St. Louis suffered extreme amounts of damage from an EF-3 tornado. It was nice to hear the dogs were fine the damaged missed us, Unfortunately others a few miles away were not so fortunate.
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Path of STL Tornado - Too close!
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On Saturday, we assisted with Jane's move to Natick with the big stuff happening the following day. We did move the family's camp box that Dad spruced up and loaded up with goodies that she will hopefully appreciate when she goes car camping with friends. With minimal moving duties, we went sightseeing: Sailsbury State Beach (her favorite and a FUDS); Nashua, NH for tax free shopping (Costco and LL Bean outlet) and back to Margaritas restaurant in Natick. .
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At Sailbury Beach
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On Sunday, RnB left Worcester in torrential rains but later had a smooth drive on the beautiful Merritt Parkway (Route 20) through Connecticut on route to College Park, MD as Randy had a week of work there. On Wednesday, we met Brad and Jay at the Jewel of India (Super good chaat). On Friday, we left College Park at noon taking the Highway 40 turnoff in western Maryland through Cumberland and Uniontown. A gorgeous drive through the Appalachian Mountains that would be awesome in autumn. That evening, we were in Pittsburgh with Katie and Don picking up where we left off a week earlier. We lingered for a day as it was Memorial Day weekend and Cas was home for the summer already and taking care of the dogs.
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Chaating with the Klines
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End of Junior Year at WSU
| Emma and Cas at the SAC incoming officers banquet |
Looking to the future of SAC |
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Cas and Randy catching an flick at the HiPointe
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STL Shakespeare in the Park
On the last day of May, we went to STL Shakespeare in the Park's Hamlet. Randy prepositioned the Traverse at the Forest Park venue for post-show rock star parking and walked to the Forest Park station. We had dinner at Kate's in Brentwood hosted by Jerry with Bethany, Cas, the Swaines and all four Holmes attending. A $25 Lift Sienna at 6:55, got us there in 15 minutes, with plenty of time and fairly good seats on the Opening Night where it was a chilly 72 degrees. An all round great experience with great friends (the play was pretty good too).
| Forest Park post tornado with the road lined with cut trees |
Drone shot of Shakespere festival (Our group and Traverse is in the shot |
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Our group Shakespereing it up
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The Holmes stayed with us overnight and we chatted the morning away including a big brunch. It's always fun cooking for people who enjoy eating.
Much of our dining out this year was through our Pizza Passport (1/2 price any pizza at a variety of non-chain restaurants). We've become tourist in our own town vising local mom and pop establishments all over the metro area. Our regular dinner partners were neighbors John and Lisa. At the Firehouse on a Sunday Happy Hour all day long $15 bucket of 6 longnecks set the tone as did the $5 ballpark nachos. The buffalo chicken pizzas was terrific.
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Firehouse Pizza with the Lisses
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Pepper is a WSU booster
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Lake Woebegone - almost
In mid-June, Bethany and Randy went to the Foundry and the City Winery for a special treat evening with Garrison Keillor, filled with wonderful stories and singing and poetry and, of course, tales of Lake Wobegon. The master storyteller, now almost 83 years old, weaved through the room, on his feet for an hour and 35 minutes, sharing his message of profound appreciation for the people who monumentally shaped his life, and encouraging us to move beyond life's regrets and enjoy the time we have here.
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Bethany with Garrison
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No Kings
On the 250th Anniversary of the Army 14 June, demonstrators across America participated in No Kings Rally in clear contrast to the President's directed military parade in DC (it was his birthday too). The Curtri were at US 67 Lindbergh and Baptist Church Road (a.k.a. Concord, Sappington or Ronnie's Drive In)
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A picture of us made the local Fox News affiliate new feed.
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We joined by the Liss women as usual and David Hammond who joined us of the duration and proudly held our US flag aloft for over an hour. The line of people attending appeared to stretched from Tesson Ferry to Fitz's (original Target), approximately 2/3 mile and was in the thousands.
| No Kings Cutri |
No Kings in Natck, MA |
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It was slightly amusing this occurred on the road named for the most notable circa 1940 American Firster. Given his Nazi leanings and later multifamily polygamy, it's a wonder he's remained a local town hero (the school district and high school in particular but with WOKE being dead in America, its clear how hard it is to rename things).
| 1941 Dr. Seuss cartoon |
1969 The King is a Fink Wizard of Id |
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At the time, we were extremely disappointed in the main media sources not focusing more on the scope of No Kings rallies across the country. There were clearly thousands of rallies across the country with HUGE turnouts and Kristen Welker of NBC's Meet the Press cautiously noted it was "tens of thousands" instead of hundreds of thousands or the more likely answer of a couple few million people representing 3% of the US population. Very sad. Almost as sad was stating the expected "200,000 people" figure for the Army / Trump Birthday parade instead of estimating a number of people who actually attended the event (the stands look meager). The images were pathetic with sloppy marching from soldiers with speakers playing CCR's Fortunate Son either as an ironic troll or tone deft ignorance to the meaning of John Fogarty's protest song. Perhaps the no discussion about the numbers was to avoid the wraith of the President who has clear problem accepting the reality of numbers or crowd size estimates that don't reflect his awesomeness. Very frustrating.
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No Kings street view
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16 June 2025 was the Corps of Engineers 250th Anniversary (established the day before the Battle of Bunker Hill, fought on Breeds Hill). The milestone was much overshadowed by dissatisfaction with the current administration ineptitude, malfeasance and shame associated with it.
This summer Cas got a job in the box office of Stages in Kirkwood needing a change ice cream scooping gig. The money wasn't but no tip and not as many hours as she hoped for. On the plus side, Cas was able to get complimentary tickets up front for all three productions for her parents. Very nice.
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At Murder for Two
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Rigazzi's and n. Better than expected but it could be a function of the fabulous seats
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Muny outing with Jerry to see Bring It On (Box seats 10th row. I don't need Muny season tickets, I just need a friend with them).
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Drinking with your (former) Teachers
After Cas and her pals got back for the summer, one of her friends' father, noted that despite them all being 21 now they didn't really go out to the bars. They cited an ignorance of drinks and what to order as a contributing factor. The dad, who was the retired WGHS Band director, and one of his fellow retired teachers, Cas's 6th grade home room teacher Mr. Knobe (Jane had his wife for science), volunteered to do a short tutorial on cocktails one evening for them, fancying himself a bit of a mixologist. It seemed a little odd but they relaxed when true to form, he started the evening with an assessment quiz to gauge where their knowledge was so he could tailor the instruction to where they were (old habits…). Cas came away with an affection for the Paper Plane among others. The evening cocktails were a bit more complex that Randy's recommendation of mixing Sam's vodka with whatever juice they liked.
