Black Fly-Day

The day after Thanksgiving, I strapped a plane to my butt (as my friend Roz often puts it), and flew to Kansas City, MO, via Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. After a healthy hike between concourses at O’Hare (ah, the happy memories of the summer I worked at NRC’s Second City-adjacent Regional Office). Then it was off on a “comfortable” Canadian Regional Jetette to the huge new Kansas City International airport. The airport see picture below, is built on the “current” model (see LaGuardia Airport in New York, for another

example. This means that upon deplaning (shout out to the late Herve Villechaize), one, again hike past every food, drink and retail vendor in a very large shopping mall that now coexists within the airport. It is not possible to leave the security area and reach either baggage claim or ground transportation without going through this forced march.

Reunited and the Food’s So Good

IM’s upon landing

“Just landed and we are still taxiing. Will update at baggage claim.

I am at doors D-F!

Look for a black Prius.

Outside it says 1 E2

It will take me a couple of minutes!

So, why did I go to Kansas City, anyway, one might ask. Well, it all started in a dining hall at SUNY Oneonta long ago. A young woman standing several tables away from where a young man was sitting made a funny face in his general direction. he, of course, returned it, with one of his own. They both laughed and a few minutes later, she went over to explain that the face was meant for someone behind him. Fast forward to today and that young woman and that young man, having become very good friends at college, shared good and bad times, were meeting again.

In the years after college, Kathy and her husband Dave had moved from New York, our home State to Kansas City, crossing the State line back and forth between Missouri and Kansas. Along the way, they had two children and honored me by asking me to be their son’s godfather. We mourned the loss of parents, celebrated births and deaths of family and friends, laughed and cried together and are finally keeping the promises to see more of each other. Having my godson, Alex and his family in town from Chicago for Thanksgiving, made the trip all the sweeter.

Kathy and Dave’s daughter Meghan lives nearby in Kansas, so I got to see her and her teenaged kids too (yikes, how did that happen?) And, of course, we all went out for some Kansas City barbecue at Q39

(no, not that Q). We ate well. I’ll leave the “best barbecue argument for those who have never eaten at Brooks Barbecue in Oneonta, NY.

Saturday morning came too early, but we were ready for it. Kathy and Dave had prepared a big breakfast for Alex and Jamie and their kids to see them off for the long drive back to Chicago, hopefully beating the predicted snow! Alex and Jamie are incredible parents with endless patience. But their two kids (my “God-grandchildren”, as I jokingly call them) are so darn cute (their son really is Alex’s mini-me in looks and personality).

Independence Day

With Alex and family on the road, Dave, Kathy, and I cleaned up the breakfast. Dave, being a gracious host, found some soccer on TV while Kathy got changed and then, she and I headed for Independence, MO, to visit the Harry S. Truman Presidental Library and Museum. “Give ’em Hell Harry,” “The Buck Stops Here,” “Dewey Defeats Truman.” Like most Americans of my age, I remembered these tidbits about the man that most Americans knew little about when he became President upon the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt very soon after Roosevelt was elected to his fourth term. Truman was Roosevelt’s third Vice President, replacing Henry Wallace. As the history was told at the Museum, Democratic Party insiders, at the time, realized how ill President Roosevelt was and put forward Senator Truman because they believed he was a man ready to lead the country. However, as the conventional history tells the story, he had little contact with Roosevelt before FDR’s death, only months after their inauguration. The museum tells Truman’s story from farmer’s son to his business career to soldier. He was also a romantic. There was only one woman for him. His love letters to Bess from overseas during World War I were romantic and touching.

Truman was tough but he was a man who respected and cared about the troops, and they respected him. For this reason, for the pain and destruction he saw in WWI, he felt he made the correct choice to use the Atomic Bomb. He and Bess, like the Carters, a few decades later, were humble people who chose to return home after his Presidency. Kathy mentioned that in June after their return from Washington, Harry and Bess, without Secret Service protection, got into their Chrysler and went on a road trip! A book was written about it later: “Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip”, by Matthew Algeo. I haven’t read it yet, but, I imagine it is interesting. Before I discuss our final adventure, here are some pictures from the Museum and Library.

Getting Our Steps In

Sunday morning, I was the first to wake up. I looked out the window and this was my view!

After a pleasant morning of chat, breakfast and some English Premier League Football, Kathy and I were off to give Dave some peace and quiet while we visited “The Link.” Kansas City has repurposed its grand old train station into a shopping hub and science discovery center with a large connect parking garage. It also has an insulated heated and cooled enclosed walkway connecting it to a shopping mall and the two hotels. It is, indeed, a great place to get some walking in on a snowy Sunday.

Union Station was already decorated for Christmas and looked great. I understand from Kathy that it was a lucky break that the grand old building was saved from destruction. It alone was worth a visit. These two shots give some idea of that the link looks like. The first shows the walkway, the second is looking down into one of the lobby areas.

As I mentioned, there is also a modern shopping mall where I bought a rather handsome hat. It was a great afternoon out.

Finally, I can’t complete this blog without a picture of my hosts, Kathy and Dave, great friends and good people.

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