20230221 The Kansas City Vlog: Lent Begins In Kansas City -- Mardi Gras

20230221 The Kansas City Vlog:  Mardi Gras Steamer

The Kansas City Vlog: 20210213 to 20230219 Boorish Slice of Life

20230213 to 20230219 The Kansas City Vlog Boorish Slice of Life

There was a crazy week in Kansas City for some reason.  It is time to get the best steakburgers in town.  I'm spending a lot of time at Union Station for some reason.  I kvetch a lot about people who commit crimes in Missouri and then drive fast to KCK for sanctuary.  I shop local for Valentines.  Meanwhile, I'm having brekkus.  What is it about the west bottoms of Kansas City that makes people thing apocalypse?  Wednesday is the day of the big parade.  The celebration could not last long though, as on the same day tragedy visits the city.  We also suffer when winter weather sneak attacks us.  Friday brings cold and a fire at an abandoned middle school.  Kawfeeeeee.....  Busy Saturday.  Brunch buttfey for Sunday.  Altar server lessons for the kids is at 14:00.  We finish the week at Retail Rebel.

The Kansas City Vlog: 20230206 to 20230212 Boorish Slice of Life

20230206 to 20230212 Boorish Slice of Life

This busy week begins with a fire.  Part of our job is to ask the fire captain in charge important information about the fire.  Winter is a busy time for "vagrant" house fires.  Abandoned houses and buildings become homes for squatters who set up camp as they do not wish to go to emergency shelters during the cold weather.  In desperation many of them light fires and light their shelter on fire.  They are usually long gone before the fire fighters arrive.  Vagrancy can be defined as harmful acts against oneself or others usually but not always as a result of homelessness or houselessness.  Abandoned properties provide shelter to vagrants and all the problems they bring to themselves and others.  Keeping properties empty for long periods of time is criminal.  I got to talk to an experienced fire chief.  Why is it our football franchise is not called the Fire Chiefs?  The stories I hear are a great perk of my occupation.  Speaking of perks, we were the last people to get to use the completed southbound lanes of the John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil bridge, other than construction crews.   I do an impromptu tour of Union Station.  As things change, even though possibly visually booring, I roll on the Broadway Bridge as it exists before it is altered.  Tuesday is a cityfari.  There is another word I've invented.  It means to explore a city as a wild place -- almost a natural environment.  I kvetch about the inconvenience of a major bridge being blocked as I get a steamer.  Grandview has a shooting call -- 

MEDIA RELEASE

Shooting

February 08, 2023

On 02/08/2023 at approximately 2:50 AM, Grandview Police responded to a shooting in the Victory Apartments located at 12322 3rd St., Grandview, Missouri.

Officers made contact with the victim who had suffered a serious injury and then taken to a local hospital. The suspect fled the scene and has been identified as an acquaintance of the victim. The victim is expected to survive.

Grandview Police Department is investigating and searching for the suspect.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact Crime Stoppers Greater Kansas City TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

I then drive to the other side of 135th for a car chase that had been going on all evening it seemed. We are spending our lives at Union Station, it seems. The place is lit up very pretty. In this part of the country, the weather changes quickly. I go to visit the Dentist. The "light snow"has become a February Surprise snow. We end up at Dagwoods which is a nice place to have a warm cup, a hot plate and a nice view of the winter weather outside. Friday brings me as a roamin' gnome. However, a big fire derailed our adventure. Time for haystacks. I discovered that Dagwoods version of a haystack is called a Dagwood. The afternoon brought us shopping for a phone as my wife's phone went kaputt. Saturday brings a much needed clean up for my work home. I run other shopping errands and end up at another great city diner -- Hayes. Sunday was a fun day for us and the dawgs. Cafe Ca Phe is very busy. Vietnam Cafe is busy too, and on such a nice day the dawgs and I enjoy a little walk around Columbus Park. Everyone else is eagerly anticipating a big sporting event, Yay Sports Team! We get some necessities at China Town Food Market. Because of some big sport team event, we find ourselves looking fruitlessly for an open store. We also was our family bus. We were cheering for a deer to cross North Broadway to catch up with the rest of its herd. A war broke out as I tried to get sleep for the busy days to follow.

The Kansas City Vlog - Shopping Small for Valentine's Day

20230214 Vlogging Kansas City Shop Small For Valentines

Doing everything last minute -- meaning right after work on my way home, I stop by Christopher Elbow's Chocolatiers and stand in the Valentine Line with all the other last minute-ers.  I went down to the "apocalyptic" west bottoms to look over the selection at Hammerpress.  Speaking about the Kansas City apocalypse (no I am not referencing Kansas City's post valentine's red day parade) KC is no stranger to the genre.  I am told that part of the set for this movie was then then ruins of the old St. Joseph Hospital which had been demolished and was a pile of rubble then.

20230130 to 20230205 Boorish Slice of Life

The week of Groundhog day played out like the movie "Groundhog Day."  Unfortunately, what kept repeating was violence, shootings and homicides.  It was also grindingly cold this week.  The first homicide for Moanday was 55th and Cleveland in KCMO.  I needed cawfeee the next morning on the Jefferson Highway in Happy Rock.  Tuesday brought more sadness in Spring Hill, Kansas.  It is becoming a theme that we see more than we can show out of respect.  After all the driving, I stopped for drive through.  Coffee is not about coffee, it is about human contact.  The Westport wagon at the shopping center there looks like it has been in a crash.  All I can get out of brief web search is that it is a conestoga wagon.  I don't know if it is a replica, which I imagine it is, or if it is an antique.  All I know is that it looks like it is falling apart.  Tuesday even brought me kvetching yet again about the cold and having a steamer.  As I said, coffee shops are not about coffee so much as they are about human contact.  Many people don't visit coffeehouses for two reasons -- 1.  They feel they need to drink coffee and they don't like coffee and 2.  Many coffeehouses forget that their main service is not coffee but human contact.  Wednesday morning first thing is homicide number two for me for the week.  It is sad that we resort to keeping a grim score like this.  Here is a map for keeping track....  Here is a website which takes a more personal approach to tracking gun violence...  The morning got re-arranged for a lot of people by a big crash on I-70.  Long days tend to lead to bad habits.  I am making a habit to show long drawn out booring video of crossing the Broadway Bridge in the waning days of its existence.  Groundhog Day brings a pete and repeat homicide at Gregory and Askew.  I hate when people pass from the world and their isn't even a decent picture of them.  Then there was a house fire that killed a pet.  Union Station has an interesting display on the history of RPO, I discovered while covering other news, including the origins of GEHA, of GEHA Field fame.  I love me some donuts from 

Cafe Cà Phê

.  Friday, groundhog week continues.  This time with a homicide near Swope Park.  Then, in Westport, at our favorite parking lot....  Again, the theme, things we see but cannot show.  I wonder how many first responders have to seek help after the many things they see.  It is very sad to see someone cut down so young.  Friday morning is becoming a ritual of haystacks.   When we are rarely early to something I love to explore the local googie and this.  I, admittedly, am trying to run a campaign to rename the dog park at the corner of the Jefferson Highway and the Jefferson Highway into the Jefferson Highway Dog Park.  I feel that would bring some much needed attention to the Jefferson Highway.  We love our Vietnamese....  The kids are signed up to become altar servers.  It is too bad we were a day early,  We finally did make it on time.  I needed to get my bozo ears lopped off.  While waiting for the real time to go to altar server lessons, we visit Westport Coffeehouse.  The Mrs. thinks this is the most family friendly coffee shop in town and love the atmosphere.  The nice weather brought and excuse to walk around Westport and lament the recent spates of bad news here.  There is too much to do when the weather is nice.  I don't know why we ended the day with buffet.....

20230123 to 20230129 Boorish Slice of Life

This time of year weather tends to dominate our lives as it is too damn cold!  In other news, police often have to chase suspects in the northland.  This time a robbery at gunpoint prompted a car chase and manhunt.  The suspects did not get far.  Firearms including an ar-15 were found as well.  I always take the time to take advantage of a railZEN moment.  Again, did I mention the weather?  For some reason, it is all a certain sports team all the time.  Yay sportsteam!  Life goes on and it is time for a steamer at Broadway Cafe.  You don't always have to drink coffee when you need to get your sleep.  Snow is expected mid-week.  On Wednesday -- SNOW!  Let's appreciate the beauty.  However, as a result of the snow a vehicle got stuck under a semi and was dragged about 8 miles before the semi driver knew something was wrong.  The driver of the car survived the incident.  When it is cold, it is time for a hot drink.  The snow disappeared fast but the cold didn't.  Cold, theoretically should keep the crime down.  I ponder that as I drive a quiet Westport and check out the problem spots -- ahem -- parking lots!  There is something going on at the Truman Sports Complex.  Steamers and hot chocolate are on order at the local coffee shops.  Did I mention it's cold?  Things happen in Grandview too.  When there are towns and enclaves in our metro area, I try to show them some love and attention.  Westport is not always so quiet.  Witness an arrest close to the witching hour (02:30 - 03:30) when bad things tend to happen.  I'm noticing that red lights are becoming more of a suggestion these days.  Especially during the witching hour when we need to get to Quiktrip bad!  There is something going on at the Truman Sports Complex.  There is a coffeehouse in the Columbus Park area I seem to like.  Ol change!  Oh the mundane!  On the way to getting a haystack, I do a penny tour of Rosedale and the Kansas branch of the Jefferson Highway in the area.  And on Saturday, I rested as Sunday was quite busy with Sinag Tala being asked to participate in the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration at the Nelson Art Gallery.