I guess the coutndown to Saturday evening in St. Joseph is now official for me. I arrived in Kansas City a few minutes before 4, stopped at Dillard’s in Zona Rosa to pick up a gift card for Lisa and something for me, and then went to Buffalo Wild Wings, where I am now.

I spent most of yesterday by myself. My parents left Russell at 6:30 a.m. to drive to Kansas City so my dad could undergo a CT scan at the Univeristy of Kansas Medical Center. They then went to the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway before coming back this morning. 

The only time I wasn’t alone yesterday was when I was in Hays for lunch with Peggy and Caitlyn Cox and Raegan Vanderplas at Gella’s. Peggy asked me to meet her and Caitlyn there, and then Raegan, who played at Phillipsburg from 2008-2011 and then at Fort Hays State 2012-14, tagged along because she was ast Caitlyn’s club team practice. 

Gella’s is a Hays institution. I had never been there, and neither had my parents. That shocked everyone else, who had been there often. 

Gella’s is very similar to The Chimes in Baton Rouge. Expansive menu, many beers on tap, casual atmosphere. I had the steak salad, which was very good. I am not a big salad eater, but I couldn’t pass it up. 

Elaine and Frank Mercer have raved about Gella’s. I guess I’m going to have to tell my parents about it. The only problem is parking. More than one person  took up two spaces on the street. In New Orleans, that person would have been towed and had to pay a pretty penny to get the car out of hock. 

I don’t know why I am so excited about a wedding reception. I was quite blase about the two previous weddings I attended. I guess Brittany has had that effect on me. Her bachelorette party is tonight. From what I’ve heard, Zach isn’t having a bachelor party. 

I leave tomorrow evening for St. Joseph. Going to have a day to kill Satruday. But I’ll make do.