Had a great fall vacation to visit Marc and Laura in Kansas City. The trip was planned back in the springtime when Marc came to Indy to partake in the annual running of the Indy Mini. He asked that I come to partake in the Kansas City Half Marathon and I gladly accepted the invite. I've been long overdue for a good roadtrip and a vacation, as well as a visit to Marc and Laura's home. They visit us in Indiana or Michigan at least once or twice a year so it was my turn to make the trip. And I can honestly say that it was well worth the trip, a perfect memorable weekend.
The next morning we woke up about 5:15 am to make our way to the race. Unfortunately Marc couldn't run with me, since he had hurt his knee in a basketball game. He was going to be my point-man however which was a very good help. We picked up our packets, found parking, and made our way to the coral. The race started at 7:05am and the weather was a bit brisk, however I still decided to run in my shirt and shorts. Marc stayed by my side all the way till the start, and I was able to lose my warm-ups just before the gun went off. I was feeling good that morning and knew I could run a good time.
Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue
That evening we returned for a third time to Kansas City this time with the whole family. Laura was our driver as we first stopped at the KC Art Museum. This was my first time in an art museum in quite while and was cool to see some numerous gems from Caravaggio, Claude Monet, and Picasso. We only had about an hour however before the museum shut down.
We then played outside with the kids for a while outside the lawn of the museum. Afterwards we walked through the very ritzy Country Club plaza, which I had wanted to see after running through it on Saturday morning. The plaza was heavily influenced by Spanish architecture and was a very hopping scene full or restaurants and shops. We walked around for a while and then returned home by around 8ish.
That evening we ordered some food to go, and Marc helped me do some car work. I replaced my bulbs, filled up my gas tank, and put some air in the tires. We then watched the rest of the Broncos-49ers game, and played fuseball until 2am. Marc would constantly beat me, however I was able to hang with him and even won several games. I really would like to get my own fuse-ball table eventually.
It was the perfect ending to the weekend as we listened to music, drank beer, and engaging in the competitive game. It reminded me of the old days when we were young kids playing all sorts of competitive games. Marc also gave me a thumb-drive of all the pictures we had taken through out the weekend. That night I crashed hard once again.
I last visited Marc and Laura in 2007 when I was working a sportvision gig for the Kansas City Chiefs. I remember it was my first official job with them and I was nervous however also excited to experience a new city. I also took advantage of the job to drop in on Marc and Laura who were living in Emporia at the time. Ever since they have moved three more times and are currently located at Lawrence, KS. Marc gets moved around alot with his job at Colgate, however they have stayed within the Kansas City district for almost 10 years now.
The Road Trip
So I took 3 days off of work and hit the road Friday afternoon. It was a long 8 hour drive from Indianapolis to Lawrence, KS, however I was ready for the long haul. 2 years of courier work turned me into quite the road warrior. I also made several new cds for the trip (Jazz, blues, folk, classic rock, movie soundtracks, etc) Luckily I picked up an hour on the switch from Eastern to Central time and arrived about 9pm local time to their house. I was warmly invited with a good pasta dinner, and caught up for a bit. I lasted maybe an hour until it was time to hit the hay. I slept hard that night after the long drive.
KC Half Marathon
The next morning we woke up about 5:15 am to make our way to the race. Unfortunately Marc couldn't run with me, since he had hurt his knee in a basketball game. He was going to be my point-man however which was a very good help. We picked up our packets, found parking, and made our way to the coral. The race started at 7:05am and the weather was a bit brisk, however I still decided to run in my shirt and shorts. Marc stayed by my side all the way till the start, and I was able to lose my warm-ups just before the gun went off. I was feeling good that morning and knew I could run a good time.
The first few miles were actually quite hilly as we ran through the city and through a campus. We ran through some scenic districts and the support was great. It was also quite exciting to notice the Royals fever everywhere as their team had made it to the World Series for the first time since 1985. By about mile 7 or 8 I was beginning to wonder how long my body would hold up after all those hills, however I hung on. By about mile 9 something very unusual happened, I caught a 3rd wind at the point where I usually begin to shut down. This could have been due to the fact that the last 3 miles were slightly downhill. I found myself maintaining my 7:30 mile pace, and finished strong for the first time ever. I thus finished with a PR of 1.38.12. I was very happy with this time and felt the trip had already been a success.
College Basketball Experience
However the weekend was only starting after the race and there still was so much to do. Marc had worked out a busy itinerary to take in the most of Kansas City as possible (I requested that he send me off with the full KC experience, and he did just that). Straight after the race I changed clothes and we walked around downtown for a bit to stretch out the legs.
We then went to a college basketball museum, which was somewhat of an interactive experience. As sore as I was from the mini, I was working another sweat within minutes shooting baskets, slam dunks, etc. We have shot some videos of us sportscasting which was pretty fun. I'm not a huge fan of college basketball but it was a fun experience, and I walked away all the more excited for the IU basketball season to start up.
Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue
After the College Basketball museum we got in the car and drove to get some lunch. Marc wanted to take me to this dive he went, which was connected to a gas station. The place was called Oklahoma Joe's and when we got there around 11:30, there was already a line to get in. We waited for about an hour in line to get some barbecue, and it was very worth the wait. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich, some burnt ends, spicy coleslaw, and beans. We also got some beer. It was without question the best barbecue I had ever eaten.
We finally got home by around 2:30 just in time to catch the IU vs MSU game,. I took a good shower and was hoping to rest the body and maybe take a nap at this point, however there was no such thing once the kids were up. Brett and Gabby were ready to play along and I decided to dig deep and catch another wind. I brought both of them little toys, a doll for Gabby, and a Star Wars action figure for Brett. We then played outside, swinging, football, and soccer. We also played some fuseball and drank some beers in the basement for a while.
Late Night Jazz and Blues
That evening, Marc and I set off on the 2nd phase of our day to Kansas City, to take in some nightlife. We first went to a blues bar called the Big Easy. The place was shoulder, however still a fun atmosphere. I ordered a hamburger and some fries, Marc got a pasta. We had several beers, listened to the live blues music as well as watched the Notre Dame- Florida State game.
After a couple hours there, we then went to a jazz bar across the street called the Blue Room. Unfortunately we were only able to catch a couple songs before the band went on break, however it was still a very entertaining show. After a couple beers, we were both very tired and decided to head home for the night by 11ish.
Detroit Lions Comeback Win
The next morning we went to the 10am mass with Laura, Brett, and Gabby. Afterwards we took a tour of Kansas University home of the famous basketball Jayhawks. Marc got his masters degree at the university and yet Laura was our tour guide through the campus. We then rushed home to catch the Saints-Lions game. Luckily they had the NFL Sunday ticket and were able to get the game there.
Brett and I wore our Lions jerseys and we all watched a very dramatic game while drinking beers and eating quesadillas. Just as I had begun to accept the game was out of reach, the Lions began to pull a miraculous comeback. With less then 4 minutes to go, then came back from a 13 pt deficit to win the game. Marc and I were ecstatic after witnessing such an exciting comeback victory. I was so thrilled with the weekend it had been.
Art Museum and Spanish Plaza
We then played outside with the kids for a while outside the lawn of the museum. Afterwards we walked through the very ritzy Country Club plaza, which I had wanted to see after running through it on Saturday morning. The plaza was heavily influenced by Spanish architecture and was a very hopping scene full or restaurants and shops. We walked around for a while and then returned home by around 8ish.
That evening we ordered some food to go, and Marc helped me do some car work. I replaced my bulbs, filled up my gas tank, and put some air in the tires. We then watched the rest of the Broncos-49ers game, and played fuseball until 2am. Marc would constantly beat me, however I was able to hang with him and even won several games. I really would like to get my own fuse-ball table eventually.It was the perfect ending to the weekend as we listened to music, drank beer, and engaging in the competitive game. It reminded me of the old days when we were young kids playing all sorts of competitive games. Marc also gave me a thumb-drive of all the pictures we had taken through out the weekend. That night I crashed hard once again.
Road Trip Home
The next morning I packed up early and had a quick breakfast burrito before I hit the road. The whole family was there to see me off, and I was very grateful for the memorable weekend. I told them it was a perfect one, and they had been such great hosts. I hope to visit more often, maybe not next year, but perhaps in a couple. On my way home I made I stopped to visit a very good friend in Hannibal, MO. She showed me around the historic town of Mark Twain as well as a great view of the mighty Mississippi River. It was also an unforgettable experience, and the perfect icing to the perfect weekend. I got home late Monday night and went straight to bed. I was very grateful the vacation was a success and also very happy to be home again.
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