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Tonight I rode home from work in the rain. I would have been fine if I had left when I originally planned to, but I got tied up. By the time I was unlocking my bike it was pouring. By the time I was halfway home I was getting hailed on.

Ah, fun.

Since then this proverbial storm of doom has been on us (that’s about 5 hours for those counting). We’ve had several bouts of hail, prompting me to move my car (of doom) into a covered parking stall. I don’t pay for one but there are a lot open and come on, it’s hailing.

I got some (bad) video of the hail coming down. You can’t see much because my camera is not good in low light, but you can hear the pounding.

I also tagged a really bad pic of the hail coming down.

Update: It is like half an hour since the last post, and things got even louder. I went outside and found these.

steve :: Feb.28.2007 :: Kansas City :: 1 Comment »

I did some more research on Denver. It supposedly has one of the most extensive urban bike trail systems in the US. It is also apparently one of the healthiest and most active cities in the US. Also one of the best cities for singles in the US. These are all things that KC is not, though there are quite a few bike trails around here.

I might feel like less of a complete outcast if I bike to work there.

Denver has also apparently improved dramatically in air quality in the last decade. Still not pristine but not the Los Angeles rival it used to be. Some people I mentioned Denver to were like “lol, smog” but hopefully it isn’t that bad. Besides, the mountains are not that far away.

Google maps says it would be about an hour to drive to from Denver to Nederland. I’ve never been there but it looks like a cute mountain town, and I have family there.

Only 3 months to prepare.

steve :: Feb.22.2007 :: Uncategorized :: 10 Comments »

There was a big fire on 75th and Washington today, just west of Wornall Road in Waldo. The building that burned was adjacent (and I think attached) to my favorite local brew pub, 75th Street Brewery. I was just there the other night getting some growlers filled, and had plans to go there tonight with some friends.

I don’t think the brewery burned, but I have no idea what sort of damage it might have taken (smoke, water, etc), or if the beer got destroyed, or anything else. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

steve :: Feb.16.2007 :: Kansas City :: 2 Comments »

I planned to make a note from every city I hit last week, but didn’t manage anything after OKC.

On Wednesday night I flew to Chicago, on Thursday night I flew to Syracuse, and on Friday I flew back to KC. Site visits are fun.

Now I’m back in KC, but by mid year should be on my way to Denver. Work is footing the bill to move me there, and I’m pretty excited.

steve :: Feb.16.2007 :: Kansas City :: 1 Comment »

I’m in Oklahoma City via Dallas woo.

By tomorrow night I should be in Chicago OMG.

steve :: Feb.06.2007 :: Uncategorized :: 7 Comments »

Sorry to keep you waiting.

Sam, Sam, Erin, Ben, and Andy all came to visit and it was awesome. Andy flew in from New York, and the rest met in Rochester, MN and drove down. I hear they stopped in Ames for Hickory Park. Of course, they took the wrong 435 exit and took the loop backwards, going the long way around town.

We went to Pangea for food on Friday, and then a couple of bars. There was a balloon blowing (or failure to blow) incident, a beer as big as Sam’s head, and other stuff.

Saturday we explored some of KC, starting with Union Station and then climbing up to the top of the Liberty Memorial, which has a great view of the city. Then we got kicked out. I seem to get kicked out of there as often as not.

After that fun we stopped at the nearby Jack Stack for some BBQ, then headed home becuase it was starting to snow. My original plan was that we would head up to Weston to go to O’Malley’s Pub but the heavy snow that had started derailed those plans. Andy and I drove through the snow to Hen House and picked up a bunch of food to cook in instead. It was good other than the Ben chicken licking incident.

The Minnesota folks left KC the next morning, but Andy was around until the early evening. We go breakfast at the Corner Restaurant (a personal favorite), hung around my place for a while, then stopped for an early dinner at Grinder’s (another favorite). $1 PBR is apparently the special on Sunday, so we had a few of those and a pizza. Then I drove him to the airport as soon as I found 169 North. For the record it is off Broadway, not Grand.

It was a good time, and the only real regret is that Bentley couldn’t come up from Tulsa.

steve :: Feb.01.2007 :: Kansas City :: 3 Comments »