The Rent's Just the Same

"The rent's just the same," my entrepreneur-minded father would chide when I would beg him to let us close up shop. He constantly bombarded me with such aphorisms. I thought of him yesterday. Friday began with a meeting at Kansas City Cafe. The restaurant opened early for the event. Fifteen hours later I parked outside the restaurant at 1532 Grand. Yet the establishment, open a mere twenty hours a week, had been closed for five hours. My pop might have spit on their window in disgust.

Free Popsicles

I'm a sap. Flash a sincere smile and give me a free popsicle and I'm sold. I walked out of a grocery store on July 4 thinking that Hy-Vee was the happiest place in the world. I had the opposite experience the next day. My visit to a national bookstore chain outlet was an exercise in frustration. The store was out-of-stock on their advertised sale titles. Furthermore, the atmosphere was dismal. Maybe they should try handing out free popsicles.

Taste of Troost

I'm not quite ready to proclaim Saturday as my favorite Independence Day ever, but it sure was fun. The Taste of Troost festival exceeded my highest expectations. Here are my notes. A friend and I were kind of hoping that the rapper unaccountably wearing a sleeping mask would topple from the stage. That would have insured the day's place as my most memorable Fourth of July.

Fare Is Fare

A recent visit to Chicago revealed that public transportation allows a person to travel from Midway Airport to the metropolis' northern suburbs for fifteen dollars. That's roundtrip, including a stop at Grant Park for lunch at Taste of Chicago. Inspired by that positive experience, I intend to employ The Metro tonight to avoid First Friday parking hassles. I'll spend three dollars to use bus line 123 to skip between Wyandotte and Paseo along 19th Street.

Personal Space

After I selected a spot last night at the Shakespeare festival, I left to check out the nearby puppet show. When I returned fifteen minutes later, my lawn chair and cooler were surrounded by recent arrivals. These folks were practically on top of me. My incredulous stare and agitated banter went nowhere. I watched The Merry Wives of Windsor with a stranger's feet rubbing my shins and another freak's face eighteen inches from my rear end. The world is my oyster... and I'm claustrophobic!

Dodge That Kick

For one glorious moment I thought my dream had come true. I'd heard about the Sunday night kickball games at the Beaumont Club's outdoor space. But when I got my first glimpse of the action last night, I was momentarily overjoyed. I immediately identified the line of people against a fence as dodgeball players. Alas, they were merely waiting in line for their turn to bat in a relatively tame game of kickball. My opportunity to injure hipsters (and be injured by them) in the greatest of all playground games remains a dream deferred.

Kansas City Skinny

It's not a popular position, but I kind of like the extreme summer heat. My so-called sports injuries hurt a lot less when the temperature is over 99 degrees (this bank's LED contains only two digits). As a bonus, some of my excess padding melts away. I've coined a new phrase to match my slightly trimmer physique. "Kansas City skinny" means that a person is merely 10-20 pounds overweight. Relative to much of the area's populace, that means they're quite fit. It works like this: "I'd be considered fat in Los Angeles, but here at home I'm Kansas City skinny."

Crummy Bob

The best-kept secret at Sandstone amphitheater is hiding in plain view. The Papa Bob's Bar-B-Que outlet has lifted my spirits during both of my visits to the Bonner Springs concert venue this month. Why stand in line to buy generic hot dogs and french fries when a delicious smoked turkey leg or spicy "Crummy Bob" sandwich can be had without much of a wait?

Maui Wowee

Sugar salad- what a great idea! That was my initial impression of Maui Express' teriyaki bowls. Even broccoli is delicious when coated with sweet sauce. Much like Sweet Tomatoes, the modest establishment near Shawnee Mission West provides a healthier (and pricier) fast food alternative to burgers and burritos. Three prominent blogger-types offer detailed positive reviews at Yelp.

Muse of the Missouri

When my parents announced that our family would be moving to Kansas City they attempted to soften the blow by giving me a coffee table book about the town. I liked the pictures of the Chiefs, Royals, Kings and Scouts but it was the many images of topless women that sold my ten-year-old self on the idea of a new home. Decades later, I still catch myself checking them out.