Saturday

Throwing up a few paragraphs at a late 2nd Coffee here in Overland Park.  I needed a second cup to try to bring me back from all my preferred teams losing yesterday.

I had a tough time finding a Starbucks, and eventually ended up at a Marriott where I've previously attended a couple of conferences , and there's one of those in-lobby Starbucks...that's not really a Starbucks.  But they were able to make an Americano, so my addiction is once again sated.  I thought that Google maps was a bit cryptic with their indications of Starbucks locations.  I wonder if there's some politics involved?

Interestingly, as I sit here in the lobby, using the Marriott's free lobby wi-fi, I may be the only English-speaking individual within hearing range,  There's some Japanese/Chinese businessmen's gathering going on, and they aren't practicing their ESL.  We are a global society.

Another example of the incredible  lack of awareness on my part came on my selection of Interstate entertainment as I left the QCA on Thursday.  I stopped at the Bettendorf library to get a selection of books-on-CD for my trip.  I always get three books as protection against the "bad" choice.  Well, my first selection for the ride to Des Moines was a bit tedious, so after laboring through most of the first two disks, I elected to go with radio music the last few miles to DM.  I went to the Plan B book upon my Friday mid-AM departure to KC.  After most of the first CD of that book, I figured out that I had listened to that book on a previous trip.  (I couldn't remember how it progressed, or how it ended, but I knew that I had been through it before.  So on principles, I rejected a mindless rerun of an undistinguished story.)

Besides, I had the back-up to the back-up sitting on the passenger seat.

Well, Plan C then went into the player, and it took about half of disk #1 to determine that I had also listened to that one previously.  So with considerable reluctance, I went back to the first book from Thursday...and I'm still listening to that one.  It isn't a page-turner.  I'd call it annoying.

Maybe for my next trip I'll need to force myself to look at the lowest shelf in the library as opposed to the mid and upper shelves that are more easily reviewable as I walk the aisle.  Whatever.  The current system has flaws.

One of the items of news in Des Moines on Thursday was that Drake had fired it's men's basketball coach.  I didn't even know the guy's name, but he had not distinguished himself with his record.  And Northwestern has pulled the plug on Bill Carmody after 13 years...and no NCAA appearances.  His teams were often competitive, but he could just never get consistently above so-so.  The math is pretty easy in D-I basketball: win or you're gone.  In the top 5-6 conferences, that departure is usually 3-4 years.  The smaller conferences may let a guy dangle a little longer.  Everyone needs fans in the seats.  Money is money.

That 80-degree day that they had here yesterday was a one-day deal.  (But it was a very nice one-day deal!)  It was back in the 40's this AM and they're forecasting near freezing temps for the nights over the next several days.  (I had noticed on my Wall of Memories calendar that March 14th had been an 80-degree day in the QCA a year ago...and that I had put in 70 minutes on the bike path.)

My friends Doug and Carole and I dined at a fairly low-key place in Des Moines Thursday night called The Flying Mango.  (This is a pic of the primary dining room.)  The menu was toward Cajun fare, and I'd rate my meal of blackened catfish with sauteed veggies and an au-grautin potato dish as good, but not great.  The sauteed veggies were mostly smallish Brussel sprouts with a couple of onion slices.  (Note to self: ask what's in the sauteed veggies next time!)

Rarely have I seen a wine list where I have no knowledge of any of the listed red wines.  Doug is a beer drinker and Carole is a tea-totaler, so I was actually looking for something by the glass.  But with so little to choose from, and after confirming that a partly-consumed bottle could go home with the customer, I went with a bottle of an Italian blend that was mostly Sangiovese...for $22!!!.  And a screw-off non-cork.  The result?  Not awful, and probably worth the $6 that it likely cost the restaurant.  They had me take it home in a long Italian bread bag.  Very classy.

OK.  Enough rambling.  If all goes well, I'll be back on Maplecrest tomorrow in time to get published that long-promised next chapter of my story from Tomah.

Enjoy the weekend.

BCOT