99 Things I'll Miss About Kansas City

Somewhere in a box, there are hard copies of lists of the things I miss about Memphis and Syracuse.

I posted the Baltimore list on my Facebook page.  Making lists?  It's something I just do.  A way of counting my blessings I guess.  So, on the eve of my departure for Miami, here goes (in no particular order):

1. Chicken Spiedini at Carmen's in Brookside.
2. The Westport Pioneers statue.
3. The LRC.  And Gary Lezak.
4. The thrift stores on Wornall.  All of them
5. Killer's insatiable appetite for junk food and the largest commercially available Coca-Cola from fill-in-the-blank.  Purchased mostly by photographers, reporters and some producers and assignment editors.  You know who you are.
6. Ward Parkway.  Breath-taking in every season.  Most cities don't have a Ward Parkway.
7. Talking digital with Billy Smith.  Cheers!
8. Mack at the Hy-vee store on 122nd and Stateline.  Always has a smile and a story to tell.
9. Buying wine at the Target stores in Missouri.  For that matter, the ability to buy wine in any store in Missouri.  Carrie Nation's impact on Kansas is antiquated.
10. The young men in suits who sell pies on Cleaver Boulevard in all kinds of weather.
11. Getting the "stink eye" from the anchors for talking in the studio during a newscast.
12. The River Market Antique Mall.
13. Having a treat for Stormy and running around the studio during the newscast with her hot on my heels.  (Another reason for the "stink eye".)
14. Union Station.  Especially at Christmas.
15. The way Russ Ptacek always entered my office.  Reckless courage.  I loved it!
16. The iconic Central Library Parking Garage made of book spines.
17. Playing games at the College Basketball Experience
18. The Grandview Triangle aka Three Trails Crossing.  
19. Jeff Penner's willingness to try new things.
20. The hysterical, inappropriate telephone calls I got on the station-issued cell phone that were not meant for me.  Some of you know what I'm talking about.  Note to KSHB management:  Change that number.  The next news director doesn't need the distraction.
21. The West Bottoms.
22. The testament to marriage I witnessed when Cynthia Newsome was diagnosed with cancer.  Her husband Ed is a champion, too!
23. Barbecue.  Oklahoma Joe's, Arthur Bryant's and Jack Stack.  In that order.
24. John Batten's sense of humor.
25. Sushi Haru at 135th and Stateline.  Get the Shaggy Dog.
26. Minnesota Twins fans who live here.  You know who you are.
27. Crown Center.  We took our great nephew there before the fountains were closed to the public (children) and he had a ball!
28. The quiet and wise counsel of Mark Clegg.
29. David Jimenez.  He should be more well-known in KC.
30. The iconic Nichols Fountain and more than 200 others.
31. The Border Patrol on WHB810.  More than once I snorted coffee through my nose, laughing at their antics on the way to work.  
32. Brooke Givens' Christmas sweaters.
33. Eating lunch at the Nelson-Atkins.
34. The subterranean storage units.  Did you know the temperature remains at a constant 68 degrees to 72 degrees year round?  Fascinating!
35. Keith King's dogged determination to get me to adopt a dog.  Soon.  Once we get a permanent home in SoFla.
36. The drive between Atkinson, KS and Weston, MO.
37. Jack's Smack.  And Jack Harry.
38. My South Kansas City neighborhood and neighbors.
39. Captain Gregg Bourdon.
40. Tony Botello aka Tony's Kansas City.  He should be sourced more.
41. The Flint Hills area.  Spectacular!
42. Judy Johnson.  My friend.  I will miss her.  She was first my real estate agent but her knowledge of KC is deep and wide.
43. The proximity to South Dakota.  In my adult life, I've never lived so close to home.
    
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44. The Border War.  Too bad one school had to mess it up for everybody.
45. Kansas Speedway.  Saw my first NASCAR race which was quite possibly my last one too but I can cross it off the Bucket List.
46. Marsha Depping.  And her memos.
47. Not shaving my legs in the winter.  This luxury won't be possible in South Florida.  TMI?  Sorry.
48. Kansas City Chiefs tailgaters at Arrowhead.  Always willing to share food, drink...or, in the case of the first game of 2012, some battery power after we needed a jump.  Thanks to the guy with the flag made of bras. You know who you are.
49. Toby Tobin.
50. The All-Star Game and afterglow.  We were so proud!
51. John McKenna.  A rocky beginning grew into a great friendship.
52. Nick Dutcher.  Still missed and mourned.  Nobody has eclipsed his love of breaking news.
53. The Merry Happy Joyful food drive.  The competitive nature of some of my former co-workers will always make me smile.  You know who you are.
54. Royals games.  They were not my favorite, favorite team but I loved games at Kauffman.  I won't ever forget the magic of the outfield fountains.
55. Seeing Elizabeth Alex "call the hogs" wearing a red pig head on Funny Hat Day.
56. Sporting Kansas City.  Especially Jimmy Nielsen and Matt Besler.
57. Allison and Shari.  They work at the Beauty Brands on Stateline and are wonderful!
58. The Plaza Lights.  Easy one.
59. The 2011 Race for the Cure fund-raising effort at 4720 Oak Street.  Incredible generosity.  You know who you are.
60. St. Joseph, Missouri.
61. Frank Boal's passion.
62. The stray cat that visited me many times in South KC.
63. The potential for a great park at Kaw Point.  Unfortunately, the pollution issue has yet to be addressed.
64. Dan Mason's desire to own my rubber band ball.  Sorry, guy.  It's going with me.
65. The anticipation for Trader Joe's.  On both sides of the state line.
66. House prices.
67. The weather extremes.  Hot, cold, flood, drought, tornado.  And more.  SoFla won't have that.
68. Sitting on my deck at the end of the day with a glass of red wine.  Somehow it won't be the same when I get off work at noon...
69. Being in the middle of the country.  Flyover?  Not really.  These people matter!
70. Ethics questions from Christa Dubill.
71. Kansas City strip steaks.  The absolute best.
72. How the area responded to the Joplin tornado.  You know who you are.
73. The World War One museum.
74. The trails in Olathe.
75. The Shakespeare Festival.
76. The Bowen "farm" at Red Bridge and Wornall.  We met the owner once, walking her dog.  The animals:  Curly (John's favorite).  The Wounded Goose.  Henny Penny.  And the swans, turkeys, goats and pony.
77. Coffee on Tuesdays with Amy Hawley.
78. The statuary on Shawnee Mission Parkway through Fairway, Kansas.
79. Not hearing the trains anymore after we moved from Olathe.
80. The Kansas City Zoo.
81. How Kansas City is the REAL Gateway to the West.  St. Louis = Poser.
82. Hallmark cards.  I don't buy any other brand now.
83. Hearing about the old days in KCK from Mike Vrabac.
84. Winning at the casinos.  Rarely happened.  OK almost never.
85. Gary Brauer's cooking.
86. Sounds of the Holiday.  I'm a sap for high school choral groups.
87. The impact of "The Day After" on global politics.
88. The Hotel Phillips.
89. Leavenworth, Kansas.  Especially taking photos in the shadow of the sign at the prison that says NO PHOTOS.  
90. Jack Baker.
91. KCI.  I know it has to change but it really is an easy airport to get in and out of.
92. Old Shawnee Days. 
93. Dottie's vet.  Dottie was our dog.  Quite possibly the saddest day of my life was when we had to put our beloved down.  That woman was a saint.
94. Brown's Deli.  Best. Egg. Salad. Ever.
95. Tracy Brogden-Miller.  First a competitor, then a mentor.  Strange magic.
96. The Kansas City Star.  Pretty good paper with some really fine writers.  Steve Kraske, Dave Helling. Wish more of my former co-workers made reading it a regular habit...
97. The Scout statue.
98. The lounger-recliners at the AMC at Ward Parkway.
99. A forced temporary three-month retirement that gave me an opportunity to re-evaluate my priorities.

Home, Sweet Homes

Road trip!  We've got the house on the market and we're heading south to Miami.

I haven't blogged in weeks.  On purpose.  I felt like I needed to stay low during the most intense time of my job search.  I took some trips, spent endless hours on the telephone and watched hours of newscasts from markets far and wide.

But it was a Facebook message from my former co-worker that put me on the right path.

"Know any morning Executive Producers?"
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Some things that I've wanted to blog about but didn't:

• The News Director in Wisconsin who allowed his anchor to use four precious minutes of air time to recriminate a viewer who wrote a critical message about her appearance.  Jennifer Livingston called the viewer a bully.  What?!  Seriously bad.
• Cable TV is ridiculously expensive.  I have had too much time on my hands but I haven't necessarily watched more television.  I have written the checks to Time Warner, though.  Bring on 4G wireless!
• Never watch the show "Doomsday Preppers" right before going to bed unless you want to dream of the zombie apocalypse all darn night.
• The Kansas City Chiefs are the Worst. Team. Ever.  I attended my final home game as a season ticket holder last week.  I wore black.  I foolishly hoped that they would win, up until midway through the third quarter.  Fire them all.  And some twice.  
• The television station in Denver that accidentally used a spoof shot of the Petraeus bio grabbed from the internet...SMH.  Credibility is precious.  Somebody should get suspended. 
• I cooked and baked quite a bit during my extended vacation from work.  And I wondered about things.  Like...who first decided to separate eggs and beat the hell out of the whites to form stiff peaks?  Can you imagine how long that would take if done by hand?

There's more but this is a start.  Right now I'm working on my "100 Things I'll Miss About Kansas City" list. I'll post that within the next ten days.

Dear Eric Winston. Don't judge.

Hello Eric.  You don't know me, just as you don't know 98% of the people who were in the stands Sunday.  Many of them are people like me (a season ticket holder).  (I tweeted you a welcome message last summer but I don't expect you to remember.)

I shouldn't be a season ticket holder.  I'm unemployed.  I bought my tickets in mid-June after a pretty successful May book.  (You don't know what that means but it doesn't matter)  I didn't figure I'd lose my job even before the season started.  Que sera.

I wasn't at the game Sunday.  I gave my tickets away,  I  wanted to be there but because I chose to spend the weekend in South Dakota with my family, helping our parents get ready for the winter.

Before I left, I charted all of the Chiefs-affiliated radio stations on a map that follows I-29 so my husband and I could listen to the game on the way back to KC.  We watched the first half on TV and then got in the car for the six-plus hour drive south.

We had just reached Yankton, SD when Matt Cassel went down.  Neither of us cheered.  Neither of us were happy that he got hurt.  However, I certainly understand the feelings of the good people who continue to support this team even though the product has not been what we expected.

We're frustrated Eric.  We want to love you...all of you.  But frankly, you, your coach and your teammates make it difficult.  We don't expect perfection.  We know balls are going to bounce the wrong way.

That said, most of us think you should have at least won one of the three home games this year.

We're frustrated, Eric.  But don't condemn all of us for the actions of a few.  Tens of thousands were at the game.  Hundreds of thousands watched on TV...and who knows how many of us listened to scratchy AM radio stations in South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas because we are passionate fans.

I know this because I've shared food with them, shared sports talk with them and screamed my fool head off with them.  But not when our guys got hurt.  Never then.

Maybe some stepped over the line, Eric.  But the vast majority of us are good, decent people.

We want Matt Cassel to heal quickly and find another job.

The painted ponies go up and down.

If you have the six minutes to spare, listen to the BRILLIANT Joni Mitchell.  She's incredible.

I didn't come by my love of this song in the right way...I was old enough to appreciate Joni Mitchell when this tune was first released but I was probably too busy listening to Bobby Sherman and David Cassidy to notice.

The FIRST time I became aware of  Circle Game was when I was married to Carly's dad, Clyde, who had an incredible sense of musical beauty.  He taught me a great deal.

The second time I recall is when I was a news director at another station. The general manager "fired" a long time consultant at the TV station where we both worked.  The GM had preceded me by about a year, hired me and we both agreed that our consultant (who had worked with the station for more than two decades) needed to go.  He (the consultant) was a really nice guy.  Really nice.  But the station we were working at had slipped from a dominant first place to number two.  And you know how that goes:

1. Fire the consultant
2. Get new graphics
3. Build a new set
4. Hire a new news director
5. Lather, rinse, repeat

But I digress.  This particular GM sent an email to the consultant relieving him of his duties.  And the last line of the email was "and the painted ponies go up and down."

At the time, I thought the phrase was kinda heartless.  I know better now.

When Carly's dad died, we played Circle Game at his memorial.

And since our son Charlie moved from KC to Jackson, Wyoming, it is meaningful again.

USAToday has a story about how Boomers are helping their kids get along.   We have tried to help both of ours as they meander through adulthood.

How funny it is that both John and I have struggled so with Charlie's decision to move west when both of us did it decades ago.

John was the oldest of two, finished a stint at college and in the late 70s felt the need for more.  He and some friends moved from Connecticut to Reno.

I, the oldest of seven, dropped out of college in the late 70s because I wasn't a great student and felt the need for more.  I move from South Dakota to Reno.

Eventually we found each other and Charlie is the product of our discovery.  Yay!

Now our Charlie has jumped from the nest.  He graduated from college, spent some months with us and felt the need for more. 

Wednesday, he left for Jackson, WY.  He has a job.  He loves the outdoors.  This is perfect for him.

And the seasons, they go round and round.  And the painted ponies go up and down.

Drive 55? No Can Do.

Seriously.  Today I had one of the Best. Birthdays. Ever.

I can live with being 55.  Double nickles.  The speed limit.

Birthdays that end in 0 or 5  are more momentous than the rest..  When I turned 50, I was unemployed. OMG!

I was fresh off of an eight-year-plus stint at WMC-TV in Memphis.  Legacy station.  Long time number one.  Ratings leader.

Some background.  I was hired in at WMC in 1998 by Bill Applegate, one of the most brilliant minds in the business. He moved on to Cleveland and was replaced by Howard Meagle.

Howard and I had a difficult beginning, to say the least.  We learned to appreciate each other.

I was invited to leave (fired) after the November book in 2006.  Not that it was a surprise.  Howard was dispatched in July, 2006 and when the new I-want-my-own-puppet GM arrived, I knew my days were numbered.  I lasted four months before hearing the words..."we need/want to make a change....blah blah blah."

Two weeks after a great 50th birthday celebration (January, 2007) in SD I traded in my beloved Mustang convertible for a Ford 500 (I am still driving the white Beast) and headed to Syracuse for a job at WSTM.  Fifteen months later John and I moved slightly south to the Scripps station in Baltimore, WMAR.  Forty-nine weeks later...west to Kansas City and KSHB.

I have now been at NBC Action News for two years, eight months.  Learned some things.  Hard things.  Survived another general manager change.  Learned to appreciate my strengths and to fix some of my weaknesses.

I let go of Memphis.  I began to appreciate Kansas City.  We bought a house here.

Most of all, though, I recognize the competitive spirit of the folks at 4720 Oak.  Today, I saw evidence of a high-functioning newsroom.  There have been glimpses before.  Today, I saw it clearly.

It was a great birthday present.

We can be winners.  I know it.  I believe it.

And I'm now 55 years old.  Wow.

I hate it when this happens...watch all the way to the end.

Building a brand

Sunday, the Chiefs will attempt what hasn't happened in a hefty handful of years.  Going 2-0 to start the season.

They surprised many with their win over San Diego Monday night in the rain.

I hope these new Chiefs are for real.  I'm fascinated by the young draft class and especially Eric Berry because he went to UT where my son is in his final year (fingers crossed).

EB's website proves he is interested in building a professional brand.  That's great. 

I tried and failed once at using the internet as a way to build a professional brand.  (I'll save you the trouble of google-ing it)

I failed because I didn't remain professional enough.

It's a slippery slope but here I am, back again.  If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

Mother's Day musings

It's was downright cold for our picnic at Clinton Lake!  We ate fast and retreated to the car to warm up.  But we enjoyed the history lesson at the Wakarusa Museum and the drive around the lake. 

We also spent a little time in Lawrence...