King Biscuit Blues Festival Returns and It Was Memorable for 2022

King Biscuit Blues Festival Main Stage

After two years of not having the King Biscuit Blues Festival (KBBF), it was sure good to be back at The Biscuit! It will go down as one of the most memorial festivals in my memory of attending. Days were beautiful and yes I had some favorite acts too.

It was so good to see many of our friends that we would normally see every year at KBBF. Eddie, Carrie, and I got down to Helena, AR Wednesday afternoon. Much earlier than we usually arrive as we wanted to make it by mid-afternoon to help with some stage items that were happening for a tribute to Bubba who passed since the last time we had a festival. We had a fun night.

Delta Dirt Distillery

Carrie and I decided to stop by Delta Dirt Wednesday afternoon as we figured it might be our only time to be able to stop by there to see. As it turned out, Carrie and Javier were able to go there the later in the week. Carrie and I thought the place was going to be so busy would not be able to get into try it out. It was really good! I want to go back and try it when they are not limited on their drink selections. We sat at the bar and enjoyed our drinks. Yes, we could have had more because they were so good, but we wanted to get back to help out at the stage.

Drinks at Delta Dirt

Good way to start out the festival. Normally on Wednesday when we arrive at the festival, we go out to eat some place. This night, we were down around the stage helping out where needed and really having a good time catching up with everyone.

Once again this year, I did not take as many pictures as I had planned. I took a few Wednesday and a few more on Thursday. That was about it. I had also planned to record notes and information for each day from the various acts, but instead I only worked, drank, and ate. So, I had a good time and enjoyed myself.

Carrie and I with Friends

We spend a lot of time down in the "Next Act Only" area. This is where the crew hangs out, watching, talking, and laughing. As acts pull up to the area, we help them carry their equipment to the stage. Between acts, we help prepare acts for their set.

For Thursday, the first band started at 11 am. The rest of the days, the first act was at noon. So, it is not too bad and drinking cold beer throughout the day helps.

Corrie Posing in Carrie’s Hat

Eddie, Corrie, and Carrie Selfie

Tommy and Carrie Selfie

Aunt Carol and Carrie Selfie

Bart and John Selfie on Main Stage

Javier and Carrie at Delta Dirt

 See the full album from Carrie and I on Flickr Album Kings Biscuit Blues Festival 2022.

Great to be back at The Biscuit! Fun to see everyone. This will certainly go down as one of my most memorable festivals. Long break since the last festival and then everyone got together and it was as if never had a break.

Until next time, have a great week!

My Exercise Stats from September Were Up Slightly and Feeling Good

I made it through September and had one more day of exercise than I did compared to the prior month. So, that feels good. It helped that I was able to get one week of four workouts in the week which helped to give me the extra day of exercise. I was hoping to have more weeks with the four workout days, but September turned out to be a difficult month to get those quality days into my workout.

I also went for two weeks in September where I gained weight, so that was not motivating. As I mentioned, this is due to football games, tailgates, and not sticking to my meal plan for those weeks. I am happy to report that as of last weekend I had a week where I lost weight again and I have lost almost 15 pounds thus far which feels great!

I was up for total workouts, minutes, and calories burned all looking good from September stats. I was down in miles traveled during September though which I account for not working out the 12 - 18 and 26 - 30 dates. Overall, I am happy with my numbers from workouts for September. 

I told Carrie that I am enjoying my runs Saturday mornings, so I am thinking I am going to join the gym again at work just to have it as a backup in case the weather is bad and I need to run. Granted, I only plan on running one day a week, but it might also be nice to have the gym as a backup if I do not feel like riding the bike at home.

Short update for this week. I hope you have a great week!

Book Reading and Attending Author Speaking at Public Library... So fun! Enjoying My Time Reading Each Day...

My goal for 2022 was to read at least 20 books for the year. Well over the half-way point, I think I am going to exceed the 20 book count. I have read my Kindle every day since before January 1, 2022, so I have a nice long streak going of reading. I typically read over the noon hour after eating lunch and at home with Carrie and Oliver. My other regular time to read is while in bed and getting ready to go to sleep. No matter the time, what we are doing, or where we are at, I have made time to read at least once a day.

The Kindle app tracks days I read, how many books I have read, etc., so I like that part of using the Kindle device and Kindle app on my phone. Carrie told me a trick that when I have a book checked out from the library, if I put my Kindle in airplane mode, I can continue reading the book past when it is "due" back to the library. It takes me longer to read than others, but I have made progress, yet I find that Kindle app is currently showing the last time I read was on August 14. Once I finish my current book it will all sync up and show a streak again going back to before January 1.

The latest series I am reading is by C. J. Box which was a recommendation from the late Rick Ellis who worked with Carrie in Learning in the Community (LinC). I am almost done with the third book in the Joe Pickett series. I have enjoyed the books so far and there are over twenty in this series, so I should have something to read for a while.

Joe Pickett is a game warden in the north and a basic average guy who is trying to do the right thing. Protecting the land and the people he loves. The story line is good and believable which keeps me going back to see what happens next.

Carrie had heard that C. J. Box was going to be speaking at Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library this past Tuesday. We got tickets (it was free) and went to hear C. J. Box talk. The place was packed and it is possible Carrie and I were some of the youngest in the audience, but we had a great time. C. J. Box talked for about an hour about various pieces of his book and television shows which recently launched. 

We saw our friend, Autumn, at the event too although she works there, she was excited to hear C. J. Box talk that evening too. Neither Carrie, or Autumn, have read any of the books, but I know Carrie plans to read some of his books. I think my Mom is going to read some of his books too as I told her about the event and how I am enjoying the series.

I am having fun reading and finding new series to read. I have done a few of a book club books and those were good, but I also like to start a series to read the whole thing. I am always interested to hear what books others are ready or what they recommend for me. Carrie has provided me some good books over the years to read.

Enjoy whatever book you are reading...

Celebrating 20 Years of Marriage for Carrie and I this past week… We Did a Royals game and Fancy Dinner Saturday Night

Flowers for Carrie

Carrie and I celebrated twenty years of marriage on Wednesday, September 21. To celebrate, I got Carrie flowers and Saturday we went out for dinner at The White Linen which will be our first time eating at The White Linen. Friday night while not necessarily celebration for our anniversary, we have made it part of our anniversary celebration in the past, so we went to our one and only Royals game Friday night… Came away with a Royals win and a fun time.

Carrie and I at Royals Game

I realized as we were tailgating pregame that I had not been to a Royals game since June 23, 2019. There was the pandemic where we could not attend in-person for Royals games and then last year, we never made it to a game. We did attend a Royals game in Minnesota back in September 2019 and actually attended two Royals that time we were there (see post from 2019). 

We went to the game with Greg and Erin and had a large time. As I have mentioned in past posts, I am doing Weight Watchers, so I blew through my points on Friday… but so worth it! Wonderful time at The K. It had rained earlier in the day, so it was a cool night. Close to needing a jacket but an enjoyable evening.

Erin, Greg, Carrie, and I at Game

We sat on first base side down by the foul pole. As you can see in the pictures, there were not many people at the game. The food we had at the game was good from nachos to hotdogs, it did not disappoint. The beer was good too although at one location, it tasted a little off. We heard some other fans mentioning it too when we were out getting food. I drank it though, but went back to Shandy’s that always taste good. 

Following the game, we ended up going to Waffle House. Man, it had been a long time since I had been there. Last time we tried to go there, which was last year, they were closed following an Arkansas basketball game in KC. Again, more “bad” eating, but it was my cheat day, so I was fine. Curious to see how my weigh-in will work out for me this week. It tasted so good and was a perfect ending to a wonderful night.

Check-in Record for
Royals Games

If you did not know, the Ball Park app from the MLB allows you to check-in at games and it keeps track of them fo you. I was able to go back and see when I had last been at a game plus see my overall stats for how the Royals have done when I attend a game. Ok, granted, many of these check-ins were from two World Series hunts, but overall, the Royals are 21-9 when I attend their games. I think that should account for something and get me to more games next year.

I have checked into games 31 times going back to June 8, 2013 when I did my first check-in for a game. I have checked into Kauffman Stadium 27 times, Target Field 3, and Globe Life Park in Arlington once. Of course, not all of those check-ins were for the Royals. I love that the app can track my check-ins so I can remember those events. It allows for pictures and helps to remember what games I attended. 

Our dinner at The White Linen Saturday night was delicious. We had a wonderful time. We went to The Knox Cocktail Lounge which is the bar area and had a few drinks. We were not disappointed. Our friend Phil was working as bartender, so it was good to catch up with him while we had our drinks. 

Emerald Dove and Old Fashioned

Vermillion and Pathfinder

Drinks were good and we really like the bar area. Phil shared with us that they will be starting a happy hour in the coming weeks. Dark and good selection of beers and spirits. We had a good time.

Our reservations were at 7:30 and so we were taken to our seats. Kind of odd as we sat at our table for a while before anyone came to see us or ask if we wanted anything. We did not even have water, so that was kind of odd. Just about the time I was getting ready to stay something, a waiter finally came up to greet us. Once he talked to us, he took great care of us and provided good advice on wine pairings and food selection. 

The White Linen is a small eating area with only about 10 - 15 tables. The quality of the food was excellent as we were reminded us of another place that was fancy but closed down a few years ago. The name is escaping me at the time, but it was close to downtown. 

Knife and Fork Caesar Salad

Chicken Crepe

Crab Cakes

Seared Venison

White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Following dinner, we met up with Erin and Greg for drinks at Salute Wine and Cocktail Lounge. A great way to end the evening.

It is hard to believe it has been twenty years that Carrie and I have been married. Here is to twenty more and living each day with my best friend. I love you, Carrie!

A Busy Week in Review from Dinner with Cousins, Meetings, Chiefs Football, Dinner, Tailgating, and Volleyball… What’s Next?

What a week! It was a busy week at work and at home. We went to Kansas City for dinner, I attended meetings downtown on Wednesday and Thursday, Kansas City Chiefs played Thursday night, Friday we met with family at Shirrons’, and then Saturday was Washburn football with Washburn volleyball in the evening. Busy and fun weekend…

Tuesday night Carrie and I traveled into Kansas City to meet up with some of my siblings and cousins. I know my sister, Betsy, has many more pictures, but I was able to take a few pictures of others at the dinner. We met at YaYa’s Euro Bistro in Kansas City. This was the first time for non-Kansas City cousins to attend. We had a fun time and it was great to see everyone. Catch up and hear stories. Our cousin, Mike, had reserved a private dining space for us which worked out great! I hope we are able to do this again in the future and maybe on a weekend.

On Wednesday, I attended meetings in downtown Topeka for the Kansas Board of Regents. Other CIO’s at the regent institutions were attending the meeting to be available for discussion and comment on funding from the state. Happy to report that the funding was approved. I attended to show support and show that Washburn University is involved and needs support. On Thursday, I went back to the Kansas Board of Regents full board meeting where the proposal was approved. Happy to report that Washburn was approved to get funding, so we will be working over the next few weeks to develop a plan for allocation of funds.

This was my first time attending a Kansas Board of Regents meeting and I found it very interesting. It was good to catch up with fellow CIO’s from other institutions. We went out to lunch on Wednesday following the meeting and made plans for Thursday on who would return and how we would proceed. I have been meeting with other CIO’s the past year and this was only our second time to meet in-person as our regular monthly meetings are on-line. It was good to see everyone and share stories over lunch.

Thursday night was Kansas City Chiefs football. We were invited to watch the game at our friend Chris’s house. It was our “lucky” place to watch last year, so he invited us back to watch the game. The Kansas City Chiefs did not look great to start the game, but came to live and we were able to win the game 27 - 24. The Chiefs are 2 - 0 to start the season, so sitting good so far. 

Friday night, Carrie and I went to her parents to have dinner and visit with friends from Arkansas. Nancy and Jack were up for a golf tournament Jack was playing in with Eddie. Such a fun couple! We at dinner and then sat around listening to stories, some of which we have heard a few times, but some new stories too. I love sitting around and hearing stories be told. I will see Nancy and Jack in early October when I am down in Helena, AR for King Biscuit Blues Festival. 

Saturday took us out to Washburn University for tailgating and football. It was a hot Saturday with the sun beating down for most of the first half. I saw a number of friends and it was good to catch up with them. I saw some friends we had not seen in a few years, so it was good to talk to them. One has their daughter attending Washburn, so it sounds like our friends will be out for more games in the future. 

Washburn football did not start off well and could never recover against University of Nebraska at Kearney. We lost the game 21 - 13, so that was disappointing to lose a game and to lose at home. We play at Missouri Western State University on September 24.

Saturday evening, Carrie, Greg, Erin, and I attended Washburn volleyball. We lost against Northwest Missouri State 3 - 1. We got behind to start 2 - 0, won the third set, and then could not get it going in the fourth set. A rare loss for Washburn volleyball.

A busy week also means that I did not eat too great. Football, tailgating, and seeing family and friends had me eating well over my points for the week. So, at my weigh-in Sunday morning, I gained two pounds over last week. Disappointed, but I am not surprised based on how I ate this past week. 

This week will likely not be much better with our first Royals game of the season on Friday and then Saturday a fancy dinner to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. I will continue to stay focused and hope to get back to working out too. That was the other part I did not get in this past week with everything happening was that I only worked out twice. So, a lot of room for improvement for this week. 

Posting this update mid-day on Sunday as I did not have a chance to write or think about a post during the week. Hoping to get back on target this next week. Have a great week and I hope the weather stays cool.

Stats for August Working Out About Same as July Stats

The month of August was busy. The return of students to campus the later part of the semester and the first part of the month we had returned from being on vacation the last part of July. Although I did manage to get two works outs that first week of August, the second week I did not get but one into the week. I got things back in order the third week and fourth week. No changes from the number of workouts I did from July, so that was good. I slacked a lot for the month though as I look back at August, so I have room to improve as I look at September.

Although I had been saying I had wanted to get running into my routine, it did not occur during the month of August. Still, I keep the plan alive to start running to my exercise routine. We did start Weight Watchers on August 5, so that felt good. Even though we started on August 5, I did go about another week before I started working out regularly. It felt good to get back on the bike after a week of being away.

Individual stats from August had my down a bit from minutes worked out. Miles traveled were down too as you would expect with minutes being down. No change in total number of workouts as indicated previously. Then total calories was also down a lot from the prior month. 

I feel good as I look back on overall workout from August. Yes, I could have done more, but I think it was good considering a busy month and the motivation was lacking for at least a week there toward the beginning of the month.

I am always looking for ways to improve exercise process. Whatever I can do to increase motivation, work out more, and make the process interesting is what I am looking to do as I go month-to-month. True, some days I do not feel like getting on a the bike at all. I have to motivate myself just to get on the bike, but I usually feel much better after I do the bike even when I do not want to do so.

So far I am enjoying the process and I keep going back to get on the bike even when I do not feel like doing so. If I can keep it going and make it a part of my week as a routine, I will keep getting on the bike and enjoying the process.

For now, I will continue to ride and enjoy the process even on those days I do not feel like riding. Until next week, have a great week and may you keep the momentum to keep riding, running, or doing what you do.

Happy Labor Day 2022!

I hope you have had a great holiday weekend! Today is Labor Day 2022. We acknowledge the hard work of Americans who have contributed to our country and our prosperity. For many of us it is a three day weekend where we do not have to work on Monday, but there are many that work while we have our holiday.

A holiday that reminds me of the end of summer where we see pools closing, baseball nearing an end, and football starting across the country. We are past the half-way point of 2022 and yet we have a lot of great days left to look forward to in 2022. 

Enjoy today as Labor Day 2022 and look at everything yet to happen in the remaining months of 2022. Until next week, enjoy the day, short week, and NFL starting later this week.