One Last Camping Trip Before Winter

The Bluffs at our Campsite

We went on our second and final camping trip of the year the weekend of October 16. I took the day off work so we could travel to western Kansas, where we have camped previously. This would be our third trip to Hipcamp C2T Ranch on the Saline River. We love it there, and this proved to be another great camping trip just north of Hays, Kansas.

We once again rented a U-Haul to pack our items so we could all go in one car. Erin, Greg, Carrie, and I left Friday morning around 8 a.m. and headed west. We made a few stops along the way, including our usual spot in Alma, Kansas, where we stopped to get some snacks, check out the cheese, and prepare for the rest of the trip.

Later, we made what is becoming our annual stop at Russell Stover in Abilene, Kansas. With snacks in hand, we were ready to finish the rest of the drive, which was another hour or so to where we would be eating.

Take on Chicken Pot Pie

We first went to The Handle Bar Tavern in Plainville, Kansas, last year when we went camping. We liked it so much that we decided it would be our first stop on our camping trip back to the area. The drinks did not disappoint, and the food was delicious once again. If you are in the area, I highly recommend stopping by The Handle Bar Tavern.

Following a late lunch, it was time to head to our campsite, which was another 15 to 30 minutes from where we had lunch. When we arrived, the camp host greeted us and took us down to our campsite. This being our third trip to the same site, we knew exactly where we were going, but the host was gracious and took us down anyway, making sure everything was to our liking.

Everything was perfect.

We unloaded everything from the car and U-Haul so we could start making camp. It did not take us long to get the tent set up and everything situated for the evening. It was a little windy to start, but as the sun went down, the wind stopped. It was a beautiful evening with no clouds, and we could see stars all the way down to the horizon.

Ready to Eat

At the site, we get unlimited firewood for $30 for the whole weekend. We also once again bought hamburgers from the camp host that come from cattle raised on the ranch. They are wonderful!

We cooked the hamburgers and enjoyed the evening talking, listening to music, and looking out over the landscape. What a great way to spend an evening.

Saturday morning, we all slept later than we normally do when camping. I think we started getting up around 9:30 or 10. We did not have much planned for our only full day at the campsite. Again, the wind was blowing pretty good throughout the day, but it was not too bad.

Erin and Carrie Gathering Firewood

We cooked hot dogs over the fire, and then Greg and I listened to the KU and Washburn games throughout the day. I believe the KU game started at 11, so once it finished, we switched over to listen to the Washburn game. Both teams ended up losing, but we had fun listening old-school style on the radio.

Getting Chili Ready to Cook

Saturday evening would be chili that Greg cooked for us. We started preparing everything while there was still some daylight. While the chili cooked, we went on a short hike to check out some of the other campsites. We did a little photo shoot of us walking that turned out great.

Selfie on Hike

Silhouettes of Us on the Trail

Following our short hike, we got back to camp and tended to the chili as it finished cooking over the fire. Once it was ready, we all grabbed our bowls and ladled out some chili. It was so good that I had two full bowls. I was very full, but it was so worth it.

Warm Fire and Evening

We huddled around the fire after dinner and listened to the playlist we had all built. We started with two songs each from five friends, and then added songs from two bands recommended by co-workers, with us picking which songs from those bands to include. I think we came up with a pretty good playlist.

Listen to our camping playlist on Apple Music

I ended up falling asleep while we were sitting around the fire. I had started drinking some beers earlier while listening to the football games, so everyone else had fun making fun of me for falling asleep. I was warm and cozy, listening to the playlist, so sleep came easily.

Sunday morning, we all slept later again than we normally do when camping. None of us was feeling particularly motivated to start packing up and heading home. Eventually, we got everything packed back into the U-Haul and loaded into the car.

We left our campsite around 11 a.m. and headed into Hays, Kansas, where we wanted to find a place for lunch.

We ended up finding a spot called Las Hefas Latin Cuisine that showed up in a search. It was so good that we want to go back to Hays just to eat there again. The owner/operator was our waiter, and it was interesting talking with him. He grew up in Hays, went to Fort Hays for college, and eventually opened the restaurant.

He told us that locals do not really come to his restaurant and that people passing through Hays make up more of his regular crowd. The locals do not know what they are missing.

Fantastic meal, and we will definitely be back.

Carrie Photo of our Campsite

Overall, we had a great camping trip. It is always fun to be outside, enjoy nature, sit around a fire, and get away for a few days. I am sad that we were only able to go camping twice this year. Next year, I want to go four, five, or maybe even more times.

Until next time, have a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week.

Get Out and Vote!

Greg, Erin, Carrie, and me
in photo booth

You can still vote early. We decided to go out and vote early on Wednesday. Early voting started in Topeka on Monday, October 19. I saw someone I know while we were there, and they told me they had record voting on Monday and Tuesday and were expecting high numbers again on Wednesday. I think my number was somewhere around 1,400, but I don't recall for sure. It certainly seemed like the trend was going upward.

Whether you vote early or wait until Election Day on Tuesday, November 3, make sure to cast your vote, no matter where you are located.

This is an important election. We had President Trump in Kansas a few weeks ago campaigning for Kansas lawmakers, and Vice President Vance is scheduled to be in Topeka on Monday. Republicans seem concerned, which I think is a good thing. It is the first time I can remember this much focus on Kansas from national political leaders and the media. Kansas is usually viewed as an automatic vote for Republicans.

Regardless of where you are located in the United States or which candidates you support, make sure you get out and vote. Your vote matters.

Another Year at the King Biscuit Blues Festival

Tommy and Dad Watching the Acts

I went to the King Biscuit Blues Festival (KBBF) again this year. It was October 8-10. Once again, I worked the main stage.

We did not have a lot of help this year, but it might have run the smoothest I recall the festival ever going. The acts were given about 30 minutes between when one finished and the next needed to play. It was wonderful! We had all kinds of time to get set up and prepare for the next band. It worked out great!

Anson Funderburgh Playing Guitar

Dad Shirron and I went this year. I was trying to remember how long I have been going to the festival, and I believe I started around 2004 or 2005. I am not exactly sure. I have been going every year since, only missing 2020 when the whole festival was canceled.

I thought all the acts this year were really good. Sometimes there are bands that play where you question why they were there, their sound is not good, or they are difficult to work with getting them on and off the main stage. This year, we had no issues at all. Everything went smoothly, and it was great!

Back Stage of Paul Thorn

As we were leading up to the festival, the weather was forecast to be hot, with rain all day on Saturday. As the weekend approached, we did have hot weather on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures around 91 degrees both days. It was not too bad, but it did get hot and sweaty.

Saturday was forecast to have a 95% chance of rain, with possible flooding due to the hurricane coming up from the south. As Saturday approached, though, we noticed the forecast changing. Finally, Saturday morning, the rain went completely out of the forecast. It turned out to be a beautiful day in the seventies, overcast, and with no rain at all. It was glorious!

Bart and Me Working the KBBF

Every year as KBBF approaches, Dad Shirron talks about how it will be his last, and Tommy says the same thing. On the drive down this year, I was asked if I would continue after they stopped going. Before the festival, I was not sure. I mainly go because I want to spend time with Tommy and Dad Shirron and see other friends.

After this festival, though, I can see myself continuing. I did lead a few of the stage acts this year, getting people on and off the stage and making sure they got started on time. It went really well, which made me feel better about possibly continuing in the future.

Robert Nighthawk Playing B3

Dad did leave everything he normally takes with him from Topeka at the festival for whoever takes over the stage manager role. We will see what happens next year.

Here are a few pictures, and that is it for tonight. I am writing this early Sunday evening after getting back from our last camping trip of the year.

Until next time, have a great week, and I will talk to you later.

Bobby Rush and His Dancing Ladies

Dad Watching Anson Play

October's Soundtrack

October has its own soundtrack.

The rustle of leaves across the yard. A football game in the background. A favorite song playing somewhere nearby.

This time of year also reminds me of Oliver. He loved these cool fall mornings, and I still find myself expecting to see him looking out the window or waiting by the door.

I miss that.

I'm not ready for winter yet, but I'd be happy if October stayed around a little longer.

Have a good weekend.

The Last Time Wasn't Announced

The other day, I started thinking about all the things I used to do that have completely disappeared from my life. Not major life events. Just everyday things that once seemed permanent.

The funny thing is that most of us never know we're doing something for the last time. There wasn't a ceremony when I rented my last movie or printed my last set of directions. One day it happened, and I didn't realize it would be the last.

That's what this week's post is about: some of the things I did for years that quietly disappeared from my life. There was no fanfare when they ended. One day I simply stopped doing them and never realized it was the last time.

Having a newspaper delivered to our home or picking one up at the grocery store was once a normal part of life. I do not recall the last time I bought a newspaper. For that matter, I do not recall the last time I read one. It is one of those activities that ended, and I did not realize it would be the last time. It was so long ago that I do not even remember when it last occurred.

For a while, I had our local paper here in Topeka delivered electronically to my mobile devices. I enjoyed it, but eventually I let the subscription expire and never went back. Where do I get my local news now? I rely on Really Simple Syndication (RSS). No matter where I am or what I am doing, I read through my RSS feeds every morning and throughout the day. I stay current on local, national, and technology news through those feeds.

Reviewing and printing maps for a trip was a process. I can remember having pages printed with a route, notes about what was available along the way, and highlighted directions for the trip. The papers would sit in the passenger seat. If Carrie or someone else was traveling with me, they would be responsible for making sure we stayed on the correct route. If it was a solo trip, I might have to pull off to the side of the road to read through the directions and make sure I was headed the right way. Now, of course, all of that is on our phones, and there is rarely a need to print directions or even look up a trip ahead of time.

One thing I do miss is burning CDs for a trip. I would spend time ahead of a trip compiling songs and carefully selecting music that fit the journey. Once everything was ready, I would burn the songs to a CD and use a Sharpie to label it appropriately for the trip. I would guess that if I went through some of the boxes in our basement, I would still find a few of those old CDs I created for road trips or simply for the fun of having a disc filled with my favorite songs.

As many of you know, I watch a lot of television series and movies. I remember making sure the DVR was set to record a show. If we were away from home and someone mentioned a program that was on that night, there was no way to remotely set the DVR to record it. The technology simply was not there. Recordings had to be planned ahead of time.

I never owned a TiVo, which I know was popular for many people through the years. We used an old-school VCR to record shows and later relied on the DVRs provided by Cox and Dish. It was not until years later that Dish added the ability to schedule a recording through an app while away from home. If a game or another event ran long and I was not home to extend the recording, I would often miss part of whatever I had planned to watch.

Some of the things I've stopped doing have nothing to do with technology. There are restaurants I used to visit regularly. Stores that no longer exist. Routes I drove every day in previous jobs. Even roads and routines that once felt permanent and familiar have faded away.

What strikes me is not that these things disappeared. Change is inevitable.

What fascinates me is how quickly something can move from being an ordinary part of everyday life to becoming a memory. At one point, I could not imagine living without some of these things. Today, I rarely think about them at all.

Working in technology, I spend a lot of time thinking about what is next. Maybe I should spend a little more time noticing what quietly slipped away.

It also makes me wonder what I am doing today that will seem equally outdated twenty years from now. What routines feel permanent today but will quietly disappear without me noticing?

I do not know the answer, but I am pretty sure there will be a last time I do some ordinary thing this week, and I will not realize it until years later.

Until next time, enjoy your routines and reflect on the things you no longer do but never noticed had disappeared. Have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week.

A Weekend of Changed Plans

Apple Sleep Score from 9/24/2026

Sometimes plans do not go as planned. That is exactly what happened this weekend.

I had planned to attend an NFL watch party that I have been going to most Thursdays, and I was really looking forward to this past Thursday night's get-together. We had also planned a last-minute camping trip to Hillsdale just a couple of weeks earlier. Well, all of those plans changed as the week began.

We had been watching the weather forecast for our camping trip, and it did not look promising. Rain was forecast throughout the weekend. We started keeping an eye on it the weekend before our trip, but the forecast was not improving. Rain was expected when we would be setting up on Friday night and for most of the day on Saturday. As the middle of the week rolled around, we checked the forecast again and began preparing to skip the camping trip altogether.

On Wednesday, I started feeling a little off. I could not focus, and food did not taste good. I had lunch with some friends that day and, while I ate everything, it did not taste nearly as good as it had in the past. That evening, Carrie and I went out to dinner with Erin and Greg, and I could barely eat. Nothing sounded good, and I had no energy. I just wanted to go to bed.

When we got home after dinner, I basically went straight to bed. I was in bed by 7:30 that night. I slept and slept. I ended up calling in sick on Thursday and was able to move around my meetings. I spent most of the day sleeping. Whatever I had caught caused some significant stomach issues. I was up several times throughout the night and day, but I still managed to sleep for 12 hours and 25 minutes.

Unfortunately, it was not over. I did not feel any better on Friday, so I took Friday off as well.

With our camping trip canceled, I was also unable to meet up with the guys for Thursday Night Football. By Saturday morning, my stomach was still a mess, so I stayed home and took it easy. Carrie made me some soup with rice and chicken. We had read that when you have an upset stomach, it is best to stick with foods like rice, chicken, toast, and applesauce. Saturday afternoon, we placed a Hy-Vee delivery order for a variety of those items.

I forgot to mention that from Wednesday through Friday, I barely ate anything. Nothing sounded good. By Saturday night, I was finally hungry, but I was still cautious about what to eat, so I stuck to the foods generally recommended for someone dealing with an upset stomach.

As I write this update, it is Sunday morning, and I am finally starting to feel normal. Food sounds good again, although I am still being careful. For the first time since Wednesday night, I am leaving the house. Carrie and I are heading to Kansas City to stop by Costco and pick up a few things.

While I never developed a fever, I felt miserable from Wednesday through Saturday. Thankfully, I feel so much better today. Whatever that bug was, it was awful, and I hope I did not spread it to anyone else.

I know this is a somewhat unusual post for me, but I thought I would share my experience in case anyone else is dealing with similar symptoms. Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week. Stay well, and take care of yourself and your family.

Twenty-Four Years and a Weekend in Kansas City

Carrie and me at the Washburn Tailgate

I am late with my post this week, but I have a good excuse. Carrie and I celebrated our twenty-fourth wedding anniversary by traveling to Kansas City for the weekend. It was a somewhat last-minute decision following the Washburn football game being moved back to an 11 a.m. kickoff, which meant we could get into Kansas City Saturday night in time for dinner. We stayed through Monday morning and both went into work a little late.

We had a great time at the Washburn game, which was my first tailgate of the year. Washburn won, which made it even better. As I mentioned, the game kicked off at 11 a.m. because of weather-related concerns. We set up, and to my surprise, Erin and Greg came out too. I did not think they were going to come because it was expected to be so hot, but they came out to support me. There was a nice cool breeze blowing, and we had a great spot with our tent set up along with snacks and drinks.

Oysters, Fries, and Bread at Earl's Premier

Following the game, we got ready to head to Kansas City for the weekend. We had only made hotel reservations on Thursday, so the trip was very last minute. We knew we wanted to go to Earl's Premier for dinner, but we did not want to sit anywhere except at the bar. We had a little wait, but eventually we got exactly the spot we were hoping for, right in front of the oyster shucker. What a fun place to sit! I highly recommend it if you have not tried it yet.

Eggs Benedict at Westport Cafe

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel, as it had been a busy day filled with tailgating, heat, and travel. On Sunday, we had reservations at Westport Cafe, a spot Carrie found, and it was wonderful.

We spent the rest of Sunday doing a little shopping, and we visited two breweries that had been recommended to us. It was a wonderful day and a lot of fun spending it with Carrie while trying new beers from the Kansas City area. We went to Discourse Brewing and Alma Mader Brewing, and both had excellent beers. It was a lot of fun sampling different styles and comparing our favorites. After our beer tour, we went to Ponak's Mexican Kitchen & Bar, which is one of our favorite places to visit in Kansas City.

Selfie at Discourse Brewing 

We both slept in on Monday morning since we had taken the morning off. That allowed us to make our way back to Topeka and still get to work by late morning. It was a wonderful anniversary weekend spent doing things together.

Happy anniversary, Carrie. Next year is our big twenty-fifth anniversary, and I am excited to see how we celebrate. I love you so much!

Until next time, have a great week, and I will chat with you again next weekend.

The Routines That Shape Us

Routines are part of who I am. I think routines are probably part of most people's lives. I have a routine that I follow every day at work to start my morning. Before the day gets busy, I go through my email, get rid of the junk, and leave only the messages that require action. I keep my inbox cleaned out so that only emails needing my attention remain. Everything else is deleted, moved, or snoozed if I need to revisit it later.

Today, I am going to write about what a typical Sunday looks like for me.

As you know, I regularly post to this site, and those posts usually go live on Sundays. Sometimes I write them on Saturday or earlier in the week, but often I am writing these updates on Sunday morning if time permits. Occasionally, the writing stretches into the afternoon as I struggle to think of something worth sharing. Still, I have been posting regularly on Sundays for the past two or three years. I do not remember exactly when I started doing it, but it has become part of my routine. I am always looking for something to write about or share.

I enjoy the process. It also gives me memories to look back on when I visit the site and see what I was doing during a particular weekend.

Sunday is also a time for me to watch sports. During the fall and winter months, I spend time watching football. If baseball is on, I will of course watch the Royals or other teams I follow. The television is usually on for most of the day with some sporting event playing in the background. If Carrie and I are catching up on a show from the past week, I usually have my laptop nearby so I can keep tabs on whatever game is being played that Sunday.

As you may know, I play fantasy sports, so I make it a habit to check my various leagues. For baseball, I am currently in three different leagues. That means I check rosters regularly and move players around as needed. I try to review things before games start each day, but life gets busy and sometimes I miss making those changes.

On Sundays, I spend extra time reviewing my fantasy football leagues. I am also in three fantasy football leagues this season. Whether it is baseball or football, I enjoy having players to follow. They are often on teams that I would not normally watch, and having players spread across different teams gives me a reason to pay attention to games I might otherwise skip.

Sunday is also a time for me to think through the upcoming work week. As I mentioned earlier, I organize both my work and personal email throughout the week. On Sunday, however, I spend time reviewing my calendar and looking ahead at what is coming up. Sometimes I spot a scheduling conflict and can adjust meetings before Monday arrives. I like doing this because it helps me start the week feeling prepared. Occasionally, I will also spend some time getting ready for important meetings rather than leaving all of that work until Monday morning.

Sunday is also a good day to get some personal reading done. My goal over the past few months has been to read every day. I typically read a few pages before going to bed each night, but being intentional about reading has become part of my routine, and Sunday is no different.

For a while, Sunday mornings were also reserved for a run. As I have mentioned numerous times on this site, exercise routines are incredibly easy to lose. It has been a few weeks, or maybe even a month, since I last ran. We had several trips that disrupted my routine, and then the summer heat arrived. When temperatures started climbing toward 100 degrees, I simply was not motivated enough to get up early and run before it got too hot. That was really the biggest reason my running routine fell off again. Yes, I know the weather has cooled down, and I need to get started again, but it did not happen this Sunday.

A little about my routines, and specifically my Sundays. Routines are a good thing. I know my dad was a big routine person, too. The nightly runs, visiting the same restaurants, and following familiar patterns were all part of who he was. As I have gotten older, I have realized I am very much the same way.

Looking back, I probably did not fully appreciate those routines when I was younger. At the time, they were simply things Dad did because that was how he liked things. Now I understand that routines provide structure, comfort, and a sense of normalcy. Maybe that is why I find myself following many of the same patterns in my own life. Whether it is checking email, setting aside time for sports, reviewing my calendar, reading, or writing these Sunday posts, those routines help mark the passage of time and keep me grounded.

If I miss doing something that is normally part of my routine, it just does not feel quite right. Maybe that is one more way I am becoming more like my dad every year.

That is all for today and my post about routines. Have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week ahead.

September 11: Twenty-Five Years Later

It is hard to believe that a quarter century has passed since that morning. Like many people, I can remember exactly where I was when I first learned what was happening. Some events become permanently attached to a specific place and time in your memory, and September 11 is one of those days for me.

I was commuting from Topeka to work that morning. At the time, it seemed like any other day. The drive was routine, and nothing felt out of the ordinary. When I arrived at work and walked into the building, I immediately noticed people gathered around the television in the breakroom. That alone was enough to tell me something was wrong. As I joined them and watched the news, it quickly became clear that this was not an ordinary day.

Like so many others, I spent the rest of the day trying to understand what was unfolding. The images, the news coverage, and the uncertainty are memories that have never really faded. Even now, 25 years later, I remember that day like it was yesterday.

Over the years, life has moved forward. New generations have grown up with no personal memory of September 11. For those of us who experienced it, though, it remains one of those moments that instantly takes us back to where we were and what we were doing when we first heard the news.

Today, I am remembering the nearly 3,000 lives lost, the families forever changed, and the first responders who ran toward danger when others were trying to get away. Their courage and sacrifice deserve to be remembered, not just today, but every day.

Twenty-five years later, the memories remain, the lessons endure, and the people impacted by that day are not forgotten.

Please take a moment today to remember.

My MLB.TV Year in Stats

I am a Royals fan. That is true. This has been a tough season to be a Royals fan. It is also true. I pay to watch Royals games along with all the other teams through MLB.TV. Stats are fun. I enjoy using apps to track everything from running, cycling, and reading to my sleep patterns.

In the case of the streaming stats I received from Royals.TV and MLB.TV, it was interesting to see my viewing numbers. At the time I received them, on September 1, I had watched a total of 76 games. Even more interesting, although it does not seem quite right, was the stat showing the Royals had a record of 39-37 in games I watched. I do not think that is accurate because I clearly remember tuning in for plenty of losses along the way.

Overall, I watched games involving all 30 MLB teams. There were often days, especially on weekends, when I would watch the Royals while also keeping three other games on at the same time. This image does not show it, but the team I followed most after the Royals was the Houston Astros.

I have subscribed to MLB.TV for several years now. This season it was much easier to watch games because the service is integrated with ESPN, allowing me to watch MLB games alongside other events on ESPN. The only exception is Royals games, which still have to be watched through the MLB app, whether on my Apple TV or computer. That has not been too much of an inconvenience because I can still have other games playing through the ESPN app while watching the Royals.

It was fun to see these stats, although I am a little disappointed that my total games watched was relatively low. Baseball is a sport built on statistics, and this is the first time I can remember MLB sharing viewing data like this since I started subscribing to MLB.TV. It is a fun feature and something I will have to remember to check again next year. If you subscribe to MLB.TV, you can view your own stats by visiting MLB.TV My Stats.

This is an odd post for the week, but I thought the stats were interesting. And yes, as a matter of fact, I watched the Royals lose on Friday night while writing this post.

Until next time, have a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week.