I’m now at my third locale in Kansas City, north (not to be confused with North Kansas City, which is a municipality wedged between the Missouri River and where the actual city of Kansas City resumes its limits–don’t get me started on how Kansas City extends into FOUR counties) playing Buzztime trivia. Even though I played for seven hours Wednesday in Salina, I’ve been going almost non-stop today since Buffalo Wild Wings at Shoal Creek opened at 11 a.m.

I did take a break, long enough to check into the hotel where I will be spending the night and buy some things at Hallmark and Staples. I bought a birthday card for Morgan Gilliland’s younger daughter, Olivia, who turns one Sunday, and a couple of Valentine’s cards. That’s all I’m buying. Everyone else is getting electronic cards. I don’t know Caitlyn’s new address in Ottawa, or I’d send her one. I won’t reveal who the two people who are getting actual cards are.

I also brought an Optimus Prime doll at Hallmark. Hallmark has a series of little dolls of famous fictional characters targeted at children. However, I found the Darth Vader one so cute last year I bought him. I added C3PO late last year. Optimus Prime reminds me of my youth, because my brother and I watched The Transformers all the time when the cartoons premiered in the fall of 1984. My mother took my brother and I to watch the first Transformers movie in August 1986. It has come a long, long way in three decades, but the original cartoons bring back memories.

Robb and Dawn showed up at Buffalo Wild Wings at 5:30, as did Mike Decker, who goes by LOWPOP in trivia. I had not seen Mike since August. Robb and I got worried about him and wondered if something bad occurred. Fortunately that wasn’t the case.

Another face from the past showed up tonight. Lindsy Kurzdorfer, who worked there in 2014 and the first part of 2015, was there with some friends. She has been friends for a very long time with Trey, Liz and others who used to work there. Lindsy now lives in Dallas, and although I don’t miss her as much as I do Liz and Lisa, I remember her just as fondly.

I still need to go to Colorado Springs to see Liz. I want to go to Baton Rouge to see Bill and LSU play baseball. God I have so many points on the map I want to get to, just not enough time or money. It happens.

It got very loud at B-Dubs tonight. Lots of people and lots of R&B/hip-hope music playing. I’m trying not to get upset about it anymore. I can’t do anything about it, and I don’t want to spend loads of money just trying to clog up the jukebox so that music doesn’t play.

I have earplugs, but the foam ones wear out and get ear wax on them, so I may have to switch to a silicon model. However, the foam ones block noise better, so it may be a compromise where I have to have several pairs of foam ones on hand. My dad used to bring them home by the case when he worked at Air Products and Chemicals in New Orleans. There is an earplug store online. I will check it out.

I’m now at Minsky’s wrapping up the night. I’m going to order wings to go; I knew I wanted them, and I wrote down the order at B-Dubs before crossing Barry Road. I am probably going to keep the computer in the bag and just use the ipad. Maybe I’ll watch another episode of Jessie or Last Chance U.

I’m leaning towards going back tomorrow night, even if I get home at 1 a.m. I’m usually a better night driver, and since I’m sticking to the interstates, I don’t think I”ll have too much trouble. The other option is to leave early, stop in Salina for a while at Buffalo Wild Wings, then make the final hour of the journey west. I need to pick up a few things at Hen House on 64th Street before going back.

I should have done this during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. I’m not going to tire of the place by going back tomorrow, and nobody will tire of me. Besides, how many times can I sit in Buffalo Wild Wings and play trivia? Seven hours in one day is plenty. Doing it four, five, six days in a row is a little over the top. I’ll be back in two weeks anyway. I have to see Dawn as much as I can before she moves to Florida.

When I was here three weeks ago, I actually did not go to B-Dubs that Friday night before New Year’s. I ordered takeout from Outback and watched the Cotton Bowl in my hotel room. I should have gone back Sunday. Staying until Monday was dumb because of the brutal cold. I risked having my car crap out on em. Between Saturday night and Sunday morning, I let the car sit for 16 hours, and it had a hell of a time starting the afternoon of New Year’s Eve. Not again.

This trip will be short, but it has been sweet. Time to buckle down Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

The government will shut down at 11 p.m. Central. This country is run by 536 idiots–435 in the House, 100 in the Senate, and one living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC. Geez.