Archive for the ‘Weekend’ Category
Music Feeds My Soul
I listen to all kinds of music, and I’m not ashamed to tell people when I like a band even if it isn’t the most popular thing to say. I also try not to judge others for their tastes in music.
Today is one of my favorite local musician’s birthday. He is a well-known piano player in Kansas City. I always use him and his music as examples when I explain my love for music to people and how I have to feel an emotional connection to the music for it to mean something to me. The very first time that I heard him play piano, I felt it in my soul and I was hooked and I’ve been following him ever since.
Mark, my favorite Jazz piano player, and I at one of his gigs on my birthday 4-5 years ago.
This week was a whirlwind week of live music for me and although I’m utterly exhausted and ready to collapse, I loved every minute of it.
Last Saturday I headed out to a rooftop bar at the Legends
http://www.kc1021.com/event/dave-and-busters-summer-concert-series-odyssey-road-726-dave-busters/ (I know, right?) and saw my friend’s pop cover band, Hot Caution https://www.facebook.com/hotcaution/?fref=ts , come off of their hiatus to play upbeat tunes on a breezy summer night. My favorite thing about this band, in addition to their wide repertoire of pop favorites spanning several decades, is their lead singer’s voice. She just belts out the chords and I can feel her voice in my soul. This band is a great group of Kansas City folks and their followers are always super friendly, so I made new friends which is always great!
The lead singer of Hot Caution at their gig at the rooftop bar at Dave and Busters at the Legends in Kansas City.
That same friend invited me to the debut show of a new project, Bloodletters https://www.facebook.com/bloodletterskc/?fref=ts, a rock band with a set of local Kansas City musicians. They played the VIP stage at Starlight Theatre for the Weezer/Panic! at the Disco concert last Wednesday. They sounded great and I’m really looking forward to seeing them develop and progress as a band.
I learned a valuable lesson at this show…never, never, never, attend a concert at Starlight in the summer without getting a VIP ticket. The VIP ticket gets you access to the air-conditioned lounge, with private (clean) bathrooms, unlimited free ice water, two private (cash) bars, and an optional buffet dinner for purchase. The lines to get in are almost nonexistent compared to the hundreds of people waiting in line for general admission access to the venue. I’m forever spoiled! It was 95 degrees outside, but I was able to literally chill out in the air conditioned lounge and watch the opening band on a nice video screen while hydrating in preparation for the headliner. There is no way that I would have survived for 4+ hours in the Missouri summer heat and humidity. LOVE the VIP lounge!
I also learned that I am WAY too old and don’t have nearly enough body piercings and tattoos to go to a Panic! show. But they were high energy and put on a good show. This was my first time seeing Weezer live, and they did not disappoint! It is so great to see that they have such a strong following nearly 25 years into their career.
Panic! at the Disco and Weezer
I headed back out to Starlight on Friday evening for the Shinedown/Halestorm/Blackstone Cherry concert. I’m surprised at the number of people who I’ve talked to this week who don’t know who Shinedown is. My college boyfriend was in various rock bands and introduced me to them. I LOVE them. Their lead singer has a voice that really resonates with me. Their rock ballads are very moving. I had also seen Halestorm and Blackstone Cherry at Rockfest several years ago. Shinedown was so amazing. I don’t know what else to say, other than that I’m in love with Brent Smith, their lead singer. It was crazy hot out, but taking ice water breaks in the VIP lounge made it bearable. The bonus of the night was the band playing the VIP stage. The summer rock camp kids from the Kansas City School of Rock played a set. They were a great group of kids who were really great performers and I could tell that they were having a blast on stage.
Saturday night brought a first for me -I attended my very first rap concert. Some friends and I went to the Rihanna concert back in March, and she does a lot of collobarating with Drake, this rapper from Toronto. So, after going to that show, I started getting into Drake’s music and saw that his tour was making a stop at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. I knew that I had to go. It was a very unique experience. It was probably the only show I’ve been to (I have no idea how many shows I’ve been to since I graduated high school -100? Maybe more?) that was a true diverse crowd. There were people from their teens on up to their 60s, black, white, gay, straight, small town, big city, suburbanites, and urbanites all there bonding over their love for this Canadian rapper. The people watching at the Sprint Center was interesting to say the least. I witnessed a dance off ala Save the Last Dance in one of the lower level sections. And I saw two guys napping in their seats. I made some new friends and was exposed to a whole new genere of music that I had not experienced via live show.
Show number five tonight was the show of the week that I was most looking forward to. Last year I got to go to South by Southwest in Austin for the very first time. https://amyguerich.com/2015/03/23/things-i-learned-at-sxsw-2015/ It was an item that had been on my bucket list for a while, which isn’t surprising considering how much I love live music and how much I travel to see shows. I stumbled upon this folk/bluegrass duo, the Lowest Pair http://thelowestpair.com/ and got to see them play twice at SXSW. I really felt a connection to their sound. They are very talented songwriters and musicians. And I’m a sucker for the banjo! Since then I’ve followed them on social media, bought all of their albums, and I check their tour schedule every couple of months. It worked out for me to drive up to Omaha to see them one weekend. But today, they were in my home town!! It was so awesome. They played a cool patio with a great vibe downtown. I’ve been waiting for them to come to Kansas City so that everyone here will love them as much as I do! Traveling to see shows is a blast, but it is even better to have one of your favorite bands come to your hometown.
#NowPlaying The Lowest Pair Say Darlin Say from I Reckon I’m Fixin’ on Kickin Round to Pick a Little
Why is it so Hard for Me to Remember to Count My Blessings?
For those that are around me a lot or talk to me frequently, it is no secret that I have had a lot going on with work the last few months and have been in high stress mode. If it isn’t work related, chances are, I’m not doing it. And, it is also no secret that my stress management and coping skills leave a little something to be desired. Hopefully I will start to balance out this summer.
This weekend I took a break from some of the work related demands and had the chance to spend some time with some of the most important people in my life.
Friday night, I hurried home from work at 5:00 so that I could get changed and ready to go to the wedding Mass of a long-time family friend. This friend works for the Church in young adult ministry and, although he is in his fifties, he just has an exceptional way of dealing with and relating to teenagers and young adults. There were so many great things about Friday night. First of all, I got to see two of my cousins and their families that I don’t see often because they live two hours away. One of my cousins has the sweetest three girls, one in college, one in high school, and one in elementary school and it is so fun to catch up with them and what they have going on in their lives. Their mom, although my dad’s first cousin, is like a big sister to me and has been there for me during many tough times during my life. I just love them all so much and it was great to sit with them during the wedding and then hang out at the reception.
I also got to see the groom’s daughter who is my age – we lived in the same dorm freshman year at K-State. It was fun seeing her as I maybe bump into her once ever other year or so when we are both back in her hometown where my family lives.
The wedding was very nice. The Mass was beautiful, I loved the music, and with both the bride and groom being youth leaders, they incorporated several young people into various parts of the Mass. It was very simple, with no frills, which I think allowed the couple’s love for each other and faith in God to really shine through and take center stage. It was so refreshing because I don’t know if I have ever attended a wedding quite like it. The best part was that in all the years that I have known the groom, I have NEVER seen him so happy, he was beaming with joy and it was such a great sight.
I don’t know if I will ever get married, but if I do, I have another good example of how to do it right.
I drove home at the end of the evening with warm and fuzzies after having had such a great time celebrating with family and friends.
The next morning I headed to one of my favorite local hotels for a gathering of Potawtomis in the region. I’ve blogged several times about our family’s Native American roots :http://wp.me/sSE1o-26 , https://amyguerich.com/2010/08/23/cleveland/ ,https://amyguerich.com/2010/08/23/nashok-maket/. Every year, the tribal leaders – chairman, vice chairman, and the legislators host informational meetings around the country to teach the tribal history, given an update on the current political and economic landscape of the tribe, and to get folks geared up for the annual festival that takes place on the reservation in Shawnee, Oklahoma during the last weekend of June every year. I met up with some of Grandma’s siblings – Aunt Maureen and Sister Ginger had ridden to town with Uncle Jerry and Aunt Hildegard and cousin Pat who lives here in town too, also joined us. We sat together and had a nice time visiting over a nice lunch of baked chicken and BBQ brisket. I always enjoy anytime spent with Grandma and her siblings, so this was a real treat. I am so fortunate that there is such longevity in the family. Grandma is the oldest at age 90, and the youngest, Uncle Jerry, just celebrated his 81st birthday last week. The only downside to the wonderful morning and nice lunch was that I had to eat and run.
My KC best girl friend and I were headed of to Manhattan to celebrate commencement with the class of 2013. One of my very best KC friends, fellow KSU financial planning grad, and industry buddy was giving the commencement address to the KSU College of Human Ecology graduates, which is where we had both received our financial planning degrees some years before. We had planned to attend the commencement ceremony and then planned a dinner get together with a group of friends afterward. Graduation was running about an hour behind schedule, which made me feel kind of bad because I could have spent more time with the family in KC, but oh well, how was I to know?
Graduation was awesome! It brought back so many memories to 7 years ago when I was walking across that same stage at Bramledge Coliseum. My friend’s speech was fantastic! I was totally blown away! He did a great job relating to the students and was so well spoken! I have heard him speak several times in various capacities and will say that in my opinion, this was his best delivery yet! It was so great sitting next to his mom and dad as they beamed with pride and mom even teared up a bit!
After the ceremony, my KC best friend and I paid a visit to her mother-in-law who lives in Manhattan and was busy helping set up for her friend’s daughter’s graduation party. I got to see some parts of campus that have changed quite a bit since I left Manhattan. After our visit, we headed to the restaurant where I had made dinner reservations for 8 of us. It was so much fun!! Some of my very favorite people – including my best friend from college – and the only one that I really still keep in touch with from school, and her husband joined us and we had a great time catching up. We also had the pleasure of the presence of our former department head who lead the our department when we were going through the financial planning program.
I got to cap off my weekend by lecturing at the adult confirmation Mass led by the Archbishop hosted at our Parish. It was great to be a part of such an important day for all of those being confirmed. And my reading happened to be one of my favorites!
I really really appreciated this weekend as my social time and family time have been very limited over the last several weeks. I was so grateful to spend time with so many people that I love and care about. It was a pleasure and hopefully some fuel to get me through some more stressful times to come. When I think things are tough, I need to remember that I really am very blessed and I should make it more of a point to consider that more often. I love and appreciate my extended family and true close friends.
Independence Day
I awoke from my food coma and decided that in honor of my birthday month, I would treat myself to Saturday brunch at my favorite hotel. I went alone with my lap top in tow so that I could catch up on some work stuff that I had missed while in Chicago.
After brunch, I headed out to Independence for a day of fun and games at a family fun center with mini golf, arcade games, and go carts. I had looked the place up online and thought that this was the best option that was the closest to my house.
I love ski ball, arcade basketball, mini golf, and go carts. However, when we got there, the realization that we were in Independence hit hard. Most of the games were broken, including basketball….which I discovered after I bought $25 worth of tokens. The mini golf course was in complete disrepair. The go carts weren’t bad, though.
After a having a mild amount of fun at the “family fun center”, we decided to make a break for it and head to get margaritas at a local mexican establishment. I had a blast catching up with friends that I don’t get to spend a lot of time with.
Reflections: Friends, Family, Coworkers
http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=whatsnew_app_sweaters&ProductID=2086807112&VariantID=I had a jammed packed weekend, my first weekend of back to back engagements in quite some time since most of my time over the last year has been devoted to studying and learning my new position at work.
My weekend started early on Thursday with a social outing that took me to two places that I wouldn’t normally visit – Applebee’s, and a motorcycle gear shop (I do not ride and I know nothing about riding), followed by dinner at one of my favorite local spots, NoRTH. http://www.foxrc.com/north.html I washed down scallops that melted in my mouth with Punto Final Malbec from Bodega Renacer winery http://www.bodegarenacer.com.ar/eng/index.html . It was a fun and relaxing evening, even though I stayed out a bit later than usual. ,
Friday started bright and early with a 7:00 a coffee meeting. After I finished working for the day and a quick salon appointment with Tasha at En Vogue, http://tashancain.com/, I decided to brave the crazed streets and head to the mall. My company Christmas party was Saturday, and I still had nothing to wear. I had started my own tradition of wearing red to the event every year and was in search of a red dress. After two hours and trips to five stores, I found an outfit! http://www.express.com/strapless-rouched-tube-dress-41190-849/control/page/6/show/3/index.pro
To decompress from the traumatizing shopping experience, I met a friend at Mestizo www.mestizoleawood.com
for authentic Mexican food and refreshing margaritas.
It was another short night, as I had to meet a few people for a ride to Union Station for a tribute to a well known Kansas City meterologist. http://files.fox4kc.com/don/
After the service, we headed to breakfast at Room 39 http://rm39.com/ . It was a very busy place and the quiche was out of this world! After breakfast I ran errands and then had to rush to my nephew’s fifth birthday party at Zonkers. www.zonkers.com
I probably had more fun than the children playing basketball and ski ball. After a quick wardrobe change into my new red party dress, I headed for the Plaza for our company Christmas party.We had a blast with great food, drinks, company, and entertainment from KC Improv. http://www.improvkc.com/ The night just flew by! It was great to connect witht the the people that I work with in a stress free, relaxed environment. The quality time was especially needed now given the stresses that I have recently had due to my position.
I had yet another short night, as I got home late from the party and got a pot of chili to start. My alarm went off at 5:30 am and it was time to get up and pack for our trip to tailgate and watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Green Bay Packers. www.nfl.com I try to get to as many games as I can each year, but my schedule didn’t allow for any football games until today. I have a group of friends that I typically tailgate with and we have a blast!!! But, it is a long day.
Playing Dress Up
Friday, March 2nd, was a day that I had been looking forward to for weeks. My good friend and I were headed to a gala. Black tie, cocktails, dinner, and dancing, all to raise scholarships for Kansas City area high school students that are attending K-State. This event combined three of my favorite things, dressing up, all things K-State, and good friends.
About three weeks before the event, I found the PERFECT dress at a local mom and pop dress shop, Natalie M. on Metcalf in Overland Park. http://www.nataliem.com/ I was a little worried because the dress had three layers and one of the layers was a bit snug, but I knew that by the time the event rolled around it would be ok.
The next couple of weeks just flew by. I started the week of the event off by getting a purple gel manicure with Ana at Nail Avante in Town Center Plaza in Leawood. http://www.towncenterplaza.com/store/nail-avante/2137036261/2138806610 I was so excited that I hardly slept a wink in the days leading up to the event.
Wednesday, I had a bit of a scare when I realized that my recent hair cut left my hair shorter than I had planned and so I wasn’t sure that I could do my hair on my own. So, I sent an SOS text to my hair stylist, Amy Wise, who saved the day. I was able to get an appointment with her for Friday afternoon, the day of the event, and she would put my hair up as she had lots of experience doing updos for those with short hair. www.facebook.com/wisestylist
Tasha at EnVogue did my eyebrows www.tashancain.com and Shrya at the MAC cosmetics counter in the Macy’s at Town Center Plaza applied my makeup to compliment my perfect dress.
Because my dress had a corset top and needed to be tied, I got dressed at the dress shop and let the attendants help me into the dress. The dress fit like a glove!
My friend picked me up and we headed to the event. I was so excited that I was talking a mile a minute. We both looked great and I was excited about all of the people that we would see, friends, acquaintances, and new friends.
The event was a BLAST. 600 people attended and raised $404,000 in scholarships for Kansas CIty area kids.
I reconnected with a classmate that I hadn’t seen since college. Hopefully I see her and her husband again.
I had so much fun and I loved my dress so much that I didn’t want to take it off at the end of the night. The only bad thing about the night was how fast it went!
It is amazing how a little hair, make-up, and formal gown can make you forget about the 10 extra pounds, what I had for dinner the night before, and whether or not I’d logged enough miles on my runs last week. I felt good, and I was proud to connect with fellow K-Staters to come together for such a great cause.
Reflections: Friends, Family, Coworkers
I had a jammed packed weekend, my first weekend of back to back engagements in quite some time since most of my time over the last year has been devoted to studying and learning my new position at work.
My weekend started early on Thursday with a social outing that took me to two places that I wouldn’t normally visit – Applebee’s, and a motorcycle gear shop (I do not ride and I know nothing about riding), followed by dinner at one of my favorite local spots, NoRTH. http://www.foxrc.com/north.html I washed down scallops that melted in my mouth with Punto Final Malbec from Bodega Renacer winery. http://www.bodegarenacer.com.ar/eng/index.html It was a fun and relaxing evening, even though I stayed out a bit later than usual.
Friday started bright and early with a 7:00 am coffee meeting. After I finished working for the day and a quick salon appointment with Tasha at En Vogue, http://tashancain.com/, I decided to brave the crazed streets and head to the mall. My company Christmas party was Saturday, and I still had nothing to wear. I had started my own tradition of wearing red to the event every year and was in search of a red dress. After two hours and trips to five stores, I found an outfit! http://www.express.com/strapless-rouched-tube-dress-41190-849/control/page/6/show/3/index.pro
To decompress from the traumatizing shopping experience, I met a friend at Mestizo www.mestizoleawood.com
for authentic Mexican food and refreshing margaritas.
It was another short night, as I had to meet a few people for a ride to Union Station for a tribute to a well-known Kansas City meteorologist. http://files.fox4kc.com/don/
After the service, we headed to breakfast at Room 39 http://rm39.com/ . It was a very busy place and the Quiche was out of this world! After breakfast I ran errands and then had to rush to my nephew’s fifth birthday party at Zonkers. www.zonkers.com
I probably had more fun than the children playing basketball and ski ball. After a quick wardrobe change into my new red party dress, I headed for the Plaza for our company Christmas party. We had a blast with great food, drinks, company, and entertainment from KC Improv. http://www.improvkc.com/ The night just flew by! It was great to connect with the people who I work with in a stress free, relaxed environment. The quality time was especially needed now given the stresses that I have recently had due to my position.
I had yet another short night, as I got home late from the party and got a pot of chili to start. My alarm went off at 5:30 am and it was time to get up and pack for our trip to tailgate and watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Green Bay Packers. www.nfl.com I try to get to as many games as I can each year, but my schedule didn’t allow for any football games until today. I have a group of friends that I typically tailgate with and we have a blast!!! But, it is a long day, beginning with pre-tailgating with coffee and Baileys while waiting for the stadium gates to open, then grilling, socializing, eating, drinking, and going to the game. This game was especially fun, as it was a great football game to watch! http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ycn-10709525
As is I reflect on this weekend’s events filled with time with family, friends, and my work family, I’m reminding myself to be thankful for the little things. Thankful for the life that I have and the experiences that I am able to enjoy.
DALLAS, Baby!
I am an Omni Hotels Select Guest and often receive offers for free and discounted hotel stays at their hotels across the country. Earlier this summer, I received an offer to spend a weekend at one of their hotels. I decided that it would be fun to spend my birthday weekend celebrating in a city that is a cheap plane ride from Kansas City. Chicago and Dallas both came to mind right away. I decided on Dallas for several reasons.
The more I thought about it, I thought that it would be AWESOME to turn my birthday trip into a Brunch Club trip.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/The-Brunch-Club/125834977429769?ref=ts
https://amymariekc.wordpress.com/2010/08/
I talked it over with the group and everyone thought the idea sounded fun. The more we discussed it, we decided that taking a road trip would be really fun.
Brittney, Marc, Richie, and I drove down to Dallas after work on Thursday. Mako had a work commitment and she flew into Dallas on Friday evening.
We stopped in Wichita, Oklahoma City, and Denton before arriving at our destination in the Los Colinas area of Irving. The nine hour drive went by so fast. The four of us chatted, listened to music, read, and slept on the way. We arrived at the hotel at about 1 am on Friday morning.
Friday was nice and relaxing. I slept until I woke up without an alarm and then went for a nice run on a few of the paths/trails near the hotel. Luckily the staff met me at the door with an ice cold bottle of water and a towel. I spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool. It was a nice break from my usual daily life.
Mako flew in Friday evening and we met a few of her friends for dinner at a Japanese restaurant near our hotel. The staff sang happy birthday to me and brought a very generous slice of cake for our group to share. The food was delicious but the service left something to be desired.
After dinner, we headed to downtown Dallas to experience the night life. We took a lot of great pictures and met some interesting people.
Saturday, I went for another run and lounged by the pool while the rest of the group got out to experience some of the city. I attended 5:00 Mass at the University of Dallas and had a nice visit with one of the bartenders at the hotel bar. The driver that took me too and from church was very interesting. He grew up in Jersey and lived all over Europe and just moved to the DFW area. We actually talked quite a bit about his family that lives in the Kansas City area.
Our group reconvened and headed to Uptown Dallas for Tex-Mex and more night life.
Mako and I are pretty big fans of Kidd Kraddick in the Morning (www.kiddlive.com) which is syndicated out of Dallas. We actually stayed across the street from their studio, but the show was in Naples all week. Anyway, one of the cast members, Big Al Mack, owns a bar in Uptown, so we headed there for drinks in hopes that I could get a birthday picture with Big Al. Not only did I get picture, but we also received some drinks and birthday cake on the house.
We met some really cool people at MAT…hopefully we can keep in touch.
A definite highlight of the trip was Sunday brunch at Blue Mesa. The brunch is all inclusive, all you can eat buffet with unlimited champagne and mimosas. There are multiple buffet lines with traditional breakfast items, authentic southwest and Mexican dishes, and an array of desserts, fruit, and salads. Boy did we eat! I have to say the first hour or so of the car ride home was miserable as I let my food digest.
We got a little “lost” in that we were on US 75 hwy as opposed to I-35 for the first couple of hours of the trip, so we had to take a few minor detours. On the way home we stopped just south of Oklahoma City, Wichita, and Emporia. It was a nine hour drive so we had plenty of time to talk and REALLY get to know each other.
All in all it was a fabulous trip and we had a GREAT time.
Mother’s Day
I ran the Mother’s Day 5K Race at Corporate Woods yesterday. The race started at 8:00 in the morning on Sunday. I admit that I didn’t want to get up to the gray weather after only four hours of sleep. I had a really full day on Saturday, so I didn’t go to bed until about 2:00 am and woke up with my alarm at 6:30. I put on my running gear, sent a few Happy Mothers day texts, emails, and Facebook messages, and headed out the door.
It was amazing that I found parking right away and was able to get to the starting line with thirty minutes to spare. The race was for women only, and they were everywhere. The emcee was trying to get the energy going via the loud speaker and made several announcements of the various teams that were present. One thing that was really cool was the number of mother-daughter-granddaughter teams that were present from all over. For many, this run has become a Mother’s Day family tradition.
There were prizes for those who had completed their first race ever, for those under 12, and they even had a “middle of the pack” award. In addition to the run being a fundraiser for Kansas City Express, a local women’s’ running and walking club, the race is also a way to encourage fitness of all levels in people of all ages, shapes, and sizes. Recognizing first timers, children, and slower runners were all great ways to get the message out.
There were men on the sidelines throughout the entire course cheering on their wives, sisters, and mothers. I was really impressed at the family oriented atmosphere of the race.
I admit, I was a little jealous of those families that were there running together and cheering each other on, as I came by myself. Maybe one day I can get my sister to run with me…we will see….
After I crossed the finish, I headed for the food tent. I don’t normally do that after races…it seems counterproductive to run 3 +miles and then go pig out on donuts, bagels, soda, etc. However, I did go for a Krispy Kreme and it was DELCIOUS! After I enjoyed my donut, I headed to find my car. As I was walking, I passed a sign that said “Be the best you can be” I’m trying to keep that in mind as I continue my workouts this week. The next run on the books is the Jazz in the Woods 5k on June 12.
http://www.active.com/running/overland-park-ks/jazz-in-the-woods-5k-runwalk-2010“>http://www.active.com/running/overland-park-ks/jazz-in-the-woods-5k-runwalk-2010</a>
Wow!
I went into this weekend knowing that I had a LOT going on, and it was a little crazy to try to be in a million places, but I live for being really busy.
I had a “pre” weekend outing on Thursday with a group of friends. We went down to Westport for live music, so it made for a late night. The next morning I drank a lot of coffee so that I could stay a wake for my busy day.
I tried to finish work as soon as I could so that I could run errands and be ready by the time my friend was going to pick me up at 3:00 to go out to the K. We had to meet with the sales staff to finish up some details for an event that we are hosting out there in a couple of weeks.
After we took care of our business, my friend dropped me off so that I could wait on another friend to come and pick me up so that we could go back to the stadium for the Royals vs Twins game at 7:00.
The game was AWESOME….nice weather, lots of trips to the concession stands, and post game fireworks.
We got home and I went straight to bed as I had an early morning ahead…the plan was to drive to Manhattan for KSU’s Open House, go to my cousin’s wedding in the afternoon, and then head to the KSU Spring Game on Saturday evening.
Well…I woke up at about 2:00 am and was sick the rest of the night and didn’t go to bed until I was scheduled to be up to pick up my friends for the trip to Manhattan. I normally eat a lot of steamed and raw veggies and lean proteins, so I think the combination of the pastries that I ate Friday morning and all of the random concession stand food at the game really did a number on my stomach…ugh.
I decided the only thing I could do was stay in bed and get some rest, so I called my friends and told them to go to Manhattan without me and I also called Grandma and told her to head to the wedding without me. I was SUPER disappointed….
I felt well enough to make it to the game Saturday evening and was able to bring my friends back to Kansas City afterward.
Again, I went straight to bed because I had to be up early again, as my friend was picking me up at 6:20 so that we could head to a 4 mile race that we were running. I was pretty nervous as I hadn’t been feeling well or eating , drinking, or sleeping properly…but, I still managed to get up and run the four miles…well I ran most of the time and walked a bit too….
After the run a few of us met up for brunch. I went home and finally crashed. I love staying busy, but my body doesn’t always love it!
I’ve got to do some laundry and a few other things and I think I will be ready for the week!
Loving Life
This weekend was one of those weekends that reminded me that my life is actually pretty good and I should be VERY thankful for what I have and the people in my life.
I moved to Kansas City about four years ago and my two favorite things about my experience so far are my job and all of the fabulous people who I have met through work, church, volunteer work, sporting events, and various social activities.
This weekend I was able to spend time with some of the new friends that I have made fairly recently.
I left work at about 3:00 on Friday a bit fried from the week. I took a mini nap and then was ready to start the weekend. A friend met me at my house so that we could meet a few friends for dinner at a local restaurant. (see my previous post for more on that dining experience!) We ate and drank and had a great time chatting and getting to know each other.
After dinner, we headed to another local spot to hear a favorite local musician of mine play. We were guests of the manager at the establishment as a result of a negative service experience from a week or so before. We met a few more friends and enjoyed the evening listening to the live music and sipping on house champagne, compliments of the manager.
We happened to be out on the same night as the Royals Red Sox game and the George Strait Reba McEntire concert, so we ran into lots of interesting people. We captured several of our fun moments of the evening…we all had our cameras and phones and took a lot of pictures. We all had so much fun.
I kept Saturday pretty low key…chores around the house, errands, and Mass. I met my sister and 3 year old nephew for dinner and had a great time catching up with them.
Saturday evening, some friends and I decided to make plans to go to Sunday brunch the following day.
Four of us met for brunch at a popular hotel here in town. It was so much FUN. We had a great time laughing and talking and discussing our weekend and enjoying DELICIOUS food and champagne. We were seated at a table near a window and had a really nice view of the city. As we observed the sunshine and beautiful weather, someone made a comment about how today would be a good day to go to a baseball game. We checked the time and decided that we had about 40 minutes to close our tab and head out to the ball park before the first pitch would be thrown.
I’m a planner and there isn’t much that happens in my life that is spur of the moment…but maybe there is room for more of that in a 20 something’s life.
We were dressed for Sunday brunch, not for an afternoon at the ball park. We decided to stop in the sports apparel store in the mall where the hotel was located and purchase appropriate attire. After the shopping trip, we decided that we would all meet at a Wal-Mart close to the stadium and drive in together. We purchased more clothes for the game and were ready to head in.
The weather was beautiful and we had an AWESOME time roaming around the stadium and watching the baseball game.
We even made plans for a future get together.
This weekend was so much fun not necessarily because of the activities, but because of the awesome people who I got to spend time with!
Now I am ready for the week ahead!
Amy's Blog 