Full Squad Mini Camp June 6-8th

Kansas City Chiefs

November 25-28, 2005

"Super Bowl Crew Reunion"

    I've got to be nuts... making a second trek just two weeks after coming back from Miami.... especially the day after Thanksgiving!  True to form, laundry, packing and planning was left until the night before but luckily I needed my license for the game the week before and discovered that I had lost it,  giving me just enough time to hit the Registry to get a replacement before freaking out on Friday morning at the airport!  The week leading up to the trip was spent (still) catching up from the earlier crash  and updating  my site and podcasts.  Thanksgiving Day meant a house full of family to share the day.  Unfortunately, an eight hour side trip to the Emergency Room with Dad filled most of it.  (He's fine...thankfully!)  So, all day Thursday, it was a "game time decision" whether or not we would make the trek at all.  When I was comfortable enough that he would be ok and would be coming home in the morning, we decided to go forward with our plans.

Good to Go...

That's my boy!

Checking In

Happy Holidays

  On Friday morning, we got to the airport in plenty of time and enjoyed a non-stop flight to Kansas City International airport.  Thanks to the scoop from Mom about EarPlanes, Jacob and I arrived sans ear pain!!  After picking up our car and taking the LONG way to the hotel (and only getting lost once!) we checked in and got the kids settled in the restaurant for lunch.  Big Al and I headed out to pick Bama up at the train station because  he was arriving from St. Louis where he and Judy spent Thanksgiving.   Getting there was a trip but getting back to the hotel was an adventure!  (Do they even have street signs in Kansas City?!)  By the time we got back to the hotel, a few hours had passed by and we were famished.  The trio hit the lounge and had a bite to eat and some cocktails, and watched college football to pass the time.  The entire Iowa State football team stayed at the hotel and the lounge was jammed with family and friends.

Mrs. B & Bama

Nikko-Man!

AHHHHH!

My baby girl

    Later that evening, after mucho cocktails and stogies, we hit Nikko in the hotel for a Japanese dinner.  Nikko-Man cooked for us and urged the kids to "open you mouth" and proceeded to flick chicken and shrimp off of his knife across the  table to them.  Kelsea went 2 for 2 with the chicken, while Jacob was bombarded with shrimp scoring about 7 out of 10 with barely enough time to chew and swallow in between.  After dinner and a trip to the cigar shop, Al joined Bama for stogies outside and Jacob and I hung in the lobby relaxing.  Karyn, Lonie, & Madison arrived around 11:00, and after catching up and checking in, we headed to the lounge for  the rest of the night.  They were playing Karaoke, and much to everyone's delight, Madison came down and performed the last song of the night.  It was her first attempt and she did such a great job that I overheard people at breakfast the next morning raving about it!!

Bama & Lonie

The Next American Idol?

Podcasting & Pink Drinks

Staying in touch...

    As usual, on Saturday morning  Big Al, Jacob, and I hit the gym then the four of us headed in to eat at the breakfast buffet.  Kelsea and I headed out for manicures and pedicures, ran some errands then hung with the Paxtons for the afternoon watching more college football.  The lobby started filling up with autograph hounds and more and more Pats family members also checked in.  When the Orrs arrived, there were hugs going round as we had spent  SuperBowl weekend together and had become fast friends. We introduced the Paxtons' long time friends to Kelsea, Jacob and Bama as they weren't there and hadn't met.  Soon, the buzz started in the lobby and the boys pulled up.

TBC's in da house

The Paxton's Parlor

Bling, Bling....

Bling!

    Lonie came down to the lobby for a bit to visit and everyone took turns trying on all three rings and posing for pictures. (He keeps only the newest one while Dad hangs on to the other two.) Much to Chase's delight, he got to wear 38 for the entire weekend!  I talked to Bryan Lowe (PVN)  for awhile (as usual) and ran into Michael Parente as well. Once the boys headed up for their meeting at 8:00, our entire crew headed out to KC Masterpiece for dinner.  Talk about a lot of food for the money!  Cheap, good eatins!!  More lounge lizard action took place and the boys were thrilled to be able to actually smoke Inside!  Karyn and I continued with Breakfast drinks (Bloody Marys) ...what's up with that? 

Dinner at KC

Karen & Karyn

Bama & Chris

Chase, Lonie, Rick & Carley

    On game day morning, we hit the buffet once again, then all met in the lobby to head over to the stadium to tailgate.  Thanks to the Orr crew who drove in from Arkansas with all of their gear, we actually tailgated at an away game.  Lonie's awesome Carne Asada tacos, sausage, dogs, and Liz's delicious guacamole, we were good to go!  Big Al and I had our Big Willie toast we took a group picture then headed in to Arrowhead geared up and ready to go.

Carne Asada!

Tailgaters

Stogie Boys

Go Pats!!

     Our seats were way up there but on the 50 yard line and man... living up to the reputation...Arrowhead is LOUD.  The fans are really into it but the design of the bowl also holds in the sound for sure.  Everyone around us was very cordial and the only trash talking came from the drunk kid halfway down our row, who proceeded to puke and sleep for the final three quarters of the game...  Unfortunately, Brady and company had a very off day and things didn't go our way AT ALL!  Luckily, the weather was warm because by halftime the sky opened up and soaked us to the skin.  Post game, we said our goodbyes to the Orrs who were heading home right from the game and headed back to the hotel with reports of a tornado watch for the area!

Road Trippers

Heading in..

Tedy & Pepper pregame hug

Pats fans :-)

Arrowhead

    While drying off and changing, the sky opened up completely and heavy winds and hail battered the hotel windows.  I could hear it outside and was thankful that it held off until we were home.  That night we headed out to the Cracker Barrel with Lonie and Karyn and once again ate way too much.  Hoping to change our return flight to a later time, I called the airline before heading down for a final nightcap.  Unfortunately, there was nothing left out of KC so we stuck to our 7:10AM flight and stayed down for just one.  We bid our friends goodbye and all retired to the rooms to pack up and hit the hay early.  Heading home on Monday morning went off without a hitch and it was back to the old grind for me once we got home.

    Once again, we enjoyed another successful trip complete with good food, good conversation, and good friends. One that  could only be topped by a Pats win!

Check out the Complete Kansas City Album for more pics...