Back to KC

The other trip I took this past summer was to Kansas City, Missouri for the AP World History Grading. The past eleven years the grade was held in Colorado and Utah. I miss Fort Collins and will miss Salt Lake City but I was excited to go to KC.

KC's my hometown. But I haven't been back much since leaving the area to go to college in Oklahoma. I had only been back to Kansas City four times since 1992. So I was excited to meet up with old friends, catch a Royals game and eat the best barbecue in the world.

The College Board put me up in the Westin Crown Center which is still a very nice hotel. It might not be on Grand America Hotel Salt Lake level...but it's very nice. I had stayed at the Crown Center a few times in the past. When I was a kid it was considered the premier hotel in town. It's connected to a shopping center and just a mile up the road from Gates BBQ, one of my favorite barbecue joints in the world. I ate there three times in the two weeks I was in KC.

I ate barbecue nine of the fourteen days I was in town. I ate at Johnny's (my family's favorite spot growing up) twice. Ate at Gates three times. Arthur Bryant's is always amazing. I ate very well.

Got to go a Royals game in Kauffman Stadium. We saw the boys in blue defeat the White Sox. It was a Friday night so there were fireworks after the show. It was a beautiful night. It was my first time back to The K since I took my son to Game Two of the 2015 World Series.

The AP Reader Leadership dinner was held in the foyer that connects the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Baseball League Hall of Fame Museum. The food was great but even better was getting free admittance into both museums. I had never had a chance to visit either place. Both are fantastic. I also loved the Charlie Parker statue as the sun set behind. The 18th and Vine District is so much livelier and safe than when I lived in KC. They've done wonders to the area.

In fact, every area I visited was in better shape and in better condition than when I had lived in KC twenty years earlier. That's a rare and great thing.

I did get to drive the house I grew up in. Looked remarkably the same. Drove the my old high school and where my junior high used to be before it was closed and torn down to make way for a shiny school district resource center.

Met with my oldest friend, Paul, who I met when I was five. We caught up on old times while eating burgers at Winsteads. Met up with Tim, who I worked with in Barcelona, Spain. Tim and his wife now live in Lenexa. Good to see these guys.

There was a tornado that tracked about two miles north of the hotel on my second night in KC. Tornado sirens and everything. Got some pics of the foreboding clouds.

It was a good trip. I really enjoyed getting to know my new Jeep on this trip. Bonus was getting to have lunch with my Grandparents and family in Tulsa on my way back down to Texas.

The AP Read will return to Kansas City this June 2020. I'm  already making plans of which BBQ joints to hit up!

Disney/Universal

So this past June our big family trip was to Florida. Specifically Disney World and Universal Studios. This was another way to celebrate the adoption of our daughter.

We drove down, stopping for the night in the outskirts of Mobile, Alabama there and back. The Jeep proved a great traveling vehicle.

The Magic Kingdom was our first stop. Had to be right? It looked pretty much the same as I left it back in 1987 when I was in junior high. Highlights always include Space Mountain and riding along with my son as he drove the future world cars. We met virtually every Disney princess. My daughter was in a wonderland!

Hollywood Studios was the next stop. Reminded me a lot of Disney's California Adventure Park in Anaheim. Very similar aesthetic. Retro L.A.. Smaller park so a bit more manageable than the larger parks. Had a fantastic time. The highlights for me were the Aerosmith Roller Coaster and the Jedi Training that Ava underwent.

Animal Kingdom the third day. Very different vibe. Really cool safari themed park. Saw lots of animals and wildlife. The Avatar section was staggering in size and scope. We got caught in a monsoon in the afternoon but fortunately found shelter.

After a day off spent at our AirBnB Condo we headed to Universal Studios. My wife and kids wanted to focus on all the Harry Potter sights our first day at Universal. The Hogwarts Express and Hogwarts itself was indeed very impressive. Rained again in the afternoon but we had found a nice table in the Jurassic Park Dinosaur center. We were able to relax and eat until the rain finally abated.

The second day at Universal Studios we focused on the rides. My favorite rides were the Hulk Coaster and the Rock It Coaster. Both were some of the most amazing rides I've ever been on.

After two days at Universal we ended our Florida trip at Epcot. I really enjoyed Epcot as a kid and it was no different as an adult. It's so much less crowded than all the other parks. It seems more relaxed. I really enjoyed the Mission to Mars ride. Spaceship Earth also never disappoints.

We had a great trip. We stayed at an AirBnb condo at a resort halfway between Universal and Disney. On our off day we enjoyed the resort's pool and tennis courts. It was a great place to stay.

Now we have to think about where to go next summer!

August 19th

Today would have been my parent's 47th wedding anniversary. I think about my Dad every day.

Today is also my 21st first day of school as a teacher. I must admit that after 21 of these...they don't produce the anxiety the first several years did. Honestly, by now the years often seem to run into each other in a big blur.

Ava is now in 4th Grade, Jackson in 7th Grade. Hard to believe. Both have good schedules and good teachers. Hoping for a great year for everyone including my wife who is in her 23rd year in education.

Maybe Tomorrow

So where do I begin? Didn't blog all summer. And it was a busy summer that I enjoyed immensely. Went back to my hometown of Kansas City for two weeks for the AP World History Grading. Went to DisneyWorld, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, DisneyHollywood, and Universal Studios. Traveled to visit family in Indiana and Oklahoma. School starts Monday. Guess I should get back in the routine. Always found it ironic that when I have the most free time...that's when I journal and blog the least. And when I have the most interesting things to say...that's when I say the least. Alright. I'll get back in the groove. Maybe tomorrow.

Willys

The Jeep on the left is a little older than mine on the right.

25 Years

Today (actually tomorrow) is the 25th anniversary of the release of Weezer's Blue Album. They didn't call it the Blue Album at the time...it was just a self-titled album named after the band. It was one of the masterpieces of the 1990's and had a huge impact on me. Here was a band that rocked hard but didn't wear leather pants, feather boas and sport spiked hair-sprayed hair. Weezer looked like the kind of guys I hung out with. Just some dorks who could play and great music.

So in honor of the anniversary, my son and I joined the band via the magic of lame photo-shop!

The Swinging 90's

Just finished High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. Reminded me of 1990's London only I've never been to England so I wouldn't really know. I spent most of the 1990's in Oklahoma City, Barcelona and Dallas. But it did remind me of the 90's. Funny book yet also heartfelt. Better than the Cusack movie which moved the story to Chicago. But I don't remember much about that movie so I should give it a re-watch.

Moving on...

I have to admit I was a bit sad to hear that Live From Here with Chris Thile was officially moving their home base to New York City. The move isn't unexpected. Ever since Thile took over A Prairie Home Companion he has been making changes to the format and content of the show. Most notably, the name of the show changed after the show's creator, Garrison Keillor was accused of sexual harassment a couple of years ago. Then last year the original musical director and two cast members were replaced. The theme song changed a couple of times over the past three years as well as the organization of the show itself (a lot more music, a lot less monologues).

Many of these changes were good. But still, it saddens me a bit to see the show uproot from its Minnesota roots. I hate that so many of our cultural institutions are embedded in New York or Los Angeles. It was refreshing to see the midwest represented on a show of such excellence. The show has toured a lot in recent years and was only in Minnesota for a few episodes this past season. Everything being based on the coasts is so tiresome. A little geographic diversity in our American cultural institutions would be nice.

I'm progressive in a lot of ways, but there are strains of traditionalism inside me. I like traditions that connect me to the past in positive ways. It really won't make that big of difference to the format or quality of the show to be based in The Town Hall in Manhattan. But I will miss hearing that the show is emanating from The Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota.

I guess, for better or worse, this really is the last goodbye to A Prairie Home Companion.

photo: The show bill from Live From Here's show in Austin, Texas last year.

Happy May Day!

Photo: The workers hammering away at North Park Mall in the midst of unbridled Capitalism!

So Long, Big Sandy...

Today is a bittersweet day. After 17 years and 174,000 miles I say goodbye to Big Sandy, my beloved Chevy Avalanche. She was the best and most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Big Sandy handled ice and snow in Colorado like it was nothing at all. She plowed through wind storms in Oklahoma and torrential downpours in Indiana as if it were a pleasant day. She brought our son home from the hospital back in 07. She hauled mountain bikes, mulch, sod, luggage and everything you could think of without a sweat. She was a great vehicle for watching movies at the Drive-in. She was outfitted with a new bluetooth sound system a few years ago as a Father's Day present to me so she sounded awesome. She still looks great. But all good things must come to an end.

Back in 2002, the first day I drove the Avalanche to work, a fellow employee said she loved my new truck and said if I ever wanted to sell it, let her know first. It's 2019 and today I sold Big Sandy to her and her husband. I know she'll have a good home.

The Jeep Rules

It is a tradition among Jeep enthusiasts to wave at fellow Jeep owners as they pass each other on the road. It reminds me of when we owned a Mini Cooper. Mini drivers often wave at each other on the road. Another Jeep tradition, which I was not aware of before I purchased our Jeep, is that many Jeep owners like to seek out other Jeeps in parking lots and park alongside their fellow Jeep Wranglers.

My wife discovered this today when she parked at the grocery store. When she came out she found another Jeep had parked by our Jeep. It's a fun thing although it might take some getting used to. On two different occasions, when we had our Mini, I came out to find printed invites in our wipers to join Mini Cooper Clubs. I expect being a Jeep owner will be similar to being a Mini owner in that it's a tight fraternity.

photo: our Jeep is on the left.

More Book Stuff

I've been talking a lot about Ulysses lately but it's not even my main read at the moment. I'm actually only reading about two to four pages a day of Ulysses. Right now my main read is High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. I'm really diggin' it. I'm about a third of the way through.

Here's what I've read and finished so far in 2019...

Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland (I really liked this one, one of my fave Coupland books. Lots of emotional depth. Funny, witty and absurd. )

Lake Success by Gary Shteyngart (Liked okay. Enjoyed some of his other works a lot more. Did enjoy the topicality of the narrative.)

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (This I read out loud to my daughter at bedtime. I've read it several times in the past four decades. Really caught my imagination as a kid. Now, I find it one of the weaker entries of the Chronicles of Narnia. Still...it's a good book.)

Shame by Salman Rushdie (Wow. Great and powerful book. Rushdie is a master)

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (Mixed emotions on this one. My least favorite Mitchell book...but he has such amazing skill as a writer that that's not a real criticism. It's still a better read than most books by amazing authors. Some segments are super powerful and emotionally wrenching. But the supernatural premise is hard for me to take seriously.)

Miss Wyoming by Douglas Coupland (Another Coupland! A good entertaining read that I enjoyed thoroughly. I didn't connect emotionally as much with this one as I have with some of his other works. But this is good stuff.)

Shakespeare and Company Paris: A History of the Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart by Various Contributors including Sylvia Whitman. (A beautiful biography and history of the most famous book shop in the world. Great photos, sketches, poems, and vignettes. It was even more compelling since I had actually been there. This is a treasure of a book.)

Clarifications on Ulysses

This is why you need to refer to study aids when tackling Ulysses. Apparently, James Joyce did not mark his chapters or episodes in his book. The only numbered delineations are three main sections (or "books"). So what I finished yesterday was not an episode but the first major section.

I discovered this by reading up on the book online. I found some handy guides that even gave the page numbers where new episodes began. You can tell where they start because there is often a paragraph break at the end of an episode. The next episode's first sentence is typed in ALL CAPS (at least in my edition).

The episodes correspond generally with the story of Homer's Odyssey on which Joyce loosely based the structure of the book. I went ahead and post-noted where each of the eighteen episodes began for easy reference. I like to know how much longer I have to read in a section. Gives me an idea of where my next destination is.

So I can see why so many people have been intrigued by this book. It's not just about the read. Joyce once said that he had "put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant." He's right. There's the narrative, then there's the puzzle. Fascinating stuff.

So the good news is that I'm farther along episodically than I realized. I'm now on episode four when I thought I had just finished one. Even though I'm on the same page number I still feel like I've accomplished more knowing I only have 15 episodes left. Funny how our mind plays tricks on us. I'm thinking that was part of Joyce's intention...to show how our mind plays tricks on us.

Ulysses Chapter One

I've been reading at least two or more pages a day of James Joyce's Ulysses. Ulysses is divided into eighteen "episodes" or really long chapters. And I'm proud to say I made it through the first chapter or whatever you want to call it. Only seventeen more to go! I'm still on pace to finish by the end of April 2020, which is my goal.

I was feeling good about the read until about the last couple of pages of the chapter. Then the narrative began to wobble and phase in and out. This was completely expected. I've been told that the book becomes even more obscure and surrealist as you move along.

I like to consider myself pretty well read, but many of the metaphors are lost on me. I may have to break down and refer to an episode guide as I go along. Still, I'm proud to have made it through the first chapter. But here's the challenge: I've made it this far at least three times before in the past 20 years. It's from here on out that I've gotten bogged down and chucked the whole thing.

But today I start on the second chapter. And I will make it!

The Era of the Jeep

This weekend I bought a Jeep. Guess she's my mid-life crisis vehicle. She's a 2019 Jeep Wrangler JL Sahara. Ocean Blue Metallic. I don't get new vehicles for myself very often (I've had my truck seventeen years and 174,000 miles) so I got a lot of options on her. I plan on keeping her a very long time. We get a new vehicle for my wife every five years or so, so that's a different story. But I plan on having the jeep around for the next two decades...if she's a good vehicle. So I wanted to make sure I had her loaded up for the long ride. So far she's been great fun to drive.

I had to have her specially ordered and when I got her she only had five miles on the odometer. We put 200 miles on her just over the long Easter weekend. I took off the two front freedom roof panels on Saturday. That was a blast to drive around in, much cooler than even a sunroof. My wife was just a little too short to help me get the back roof off. It's not that heavy, just kind of awkward to get off if you're short so I'll have to have a buddy help me take it on or off. So I wasn't able to go full convertible with it yet. My son's growing fast so he'll be able to help me with it soon.

Now, I gotta put the beloved seventeen year old truck up for sale.

Projects

My son has a history project presentation over Iraq due this week. He's taking it pretty seriously. Thanks to my friend Omar for loaning him the kaffiyeh.

Some Thoughts on Notre Dame

The photo above shows some pages from my journal that I wrote a few days after we arrived back in the United States regarding our visit to Notre Dame.

The Next Day

I've read this morning that the fire at Notre Dame was apparently sparked accidentally but that an investigation is underway to determine the cause. I did hear that the roof is a total loss. But that at least one of the rose windows was survived. Apparently the organ was also saved from destruction along with many other precious works of art. The stone walls and the flying buttresses also appear intact. The iconic bell towers also survived the fire.

Despite the massive losses, Notre Dame has managed to survive and hopefully will be able to be salvaged to some degree. Looking through my photos, taken last September, I am now haunted by the fact that much of the Cathedral is lost forever. I will never look at those videos and pictures in the same way. It was such a spectacular place. Even in its burned and bruised state today, it is a place of wonder and glory.

Bells of Notre Dame Cathedral

As I type this I don't know anything about what caused the fire at Notre Dame. I don't know how much of the church has been saved.

I posted this video last September. My wife took this video during our tour of Notre Dame. After the video we went up the 300 steps to the top of the bell tower for even more spectacular views. Such an amazing work of art. Such a tragedy.

I hope no one is hurt. I hope that this was simply an electrical accident of some sort. I hope this was not a deliberate fire.

Notre Dame is Burning

I am beyond horrified to see the images of the fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. So utterly shocking and depressing. I certainly hope that the cause of the fire is not a deliberate act of terrorism or arson.

My wife and I were just there seven months ago so now I feel an even more personal connection to this iconic structure. We purchased a copy of Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Cathedral's Gift Shop. I am currently reading a history of the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore located directly across the river from Notre Dame. We have a strong sentimental attachment to Notre Dame.

Visiting Notre Dame was a highlight of our trip to Paris. It is staggering in its beauty and scale. I feel blessed that I got to walk up the over 300 stairs to the top of the bell tower and see the amazing steeple that's now gone.

I hope beyond hope they are able to contain the fire and that somehow most of the structure can be somewhat salvaged. What a horrible tragedy.