Shane Life

This weekend, we headed up to Council Bluffs to visit Alli’s family. On Saturday, I spent the morning with Tyson and Ashley taking engagement pictures, which took us on a tour of Council Bluffs to places I hadn’t seen before, including the bridge pictured above, The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge.

The bridge opened at the end of September and was built by Kansas City’s own HNTB for about $22 million. I was wondering what cities in their right mind would pay for such a bridge when my father-in-law informed me that the reason it was named for Bob Kerrey was because he had acquired about $18 million of that “wasteful pork barrel spending” from the government to help pay for it.

The bridge spans over 3,000 feet of the Missouri River and is an impressive structure that connects Omaha to Council Bluffs. The lights were donated by the Gallup organization, who have a training facility at the end of the Omaha side.

I’d love to see cool stuff like this start showing up in Kansas City. Omaha is a little ahead of the game when it comes to the development of their downtown and if Kansas City doesn’t get its act together soon, they’ll soon be sorely losing out when it comes to big events (case in point – the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials were in the Qwest Center in Omaha earlier this year).

If you’re ever in the area, you should check it out.

Over the weekend, Alli and I headed up to her folks’ place to take our future nieces to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo. We’ve been before (obviously, Alli, having been from the area has been several times…this was my 3rd trip), but each time we go, they seemingly have some new attraction for zoo-goers to peep.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day on Saturday and plenty of folks took advantage of the great weather to visit the zoo. We even ran into our friends Mike and Danielle on their way out of the zoo, which was funny because I hadn’t seen them here in KC for a long time.

It’s no surprise to run into folks from Kansas City 3 hours North at the Zoo. Omaha’s zoo puts Kansas City’s poor excuse for a zoo to absolute shame. The zoo in Omaha is accessible, clean and all the animals look comfortable (mostly) whereas the KC Zoo is a blight as far as zoos go.

I think that the KC Zoo would be better suited to close up shop, ship all its animals 3 hours North and put all its money into a high-speed train that runs to the Omaha Zoo. Because as far as zoos go, Omaha’s is one of the best.

One of the coolest things that Omaha has is a newer attraction called the Kingdoms of the Night, which has a slew of nocturnal animals and one specific section called The Swamp, which feels – predictably – like a swamp. It is the world’s largest indoor swamp and inside, the zoo has constructed a wooden bridge that takes you through sunken rowboats and trees in low light while alligators and beavers and other nocturnal animals mill about as if they were in the bayou of Louisiana. Along the way, you’ll get a glimpse of the crown jewel of the Omaha Zoo – the very rare White Alligator, one of only 13 in the world.

This display is just one example of how much better the Omaha Zoo is compared to ours. And to be honest, with the way that Kansas City, Missouri is run, it’s no surprise.

So for those of you who have never been, I would highly recommend you take the 3-hour trip North to Omaha, if only for the day. It’s completely worth it.

So I’m back from Jamaica.

Alli and I and the rest of the family have been at Beaches Negril since last Saturday. While we were there, my brother and his lovely significant other Kelly got hitched on the beach on Tuesday afternoon. Both families were there as were a bunch of Jake’s friends and we had a great time. After an all-day journey yesterday, we’re back in Kansas City, away from the island humidity.

It looks as though the internet didn’t break while I was gone, although I  did win a contest and my biography was posted on Brad’s site. It looks like everything else is as it was. 

I read two books while I was gone, finally finishing Wild at Heart by John Eldridge and quickly consuming Playing for Pizza by John Grisham. I’ll post reviews soon.

As far as the rest of the week…I’m taking the rest of the week off from work. I may tackle a redesign of my own site if I can do it quickly. We’ll see.

How are you?

The Kansas City Star is reporting that gas consumption is down throughout the region (and across the nation).

High gas prices across the nation are causing people to drive less and less because the result of higher fuel prices is that people must conserve money to make sure they can pay for more necessary things like food and shelter.

I know I’m not the first person to say, this, but I’m going to say it anyway.

Higher gas prices are a good thing.

The United States consumes more fuel than every other nation on the planet. It makes sense that we should probably pay less for it since we use more, right? This is true. However, we’ve grown accustomed to such low gas prices that any spike at the pump results in us crying foul and calling for boycotts of Shell and any other oil company that sells gas.

And while it’s true that oil companies like ExxonMobil and BP have made more money in the last several years than ever, I still don’t think we pay enough for gas.

Boycotting specific gas stations really doesn’t hurt anyone but the gas station owner, who operates on a very very slim margin. Out of the $3.34 per gallon (the price at the Quik Trip I pass on my way to work), the gas station actually profits a very small percentage, with the majority going to the oil company and the refineries to pay for the crude and the cost of refining it.

Oil companies are making huge profits because we still have yet to temper our consumption of oil. High gas prices have not done anything to the way that we live our lives. I still drive my SUV from Olathe to Fairway by myself every day, filling up once per week for $60+ each time.

Maybe when gas reaches $4 per gallon, I’ll actually get serious about taking the bus because it will finally be worth the huge hassle (we’re talking about 2 transfers and about a 2-hour commute to go 20 miles) to actually ride it. I imagine there are others out there who think the same way.

That’s why higher gas prices are a good thing. Maybe they will finally encourage us who consume more oil than any other nation (although China’s nipping at our heels) to change the way we think and put pressure on those who can do something about it to actually…do something about it.

I still believe that the American people have a say. It’s one of the reasons why I support Barack Obama. He’s someone who I believe will take the voice of the people under consideration when developing legislation. The issue is that people don’t care enough about it right now to really do something about it. We can’t rely on corporations like oil companies and car companies to magically do the right thing. They are going to do what is most profitable because they are still profit-based companies. They don’t owe you lower gas prices. It’s up to you to stand up and say, “If that’s how you’re gonna play it, then I’ll just change my lifestyle entirely.”

This is the only way we’re actually going to get viable alternative fuels and good mass transit in bigger cities – by actually telling people that they suck.

This isn’t an Earth Day post, but was inspired by a discussion I heard on the radio on the way into work. The host was outraged by the high gas prices and brought in an expert who basically said, TOUGH. And I agree. It’s time for people to get used to $4 per gallon gas because it’s not coming down anytime soon. Hopefully, it will inspire some folks to do something about it.

(And to those of you who are going to suggest that I get a different car, the answer is no. This one’s paid for.)

I wrote the following while I was on my way to New Orleans last Thursday and thought I’d throw it out to the Internets to see how you like it. It’s been edited, but mostly it was my gut reaction as we flew toward the Crescent City…

I oftentimes forget that people travel to New Orleans because of its history. And it is a city very rich with history. Unfortunately, that’s been tainted by years and years of poverty piled on top of the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

The first time was in 1993. I remember the year because we went for the Final Four. Kansas was playing in one of the most stacked final weekends of the tournament ever, with Michigan, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Kansas lost their semifinal game to the Tarheels, who were led by Eric Montross.

North Carolina went on to win the National Championship, defeating Michigan in a game that would go down in infamy as the one where Chris Webber called a timeout at the end of the game that the Wolverines didn’t have, resulting in a game-sealing technical foul.

What I remember of New Orleans from when I was 16 was really more the spectacle than anything. I remember traveling to the Tulane campus with David Rowe and visiting Frankie & Johnny’s for my first experience with crawfish. We saw Bourbon Street and the debauchery in all its glory on the first night, the streets packed with fans from all four schools milling around from bar to bar, from strip club to strip club, drinking and generally just making asses out of themselves.

We toured the French quarter during the day, which is really when people should see it. Bourbon Street is too much to take, but the rest of the quarter is intriguing, filled with art shops and tarot card readers along the streets.

I was reminded of this New Orleans today as I sat on the plane returning to the city that I’ve grown to dislike very much. It is rich with history, sure, but the smell of sewage in the city casts an overwhelming. I’ve not been back since Hurricane Katrina hit and I’m interested to see what’s been done to overcome that tragedy.

The woman across the small plane from me was sifting through her “Walking Tour Guide” and other assorted New Orleans tourism maps and such. She reminded me that some people (myself not included) still visit this city at the mouth of the Mississippi because it’s fascinating. There really is a lot to see if you want to find it. You just have to ignore the smells and the other negative things that go along with a city that has endured what New Orleans has.

This is my fifth trip to the city. While my first experience was amazing, being led around by a former native, going to the Final Four, etc., my following experiences (outside of the amazing food) have been less than stellar. There’s no reason I could point to particularly…I just remember the city being dirty and less impressive with each additional viewing.

—

Now I realize that like I said earlier, what I don’t like about New Orleans is that it seems like a city with a lot of potential, but it just can’t get it together. Something horrible happened to the city, but the government has thrown TONS of money there, but it still is a ways from being right again and I don’t know if it ever will be because the people in charge have about as much of a clue as to how to run a city as those running Kansas City, Missouri proper.

Either way, I just don’t see myself ever going back there to visit. I’ll go when I absolutely have to for a conference or whatever, but I’m not going to voluntarily go back. It would take some serious motivation for me to do so.

I’ve was in New Orleans Thursday through Saturday for a conference. As we drove back to the airport, I summed up the trip as such:

“I just can’t understand why anyone would want to live in New Orleans. I barely ever want to even visit here.”

And it’s the truth. Sure, the food is great (it really is) and the music is good, but the negatives vastly outweigh the positives there. The town has been very slow to recover from Hurricane Katrina, but frankly, I didn’t think it was that great before the disaster. Any major city that situates itself 2 to 6 meters below sea level isn’t making good decisions, if you ask me.

Add that to the overwhelming smell of sewage, the high violent crime rate (4 times the homicides of Kansas City), and the vast poverty and you’re looking at a city that isn’t really appealing to me.

The food is pretty darn good though.

The first night, we ate at Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House, an upscale seafood place right on Bourbon Street. I ate raw oysters (teetering on the edge between gross and intriguing) and an absolutely amazing entree of crawfish-crusted Gulf fish (see below). That meal was by far the best I had, although the Shrimp Po-Boy I had at Landry’s for lunch the next day was pretty tasty too.

I’m glad to be home. We flew ExpressJet and had to actually walk out on the Tarmac to get on our plane. To call it small is an understatement. One seat, aisle, two seats. That’s it. The Bose QC2 Noise-Cancelling Headphones made the flight a lot easier. It was weird getting back from the 80 degree weather of Louisiana to the high 30 degree weather in KC. You gotta love the midwest.

I drive a 2001 Dodge Durango. It’s comfy for a man of my size, but it SUCKS when it comes to filling up at the pump. (The car pictured here is not mine, but is a good representation.)

I would love to get a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle to drive to work, but it just isn’t really viable for me right now. My Durango is totally paid for and I have no interest in picking up a monthly payment for another couple years.

I would however look into the option of taking the bus. Ongoing fuel costs are really killing me right now and I’d be happy to pay a few bucks per day to get to work. I wouldn’t mind the commute all that much either…I could get some reading done, listen to the iPod…I wouldn’t mind it.

Unfortunately, finding a bus route to get me from Olathe to Fairway is much more difficult than it should be. The main hub for The JO is only a few blocks from my office, but getting from a central location in Olathe to an office park in Fairway (I work right next door to KCTV5) is darn near impossible. Not only that, but figuring out The JO’s outdated route maps is totally ridiculous.

I’m trying to do the right thing here. I want to at least attempt to ride the bus, but it’s much more effort than it’s worth. I have a way of fixing it though…

Here’s my suggestion: a route suggestion tool. Enter your starting and ending addresses and the website spits out your best route for getting to where you need to go. Now, I’m no programmer, but I think that seems like a reasonable request for a metropolitan transit utility. Maybe something like that exists. If so, would someone please either tell me in the comments or e-mail me.

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You’re the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl… or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

I was hoping for Paris, but I’ve never been to Dublin.

What European City Do You Belong In?