All-Star Week in KC

Last week, a pretty cool event happened in KC. Kauffman Stadium hosted the MLB All-Star game. For the whole week leading up to the event, there were all kinds of happenings around town. I was lucky enough to get to participate in a few of those fun events!

The Convention Center hosted FanFest. Anyone could go with a ticket and there were tons of games for kids like batting practice or stealing a base. Tons of companies that were giving aways free stuff and several exhibits, including one with all the MLB trophies and about the Negros League (Kansas City is home to the Negro League Baseball Museum, too). It was a lot of fun!

I got to make my own baseball card!

Then I made a flip book!

On Monday night was the Home Run Derby! Thanks to my AWESOME friend Jessica, I got to go! We arrived really early so that we could tailgate with our friends and then we headed to the stadium. It was packed with fans! The opener was my friend MJ's favorite band, the Zac Brown Band.

I didn't take any pics of the Derby but you can read all about it here: http://royalicings.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/fact-if-you-lie-you-will-get-booed-a-lot-27-2/

I'll sum up the best part of the Derby. The captain of the Derby was a Yankees player who chose the players participating and he said a few days before the Derby that he would choose a Royals player, since it was in KC. Then, he went on to NOT choose the Royals player. So, this Yankees player got booed the entire night. Not because he didn't pick the Royals player but because he SAID he was going to, and then didn't. And since the Derby doesn't mean ANYTHING, why not pick a player from the home team?? The best part was then, the Yankees player got ZERO home runs. Talk about Karma!

So, I had a great time participating in the activities and am so blessed with great friends that allowed me to do it! I was also really proud of KC because the city did a great job hosting the event, even the weather was nice!

It also made me think about how Nashville has GOT TO get the NHL All-Star game, now that their new convention center is almost ready. People would have so much fun there!!!

That's about it for now. Here's another fountain I found at the Grandview Municipal building:

No. 94- Main St, Grandview

Alright, more adventures to come!  Laura

Bruce and Laura: 2005-2012

Today was a very bittersweet day for me. I said good-bye to my faithful bff, Bruce. Unfortunately, the cost of repairs and gasoline was just getting too high for me to justify keeping him on the road with me. While I am excited about my new ride, I wanted to take this opportunity to remember my wonderful 100,000 miles with my bff, Bruce.

 For a long time, I had always wanted a Jeep. I thought they were so cool, ever since I saw the movie "Clueless" and loved Cher's white jeep! As I neared my college graduation, I was able to get this beautiful 2001 Jeep Cherokee. My dad was the one who saw Bruce at the car lot in Lee's Summit and wanted to show me. I was so nervous taking that test drive! I never thought I would get a Jeep, because they were a little more expensive than getting just a regular car. But thanks to my wonderful family, Bruce became mine in April of 2005.

Bruce helped me move several times. 7 times, in fact, in 7 years. From Warrensburg, to Nashville, to my current home in Kansas City. He also loved helping my friends move things, giving rides and of course, going off-road. He was an expert at driving in the snow and ice. I always felt safe and secure.

An especially fun memory is when Bruce took several friends from Joplin out into the country to see the Ghost Lights. Bruce also transported my new kitten, Itsa, when I first got her and welcomed her into my little family. He loved it when I let Itsa loose and she would crawl around on our road trips to see Grandma.

Bruce also loved how everyone knew his name. Just a few weeks ago, some friends at small group asked me how he was doing, and we just had to laugh at the fact that by asking "How is Bruce?" everyone knew who we were talking about!

Bruce, thank you for always getting me to where I needed to be and being a loyal companion on our many trips together. We've seen a lot of this beautiful country together and spent many wonderful years as bff's. Love you and will miss you! Laura

P.S. A special thanks to my friend, AmberZon, for naming Bruce. It was perfect.

KC Food Wars: Ribs...and the Winner is!

Our fifth and final stop in Ribs Wars was to Quick's in KCK. I had heard good things about this place and was really looking forward to trying it out. After first going to the WRONG Quick's, we found the right place and immediately were encouraged by the decorum and service. They knew all about the Ribs Wars and honored the BOGO ribs deal. The decorum was just as you would expect a hometown, bbq place to be. Friendly and casual.

So, let's cut to the chase. Quick's ribs were by far, the clear WINNER in Rib Wars!!!!!

Scores (best out of 20):

Atmosphere- 19

Flavor- 18

Tenderness- 18

Value- 20

Sauce- 18

Grand total: 93 out of a possible 100

I'm so glad Quick's was in this competition, because now I know of a great bbq place that may be off-the beaten track, with terrific service and price. Our server was so wonderful, Judge Jessica said "I want our waitress to be my mom." Whoa, Jessica! That's quite a compliment. The food also came out really fast and was fresh and delicious! I appreciated that it was quiet- they had on sports on the tv with the audio on low, no music was playing. It really makes for a great place to actually converse with your fellow dining companions.

The ribs were awesome! Really delicious flavor and the most tender we've had. The meat was definitely falling off the bone! The value was great too. I think it $8 or $9 for a half slab (which was more than enough for one person). We also noticed that they did great daily specials where you could get a sandwich, side and drink for about $7. The sauce had wonderful, sweet flavor. It would have been perfect, if it had been just a smudge thicker.

So, congratulations to Quick's BBQ for winning our Rib Wars!! We can't wait to go back!

Quick's

1007 Merriam Lane

KCK 66103

Review of previous ribs:

Second place w/ 77.5 pts- Johnny's in Mission, KS (great flavor, great service, just a bit too greasy)

Third place w/ 65 pts- Winslow's in City Market (good enough flavor to not need sauce, service needs work)

Fourth place w/ 64 pts- Zarda's in Lenexa (awesome sauce but ribs were way too fatty)

Fifth place w/ 0 pts- The Rub in Olathe (were out of ribs, terrible atmosphere)

More adventures to come...Laura