Indeed, Kansas City is a happy place this Monday. The Chiefs and Royals were the lead stories on the news both last night and so far today.

The Royals are in Cleveland battling Jack Krier’s Indians, first completing the suspended game from August 31 which the Tribe leads 4-2 going into the bottom of the 10th, and then starting the regularly scheduled three-game set.

The Chiefs have to be kicking themselves after playing so poorly against a bad Tennessee Titans team on opening day. The TItans have looked beyond pitiful in losing to the Cowboys and Bengals the last two weeks. The Texans reverted to form against the Giants yesterday, and if the Colts don’t walk away with the AFC South, Chuck Pagano should be fired. It may be one of the worst divisions since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The worst which comes to mind was the 1975 NFC West, where the Rams were 12-2, the 49ers were 5-9, Falcons 4-10 and Saints 2-12.

It is a nearly perfect day outside…no clouds, temperatures hovering near 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit)…and I’m stuck inside writing up stuff from last week. Oh well, it’s been my Monday routine pretty much every fall, winter and spring since September 2005, so why stop now? At least I can bring my computer and work at Buffalo Wild Wings between rounds of trivia and food. It’s been a good day so far.

I’ve got a run to make across the metro to get something for Brittany Davdison. Her birthday is Saturday, but I can’t be in Kansas City, because I’ve got a volleyball tournament at Hoisington to cover, and I might also pick up one of Russell’s matches in Lyons. Tomorrow, I’m driving on US 36 from St. Joseph to Kensington to watch Thunder Ridge and Natoma play, along with Pike Valley of Scandia and Courtland, two tiny towns on 36 between Belleville and Mankato.