I Won’t Disappear, In This City*

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For Mother’s Day, Trent and I decided to abandon our original plans of going to the giant, suburban movie theater out by our house and head downtown to the newly renovated AMC Mainstreet Theater. When we upgraded our original tickets (to Star Trek, squeeee!) from the regular theater to the high tech Cinema Suites, and we were definitely not disappointed. Recliners, a waitress at our disposal, chocolate covered raisins, wine and chairs that vibrate with the noise during the high action scenes, it was probably my favorite movie watching experience to date. Unfortunately, due to our ticket change, we had two hours to kill between dinner and the start of our movie. We were both totally wiped from a long weekend, so we spent part of that time, ahem, sleeping in our car. Like crazy people. We sure do know how to have fun on a night out.

But the other part of the night was spent enjoying our city and wondering why we moved to the suburbs in the first place. We don’t miss the crime, lack of space and bad schools, but we sure do miss the pulse and activity you find in the urban part of Kansas City. Knowing us, we may even move back someday when we have infinite income and less small children. Until then though, we decided to make a real effort to enjoy what our city has to offer, even though we’re living out in suburbia now.

A few things we try to do on a weekly or monthly basis:

Attend First Friday’s in the Crossroads District – All the art galleries open for free viewing and most serve drinks and appetizers as well. There are street performers, slushie machines on street corners and amazing pieces of art. The bands playing in the streets are pretty nice as well. (First Friday of Every Month, Crossroads Art District, next one is on June 5)

City Market – The biggest farmers’ market in town with amazing food, fresh and local. Also a great place to find plants for your garden or random handmade knick knacks you can’t live without. (Saturday and Sunday mornings, Downtown Rivermarket)

And here are some activites we really want to try this year. Some are repeats of years past, but we kept them on this list because they are definitely things we want to try again:

Royals Game (family outing) – The recently renovated Royals stadium is ah-may-zing! More family friendly, more technology and the local fans couldn’t be more excited. Now the Royals just need to learn how not to suck!

T-Bones Game (to get drunk) – Trent added the “to get drunk” part. The T-Bones are a local baseball team that plays out in Johnson County. Their games are cheaper, and more laid back then the Royals, plus, the T-Bones are actually a pretty good team in their league.

Nelson Atkins Family Day – We used to live right next to the Nelson Atkins Art Museum, and, of course, as people tend to do when they live so close to cool landmarks, we hardly ever went there. We want to plan a fun day with Lulu to spend entirely at the museum. Maybe on a hot July day when we all need a break from the sun.

Johnson County Community College Art Museum – My company designed this facility, and I’ve still never spent much time there. May be a quick and cheaper option then the Nelson Atkins and it’s right down the street from our house.

Berry Picking / Shatto Milk Farm / Dianna Rose Farmstead – We’ve actually been to Dianna Rose a few times, but I’d love to spend a whole day and have Trent come with us. The berry picking place was sent to me by Nicole, who’s moving here this summer, and it sounds like a great time. Shatto Milk is a great local company, and I try to buy their milk as often as possible (it comes in glass bottles, so fun!). I would love to take a tour and help milk a cow or two! And Lu would just like some of their pink (strawberry) milk.

Chiefs Game Post Renovation – The renovation of the stadium is almost complete, and hopefully as nice as what they did for the Royals. We may have lost our coach and our most likeable player, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be screaming “CHHEEEIIIFFFSS!” from the new seats come Fall.

NCAA / Negro League Museums – The Negro League Museum was the lovechild of our hometown hero Buck O’Neill, one of the great negro league baseball players who gave so much back to KC before his death two years ago. The NCAA Museum was built along with the Sprint Center last year, and I’ve toured it once (right before it opened), but would love to see it completely finished.

Amtrack Trip – Maybe just a short train ride up north, or even to St. Louis if we’re getting ballsy.

Cinema Suites at Mainstreet Theater – We put this on the list just so we could cross something off. This renovated tech-heavy facility is so much fun, I think everyone should try it once (preferably with a very loud action movie so you can feel the seats vibrating).

Plaza Lighting / Carriage Ride – Trent and I lived on the Plaza for over five years, and still never saw the famous lighting of Christmas lights on Thanksgiving Eve. The only time we were ever in town for the event, I was working and Trent was with his family. Bummer. We’re going to stay close to home this holiday season, and hopefully we can make it down and get our carriage ride as well.

KC Jazz – I have never seen real jazz in KC. Please don’t shoot me. I know, I’m awful. But I’m making the resolution to fix this atrocity. This year, baby, I swear.

Downtown Stay-Cation – Since we’ll never get a chance to go on a honeymoon (I’ve officially given up hope), we’d love to do some sort of stay-cation in KC this year. Maybe stay at the President’s Hotel, go to dinner at the Sky Restaurant, hang out downtown….

Concerts – We are officially making an effort to see more shows in KC. Not sure where we’re going to start….but it’s happening, damnit.

Sports at Sprint Center – I’ve been to a few concerts at the Sprint Center, but never to a sports event. Someday we’ll get a hockey team here (fingers crossed), but until then, a NCAA sports tournament will do.

NASCAR Race – This is Trent’s idea. He wants to wear fake mullets and drink Pabst. I suppose I can do that. Anything for marriage, you know?

Greatwolf Lodge – This is an indoor waterpark / hotel out in the suburbs that my sister takes her kids to on a regular basis in the wintertime. Once Lu can keep her head above water, I think this would be a great weekend treat in the middle of a bleak, grey winter.

New Tattoo – Really doesn’t have anything to do with Kansas City, but both Trent and I are jonesing for new tats. I have a full idea drawn out for mine, now I just need money, time and a good artist recommendation. Anyone?

Hot Air Balloon Ride – This actually replaced another idea, skydiving, because Trent thought the original idea was too dangerous. Whatever, floating through the sky will work just as well. I hope someone packs parachutes though.

Do you all have any fun activities you do that are unique to your city? If you’re in KC, do you have any other recommendations for me?

*Song lyric from Iglu & Hartly, In This City

All Good Things Must

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When I was 19, my parents decided the car I’d been driving around my college town was about to break down (as I’d found myself alone on the dark highway with a dead vehicle on several occasions), and they wanted to buy me a new one. I’d been paying for most of my college expenses on my own, including tuition, and their offer of a car was such a wonderful gift. We searched and searched for the perfect “college car.” We test drove every Jeep I could get my hands on, a few Camry’s, and even a Honda or two. But in the end, we found a great deal on an almost-new Chevy Blazer. It had two doors, POWER WINDOWS (I was so excited about the freakin’ power windows), and a CD player. I was in heaven.

I drove that car for years and years. Even when bits and pieces of it started to be recalled, and Chevy discontinued the model entirely, I loved that car. I named her Daisy, because I was a girl and I was in college, and shut up I don’t care what you think! I took her on road trips to Florida and Tennessee and Colorado and Texas. I burned several little holes in the upholstery with my disgusting smoking habit. One time, when the battery had to be replaced, I drove around with the old battery in the back for weeks before I realized it had tipped over and spilled acid everywhere. Let’s say that was the end of the nice upholstery.

Yuck

My brother once backed in to it when he was high at my parents’ house, and we had to have the bumper completely replaced. I backed in to a giant tree at the dog park in Lawrence and completely smashed out the rear window. That car had been through some drama.

But good times too. It was the car of Trent and I’s first dates, kisses, trysts that I won’t mention here because, um, ew. One time, while drunk tailgating at a Royals game way back when we were young and fun, Trent decided he needed to brand my car with his love.

I love

Yeah, permanent marker…that never came off.

So when I traded that lovely car in for a brand spanking new vehicle last Friday, I started to shed some tears. I told Trent to take a picture of me with the car, quick, before I lost it. I’m not good at saying goodbye.

Sad

Lu just put her head on my shoulder, one hand holding a red balloon that the salesman had given her, the other hand placed on my cheek, whispering in my ear, “You’re fine, Mama. You’re fine. It’s okay.”

Endings make me so sad, sometimes it’s hard for me to realize an ending is really a beginning. Stuff is just that. Stuff.

And it doesn’t hurt that the new car has satellite radio.

Perspective

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via momo-fali

I really don’t know what’s happened to me in the last year. I mean, I’ve always been sarcastic, cynical, bitchy and kind of a pill to hang out with. Sure, I’ve always had my moments of joy and all that, but in general, I don’t think I’m what someone would call a “happy” person. Not that I wasn’t pleasant or pleased with my life, I’m just not the kind of person who’s going to bop around like Racheal Ray, with a goofy smile plastered on my face and stars in my eyes.

But lately I’ve found myself smiling more than normal. I’ve found the stress that usually gathers in my back and neck has started to dissapate. The winter colds, flu and other ailments that tend to plague me from November until March have lessened and the sicknesses I do contract pass by quickly. I’m sleeping better, my body feels better. For the first time in my entire life, I feel like the outside and inside of me look pretty damn good.

And I’m not quite sure where any of this came from.

My marriage is wonderful. My child is funnier than George Carlin. My weekends are spent painting bathrooms and taking afternoon naps with Lulu. My weeknights are full of good food and drinks, mostly with my family, but sometimes even with friends. My job is fantastic, and when so many people are worried about their next paycheck, I’m in a very safe place. My husband’s business is taking off, and he has started to take steps to better his life, which leads to us being so much happier together. I know all of this is true, because right now I have a cold that is making my head throb and my throat ache, yet still, still I feel happy. I should be pissy and grumpy and tired and an all around pain in the ass. But I’m not.

When did I become a happy person? And more importantly, what the hell am I going to write about now?!

Quickly, quickly

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No time to talk today, kids. I’m in for a full morning of meetings (yipee!), then off to the Yes We Can Event for Harvesters Kansas City to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and our National Day of Service. I planned well for my day of working in a canned food warehouse by painting my entire basement and bathroom this weekend, therefore rendering my arms almost completely lifeless in their absolute soreness. I wonder if the volunteer leader will be pissed that I can’t lift one can, let alone a box of them….

In all seriousness, I’m really proud of Trent and I for taking the time out of our insane schedules to do this service work today. We have trouble scheduling date night (one day I’ll tell you all about last night’s date night debacle), let alone time to serve others. But somehow we both managed to clear out a couple of hours from work, the kid and other obligations to do our part today. If we can do it, anyone can!

Happy MLK Day, CB readers. May your day be as fulfilling as mine!

Edited to Add: I was planning on saving this for tomorrow, but since NBC will probably force me to take it down, here is a clip of Fleet Foxes playing on SNL this past weekend. I know most of you ignore my strange musical tastes, but I dare you to watch this video and not get goosebumps. Lucy loves it, because she thinks the lead singer is her dad. Actually, though putting this video in this post is completely off topic, this music does tend to make me want to get out and save the world. But that could be just me.

Nerd Herd Thursday – Way Behind the Trends Edition

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One of the major positives of being a total and complete nerd, is that, for the most part, my generation sees nerds as pretty damn awesome. I mean, look at Weezer! Or Steve Jobs! Or anyone living in San Francisco! Being a nerd is cool. Just ask my friend Mara, who most recently purchased herself a pair of fake, black-rimmed glasses in order to look more like us nerds. Being nerdy is the new black.

One of the reasons for this newfound nerd revolution is the rise of technology. Everyone wants an iPhone or a GPS or some other tech gadget. And who are the first people to own them? Nerds. Who can figure out how to set them up on your laptops? Nerds. Who can fix them when they won’t play your favorite song or you can’t get your zip code to register on the screen? Nerds.

So when my tech geek husband told me I needed to use Pandora at work over a year ago, I told him that I was quite happy with my three-year-old iPod and collection of bad rap music I ripped off Napster in 2001, thankyouverymuch. I don’t need anyone giving me nerd technology advice.

Whoops.

The past few weeks have been increasingly stressful at work, and when my computer crashed and my entire iTunes library was lost (argh, back issues of the All Songs Considered podcast, I will miss you dearly) I found myself without anything to listen to while attempting to swim through my massive email inbox. So, after many days of uncomfortable silence in my office, I finally broke down and checked out Pandora.

Looks like Trent may be the nerd, but I’m the loser.

Why didn’t I use Pandora before? Because I’m an idiot, that’s why. Plus, I don’t like to listen to Trent’s advice. It makes his ego grow three sizes every day. But this time, although I hate to admit it, he’s right. Pandora is awesome. Basically, it’s an online radio station where you type in the name of a band or song you like, and they create a station with music similar to that artist. It’s a way to listen to music you love, and find new bands that will become your favorites.

My three current favorite Pandora stations should be no real surprise. First up is my TV on the Radio station. It features (along with TV on the Radio) bands like Bloc Party, Interpol, Metal Hearts and Radiohead, amongst many others. It’s got a hip-hop meets alternative meets electronica meets fusion vibe. Me likey.

Listen

Like the button? I made it myself! {ahem, cough, nerd.}

Editor’s Note: You do have to sign up for a Pandora account to listen to their stations, but trust me, it’s totally free and absolutely worth it. So far I’ve had no annoying email blasts or any kind of problem with my account. And did I mention it’s completely free. As in FAH-REE. Do it, people!

The second station in my constant rotation is Sigur Ros radio. I had this playing when one of my bosses came in to my office the other day and he told me he wanted to sit down and meditate. It features mostly transpop, electronic and fusion. As if I have any idea what that means. Bands include Sigur Ros, Ty Burhoe and Mum and a bunch of other bands I’ve never heard of. But it’s nice. Very soothing. You feel like you’re in some sort of indie movie (Sigur Ros plays the most recognized song from the movie Vanilla Sky, still one of my favorite movies of all time, despite my current disdain for Tom Cruise, click here to view).

Listen

The third station I’ve found myself entranced with is, of course, my Fleet Foxes station. It features Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, The Dodos, Deathcab and The Shins. I love it. It makes me want to transport myself to 1968 and never again use a hair straightener and wear flip flops every day.

Listen

So, in conclusion, Trent was right. And I’m not only a nerd, but one that apparently is way behind in technological trends. But I do have a pair of real, black-rimmed glasses and orange Chuck Taylors, so hopefully it all evens out.

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