Ode to Bubba

This post has been bouncing around in my head for sometime. One of those things that drift into the present moment and then fade into the To Do list of the mind. I can guess about some of the reasons...but I digress.

I'm not sure exactly when it started, maybe Bubba has a better recollection. I think it was around the time I was training for the Chicago Marathon, the spring of 2002. My training got interrupted by a little bit of surgery on my left knee, but by June I was back on the road, literally @ WL. I used to treat myself by running in races around the metro (I know, sick, huh?) and I think it was the Lenexa Freedom Run, on July 4th where we, the Bubster and me ran our first race together. He had been doing some running @ WL so it seemed natural to invite him along. It was fun, even if the temp at that time of the year can be a bugger. Some time after that we began what became a ten year habit (or more) our Sunday Run Around the Block. Okay, you know WL doesn't have traditional blocks, so we just ran around the lake...about 6 miles to be exact. In the beginning it seemed like quite an accomplishment. We had two routes, clockwise around the lake or counterclockwise, starting at Bubba's almost exactly 3 miles from my house or at my house...usually alternating weeks. Didn't make a difference, summer, winter, wind or calm. We ran.

And it morphed into a little bit more. Some of our Sunday runs went longer as we eyed longer races. The St Joe YMCA hosted a Half Marathon...we did that a number of times. Of course we couldn't pass up the granddaddy of races in KC, the Hospital Hill Half Marathon. And then we did the inaugural Phoenix Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix/Scottsdale...twice (Bubba actually did more on his own). The Kansas City Marathon (Half) beckoned as well...so we ran that as too. Crazy, huh?

In the beginning watching race times and improvements (or not) was important to us. I thnk we both figured out in time that running times were just an artifact of the event. What really mattered was enjoying the ride, which we usually did. There was an occasion or two where one of us was "leaking oil" but we just backed off the pace and finished. We always finished. The T-Shirts, medals and race bibs all proof that Bubba and Me had been there.

This year marked a change as we did our Around the Block less than we would have preferred. Bubba and Mrs Bubba made plans to relocate to another Lake, in Utah, so our running escapades were drawing to a close. Bubba couldn't make the Hosptial Hill Half, son Mboy "subbed" for Bubba, finishing his first half. Mboy had his "leaking oil" moment but kept plugging on, made me proud.

My nagging right hip just wouldn't relent, regardless, Bubba and me showed up for the Lenexa 5K Freedom Run on July 4th. It was a tradition after all. As we walked to the car after the race we commented on what a nice race it is. Indeed.

The Bubbas moved from WL shortly thereafter, new chapters for both our families. Our friendship will never be broken, but it will be different for sure. No more sweaty running clothes protested by my tribe as I returned from the run. As it turns out, Lenexa will probably be my last run, my new hip not terribly amenable to the pounding running dishes out. I'm okay with that. I can smile and rewind all the mental tapes of Bubba and me running. Good times, the best.

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April 8th, 2014

That is election day, when a new Mayor will be elected @ WL. Have a hankering to be the most powerful person in WL? Might be your time. For the uninitiated, the first step in grabbing the brass ring is to file, the filing period begins December 17th and ends January 21st, right there @ City Hall. Ms Gwen can give you all the details.

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Plane Crazy

From today's KC STAR

What do all good appointed civic commissions do when confronted with tough decisions? Get a consultant. Exactly what the commission tasked with the KCI project has done. At a projected cost of $100,000 the lone company that applied for the task has been hired. The hot potato has now been tossed to the consultant.

In the meantime the Star has an rambling editorial, a mishmash of observations, many which do not make much sense (is the paucity of electric outlets that big of a deal?). They do note the airlines have not been formally included in the discussions...that should inject a dose of reality.

What frequent flyers want (typically business travelers who pay alot of the freight) is easy in and out. They don't go early to shop or eat (ok, maybe a cup of coffee). They get to the airport just in time and when they return they want to make their getaway as quickly as possible.

Could the airport be improved? Of course. At a cost of 1+ $billion? Nah.

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Parts Is Parts

So, the Indian Summer continues of sorts, nice yesterday and not bad today. Quiet around the lake, the transition from the bustle of lake living to the hibernation in the cave mode.

What to blog about? The upcoming Mayoral race...nah, save that for the filing period next month. Scraping bottom here. Ok, what about this?

Three weeks ago tomorrow I became a member of the Bionic Weatherbeans Club or BWC. I know a woman here who joined the BWC with her new knee, me I got me a new right hip. My old hip went down hill fast, starting to balk a bit in May and by October 25th, my last day of work, it was acting as if a pit bull was chomping on it as I staggered down the concourse at BWI. The 26th I fulfilled a long held promise to Sarah to sky dive on her 18th birthday. Off we went to Waldron, up 10,000 feet and then out of a perfectly good airplane. Fall velocity 125 MPH. Holy sh**. Anyway, safe landing, standing up and the last thrill my old hip would have.

Monday morning the 28th, my doc K comes in to autograph my hip (we do want to replace the right one, right?) and off to sleepy bye @ NKC Hospital. Wake up in Recovery to see one of WL finest nurses, Ms C, checking on me, nice, even though the fog of anesthesia isn't quite cleared. 48 hrs later discharged, out the door with a cane and back to WL.

Three weeks later, walking normally with no assist, my pit bull right hip left behind at NKC. Very remarkable recovery, as me and my bionic part become good friends.

I'd like to think this is the last of my body part replacement program...but the tell tale creaking of my OEM suggests not. Oh well, parts is parts.

 

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It Ain't Peanuts

Southwest Airlines, famous for offering peanut snacks on their flights, has weighed in on the proposed pie in the sky single terminal proposal for KCI.

And it's not pretty.

From the Star yesterday, "We're the anchor tenant, so costs are important to us" Executive VP Ron Ricks from Southwest exclaimed.  The new terminal proposal would "triple our costs".  Yikes.  Interestingly, according to Ricks, the airlines have not had a voice in the planning for the future of KCI.  Wow.  But never fear, the task force established by Mayor James intends invite the airlines "early this winter".  If you read the Star article the theory that, If you build it they (the airlines) will come may not be true, especially if gate costs triple.  In the meantime passenger counts at KCI have struggled this year, one month surpassing last year's count and then sinking below the next month.  Airport mogul Van Loh was not interviewed by the Star for the article.

I flew Southwest late last month, non-stop to Baltimore.  The flight allowed me to make a 2PM meeting without having to connect or have an overnight...both cost saving and allowing me to spend a night at home in my own bed.  Southwest operates 24 non-stops out of MCI.  At risk if costs go up?  I hope not because in this instance without that non-stop I would have an extra overnight with the costs...yuck.

The more that comes to light on this deal the uglier it gets...and the promise of a "no tax increase" build loses its luster.