Summer Fun at the Ballpark

Royals Game Friday Night

Friday night found me at the Royals game. Erin and Greg were planning to go into the game and asked if I wanted to go when Carrie had to work that night. I took them up on it and go my ticket. They were in another section with another friend and no seats available around them, but I was able to get a seat a section away and it worked out perfectly. About the third inning I was able to move over to where they were sitting and sit right in front of them for the remainder of the game. 

Selfie at the Game

We watched a fun game with the Royals winning 7 - 4 over the Phillies. A beautiful night for a game with a cool breeze blowing most of the night. We picked a good night to go into a game with the temperatures rising on Saturday through Thursday. Not to mention on Saturday the Royals lost 11 - 2 which I watched from home in my lounge chair. We had a great time at the game and it was good to be able to sit with Stacy, Erin, and Greg and topped off with a Royals win.

Friday Night Fireworks

Friday also happened to be fireworks night. We watched as we walked back to our car where we hung out watching fireworks, chatting, and snacking. They put on a good show after the game although I did not get any photos they were fun to watch.

While we were at the game, Carrie was working. She checked in with us through the night and it even sounded as though she was following the game. We got back to Topeka late. She confirmed when I got home that the event went well.  This was my fourth Royals game to attend on the year and I think Carrie has attended two. I am hoping to get in 2 - 5 more Royals games before the post season. 

It was good to be able to go to the Royals game after a long week. Our AC is working again as of last Tuesday. Classes started and that is always a busy time. It was a good first week of classes though although still hard to believe that the fall semester has started again. 

Until next time, have a great week! 

Kansas City Kickoff: Concert, Hotel Stay, & Nashville Bound!

Carrie and John in Hotel

Carrie and I had the opportunity to get tickets to the Chris Stapleton concert in Kansas City on Wednesday, June 12. Carrie had a friend she knew that was selling tickets and we jumped at the chance. This was the night before we were scheduled to leave for Nashville, so we decided to get a hotel in Kansas City for the concert and so we would be set for leaving for our trip on Thursday.

We stayed at the Hotel Indigo in downtown Kansas City where we had stayed before. It worked out great as it was within walking distance to the concert and then a short drive the next morning to the airport.

Drinks Before the Concert

We stopped by the hotel bar before the concert to have a few drinks. Nice bar and beer was ice cold which was good on a hot late afternoon before heading to concert. It was fun sitting at the bar as we could see people walking by and we knew where they were headed in their cowboy boots, hats, and attire. No country dress up for us, but we were ready for the concert.

We made it to the concert and ready. The concert started at 7 with two opening acts, so we were a little late getting into see the first act. Not bad with good energy. The second opening act was really good. Marcus King and Allen Stone were good. Fun sound and got the crowd ready for the main event. We had a good time listening to them and watching T-Mobile Center fill up for the main act.

Selfie with Robin, Amber, and Crew

After we bought our tickets from a friend of Carrie, Carrie was talking to another friend of ours who was also planning to attend. Found out they were going to be sitting right in back of us. What are the odds? Robin bought her tickets through a web site and here we are sitting right in front of Robin and Amber. Too funny! Robin and Amber hooked us up with some free drinks from the T-Mobile VIP space where they were at when we arrived at the concert. Brought back a number of drinks for us to enjoy throughout the opening acts.

Chris Stapleton Stage

Chris Stapleton came back on for an encore and played two more songs. He puts on a fantastic show. The sound was excellent plus the video production of the video board above the stage and on the sides were excellent with interactions to what he was singing tied into visual effects on the screen above. It was fun!

Following the concert, we walked out of the T-Mobile Center toward our hotel. We immediately smelled amazing smells as we exited. There were food vendors everywhere and of course we had to get some for our walk back. We got hotdogs covered in veggies. Now, for $10 a piece, we probably would normally not have stopped to buy one, but after beer, music, and fun, we forked over the cash and carried them back to our hotel to enjoy in our room. Great way to end the evening. 

The next morning, we got up, had breakfast in the hotel bar which was really good, and then headed to the airport. A great time in Kansas City before our trip to Nashville. So glad Carrie found the tickets for the concert.

The Mavericks in Kansas City and a Relaxing Weekend

The Mavericks

This past weekend, Carrie and I took a long weekend trip to Kansas City to see The Mavericks perform. It was actually our second time seeing them in KC – they put on such a great show, and we already have plans to go again next year!

This time around, we met up with my brother Tim and cousin Tom for the concert. It was Tim's first time seeing The Mavericks, and we had a blast right up front – we were only about four or five people from the stage!

Tom, Tim, and John at The Mavericks

Opening Act at The Mavericks

Raul Malo of The Mavericks

Group Photo at The Mavericks

Selfie at The Mavericks

Oliver in Hotel Room

Oliver enjoys hotel life

We brought our dog Oliver along with us. He actually loves staying in hotels! He enjoys relaxing in the room while we're out, but his favorite part is definitely the walks he gets throughout the day. It's hilarious to see him prance down the hallway, knowing exactly how to get in the elevator, and thinking every door we pass is "our room."

Exploring Kansas City

We arrived in Kansas City on Thursday afternoon and checked into our hotel, the Intercontinental on the Plaza. This hotel is dog-friendly, and they haven't charged us a pet fee either time we've brought Oliver.

Pancakes at The Classic Cup

Friday morning, we slept in and then headed to The Plaza for a late breakfast at The Classic Cup Cafe. They have a great patio, perfect for people-watching with Oliver. The pancakes were fantastic, and Carrie loved her breakfast sandwich – the homemade fries were a hit too!

After breakfast, we wandered around the shops before heading back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon of reading, snoozing, and hanging out with Oliver.

Oliver at Breakfast

Walking Oliver Late at Night

Drinks, dinner, and good company

That evening, we met up with Erin and Greg for drinks at Chaz Restaurant and Lounge before heading to our dinner reservation at McCormick & Schmick's (always a delicious choice!). We finished the night with drinks in the bar area of our hotel.

Us on The Plaza

Relaxing Saturday and back home

Saturday was another slow start. We grabbed coffee at Summer Moon Coffee before heading to meet Erin and Greg for lunch in Lawrence, instead of Kansas City. We dropped Oliver off at my mom's place before lunch and then spent most of the afternoon catching up with her before heading back to Topeka.

It was a fantastic weekend filled with great music, seeing family, delicious food and drinks, and beautiful weather. We made some wonderful memories, and we hope you had a great long weekend as well!

Fleet Foxes Concert, Camping, July 4, and then Oliver Had Teeth Pulled Update

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday week last week. Made for an interesting week with the 4th happening on Tuesday as it was a short week for me taking off Monday, holiday, and then working Wednesday through the week. For this update, I am combining a few different updates that have happened over the past week or so rather than posting multiple posts.

Fleet Foxes Concert

Carrie and I attended another concert on Saturday, July 1. We were in Kansas City at The Midland Theater to watch the Fleet Foxes. Carrie and I went in Saturday afternoon, had lunch at Ponak's Mexican Kitchen (which is outstanding), and then went to our hotel before the concert. We had reserved a room at the President Hotel Kansas City so we would be just a block or so from The Midland Theater. The plan worked out great! Enjoyed some drinks at the hotel bar and then walked to the concert.

The Fleet Foxes is a band I have heard over the years, but had not followed. Carrie has known about them for a while and when she saw that they were playing in Kansas City, we decided we had to go see them. 

Selfie at Fleet Foxes Concert

Standing room only for the concert, so we found a good spot a section or so up from the stage. It worked out perfect as we had a railing to lean against for the show which helped the old back. The last time we were at The Midland Theater was years ago for a James Taylor concert. At that time, the theater had chair seating toward the back, but all seating has been removed from the theater and standing only with a large bar at the back of the venue.

The whole show was great! We had so much fun at the concert. I cannot wait to see what concert we go to next. This was our third concert of the summer and it was a blast! Carrie said the next day that the Fleet Foxes concert we attended might be her best concert ever. The setting, the band, and sounds were all wonderful, so I can see why she would say it is her top concert.

Camping at Council Grove for Second Time

 

Following the concert, we had made quick plans the week prior to go camping. Only a two day camp trip as we were going to the concert Saturday and would not be back until Sunday, so after getting back from Kansas City, we loaded up the car, and then we headed back to Council Grove where we were just a few weeks prior.

We went camping with Greg and Erin where we went to the same exact spot we had camped previously. We love the spot and really enjoy the lake too. We rented a boat again on Monday spending a lot of time at the beach. It was wonderful! This will likely be our last camping trip until the fall when it starts cooling down. 

Bulgogi on Firedisc

Sunday night we had Pizza Hut again. They were out of a lot of ingredients with the holiday weekend, but it was still really good pizza. For Monday night dinner, Carrie made bulgogi, fried rice, and pot stickers on the Firedisc. After a day on the water, it was great to eat a delicious meal. We then spent the evening around the camp fire listening to music as we do when we camp. What good memories and we love it at that site!

Oliver Not Wanting to Leave

When we were packing up on Monday morning, Oliver did not want to leave the camp site. He stayed in our tent as we were packing and then out front of it when everything was cleared from it. I think Oliver likes to camp or maybe he was just protecting his "home" and not wanting to let anyone take it. We decided to get up early on Tuesday so we could pack before it got hot and so we could get back home a little earlier.

The plan worked out great as we were back in Topeka by 11 am or so. Carrie and I spent the late morning unpacking the car and putting things away. The afternoon we did not do a whole lot. Oliver, Carrie, and I all snoozed some of the afternoon. The fireworks started in the neighborhood, so Oliver took cover behind furniture while those were happening. As it would happen, after the fireworks finished, a large storm moved through with a lot of thunder, so through the wee hours of the night, Oliver once again did some hiding under furniture. I am sure he wondered what was happening with fireworks and then thunder. Was the world ending? Poor guy! 

Oliver Post Teeth Pulled

The rest of the week went smoothly with only three days of work. We did have Oliver scheduled for a vet appointment Friday morning, so I dropped him off at the vet at 7:30 am. This was to do a teeth cleaning and possibly pull some teeth. I got a call from the vet about 9:30 saying Oliver would need to have teeth pulled. This would be the second time he has had to have teeth pulled and this time they were pulling ten teeth. I asked the vet how many would remain after today and they told me he would have around 15 teeth remaining. The vet also told me that dogs will adapt and can be without any teeth. I gave the go ahead and he was done with the operation by late morning. We were able to pick him up at 3:45.

What a sad little puppy. He could barely stand after the anesthesia. Picking him up he felt like a bag of potatoes. Blood was coming from his mouth that we could see on the blanket he was laying on through the evening. He was not interested in eating or drinking that first night which matched with what the vet said would happen. He looked so pitiful it was tough to watch him not being his regular self.

Oliver on Camping Trip

Saturday he was doing a little better and he was actually interested in eating, so we had soft food for him. We noticed he could not find a spot where he was comfortable as he kept moving from spot to spot. He would lay down, sleep a little, and then get up and move to another spot after a few minutes. We also noted that his tail was dragging behind him as he walked, so we know he is not feeling well.

It is now Sunday morning and he continues to improve. Tail is still dragging behind him when he walks, but he is eating everything we give him for soft food. Really hungry or new food to him, I am not sure. I feel bad when I let him out and he comes back in without a treat. He looks at me as if something is wrong with me that I am not giving him a treat.

We need to talk to the specialist in Kansas City about his canines to see if those need to be removed. My guess is that they will say they need to be pulled, but then does that make sense to do so or what do we do next? Decisions to be made.

Oliver will continue to improve and be back to himself before long. Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful weekend!

The Mavericks at Knuckleheads Friday, May 26, 2023 was so fun! Plus trains, tracks, and late night eating. Great memories!

Picture in Hotel Lobby

We booked tickets to The Mavericks a few months ago. We had a great time. We got into Kansas City early, so we are able to visit some spots for drinks before we went to the concert. We stayed in downtown Kansas City at the Hotel Indigo which was a good spot as we were within walking distance to placed downtown and really not a bad drive (Uber) to the places we were going for the evening. 

After arriving at the hotel, we decided to walk down to the Hilton President Kansas City to have drinks at their bar. We had been to this bar a few years ago for Jack's wedding. A few drinks and then we had a snack while we were there before taking an Uber to J. Rieger & Co. We ordered fancy drinks at J. Rieger and had a cheese and meat plate. Such a fun spot! This is where Jack and Katie had their rehearsal dinner a few years ago, so Carrie and I had been wanting to get back over to J. Rieger to take Greg and Erin. Drinks are so good and it is such a fun spot. 

Lots of Trains

J. Rieger and Knuckleheads are in an industrial area, so there are a lot of trains. Tracks and trains everywhere which was fun when we arrived and making our way to the concert, but after the concert and the following day, we were not happy to see the trains. Still a fun time! Luckily after we finished at J. Rieger a train had moved so we were able to walk down the tracks a little to be able to cross over to get to the concert. At one point during the concert, a train went by and blew their horn and the place went crazy. Just a cool spot and fun to be outside enjoying a beautiful evening to watch a concert. Amazing!

Carrie and John Crossing Tracks

Carrie and I had to get our selfie in front of the train as we were crossing the tracks to get over to the concert. Always fun to see trains and be around the tracks. Most of the trains we saw in the area were standing still, so I really did not have a chance to see them moving or click-clacking down the track. Still, it was fun to see and we have some good memories of crossing the tracks to get to the concert.

Stage Shot of The Mavericks at Knuckleheads

Selfie Picture at The Mavericks

Cousin Tom and John at Concert

I missed my brother, Tim, at the concert. Confusion on what night we were going to the concert even though we had told him it was Friday night and he got tickets for Thursday. Oops! He got tickets for Friday night, but ended up not being able to make it as Donna was not feeling well. We ran into my cousin, Tom, at the concert. He was walking through the crowd and we saw one another. He bought us drinks and later we were able to buy him drinks.

Selfie Waiting for Train to Move

The Mavericks played for another 45 - 50 minutes following their last song. Put on a great show and the crowd was having fun. Following the show we headed out to walk back over to J. Rieger as someone left their hat there earlier. This was our first encounter with a train that would not move. We waited for the train to move for 15 - 20 minutes, along with others, before we finally decided to get an Uber and head out. We would venture back to this area the following day to get the hat. Of course we had to take a selfie while we were waiting. Ah, good times!

Town-Topic Burgers

We took Uber to Town-Topic Hamburgers which was very busy but well worth the wait. We snarfed down our food along with many others in the parking lot next to the place. Town-Topic is some place Carrie has said for a few years she wanted to visit when we were in Kansas City, but this was my first trip there. Burgers at 1 am are always good, but wow, this really hit the spot. 

We drove back to Topeka on Saturday and I slept for most of the evening while watching TV. We slept late on Sunday as we are not used to partying. So happy that we were able to make it to the concert and have some good memories of the trip. Carrie and I said during the winter months that we were going to try and do more concerts this year and this was the first of the year. We have another one booked  toward the end of June and we cannot wait!

We did discuss that we have not been camping yet and this would have been a perfect weekend for camping. We did our first camping trip in 2022 Memorial Day weekend (see post) and we are not sure when we will be doing our first camping trip for 2023. We talked about going in the middle of June, but nothing is set yet. Regardless, we all had a great time in Kansas City for The Mavericks and Knuckleheads outside stage was so fun!

Fun Wedding Weekend on April 30 in Kansas City... Family, Fun, Eating Good Food, and Dancing

Carrie and I went to a wedding in Kansas City on Saturday, April 30. My cousin Lindsey married Tyler that day, so it was a chance to go to Kansas City, see family, eat well, and have some fun. We had a great time even though Carrie was having some leg issues that limited her from being able to dance, we did get some dancing in on the slower songs.

 

Dina, Carrie, and I left Lawrence to head into the wedding Saturday mid-afternoon. The wedding was outside and while it was a bit chilly, the wedding was beautiful. I saw my Uncle Charlie, Aunt Barb, Cousins Susan, Doug, Janet, Jeff, Matt, and Mike. It was fun to all be in one area and talk to one another. My brother Tim made it too so we were able to hang out for a while.

 

We estimated there were around 200 people at the reception based on the number of tables. The food was delicious and the wedding cake was good too. I could have had seconds on the wedding cake, but I refrained and only had one slice. They also had a candy bar which was really cool and had some of that too.

 

Dina, Tim, Carrie, and I were at the table with Mike and his friend Dee. Good conversation and fun watching everyone dance. Yes, we did get on the floor a few times. At one point others came over to join us and talk for a bit. As the night started coming to an end for us and we needed to head back to Lawrence/Topeka, we did a fawewell tour to say bye to our family. 

 

Our sister Jen was supposed to be at the wedding, but was unable to make it. We did see my nephew Spencer that night too which was fun as he was in from New York. Even better was that none of my cousins knew who he was and greeted him like a new person… we had to explain it was Spencer son of Jen and Kent. We all had a good laugh about that as it had been a while since anyone had seen Spencer. 

 

Before all the dancing started and before dinner, the DJ did play a Neil Diamond song and got everyone out on the foor. Next to the bride and groom in the picture to the left, you can see my Uncle Charlie on the dance floor talking to Lindsey. That was fun and got a lot of people on the floor before everything started.

 

What a wonderful evening! Congratulations to Lindsey and Tyler. So happy for them! Their wedding was beautiful and reception was so fun. I am so glad that Dina, Carrie, and I were able to make it on from Lawrence/Topeka. We had a large time and it was great to be able to see family that I had not seen in a few years.

 

Looking forward to attending another get together in a few weeks with family where cousin Mike turns a big number. He has having a party and we are invited to attend. Carrie and I are planning to attend and I am working to convince Dina and Betsy to go too.

 

Congrats again to the happy couple!

 

Our Trip to the Kansas City Plaza with our Dog for Three Days with Eating, Drinking, and Fun

View from Our Room at InterContinental on the Plaza

Carrie and I had a wonderful time in Kansas City on the Plaza following the Christmas Holiday. We had planned it back in November to make for a fun time away from home and since we were not traveling anywhere for the holidays. We wanted to stay in a hotel and because we were taking Oliver, we wanted a dog friendly location. 

We selected the InterContinental on the Plaza. We contacted them back in November to schedule the room and stay. We were told it would be $75 additional to have Oliver stay with us. No problem! The rates were really low following the holiday, so we jumped on it and booked the room.

Oliver Watching People

This would be a first time trip for Oliver staying in a hotel. He is ten and never stayed in a hotel. We were hopeful he would be good, not bark, or cause a disturbance while we were out two nights. He did great! He was a perfect little gentleman... well, except that in our room he could see the people walking in front of the shops and he would do a low bark as he watched them walk along the sidewalk. Nothing loud, but it was constant as he did this the whole time we there. The only time he was not concerned what was happening outside was when we shut the curtains so he could not see out. It made us laugh and I think he was trying to protect us from whatever those tiny people were doing he could see way off in the distance.

Overall, he did great! We took him out and did good on walks. He loved it because we took him on walks multiple times each day we were in the hotel. On the way back from walks, he had not figured out that all the rooms look alike, so he would stop at each room on our way back to our room on the second floor.  The first night when we went to dinner, we came home to find him on top of the coffee table looking at us when we came in the door... we are still not sure what he was doing, but he looked to be having fun!

Carrie and John at Dinner

The first night (Monday) we were able to connect with my brother, Tim, who was having dinner with his boys. Originally I had contacted Tim to see if he could meet for dinner or drinks Monday night, but he said he already had a commitment. As it turned out, he invited Carrie and I to join him, Donna, Brian, Jack, and their spouses. Tim took us to The Capital Grille on the Plaza. What an experience! Tim had a private space for us to eat and we had a nice visit with everyone. The food was good and the wine was flowing freely. Good memories to be able to meet up and see everyone that evening. Carrie and I did not do great with pictures on our adventure to Kansas City, but we did manage to get a picture of us at dinner that evening... no, did not get any pictures with anyone else, but it was a fun time!

BayCoyKC Sandwiches

Tuesday was a lazy day. We stayed in bed, read, snoozed, took Oliver on walks, and basically did nothing the whole day. We did order BayBoyKC for lunch. It was really good and the sandwiches were huge! After finishing lunch, we decided to lounge more, so we continued to read, watch TV, and lounge around our room. Oliver was enjoying barking at the people on the sidewalks of the Plaza. By about 4 or 4:30, we decided we better figure out where we were going to eat. I reached out to my brother, Tim, to check if he would like to meet for drinks and/or dinner, so we made arrangements to meet him for drinks. Again, no pictures of our visit, but we were able to spend a few hours with him having drinks, eating oysters, and enjoying conversation. 

Dinner at McCormick & Schmick's

Carrie and I had late reservations at McCormick & Schmick's at 8:45, so we decided to head over early to sit at their bar and enjoy more drinks, apps, etc. Our plan was to hang out and then sit and have dinner, but we decided to eat at the bar. We had more oysters, drinks, and a delicious meal all while at the bar. I opted for the lobster which was good, but could have used some butter. What I had ordered originally was two lobster tails, but they were out of that and went with this lobster pictured to the right which had shrimp over the top. All very good and we had an enjoyable time.

The best thing about staying at the InterContinentalwas that we could walk to everywhere. Monday night when we met Tim for dinner, the The Capital Grille was right across from the hotel. For Tuesday nights meal, we were able to walk to meet Tim for drinks and then walk on to McCormick & Schmick's for dinner. It was perfect! Really, the whole three days felt like date night with Carrie, so we had fun and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

By eating at the bar, we were able to beat the 8:45 reservation so we were not out as late and we could get back to Oliver who was holding down the hotel room for us. When we got back to the hotel room, he was sleeping on the couch and looked up as we came through the door. I think he enjoyed some alone time after being with us for the whole day.

Oliver at Snooze Eatery

Wednesday was our day to leave, so we set a late checkout as we wanted to sleep late (we are on vacation) and run some errands later in the day before heading back to Topeka. I took Oliver on a few walks that morning before we finally checked out about 12:30. Our first stop was going to be Snooze A.M. Eatery. This was our second visit to Snooze and it did not disappoint. We selected this place to eat as we like it and because they allow pets. Oliver was the hit of the patio! The staff all wanted to come out and see him. He got whipped cream to enjoy and lots of praise and petting from the staff. I think he had a great time!

Following our lunch, we stopped by Summer Moon Coffee which is another favorite before we made one last stop and headed home to end our fun in Kansas City.

We did this whole trip while Washburn University was closed between December 25 and January 2. I would certainly do this again as we had a wonderful time. Like I mentioned earlier, it felt like one large date night with our kid along. We both had a lot of fun and look forward to doing something similar next year for the holiday break.

Losing Track of Outs, Missing Pop Ups, and No Focus for Kansas City Royals

Should have known prior to the Kansas City Royals not playing well the past 10 games. We are 3-7 and just got blown out today by the Washington Nationals 13-2. Should have known when early in the season in a few separate games, our Royals had no clue how many outs were left. Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer both were caught on camera heading back to the dugout not knowing how many outs.

Below is the clip of Hosmer when he lost track of how many outs. Really?

Thinking back to last year, when the Royals won the World Series, or even the year prior to last year, when the Royals made it to the World Series and went seven games, I do not recall any Royals player forgetting the outs. Seems like a thing as a ball player I would track and know how many outs. Remembering back to prior to 2014, I remember watching games and seeing players forget how many outs. Back then, and possibly now, our teams were not focused.

I get it! They play a lot of games and might lose track from time-to-time on the field. But to me it seems like when they are losing track of outs, those are the times we are bad and playing bad. Those are the stretches of time when as a spectator it appears they do not care.

It is time to focus on baseball and get our mojo back to playing Royals baseball. They are off tomorrow and back at it on Friday. Come on Royals!

Brief Update on Royals World Series Trophy Tour at Washburn University #Royals #ForeverRoyal

The Kansas City Royals had their World Series Tour and Washburn University was one of the stops, so we had to show up to get pictures. It looked like a good turnout as the line was fairly long when I got there at 5. Took us about an hour to get through to see the trophy and when we left, there was still a long line of people waiting to get into see the hardware.

No mascot or players, but the trophy there allowing fans to take pictures with it and of it. It was fun and glad I attended.  Unfortunately, Carrie has been sick since Sunday and she was unable to attend. I am sure she will see it this year at one of our visits to Kauffman Stadium as it will be displayed in the Hall of Fame.

Congrats to the Royals and thank you for sharing the hardware from the World Series Championship!

Flickr album of all my Royals pictures is below... Spans a couple different seasons.  Looking forward to another fun season!

Fourth (and 1/2) Month Status Update

I am a bit late in my fourth month status update.  The pictures from the forth month, taken today (4/22), I do not see much of a difference.  However, I can tell from the clothes that I wear that the weight is coming off.  I can also tell from looking at the scale each day that weight is coming off.  Still, it does not seem as fast as it was last year when I went through this same process.

The good news is that I am running on a regular basis and I really enjoy my running.  I enjoy my time three times a week to run.  I can hardly wait and if for some reason I have to miss a run, I try to figure out when I will be able to make it up or run the next night.  As I have mentioned, I am running outside and I am loving it!

This time I am running outside and while I have had a little pain in my legs from time-to-time, it has not been bad at all.  I am not sure what I did last year when I was running where my left leg would hurt to the point where I could not walk, but that has not been a problem this go around.  My right leg in the groin area has been a little sore after runs, but usually does not last long.  Nothing like what was happening last year when I would run.

Forth Month Progress for Haverty

I took a snap shot of my progress going back 180 days.  So, well before I started my training after the start of the new year.  As you can see, I was clear down at my last weigh-in clear back in September of last year (the last race I ran) of 204.2 lbs.  The least weight I have weighed in a long time.  I am currently as of this morning at 212.4.  I feel good and I can run four miles easily without walking.  I am averaging a pace of 10m:44s with a average speed of 5.59 mph. The only problem I have been having is that I sometimes start my run way too fast (quickest mile so far is 8m51s) which I think might be causing my groin to be sore following the run.  I am trying to control my run and not run so fast.

I have started using a new application for my phone that I am really enjoying.  It is called Endomondo and it is helping to track my runs, cycling, and walking.  It does a number of other items too as far as tracking of my workouts.  I definitely recommend checking it out as I have enjoyed it so far.  I listen to my music when I run and the app keeps me updated on my miles.

So far this year, I have run in one race which was a 2 mile fun run in Manhattan, Kansas.  It was a good way to start out the year and helped me to get focused for upcoming races.  That race was back in March for St. Patrick's Day.  The next race I will be in is this Sunday for the Trolly Run.  This is a four mile race which is timed.  I will be running with Autumn and Shayne Friedli.  We are looking forward to it although Shane and Autumn have both been fighting a head cold.  We will be leaving Sunday morning from Topeka at about 4:30 in the AM.  Early start for what I expect to be a fun event and I think I am as ready as I will ever be to run.

Future 5K races that I will be in this year include the Fiesta Mexicana 5K which will be in July followed by the  Susan B Komen 5K in Kansas City in August.  The last one I have planned is the Washburn Alumni 5K Fun Run.  For me, it is important to have races to run in that keep me focused on my workouts.  Following the 2011 Washburn Alumni fun run this past year, I did not have anything to focus on, so I lost interest in running and got very lazy.  We entered the holiday season and my weight sky rocketed until I started working out again on January 2.

My goal this year is to work out all year.  Although I might be eating foods that I like come November and December, I plan to continue running and stay in shape.  I do not want to go through what I did this year when I started running where I could not even run a minute without losing my breath or having pains in my stomach or legs.  I have motivation with running and I truly enjoy my runs.  Even when it is raining outside and I am forced to run on our treadmill, I enjoy it and look forward to doing so.

Finally, I am sorry that it took me so long to update for this month.  This is of course all for me and my keeping a plan.  As the weeks clicked by from April 1, I kept reminding myself that I had not posted a update for the month.  Well, here we are at the last week of April and I am finally getting it posted.  Better late then never I suppose.... I do plan to post a new update following the 4 mile race this upcoming Sunday to let you know how it goes and my status going into May.

Happy running to you all and keep up the good work on your life style change!

John Bale is a Idiot!

John Bale, LHP for Kansas City Royals, who has been on the DL the past few weeks because of a shoulder injury will remain on the DL. In frustration over his shoulder not healing as fast as he would like punched a hotel room door. Did he punch it with his non-pitching hand? No! He punched it with his pitching hand. Idiot!

John Bale is 33 years old and has been playing in the majors for 1999. This is something I would expect to see from a teenager in high school. If he was frustrated with the rate at which his shoulder was healing at least use the sense to hit the door with your non-pitching hand. Idiot!

Bale has pitched 15.1 innings and been rocked for 13 hits in only three appearances. He has a 7.63 ERA in his second year with the Royals. "They've got to think about how it's going to affect the rest of their team -- how it's going to affect their individual possibilities of being able to perform" Royals manager, Trey Hillman, said of the incident.

Brett Tomko pitches in tonights game against the Angels. The Royals swept the Cleveland Indians yesterday afternoon 2 - 0 improving their record to 14 - 16. The Angels spanked KC when we visited them back in April. Tomko needs to have a great outing tonight to help the Royals. Tomko has not been good at all in six starts. He has a 6.26 ERA and has has struggled
in all but one of those appearances.

Time will tell how Bale's actions will impact the Royals. Not being impressed with his abilities early in the season, his punching the door could be a bonus to the Royals.

Note that prior to Friday's game Trey Hillman shaved off his goat. Since that day, the Royals are 2 - 0 (Friday was rained out). I noticed in yesterdays game that Hillman had a clean shaven face. Can that be the spark that will help the Royals keep a 2 game winning streak? We can only
hope!

Tenth Win Finally Arrives for the Royals

The Kansas City Royals finally win their tenth win of the season last night. They are on a two game winning streak with both wins coming from the Toronto Blue Jays. The Royals won last night 2 - 1. Their ten win coming after a seven game losing streak. Their last win before the losing streak coming from the Angels back on April 16 (see my post from April 17). The Royals managed to from a half game out of first to dead last in the AL Central. What a streak!

The team, fans, announcers, and other teams were all in awe of the Royals starting the season on an unexpected run that placed them in first place. There does seem to be a split between fans. You have those that know what would eventually come to the Royals and those that thought we could win the division. Well, the seven game losing streak finally put things into perspective and we saw the "same old Royals".

If you did not read the article on ESPN (see Hillman adamant about changing Royals' losing ways) by Elizabeth Merrill, it is worth a read. I have said since Trey Hillman was hired and during Spring Training that there is a definitely new feel to the Kansas City team. In the article, Hillman is quoted as saying that [seven game] skids were something that he and Royals general manager, Dayton Moore, were expecting. It is good that they are finally out of the skid and have a new two game winning streak going. Kansas City has a chance for their second sweep of the season against the Blue Jays today at 1:10 PM CST.

I was one of those fans that was very excited with the start of the season. How could you help but not be excited the way they started. Still, there were some obvious problems. I still have a offensive problem with Tony Pena, Jr. He cannot bunt and he cannot hit. He is batting .156 for the season. The Royals finally scored their most runs in their first game with the Blue Jays scoring eight runs in a 8 - 4 win. Prior to that, they had scored as many as six runs, but that came in a loss to Cleveland 9 - 6.

Still, I could also feel the same feeling in my gut as I watched the seven games prior where they lost. The worst being the last of a two game series against Cleveland when the Royals played a double header on Thursday night. Along with the Oakland A's series, the Cleveland series was just about as painful to watch as a fan. Given how the team started and then to crash like that, it did feel like Royals teams of old.

For now, we will take it one game at a time. We will enjoy the wins and hope that the losses are few between. Lets get the Blue Jays for the win today! Go Royals!

Tenth Win Has to Wait for the Royals

Well, Kansas City lost tonight against the Angels 5 - 3. Their tenth win will have to wait for the series with the Okland A's coming up tomorrow. The Royals were down 5 - 2 going into the top of the ninth. They scored one run and had the go ahead at the plate, but could not get a hit after two outs. The Royals split the series with the Angels. They go up next with the A's in a three game series.

Lets Go Royals!

Kansas City Royals Doing Well... 9 - 6 on the Season

Well, if you happen to remember last season, you will recall that at this time of year Kansas City was not even close to getting their tenth win of the season. They were losing games left and right, not scoring runs, and their pitching was horrible!

This is 2008 and the Royals are a half game in back of the Chicago White Sox (they are tied at the end of 9 against the Orioles) and they are going for their tenth win of the season. Except for the fact that the Royals have not been getting a lot of runs, they have had some great pitching (starters, relievers, and closers). They have been fun games to watch and like last night I have stayed up late watching them play. They won last night in their first game against the Angels 3 - 2.

That is not to say that they do not have some odd things during the games. The other night Billy Butler popped it up and did not even bother running; the Angels recognized this and ended up getting a double play. For the most part, I have seen nothing but hustle coming from the Royals. They run like someone is chasing them to first base; they appear to be trying on every at bat. It is fun to watch and great to see when thinking back to the previous years teams when they give up running to first.

We only have a couple of items that need improvement. The first part of the needed improvement is that of our last part of our starting pitchers. We have a couple that are struggling. On the flip side, we have three pitchers that are pitching lights out. The second part that needs improvement is that of Tony Pena, jr. I love it when TPJ comes to the plate and needs a bunt. He cannot lay down a bunt to save his life. It is frustrating to watch and I cannot imagine what Hillman is going through to watch him try. However, his defensive skills are what is keeping him on the field or not putting in a pinch hitter.

The important thing right now is that the team is having fun. You can see that they are having fun while watching them on the television. Later this Summer, I will personally see that they are having fun when I go to their games. You can see that they have a manager that they believe in and that they are willing to do what he asks them to do. I blogged early in Spring Training that I like Trey Hillman and that continues. There is a different feel when watching the 2008 Kansas City Royals. There is a difference there that I have not felt for a long time when watching this team.

We are through three innings in this evenings game and it is zero all. Lets go Royals!

KC Royals go to 5 - 2

In case you missed it, the Kansas City Royals won today in their home opener against the New York Yankees (5 - 2). This makes the Royals 5 - 2 and tied for first. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers have not won a single game this year. Oh, how we can relate to that type of pain. Well, except for the fact that they spent a lot of money on their roster and so far it is not producing for them.

Kansas City plays New York again tomorrow evening at 6:30 pm CST. Go Royals!

KU in Final Four... Royals 3 and 0....

University of Kansas in the Final Four

Well, Kansas basketball has made it to the Final Four this year. What a ride! Oh, and the ride is not over! It is hard to believe that just a few short months ago the Kansas Football team was going up against Missouri in a huge game and then made it to a bowl game and won. The fun continues with the University of Kansas going up against the North Carolina Tarheels. A re-match of KU's coach (for 15 years) Roy Williams against Bill Self (currently five years).

I am so excited for Saturday to get here to watch the game. Talking to my Kansas friends I feel the excitement from them too. My KSU fans, well, not so much. In fact, even though their coach asked them to they are not showing it yet to us Kansas fans... that being to cheer for all Big Twelve teams. One of my friends parents is not even going to watch the game because Kansas is playing. Anyway, enough about that.... It is going to be a fun game. The FINAL FOUR and Kansas is playing against North Carolina.

I recall when I was growing up and Larry Brown was the coach. I remember Ted Owens before that and going to the games with hardly anyone in Allen Fieldhouse. The most we had to cheer for were the custodians as they swept the floor between halves. Me, all of eight something years old. I was lucky enough to be born into a family that had season tickets when Ted Owens was the coach of Kansas and to still have tickets when Larry Brown took over. This year celebrates twenty years since the University of Kansas won the 1988 national championship. Those were great years with Larry Brown. He left us after he won the title and we took in a unknown coach from North Carolina. Roy Williams gave us fifteen great years of great, fast, entertaining, and fun basketball. My family continued to have season tickets well into the Roy Williams era.

Roy's boys were fun to watch. Much like the North Carolina team is today. They ran the ball and played hard (aka Jerod Hasse). My Dad still talks about the Roy Williams type of ball and how much he likes it.... because it was so fast! Bill Self does not run the team as fast as Roy, but obviously Self is doing a great job at the University of Kansas.

If you have not heard, there are rumors about Self leaving KU to go back to Oklahoma State to coach the Cowboys. Does it seem like deju vu when Williams was our coach and was tempted, and then finally left, for North Carolina? Well, it should because it happened at almost the same time. Oh, that's right! It actually happened to Williams by North Carolina after we made it to the championship game. Williams heard about it in the post game interview from a woman interviewing him after they won the Final Four in 2003. OK, if Self leaves Kansas to go to OSU, yes, it will be difficult, but I think that Kansas will get another quality coach and we will not lose a lot. Do I hope that Self remains at Kansas and coaches us for another twenty years? Yes, absolutely!

I do know that this Saturday is going to be a lot of fun to watch four quality teams match up against one another. Four teams that have been number one during the course of the season. Four teams that score a lot of points and play incredible and entertaining basketball. Go Hawks!


Kansas City Royals Baseball

The Royals beat the Detroit Tigers today 4 to 1. They swept Detroit to start the season. Wow! What a way to start the season and beat a team that spent millions on their team. My excitement for the Royals continues to grow. My enthusiasm for Trey Hillman also continues to grow. Tomorrow they start a series with Cleveland and then home to Kansas City on Tuesday for the home opener against the New York Yankees. Oh, how nice it would be to be at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday for that home opener. How nice it would be to start the season with another 9 - 0 start like we did a few years back.

We had great pitching the last three games for KC. Our bats have also been producing which we did not have last year. Overall, I am pleased with the start of the season. How could I not be pleased?

I was listening to the Yankees game on XM this evening and the radio announcer talked about the Royals and how they won. He went on to say how "funny it is how fans of bad teams get excited when their team wins three games". "Like it is football or something" he said. I think he was putting us KC fans down simply because his teams gets paid so much more. Or, is it because the Yankees are in the hunt for a Word Series each year? Well, have they won the World Series recently with all of those millions? Nope! Then shut up!

The Royals play tomorrow night against Cleveland at 7:05. It will be fun to see how they do in this series and hopefully this sweep will not be their only one of the season. Go Royals!

Another Day... Another Win for the Royals!

Kansas won today 4 - 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Kansas City improved to 5 - 3 in Spring Training.  Can you believe it?  OK, seriously, when did this last happen that KC actually won games in Spring Training?  I do not recall a time when they were winning in Spring Training.  Can someone tell me when the last time they were over 500 before the season started?  I know it does not matter, but still it makes a fan happy after having losing seasons the past few years.  Oh, I should also point out that the Royals are on a four game winning streak. 

 

What I feel good about is that the Royals are producing with the bat in Spring Training.  They have posted high scores many of the games and while they did not score a lot of runs today, they hit two homeruns.  Billy Butler and Ryan Shealy hit solo homeruns in the game today.  It was Ryan Shealy's second homer of the spring and it was Butler's first homerun.  Both of which are promising if those trends can continue into the regular season.

 

OK, I need to settle down and remind myself that this is Spring Training.  This is a trend I am telling myself over and over since we started winning in this not-so-important Spring Training "season".  Oh, but it feels so good to see that the Kansas City Royals are 5 and 3 in Spring Training.  It gives me hope that following them this Summer will not feel like a waste of time when the end of the season arrives and they are just a few games shy of 100 losses.

 

I can hardly wait for the Royals to start appearing on television.  I heard that Fox picked up their broadcasts this year, so hopefully we will see a lot more games this year.  Basically, Fox picked up the Royals Television Network (RTN) from what I read.  I have not heard officially that this was taking place, but hopefully it means that their games will be available no matter where I am visiting.  Previously, RTN was only available in certain areas and through certain cable companies.  Of course Cox and Sunflower both carried the games and that will continue.  It is simply that before RTN had to be fit in on other non-sports channels; now the games will be on Fox Sports Network as far as I can tell.  More information on this later when I go and look for it.

 

KC plays again tomorrow at 2:05 pm CST against Colorado.  We will wait to see how they play tomorrow.

 

Go Royals!

 

Royals Go to 4-3 in Spring Training

The Royals win another day in Spring Training.  They improve to 4-3 on the short Spring Training season.  They won today over San Fran 3 - 1.  Another good day of hit production and the picthing appears to have held through nine innings.  Actually, the Giant got their only run in the bottom of the eigth inning, so that is not bad at all.  The bases were loaded and only one run was let through.  That is not bad at all!

 

I did not have a chance to check who they play tomorrow.  I still continue to be excited for them to start the season.  I did read a good article on Alex Gordon who was supposed to have a great rookie season last year (see:  Gordon Attempting to Put Difficult Rookie Season Behind Him) and ended up struggling.  He is expecting great things from himself this year and so far it appears that it might just happen.

 

I know, I cannot get excited about Spring Training, but I just cannot help it.  Lets go Royals!

 

Kansas City Spring Training Day Six

OK... OK... I know that Spring Training does not amount to a hill of beans.  However, I am once again excited for the season to start with another win by Kansas City today against the Colorado Rockies.  Kansas City is now 3-3 in Spring Training games with another impressive scoring drive winning 11 - 5.

 

The Royals play tomorrow at 2:05 against San Francisco.  Not even half-way through the spring training games, but again I am feeling excited about this team.  I have only had a chance to listen to two of their spring training games; I hope that the run production carries on through into the the regular season.  I believe I have stated this in earlier posts.  However, I think back to last season and recall losing games because we do not have the run production.

 

Could it be that we finally get rid of Mike Sweeney and we start being productive?  Mike was on the Royals team for the past twelve years and it was time to move on.  Back in February, Mike struck a deal with a minor league team (see Mike Sweeney reaches minor league deal with A's).  After being injury prone the past five seasons, Mike "DH" Sweeney has left the Kansas City Royals.

 

Maybe it is a new manager that is energetic that is helping this team to be productive.  I am not sure!  I do know that I am excited for the regular season to start and see how this team does this year.

KC Royals Spring Training 3/3

Kansas City played in their fifth Spring Training game of the 2008 season.  Kansas City won today 7 - 6 with a double to center that scored two runs.  The Royals are now 2 - 3 in Spring Training.  If my memory is correct, I believe that is a better start than they had last year in Spring Training.

 

I still feel the excitement with the new manager (Trey Hillman) leading the Royals.  From the few games that I have had a chance to listen to and from the radio discussion, it sounds like Trey has a completely different style of managing this team.  I sure hope so, because we need something new and different to put the Royals in a position to be a contender come September.  Trey is involved in all areas of the team and from what I have heard from announcers on 810 WHB, it sounds like the team has taken to Trey very well.

 

Carrie and I have already started talking about getting tickets for this season.  We received a notice that pre-sales take place this Wednesday prior to opening to the general public and is going out first to those that have ordered previously.  Yes, I am interested, but I also remember the second game of the season last year and freezing my butt off bundled up in the cold.  Oh, and KC lost the first and second game of the season....  They might have lost the first 10 - 15, I do not recall, but it was a bad bad start and season.

 

Kansas City takes on Colorado at 2:05 in Surprise, AZ.  While a lot of people say that Spring Training means nothing at all, it does give some hope when a team that has not produced does well in the pre-season.  Hopefully the hits (12 runs Friday, 7 runs Saturday, 7 runs Sunday, and 7 runs today) and runs will continue the rest of the March as well as into the regular season.  I would also hope that the excitement that I am feeling as well as the sports call-in shows will continue.  Time will of course tell.