Kansas City ...

The past two weekends, I've had the pleasure of working in remote, yet interesting places.  Two weeks ago I was in NYC (and I've written lots about NYC in the past so I'll bore you except the fact that LGA is still a shitty airport) and this past weekend I took my first journey to Kansas City. 

I have to admit, I know nothing about Kansas City aside from BBQ, Blues, it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere and the Royals / Chiefs play there.  Here are some other interesting facts I learned:

• Kansas City airport is pretty much a county air strip with jets on it.  They don't even have stores by the gates.  I guess you would have to call it very, very efficient. 
• The terrain of Kansas City is pretty much flat, small hill where a water tower sits and then more flatness.  
• The locals like their BBQ -- we passed a few hundred BBQ restaurants and finally settled on Gates.  It was an interesting place that served more food than a single human could eat. Good BBQ but I have to admit, NC / SC BBQ is much better. 
• The Westin Crown Center is a nice place that attracts some great people. In fact, around 230 in the A, it attracted a gun battle between some locals. Let me tell you, there is nothing more unsettling than waking up to 20 - 30 single shot assault rifle rounds going off at 2 AM followed by an additional 15 - 20 small arms fire then another 20 or so AK rounds rattling off.  And no ... I didn't leave the TV on.  So I awoke from the shooting in immediate panic mode not really sure what to think. Gunfire as an alarm does not have a very calming effect.  After a couple of seconds of getting my barings, I realized, I wasn't prepared at all.  I'm in some random hotel and there is a shoot out going on near by.  Course, my head races to the worst possible conclusions -- terrorist on the loose, invasion aka. Red Dawn -- and naturally, none of those are the case.  But you don't really go back to sleep after being awkoen by a shoot out.  If you could bottle that fear / adrenaline rush, you could create a product that would put Red Bull out of business in a matter of seconds. 

The rest of my thoughts about Kansas City are pretty much void after that experience. Granted, that could happen in any city, at any time, but it shaped the way I feel about Kansas City. I think I'm ok not returning to KC for a while.