Washburn Soccer’s Big Win and Our Quick Weekend Adventure

Game Starting

Last Thursday, before heading to the Washburn basketball game that evening, we decided to take a quick trip to St. Louis to watch Washburn soccer play in the NCAA DII Elite Eight. We booked a hotel, ordered tickets for the game, and scouted out some places to eat after Saturday night’s match. It was a quickly planned trip, and we had a great time!

We left early Saturday morning to make it to St. Louis by the 1 p.m. start. We arrived with plenty of time before the game started, so we found a wonderful spot for lunch—Russell’s Café & Bakery. After finishing lunch, we headed to the soccer game with time to spare.

Ticket Punched!!!

Washburn started strong, going up 2–0, but early in the second half, the score was suddenly tied 2–2. The Ichabods battled back and won 3–2 over the University of Missouri–St. Louis. It was exciting to cheer on Washburn in their NCAA DII Elite Eight appearance—and even better to leave with the win! We were able to make the game because everything came together perfectly for this spontaneous trip.

President Mazachek and me

Up next for the Ichabods: the Final Four in Colorado Springs, CO, on Thursday. If they win, they’ll play for the National Championship on Saturday, December 13.

After the victory, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the evening, which included a speakeasy and then dinner. The speakeasy—None of the Above at City Foundry—was a new spot for us. We love speakeasies, and this one did not disappoint! After a few drinks, we took a Lyft to our dinner destination: Paul Manno’s Italian Restaurant. We had been there a few years ago and were glad to return for another great meal.

Following a long day, we made the wise decision to call it a night by 10 p.m. On the way back to Topeka, we stopped at another favorite spot in Columbia, MO—Shakespeare’s Pizza. We arrived home late afternoon and had an early night.

Drinks and Fun

It was a fun, quickly planned trip to St. Louis to follow Washburn women’s soccer. Everything worked out great! Congrats to the Ichabods on their win and advancing to the Final Four. I’ll be following Thursday’s game via stream instead of in person.

I was a day late posting this update since I went to bed early Sunday night. Until next time, have a great rest of your week!

The Roller Coaster of Sports: Jayhawks, Washburn, and Chiefs

The college basketball season is finally here, and wow, it’s already been a ride keeping up with my teams! As many of you know, I’m all in on two squads: the Kansas Jayhawks and the Washburn Ichabods. I’ve been a Jayhawk fan for as long as I can remember, going to KU games as a kid was a big part of growing up. My Ichabod loyalty started when I attended Washburn in 1994 and grew even stronger when I began working there in 1997.

Kansas Jayhawks

The Jayhawks have been a powerhouse for years, but honestly, the last couple of seasons have been tough to watch. There were games last year where I just turned the TV off because we were playing so poorly. I was hoping this year would be different, but here we are, still struggling. We’re sitting at 3 - 2 right now, and it feels like it’s going to be another roller coaster season.

Washburn Ichabods

Newly Renovated Lee Arena

Now, Washburn basketball? Completely different story. Lee Arena just got a major facelift, and it looks incredible! Carrie and I went to the first game of the season, and seeing the new paint, court, and scoreboard in person was awesome. Washburn has started the season with an impressive 6 - 0 record.

View from our Seats

Last year, Washburn made it all the way to the NCAA Division II championship game. We didn’t win, but following that run was so much fun. This year, they’re ranked number 2 in the country, and I’m pumped to see what’s next. Our next home game is Tuesday night, and you better believe I’ll be there.

Other Sports Frustrations

Of course, being a fan isn’t all sunshine and wins. KU football? Rough year. Washburn football? Same story. And don’t even get me started on the Kansas City Chiefs. Sitting at 5 - 5, they’ve had games that were just painful to watch. I keep hoping they’ll turn it around, but so far, not so much.

The Roller Coaster of Sports

That’s the thing about sports though, it’s a roller coaster. Some days you’re frustrated, and other days you’re jumping out of your seat because of a last second shot or an upset win. Those are the moments that keep us coming back. They’re the stories we share with friends and family, asking, “Where were you when that happened?”

Until next time, enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Here’s hoping your teams give you something exciting to cheer about this season!

Spontaneous Saturday: Sports, Sunshine, and Pizza

The weekend started without many plans. By Saturday morning, though, we had decided to attend the first home game for Washburn volleyball. We had a great time going to the early match and watching Washburn win. No sports had been played in Whiting since the 1983–84 academic year (according to SID Gene Cassell on X).

Back in the early 2000s, I spent a lot of time in Whiting doing exercise classes, so it was fun to be back in the gym watching Washburn play. They were scheduled to play again at 6 p.m. Saturday evening, but we only attended the early game.

After volleyball, we headed to lunch at TaCo Topeka. While we were eating, we came up with a plan to visit a home owned by Erin’s aunt that has a pool. It turned out to be a fun evening filled with pool time, music, pizza, and laughter.

It’s always great when a weekend turns into something unexpected, and that’s exactly what happened. I’m planning for a more low-key Sunday—Royals on TV at noon, followed by NFL football for the rest of the day. My favorite kind of day!

Short post this week, but a lot packed into Saturday made for a tiring day. I’m ready to relax and enjoy watching sports on this beautiful day.

Kicking Off Another Season with the Ichabods

Sports season has started, and we’re already two weeks into the Washburn football season. We kicked things off with both games played at home. We won the first game but lost the second. We've attended both home games and plan to make it to all but two games this season. The weather has been fantastic—yesterday’s game was played in the 60s to 70s. Hard to believe, and definitely no complaints. This is great!

We started the season against Truman State University, winning 20–17. Our tailgate group was smaller at first, but a few more people showed up throughout the game. We've decided to set up our canopy for every game, regardless of the forecast. It helps keep the sun off us and provides protection in case of other weather.

We’re in the same tailgate spot we’ve had for the past fifteen-plus years, and it’s great to be next to our longtime neighbors. We always have a good time, and it was fun to see Washburn get the first win of the season. At one point, my friend Javier and I tried to figure out when we started going to football games and tailgating. We think it was around 2004 or 2005, when Carrie and I were living in Lawrence—but we’re not entirely sure. That would make it about twenty years of Washburn football and tailgating.

Yesterday, we attended the second game, and Washburn lost 34–7. As the game was ending, we were discussing whether the opponent had returned to their former level of greatness or if Truman State, who we beat the week before, just wasn’t very good. It’s still too early to tell, but we had a good time at the game despite the loss.

Carrie had a nice spot to “watch” the second half of the game yesterday. Now, Carrie doesn’t really like football—she goes because I enjoy it, and she loves tailgating. We brought a lounge chair for her, and during the second half, she was relaxing along the wall at the back of the tent, reading and enjoying the day. I’m thankful she’s out there with me for both the tailgate and game time.

With two home games behind us, Washburn will be on the road for the next few weeks. We won’t be back home until September 27, when we play the University of Nebraska–Kearney. Hoping we can get another win—or two—before we return home at the end of the month.

It’s fun to be back at the stadium cheering on the Washburn University Ichabods. It’s an exciting season with a new head coach, and we couldn’t ask for better weather. Until next time, have a great week—and see you at the game!

First Snow of 2024: A Lazy Saturday and a Promise to Ride

First Snow of 2024

Snow had been in the forecast for a week or so leading up to Thanksgiving. It disappeared and would reappear a few times, but it did finally happen today on November 30. I was remembering a year ago we had our first snow on this day too as Carrie and I went to a Washburn basketball game when it was snowing after Thanksgiving break. There was a game today, but Carrie and I were both tired, so we decided to stay home today. A pretty snow although I have not heard how much snow we had. 

The Saturday following two Thanksgiving celebrations is a lazy Saturday for us. We have dishes to do, but I have taken a few naps throughout the afternoon. Watched the Jayhawks lose their last game of the season in football to Baylor with Baylor being too much for us after knocking off three ranked teams in a row, we stumbled with Baylor.

Sleepy Oliver

Oliver is enjoying the lazy day as he relaxes on the couch in a pile of blankets where he is sleeping and staying warm. I think we had his heated blanket on too that he is using through the day. Yes, he's quite spoiled, but we adore him.

Not a lot planned for tonight. I had leftovers for lunch and will have leftovers for dinner too. They are so good! I love Thanksgiving leftovers. We have homemade pies to eat tonight which include sweet potato pie and dixie pie.

Yes, you guessed right that tomorrow I plan to start riding my bike again. I have been away from bike riding, or exercise, for a few months, but I plan to get back on the bike tomorrow and start the journey. That's what always happens following Thanksgiving where new gym memberships are started and people make decisions to start working out again. That is me this time too and hoping to stick with bike riding two or three times a week. I am feeling excited to start riding again, so that will help to keep me motivated to do so.

Until next week, have a great week and stay warm.

Meatballs, Enchiladas, and Football: A Missouri Camping Trip

Tents at HipCamp Site

We went on our third camping trip of the year with this one in Missouri at a HipCamp called Hickory Forest TV Camp Site and we had a great time. We left on Thursday, September 26 and stayed through Sunday, September 29. We went with Erin and Greg. No dogs on this trip although dogs are allowed, but we planned to attend the Washburn game on Saturday, so we left our dogs at home.

We arrived late afternoon to our camp site. Unpacked our cars and got our tents set up. Then it was time to get the stovetop going so we could eat dinner. We would be cooking two meals while camping which would be Thursday and Friday nights. We planned to eat out Saturday night after the football game.

Meatball Sandwiches on Stovetop

Our plan for Thursday night meal was simple with meatball sandwiches. Carrie warmed the meatballs in the crockpot and then finished everything put together in the stovetop. Our site had power which is something new for us when camping, but it was nice to be able to warm the meat in the crockpot before assembling and putting cheese on the sandwiches. They were perfect and just what we needed for the first night.

Fire pit, Chairs, and Perfection

Following dinner, we spent the evening around the fire pit listening to baseball and music. Prior to our trip, Carrie had everyone provide 5 - 10 songs that were five minutes or longer and she created a playlist. Part of the listening of the playlist was to guess who of the four of us submitted the song. Usually when we camp, we do some type of game around songs and playlists so we have something new for us to listen to while we camp. 

View from Lookout Tower at Weston State Park

Saturday morning we all slept a little late before getting up and going for the day. I think we were all up and going by 9 am. We started the day with cereal and then relaxing around the camp site. A few of us read, relaxed in the hammock, or just sat and chilled. Eventually, we decided to venture out to check out some new sites in the area. We made it over to Weston State Park to check out camp sites although we were not impressed with what was available. We did have a picnic while we were there which was nice. We stopped by a store on the side of the road and picked up some cider, snacks, and other knick-knacks. 

Dutch Oven for Cooking

Friday night was layered enchiladas using the Dutch Oven. It took about thirty minutes to cook with goals on the bottom and top of the Dutch Oven. Worked great! The bottom the enchiladas got a little crunchy, but it was very good. As is usually the case, Carrie finds things to adjust the next time we do these when camping, but overall, everyone ate them up and we all had full bellies. 

Food is Ready

I realized that I did not get a picture of the food plated, but the picture to the right is the food ready to start dishing out. It looks a little soupy in the picture, but it was really good. Nice job, Carrie!

Saturday morning we started the day with Carrie making us pancakes on the stovetop. We were not sure if Erin and Greg would like them as they are made with yogurt, but everyone enjoyed the pancakes and we at all of the double recipe. Again, I did not get any pictures, but Carrie has used this recipe twice that we got from the cookbook of a couple we follow on YouTube that have been camping for a long time. The cookbook is titled Gourmet in the Forest by Kellie Oden. We have used a few of the recipes from the cookbook. The pancakes are one of my favorites.

Missouri Western State University

Part of the reason we picked the Hickory Forest TV Camp Site where we camped was because of the location to where Washburn was playing on Saturday, September 28. We were set to play Missouri Western State University at 2 pm. It was our first time at this stadium. We won the game 24 - 16. 

Selfie at Football Game in Missouri

We started the game on the visitors side, but it was so hot and no wind, we moved over the home side where there was shade and a nice breeze. The fourth quarter took a long time, but we won the game. Following the football game, we had already decided we would eat in St. Joseph at Boudreaux's Louisiana Seafood and Steaks. Carrie and I had been there years before Brenda and her family, but first time for Erin and Greg. Other than it taking a very long time to get our food, it was a good meal. 

Sunset at Camp Site

We enjoyed our time camping in Missouri. The Hickory Forest TV Camp Site was beautiful and well cared for by the owner that we spoke to a few different times during our stay. We would go back to stay there again. Good location and layout of the camp site. We were in heavy wooded areas and I got a lot of bug bites. We are not sure what was getting me, but bug spray did not help. I had bites all over my arms, legs, back, and even the palms of my hands as well as fingertips. Very odd!

I was hoping to get a few more times in camping this year, but it did not work out where we could do more than the three we did this year. We got started early in February with a trip to Texas for camping and then two other new spots for us to close out the camping season. We enjoy the slow lifestyle of camping where we read, enjoy nature, and maybe go on a hike. 

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

Celebrating Love and Football: Our Anniversary Tailgate

Family Day at Washburn University

Saturday, September 21 was Family Day at Washburn University. This day also happened to be the 22 wedding anniversary for Carrie and me. We talked about staying in Lawrence, or Kansas City, for our anniversary, but made the decision we would attend the tailgate and game instead.

It was a hot day, but we had a good time. The game was exciting and it is always good to see friends at the tailgate. We had our spot set up with some new items which included a box fan to give some air movement in our tent, a new rug that we received as a gift for our anniversary, and then many pictures of us throughout the years that Erin did for us. We had a fun time and our corner spot was full with friends and family throughout the afternoon. It was perfect!

Box Fan for Cooling

The box fan for cooling our tent worked well. I am not sure we could have stayed throughout the afternoon if not for the box fan. Erin had seen pictures from people using this method for tent camping and we thought we would try it for tailgating. Game changer! It worked great with our chairs below and kept the air circulating through the tent. Carrie and I bought a larger tent which barely fit in our spot by the flagpole, but it worked out well. 

Beverage Station

We had a beverage station going that started our day. We got out to our spot about 9 am and while we did not have breakfast prepared, we did have the beverage station along with donuts. Carrie said at the next home game she will make us breakfast, so that is always a good way to start the day.

We lost 39 - 31 to Pittsburg State. Once again we were in this game throughout and had a chance to win, but a few stumbles and we lose again. It was a fun game with a lot of scoring, but could have used the win. We are now 0 - 3 on the season and playing at Missouri Western State University next weekend. 

Pictures of us to celebrate Anniversary

Selfie on 22 Wedding Anniversary

Brenda Joined our Tailgate

We had a fun time even with us losing. Joan and Eddie came out to join us for the tailgate and game. After returning home, unpacking the Pilot and putting things away, I took a nice long nap. I then went to bed early as it was a long day but so well worth it.

Happy anniversary, Carrie. I love you so much! Thank you for wanting to tailgate and watch football on our wedding anniversary. 

The Thrill of the Chase: A Washburn Football Thriller

Washburn University Marching Band

This past Saturday marked the first home game of the season for the Washburn University Ichabods. We faced the School of Mines out of Golden, CO. We started our season away two weeks prior at Emporia State and really did not play wall on the road for our first game of the season, so I was not expecting much from the first home game against the School of Mines who are ranked number five in the country. We used to play the School of Mines of every year to start the season out in Golden, CO, but this would be our first time to play them at Yager Stadium. 

The day started off cool and overcast but by game time, the clouds cleared and the sun was out. It got hot watching the game through the afternoon. We had a good crowd for the game and good amount of visitors to our tailgate spot. We did put up the canopy to help protect against the sun but it was still very warm.

Ichabods Ready to Take the Field

I love how prior to game time the band marches through the tailgate area and then a little bit later the team goes through the area too. They start at the top of the hill on the north end and then stream down the hill to the field to get started.

The Ichabods hung right in this game throughout to the end. We had a chance to win the game and then another chance to tie the game, but ended up losing 31-28. Facing the #5 team in the country, I did not think we were going to score let alone be close in the contest. However, we hung right with them and give me hope for the remaining games.

Ichabods on the Field

We were down three at the half and ended the game down three following both teams scoring a touchdown. We could not make up that last three points to win. Still, it was a fun day and it was great to be out at Yager Stadium to see our friends who were already tailgating when we arrived. 

Looking forward to the next home game on Saturday, September 21. This date also happens to be Carrie and my twenty-second wedding anniversary. Carrie is planning to decorate our area for our anniversary. I believe we are going to have some different food but we are still working through exactly what we will have on our special day. We play Pitt State on Saturday at 1 pm.

Today is Sunday while I write and I am looking forward to two events today. The Kansas City Royals play at 12:35 and the Kansas City Chiefs play at 3:25. It is going to be a good Sunday. I hope you enjoy your Sunday and have a fantastic week.

Hattitude and Happiness: A Royals Fan's Perfect Sunday

Showing Off Our New Hats

Carrie and I attended the MIAA Day at The K game on Sunday, July 21. We had a great time. We got our new hats (pictured to the right) that have the Royals and Washburn on them. It was fun seeing other MIAA attendees with their hats. It seems as though Fort Hays State University had the most people attending the game as I saw their hats everywhere. It was a fun day and I am glad that we decided to go somewhat last minute (the day before the game).

The hats are really sharp. We tried to get additional hats but we were told they are not available. Sold out or something, but later I saw boxes of hats as we were leaving the game. Could easily put those on a site to sell them as they look great representing the Royals and Washburn.

The day was beautiful even with our seats in the sun but soon the clouds moved in and provided the perfect ending to the day. We met up with the Mosers' briefly before the game to have a quick beer. Plus we saw the Ybarras' in the ball park.

Section 248 at Royals Game

Our seats were good sitting in section 248 row MM. Good crowd on a Sunday afternoon which was good. It has been fun watching the attendance continue to increase as the Royals continue to win. This was my third Royals game to attend this season and so far the Royals are 3 - 0 when I attend their games. 

We need to find our next game to attend. This next week we play on the road the whole week. We are back in Kansas City starting August 5. Probably good we are away this next week as high temperatures are back in the area starting tomorrow.

Royals Win!

The Royals won 4 - 1 this day. Got a little burnt on my knees but overall it was a great day. So fun to go in for the Sunday game and back in time for Sunday evening relaxing. As I mentioned, we need to do more of these when it is a Sunday afternoon game. It is easy to get into the games and we are having fun watching our Royals play ball.

Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week. Go Royals!

Washburn Football on Saturday and Maple Leaf Festival on Sunday... Good Weekend!

Washburn Game Against FHSU

Carrie and I attended the Fort Hays State University vs Washburn University game on Saturday. We are really struggling this year as we lost the game 31 - 28. It was a beautiful day for a game and even a little warm late in the afternoon in the sun. Carrie and I were the only ones in our spot although we had a few random visitors throughout the afternoon.

Next weekend is Homecoming, so we are going to get out to our spot a little earlier to have breakfast, drinks, and enjoy the day. It is not looking like we will get another win this season. Our team is battling injuries, surgeries, and we have a lot of freshman that are battling right now. Hoping this will help us out next year with the freshman returning next year and have some experience from this year.

Carrie and I had a good time hanging out at the alumni tent this year. We met some new people and spent pre-game talking to them before heading to our spot.

Carrie and I at Maple Leaf Festival

Sunday, we had plans to head to Baldwin, KS for the Maple Leaf Festival and we got an early start on the day so I could get back to watch some of the Chiefs game. We were able to take our traditional picture in front of the flowers. We ran into some tailgate friends and we had beers at two different spots. In my book, it was a great day at Maple Leaf Festival. 

We did not buy a lot this trip, but we did make have a good time. The sun was out in force and kept it warm when in the sun, but we were able to find a few times to get under a tent to see items. We ate some snacks which was really good this year. Corn, walking tacos, and regular tacos. It was a wonderful day and so glad we were able to make it as we did not make it there last year.

Corn was Delicious

The corn on the cob was really good this year. Fresh and popped off of the stock. I got mine classic with butter, salt, and pepper. Carrie got hers with mayonnaise and some type of seasoning. We sat on a curb and ate the corn. Perfect!

Carrie was not looking at a lot of jewelry as she had found a lot of earrings back in September when we were at the Lawrence Art Fair (see post). We did buy a few things from the Soup Lady which had a large line to get in when we arrived, so glad we were able to get that visit completed before the good ones were gone.

Baldwin City Beer Company

After finishing off the corn, we continued to walk down the street and came to a new spot for us that was not there two years ago when we were at the festival which was a new brewery. I had a few beers at Baldwin City Beer Company and Carrie sampled a few of the beers I had while we were there. She did have a mimosa and we talked football while sitting at the bar. 

Selfie on Baker University

We had to take a selfie on the Baker University campus as we were leaving the Maple Leaf Festival. A perfect day and we had fun chatting, walking around to see the vendors, and grabbing a bite, or drink, at a few spots. 

Until next time, have a great rest of your weekend and I will talk to you next week. Thank you for visiting.

President's Suite at Emporia State University and Cheering on Washburn University in Football

President's Suite at Emporia

Carrie and I made a trip to Emporia, KS for the Emporia State University vs. Washburn University game. Doug, CIO for Emporia, had contacted me a week ago while I was in Arkansas to see if I would be interested in attending the game. I told Doug Carrie and I would love to attend. We started off the day at tailgate by the tennis courts where they had a live band and food provided by a local brewery. It was a good start and then I was glad that we were headed to the suites as it was a little cold and I had not worn enough layers.

Selfie at Emporia State 

Carrie and I had a great time in Emporia for the game. Washburn did not win although we did score some points and had a chance to tie it late in the game, we lost the game 38 - 23 and moved to 1 - 6 on the season. I was able to clap and holler while in the President's Suite at Emporia, so that was fun. The bartenders gave me grief each time I went to get a drink saying they could not server someone wearing Washburn gear. It was a fun atmosphere from the tailgate outside to being inside the suite. 

We met the President for Emporia State University, Ken Hush, and spoke to him a few times throughout the game. At one point, he offered to clear our plates and get us something to drink. A Kansas Board of Regent, Cynthia Lane, stopped by to say she heard there were Washburn fans in the suite. We did see some other Washburn fans in the suite as the president (Antonio Martinez) and vice-president (Tevin Asamoah) of WSGA in the suite which was fun. Antonio told us he felt like he was the only Washburn fan in the suite and we agreed that we had felt the same. It is always good to connect with fellow Ichabods.

Doug and John

Carrie took a picture of Doug and I both wearing our respective university gear. Thank you, Doug, for the invite and hospitality of Emporia State University. It was not the outcome we were wanting for the game, but Carrie and I had a great time. It was great to be able to spend time with Doug to get to know him better. He gave us a tour of his department and it was impressive with recently redesigned office space. He told me that the IT department used to be in three different buildings, but recently combined all into one area. It was really nice!

Doug and John Game in Progress

I told Doug that next year when we play in Topeka, I would invite him to our tailgate. Although we have seats, we rarely go into the game as we can watch the game from our tailgate spot. He liked that idea and so I will need to make sure to invite him next year. I told him I wanted to get a picture of us in front of the field to share with the other CIO's when we meet for our monthly meeting this week. Doug laughed and we took the picture.

We have three more home games and I am hopeful we can get another win. We were close yesterday but came up short. Carrie and I had a great time in Emporia and we remembering when we were there years ago for another game. Something Carrie and I have discussed a few times is that it would be fun to go to different away location for games. Whether it is for football, basketball, or volleyball, it is on our list to do and this was our first step in that direction.

Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a fantastic week!

Tough Thursday Night for Washburn and Chiefs Plus First Home Soccer Game and Other Ramblings...

Tailgating Spot

Officially it feels like fall with the start of home football games at Washburn University. Thursday night started the home schedule for Washburn and it was a beautiful night. It also happened to be the first game of the season for the Kansas City Chiefs. We had a new spot to park our car, so Carrie took a picture of me in front of our car in our new spot. Much better location as it is directly in front of where we tailgate which will be nice for unloading, packing up, and having the car right there if needed.

Washburn football started the week prior on the road at Pitt State losing 34 - 7. Granted, Pitt State is ranked #4 so it was a tough game. We then played our first home game of the season against Missouri Southern and while it was close, we lost the game 30 - 23. We had a chance to win the game going down to the wire, but turned it over and it was all over.

Washburn Stadium

The weather was perfect for the first game of the season. It was good to catch up with friends who were tailgating and had not seen since the last game of the season last year. The tailgate started at 4 pm although Carrie and I both worked until 5 and got out there about 5:15 or so. Could not have asked for a better evening for tailgating and football.

Washburn is now 0 - 2 to start the season and we are on the road for our next game. We need to get a W on the road to get our first win of the season and put us back on track.

Beautiful Skies Did Not Help Chiefs

The same night Washburn was playing, the Kansas City Chiefs were playing. Kickoff for the Chiefs was a little later, so I was able to watch the end of the game after we got home. We were without Travis Kelce for the Chiefs game and it showed with KC losing 21 - 20 and starting the season 0 - 1. The last time the Kansas City Chiefs started 0 - 1 was in 2014 when we lost our season opener to the Tennessee Titans 26 - 10. We have only started the season 0 - 2 once in our history (1977) and I am hoping we do not repeat that this year. I have faith we will bounce back and get the next win. The rumor is that Kelce will return for week two, but we are a week out, so probably a little early, but feeling confident.

After two loses for my teams Thursday night, we went to the Washburn Women's Soccer game on Friday night. We had a good crowd for the home opener for Women's Soccer and we won 4 - 0. I am hoping to make it to more soccer games this year as we only went to one last year and it was toward the end of the season. The same night Washburn Volleyball played too which we also plan to get to some games this season.

I would be remiss not to mention that Kansas Football won Friday night. I was unable to watch most of the game, but I was tracking on my phone. Good start for KU and it is going to be fun to see how the rest of their season progresses.

Today is Sunday and although Chiefs played Thursday, I am looking forward to watching games throughout the day. I have had YouTube TV for a few years now and now that YouTube TV owns the rights to Sunday Ticket, I bought the package so I can watch all of the NFL games. Much to the dismay of Carrie, I will be able to watch football all day long. 

Enjoy your Sunday and have a great week! Until next time, happy sport watching...

Various rambling on a Sunday afternoon while watching the Chiefs and thinking of what to share...

I sit here on a Sunday afternoon watching pre-season Chiefs football and wondering what happened to the summer. Seriously, it feels like I blinked and the summer is over. Students move in next week on campus, classes start soon, and before we know it the year will be over. The post today is going to be more of a rambling post on a Sunday afternoon, so bare with me as I jump around on various thoughts.

Carrie leaves for Houston this week for about a week. I will hold down the fort and probably do some grilling. I need to start planning what I will cook while she is away. You may recall that last year Carrie went out-of-town and I did some grilling while she was away (see post) and I plan to do the same this time too. Last year I did grilling every day while she was gone. She will be gone about a week this time, so I might only grill on the weekend when she is gone... I have not decided yet. You might also recall that the last time she went to Houston on her own, she came back with COVID and I got sick too with COVID. Hoping that does not happen this time as that was horrible!

As we look to the fall season, we are hoping to find some time to do more camping. Ideally, I would like to get at least two more camping trips in before it gets cold. Last year we went out to western Kansas and had a great time, but it was also really cold at the end of October. We have King Biscuit Blues Festival coming up the first part of October, so hoping to get a camping trip in September in and then maybe one more in October. Sad we have only camped twice this year.

We have Washburn football that will be starting up soon too. Tailgating and we are thinking of traveling to watch the Ichabods on the road for at least one game. Fun to have this starting up again and I am looking forward to spending afternoons out watching football at Washburn University. It is always a fun time out on the campus following the game and catching up with friends. I am hopeful to have large gatherings at our tailgate spot this year and we might even break out the Firedisc a time or two.

Changing topics a little, my reading of books has slowed some. I am still reading at least once a day although some days it has only been a page or two. I need to pick up the pace and reading through the day. Right now, I tend to read only when I go to bed which means I am tired and can barely make it through a page before I put down my Kindle and call it a day. I am almost done with a book I have been reading for a few weeks now. It has taken me longer to read this one for some reason, so I plan to go back to some of my book series after I finish this current book.

I continue to fly my drone some days but with the heat we have had the past few weeks, I have not done nearly as much as I was after I first bought my drone. I continue to learn how to fly and how to respond in situations such as when the wind picks up and carries it away from me. I have not take many pictures with it since I initially bought the drone as I am learning how to fly and do so safely. I am also not taking it up high above the trees and instead keeping it at eye level as I learn to fly. Yes, I did lose one drone and quickly purchased a replacement, so it is a learning experience.

As we look at the semester starting, football season starting, and the weather starts to cool, I starting thinking about leaf cleanup for the fall. Thinking ahead, I bought a pack of bags for leaf pickup. The past few years I have called to have someone come out and do our leaves. I am planning to do this myself this year and I have purchased ahead of time the needed bags so I can get an early start once our leaves begin to fall. Not yet fall, but I have noticed some trees are starting to lose their leaves.

Enough rambling for a Sunday afternoon. Look for some posts next weekend about my grilling. Hoping to do some fun things while Carrie is away and it is always a learning process when I grill. Until next time, have a great week and I will talk to you next week.

Busy Saturday with NSO, Farmers Market, Mulvane Art Fair, and then Starting Working Out Again on Sunday... Good Weekend!

Carrie at Mulvane Art Fair

We had a busy Saturday which had us up early this morning. Carrie took part at New Student Orientation (NSO) at Washburn University. Got us up early to get coffee at Circle Coffee Co where they are starting to know our names as we are there at least once a week and sometimes multiple times in a week when Carrie has NSO to attend. Good way to start the day as I had coffee and then went to read while Carrie was working her booth for Learning in the Community (LinC). I saw a number of people that I knew and Carrie said many told her they saw someone not usually there on a Saturday hanging out.

Following NSO, we headed to pick up Greg and Erin and we went to the Downtown Topeka Farmers Market which was fun. We bought a plant for the front porch and had a fun time walking around looking at the different booths. We also picked up some breakfast at one of the booths. 

After the Farmers Market, we headed back to Washburn for the Mulvane Art Fair which was a lot of fun. Went around to each of the booths, Carrie found some ear rings, and we bought a painting. It was better weather than we thought we would have today so that was good although it was warm. We try to make it to the Mulvane Art Fair every year and we always try to buy something while we are there which usually is not difficult. Always fun to run into people we know at attending too.

Following the morning events, we decided to go have some drinks and find someplace to have lunch. We ended up in Holton, KS at Wilcox Brewing Company & Taproom where we have been previously. We had a fun time talking to the bartender and we spoke to the brewmaster briefly too while we sat at the bar. After a few beers, I got a growler to go and we went around the corner to The Cockeyed Pig Dive Bar & Grille where we had appetizers and both couples split meals.

We headed back to Topeka and had a low key rest of the afternoon which was good. What a fun Saturday that had us up early and I got in a nap during the afternoon once we got back home. Low key evening grilling some chicken and watching movies.

Sunday, the start of my routine of working out. I plan to start running on today or riding the bike which will probably be a combination of both. I want to get back to riding the bike as I have completely stopped since November 2022. Ouch! Went on vacation and never got back to the routine. It is time to start the routine and I plan to run or ride three times a week. It all starts Sunday, so I plan to update here on a monthly basis again with this being the first update that I am starting this process again. It is so easy to get out of the habit and difficult to start again. Here we go!

Have a great week and wish me luck as I start this process again...