Snow Day!

Itsa's latest scheme is burning her whiskers off by getting too close to the candles...

I can't resist the flame...must get closer.

Too close! Too close!

This week has been awesome because I got to start at my new job! I was so excited to be done with the lending job that I was doing!! I received a position at Pyro Novelties, Inc. which is a full-service promotional products distributor that specializes in fireworks supplies. I will doing some administrative assisting, sales and marketing. I am very excited about this new opportunity!!

So... anyone needing some customized promo products for your company or organization just let me know! Anything that you can think of to put a logo on, we can get for you! laura@pyronovelties.com


Check out my awesome office!

View of the window from sitting at my desk

My desk and computer.

We had quite a big snow storm yesterday so I got to work from home today. I did, however, take a break to walk around, check out the roads and take some pictures. I really just wanted to walk in the snow in my boots though! It makes it so fun!

Roanoke West apartments

Side streets: not for the wimpy cars but Bruce loves them!

Main streets: good to go!!

 I walked down to the Plaza to check out the situation. Seems like our area got maybe 5 or 6 inches.

These are my tracks in the snow! Love walking in fresh snow!

Brush Creek

There should be a creek in here

Picnic table

A little water was running over the ledge

Only one other person had walked on the sidewalk alongside Brush Creek

This wide space looks like a clean street but it's actually the creek!

The creek was frozen solid! I stood on it long enough to take this picture but then I got scared!

So what do you do with all that snow from the streets? Why, pile it up in the middle lane of course!

Bruce got a few inches! Fortunately, no ice, so it came right off

View of the windshield from sitting inside

The lawn in front of Nelson-Atkins- so pretty!

The roads are all cleared up so back to work tomorrow! Some people when they were driving home last night, it took them 2-3 hours to get home (in what normally would be a 20-30 minute drive). So I was sooo grateful that I got to leave work early and was safe and sound in my apartment during the storm.

Til next time...Laura

The Chiefs Playoffs Experience

What a great weekend I had thanks to two fun events! The big one being, of course, my first-ever NFL Playoff Game! KC Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens. The weather was cold and the Chiefs were terrible but I had a great time! The  Chiefs had a great season (much improved from their previous 3 seasons) and hopefully they keep it up in the years to come.

JJ and I at our tailgating spot! Yes, that is snow in the background!

Check out the sweet bonfire we had! It kept us nice and warm.

Our view of Arrowhead from the tailgate area. We were one of the first cars to arrive!

Gotta show off my sweet Sean La Chapelle jersey circa 1996! My fav player EVER!

Oh yeah, check us out by the field! We were only 9 rows up! 

Thanks guys for the awesome day!

We got to meet up with our fav guy from Boston- Bobby V!

Sidebar: you will notice on the picture above that I wore my normal winter black coat, purple scarf and purple knit hat. These are my everyday winter items but it didn't occur to me until I was there that those were Baltimore colors! Oh no!! I totally got yelled at by two people who thought I was a Ravens fan! I had to show them my jersey to convince them I was really a Chiefs fan!

Bobby's fam has a tricked out Chiefs bus!

Marty Schottenheimer's autograph on the bus! 

Go Chiefs!

The players doing a little pre-game prayer in the endzone.

Taste the Dwayne Bowe!

 Ok, this was maybe the best moment: the flyover during the national anthem from a B-2 bomber. These things give you goosebumps when you see them, they are so intimidating and b.a. We used to see them fly above Warrensburg a lot during college, as the Air Force base they are from is close by. Especially when the Iraq conflict started, they flew over all the time. Just amazing-looking machines.

My pic from the game.

A better picture of what they look like. It's like a Batmobile in real life.

#39 Brandon Carr

#74 from the Ravens- Michael Oher (the real life Blindside player).  It's hard to not want to root for him but I managed during this game to do so. 

Chiefs offense lining up

#96 Andy Studebaker

 Saturday morning was also great because I got to do a great KC cultural event with JJ, B, J and little J. We had free tickets to the National World War I Museum. This place was very impressive, both with the facts and information it presented and the overall design and architecture. I highly recommend a visit!

War is a terrible thing but since it did happen, I think it's important to remember the history of it so we can honor those that served and learn from the events to help prevent it from happening again. There were several things that I learned or was made more aware of during the trip. There's so much to read, there's no way you can get it all from one trip.

I knew that WWI started with a duke getting assassinated but I had forgotten the details. I also didn't realize the duke was named Franz Ferdinand. I thought that was just a band! I also had forgotten all about the Zimmerman telegraph. I can't believe Germany thought they were going to get away with enlisting Mexico to go to war with us. Really, Germany? Poor Mexico probably wanted to just stay out of it! Also, can you imagine if you were the British guy who discovered the telegraph! I would have been freaking out for sure. Thank you Brits for telling us about it, too so we could get ready!

The museum is underground the Liberty Memorial. The Memorial was built only a few years after WWI was over, in 1921.

I didn't take any pictures inside besides this one, of  this iconic poster.

Outside the Memorial, view of downtown KC and Union Station.

We got to go all the way to the top of the Memorial. Here's one view.

View of downtown.

View of Kansas  to the west.

We were at the top of this thing!

To learn more about the museum: http://www.theworldwar.org/s/110/new/index_community.aspx

Til next time...Laura

P.S. the good Chiefs pictures courtesy of JJ. :)

Bring it On 2011!

After spending a couple of days at my Grandma's in Enid, Oklahoma, we got the word that Bruce was all fixed up. So Dad drove me back up to El Dorado. I have to give thanks for Mitch, who fixed Bruce. He looked at him Sunday night after we had dropped him off, had to order about 5 parts, had a specialist fix the head gasket, had it ready in about 36 hours and it was very affordably priced. He was awesome. Dustin, the tow truck driver, was awesome too. He told me all about what he got his daughters for Christmas (one of the girls got a horse!! a real horse!) and he even showed me where he lived when we drove by.

Here's Grandma opening up a Christmas gift:

My mom's Christmas gift was a recorder! Here she is giving us a little tune. 

It's like she's back in 4th grade!

One night, we ate out at a little place down the street, "Katy's Pantry." It was SO GOOD!!!!! First, it was decorated super cute. But the food was to die for.  It was comfort food at its finest.

Their desserts all looked amazing!

Huge sugar cookies!

Mexican casserole. Check out the size of that bread! Homemade too

This is what I had: turkey club. Delicious!

 Got back to KC Wednesday night and endured two more days at work, had a fun dinner party at L and J's, had another interview and had the best time ever on NYE.

New Year's Day I had lunch with B, J and little J at Old Chicago in Overland Park. I had the signature trio. Really good pepperoni rolls, cheese bread and italian nachos. Everything on the menu looked yummy.

Tonight after church, we went to blanc burgers & bottles on the plaza. We had a groupon to use so it was a really good deal. This place is ultra modern and trendy. Tennessee people would love it because the colors are just orange and white.

A view of the bar.

I had a classic burger which was very good, root beer for my bottle and the fries came in little shopping baskets!

So, back to  NYE- it was Amazing!! All I have ever wanted was to get dressed up and go to a party for NYE. But it just never worked out to get a group to commit to finding a place and spending the money. But, POC came to the rescue and gave me exactly what I was wanting! Food, drinks, and lots of dancing! It was so much fun and an awesome dance party! I can't wait to go next year!

Til next time...Laura