Back in the Saddle

Whew--home at last. I've been off on a whirlwind tour of the country (okay, Los Angeles and Kansas City, but that's a pretty good cross-section of the entire country, wouldn't you say?) It was a fun little trip but I can honestly say it's good to be back in Cleveland, despite the bitter cold and miserable people that welcomed me home.

Last week was my first time ever in Kansas City. And Missouri, for that matter. And anywhere near that desolate area between Chicago and Vegas, for that matter. And to be completely honest, it was a great little city. Maybe I'm being a little generous because of this new little discovery, but I enjoyed the bars and even some of the people. Mostly the bars, of course. Sure, I wasn't a huge fan of the "Little Guadalupe" district, but I have to admit there were some cool neighborhoods.

I don't know if it's milder weather, or the BBQ, or cheap alcohol (everywhere we went it was 'two for one' drink specials--on a completely separate note, have you ever woken up in a dumpster with nothing but receipts in your pockets?) but the people of Kansas City were so friggin' pleasant. You couldn't squint your eyes without someone asking you if you need directions, would like a bologna sandwich , or if you wanted to come to their cousin's wedding the following day for free booze.

The bars were packed, even on a Tuesday night. And when you accidentally bumped into someone, stepped on someone's foot or ran over their miniature pony with your car, they just smiled and said 'no biggie, it was probably my fault anyway'. Incredible! I just wanted to hug them all, then dissect them to figure out what kind of Stepford Wives shenanigans were going on in there.

Anyway, Thanksgiving is upon us, and with that in mind I'd like to give a few quick thanks. First, to the fine people of Kansas City for being such great hosts. Secondly, to God, who apparently became a Browns fan, at least for three seconds this past Sunday. And to my friends and family, who have somehow managed to get this site up to 1000 hits (okay, I confess, I've been hitting the refresh button non-stop since I started this thing). I love you all and hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Speaking of, my family Thanksgivings always turn out to be a colorful affair. Who knows, I might do a little live blogging from the whole sordid--err, splendid affair. If it's anything like recent years, expect a few hundred typos and at least one story about waking up in a bathtub full of ice with a note that says "Call 911".

Cheers!