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.