Things I Learned While in KC - for 4 hours.

1. Big, for real truck stops have showers in them. And washers and dryers. And a TV lounge…where, apparently, they have Christian mass services at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays.

2. Speaking of trucks. Big semis. Over the road drivers need to learn how to PAY ATTENTION. We saw I don’t know how many near-misses when a semi changed lanes and did NOT pay attention to the car / van it was almost running off the road or just plain plowing into.

3. TWO sports stadiums sharing one parking lot is God’s gift to the sports fan. Catch a Chiefs game one night, camp out in the lot, catch a Royals game the next afternoon. Likely? Probably not. Ideal? Seriously.

4. Construction at above-mentioned sports stadiums = not cool for the tourist. Big bummer. Couldn’t get very close at all to EITHER stadium. Just means one thing…another ROAD TRIP this spring / summer to take in actual games!!!

5. Even though I haven’t done it in AGES, any mall that has an ICE SKATING RINK outside, on its grounds, is ok by me.

6. I really love, love, LOVE the Wizard of Oz. (Ok, so slight obsession may be a more appropriate way to say it, but we all have our banes, don’t we?) My husband didn’t like when I said it, but someday, my collection may have to come close to Jane Albright status…

7. Fritz’s (located in the Crown Center Mall) is a REALLY cool concept for a restaurant. I mean, come on. Having your food delivered via electric trains that run along the ceiling, then lowered to your table on your own personal platform?? Just plain COOL. The food, however, not so good. Big disappointment. But worth it for the delivery system…and the chocolate shakes!

8. Crown Center = more restaurants & eateries than actual WORTHWHILE shops. Some, tooo overpriced…some just pointless.

9. I really, REALLY hope the police caught that guy driving the Trailblazer on highway 70. He could have killed someone. And, guy driving Trailblazer on highway 70, if you happen to come across my blog, just know I’m giving you the finger. A huge, waving middle finger right there in front of your computer screen. (Yea, I have road rage sometimes…but this guy was playing Pacman on the highway…it was terrifying and dangerous, and we had to call highway patrol on his ass.)

10. Speaking of highway 70, I have never seen SO MANY porn shops along a highway before! Once you REALLY get out onto 70 – past Wentzville, etc. – there are spots where there are anywhere between 3 and 5 porn shops just lined up, right off the highway. Bizarre. I mean, does someone driving along just all of the sudden think, “Man, I really need to stop and buy some porn! Well would you looka there?! Someone just KNEW I would be thinking that and set up some oh-so-convenient stops for me on my journey!!”

11. It wasn’t a Jamaican vacation, or anything lavish (not counting gas, we spent a grand total of $50 – on food & a Wizard of Oz piece I had to have), but it sure was fun. We talked NON STOP the entire way there and back, and laughed, and bonded, and just had an all around GREAT time!!! I can’t wait to do it again.