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Kansas City Here I Come!

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On Thursday, hubby and I headed out to every vacation lovers dream destination-Kansas City, KS. I know, I know, you are super jealous. But we had a specific reason to go out there. A good friend of ours was getting promoted. If you know anything about the military, then you know that getting promoted is a big deal. And this promotion was a HUGE affair; he was pinning on Colonel. He would be a “full bird”. That’s what we call it when someone achieves that rank.

We’ve known Pumba and his wife, Hobbes, for 18 years. And if you’ve been following me, then you know that he’s been mentioned in one of my articles. He is a character but in a good way. Every time we see him, he makes us laugh; there is never a dull moment when he is around.

He asked my husband to do the ceremony so of course he said, “yes!” It is an honor we can’t say no to. While it is a solemn occasion, with Pumba, nothing is serious.

The weekend didn’t disappoint. The Alvarado’s are the consummate hosts. But where there are Pumba’s, there is alcohol. Along with that is a ton of great conversation, friendship, and food.

Friday, the day of the ceremony, came early. We headed over to Fort Leavenworth. That was a treat too. I hadn’t been to (or through) Kansas in many years. And I’d never been to Leavenworth. The fall foliage was amazing. It seriously reminded me of New England where I grew up. The colors on the trees were bright and vibrant. The town was quaint. It is great to see old downtown areas revitalized.

The ceremony took place on a building on campus. Pumba’s classmates were there in droves. So were friends and family from out-of-town. My spouse (I think) did a wonderful job.

Once the proper portion was over, the party could re-begin. Hobbes had made so much Mexican food. It was delicious. The music was blaring and the conversation flowed. Even the bonfire was going well.

And we didn’t get to bed until 2AM. That’s what I call a successful party!

Our First Time

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This was a weekend of doing things for the first time. And, no, I’m not talking about that so get your mind out of the gutter. Besides, we’ve been married waaaaayyyyyy too long. Even with that admonishment, I did “pop my cherry” a few times.

First, my spouse came home from a business trip and we were trying to decide what to do this weekend. We have been saying that we need to get out more. Not only that but the D.C. area has plenty of opportunities to experience events, festivities, and culture. So when a text popped up on my phone telling me that the Kennedy Center was offering $20 tickets to see the opera, La Traviata, I suggested it to him. Needless to say, he hemmed and hawed about going. But I clicked on the link anyways.

The Kennedy Center has a program called “My Tix” where they offer discounted tickets to certain shows if you are a student or in the military. I saw this as a chance to try out opera. We’ve never been and I figured that $20 a ticket wasn’t breaking the bank. And if we hated it, we could leave during intermission. When I saw that they were offering orchestra seats for that price, I couldn’t say “no”.

So come Saturday, we got dressed up and headed out. I love the ambiance of the Kennedy Center. The Millennium stage was hosting an African tribal group so they were our social hour entertainment. It was lovely. When it was time to go in, we found our seats and waited.

La Traviata is the story of a courtesan. She falls in love with an affluent man but his father disapproves. Violetta does the admirable thing and leaves him. She is dying anyways, you see. In the end, the two reunite as she is dying. If you’ve seen Pretty Woman, you know the music. It’s the same opera Richard Gere takes Julia Roberts to.

I wanted to love or hate it. By intermission, I wasn’t swayed either way. It was rather disappointing, if you must know. So we stayed for the second act. About 10 minutes in, I found myself weeping uncontrollably. I’m not sure why but I was. I guess we’ll be going to another opera at some point.

And then on Sunday, I needed to run some errands. Alain went his way and I went mine. We had to be back in time to see the Patriots play. As I was driving to the thrift shop, I realized what I was wearing on my feet-Crocs! What a disaster! I had sworn when I had to get them that I would never be seen in public with them. My podiatrist had ordered me to wear them around the house to support my toes. No more bare feet for me. But still, Crocs! I may not be fashionable but I didn’t want to wear them. And now here I was, out shopping with my Crocs on my feet.

At least it was a quick trip, made even quicker by my footwear choice. I won’t make that mistake again. Oh, and I found what I was looking for at the thrift shop so score one for me!