Archive for "Life"
Thoughts on Working in Kansas City
Posted on October 9, 2016 by Ching under Life, Relationship.
It’s hard being away from home. Luckily, we are pros at it now. Last year I was spending four days a week in Topeka. I got a short reprieve over the summer, which was nice, but then it started back up again in September. This time I’m spending four days a week in Kansas City.
Between you and me, Kansas City is a step up from Topeka so I’m not complaining. Plus, even though four days of my work week are spent away from my home base, it usually only means three nights away from home.
I do miss Brian and the girls, though. Thank heavens for FaceTime!
Of course, it’s not the same as being there and hugging and holding my babies and being able to share in the day to day activities. But I have a confession to make…
I actually LOVE working in Kansas City.
Perhaps the biggest contributing factor is the walkability of their downtown area. It’s not a secret that I hate driving. When I’m in Wichita, I have to drive to work everyday. It was nice when Brian and I were able to carpool but that stopped two years ago. Yes, I have to drive three hours to get to Kansas City but, once I’m there, I don’t have to see my car again until have to drive back to Wichita.
- I can walk to work each day. (The hotel where I stay is about a four-minute walk.)
- I can walk to the grocery store, if I need something.
- I can walk to the gym, conveniently located across from the office.
- I can walk to Power & Light for nightlife, free concerts, and a plethora of dining options.
- I can walk to the nail salon and even get my nails done over lunch if I so desire.
- I can walk to get good coffee. And I don’t mean Starbucks, though there is also a Starbucks across from the office.
- I can walk to play trivia or ping pong. (I found some ping pong tables in the park across the street from my hotel. I bought a ping pong set from Amazon a few weeks ago. Now I just need to find someone to play with.)
I just cannot get over how I can walk to EVERYTHING and I am loving it!
I also love the downtown views. Here’s a better picture…
The workspace we were given is located on the 17th floor of the tallest building in downtown Kansas City and the view is spectacular. But that isn’t even the top floor, mind you. I can’t imagine what the views are like on the 40th floor on up.
There are downsides, of course. Quite a few, actually. I will not list them all. For the time being, I’m enjoying my time working in Kansas City while it lasts.
No Comments
Onelife KC
Posted on October 1, 2016 by Ching under Life, Zumba.
I found an amazing gym across from the office (next to the grocery store) a couple of weeks ago. Here are some pictures that I took during a brief tour.
I was a bit worried about finding a suitable gym with group exercise classes. We get really spoiled here in Wichita because we have the best YMCA facilities in the entire nation. Our YMCA facilities are ten times better than most health clubs. And we have fantastic workout classes.
I went and checked out Onelife on a Monday so I could get a tour and also check out the Zumba class. The class was just okay. Definitely not like the ones we have here in Wichita. We are so spoiled because we have the best of everything here.
The facility itself was fabulous, though. I loved the modern look and feel and all the equipment looked brand new. I’m not sure how long the gym has been operational but, from the looks of it, they haven’t been open a long time because everything still looks shiny and new. Either that or they take really immaculate care of their facility. The Zumba class might not have sold me (I’ve never been a fan of the 45-minute Zumba class and that’s what they have on Mondays) but the gym itself and the friendly staff blew me away. Plus, the proximity to the office (across the street) was just icing on the cake.
Of course, I couldn’t justify paying $45-55 a month for a gym membership that I could only use three days a week (if that). I think if there was an hour-long Zumba class everyday that I could hit, then it would probably be worthwhile. At $5 per class, three times a week, four weeks a month that comes out to $60 so I could rationalize it. It wouldn’t be worth it without the classes because the Marriott downtown has pretty well-equipped gym. I could always just work out there if I just need treadmills and weights and such.
However, I’m the kind of person who finds opportunity where there are challenges and obstacles. So guess what I did the very next day. I worked on my Zumba resume before bed. We had a work dinner that night and I actually didn’t get back to the hotel until almost ten o’clock. Then I worked on my resume for a couple of hours while Brian and I video chatted.
Brian was like, “It’s almost midnight, baby. Go to bed.” But I couldn’t go to bed until my resume and cover letter were just right.
This is the product of my effort. I figured if I get a Zumba gig out of this, great. I’ll actually get to do the kind of workout I want to do, which isn’t currently available to me on the days I need it. If not, no big deal. I’m a big girl and can handle rejection.
It sounds like there’s not a great demand for Zumba right now at their gym but I’ve always had an “if you build it, they will come” mentality about things. I’m convinced the demand isn’t there for the type of Zumba class that isn’t currently offered which doesn’t have “party-like” atmosphere like the ones offered here in Wichita. The music selection is quite different as well so the experience is totally different. It’s had to convey that it words though so I’m trying to set up a demo class so group exercise director there can experience the difference. It’s a lot like the sunsets in the Flint Hills. Words cannot describe it. It just has to be experienced.
So anyway, this is probably not the most brilliant idea I’ve had in a while (because, you know, I’m full of brilliant ideas – LOL) but sometimes you just have to follow your gut. Wish me luck!
No Comments
8th Annual Haus of Brews
Posted on October 1, 2016 by Ching under Life.
It was a stormy, rainy evening but we managed to make the best of it. Those of us who braved the rain managed to have a great time. Thanks to everyone who came to support the Andover Rotary Club. See you all again next year!
No Comments
Labor Day Weekend 2016
Posted on September 9, 2016 by Ching under Life, Zumba.
Here’s a recap of our short but Zumba-filled holiday weekend.
On Friday night Missy got everyone together for Zumba with Jenny at East YMCA at 6:45 PM followed by dinner and drinks at Carlos O’Kelly’s. I would have missed all of the messages had I not taken a day of vacation. I’m glad I was home to I could join the fun. The craziest part is that, after she rounded everyone up, there were more instructors in the class the regular students.
After teaching my Zumba class on Saturday morning, we ferociously prepared for Jay and Becca’s visit. It’s such a privilege to host them for dinner because they’re busy travelers and we rarely ever see them anymore.
It was a productive evening.
Sunday was “Labor Day Fun Day” at the Larnengs’. Brian and I arrived at the party late because I had to teach my Sunday afternoon Zumba class first and then we still had to take care of the dogs. I’m glad we went though because we had a blast.
It had been a while since Brian and I played poker. We were both really rusty but had fun, nonetheless.
On the plus side, I’m glad we didn’t end up doing well because we would have been up late playing poker. And we couldn’t have that because we had an early morning commitment, volunteering for the Labor Run.
Brian actually did not want to volunteer this year because we didn’t receive any kind of communication and had no idea what was going on. But I’m glad we did anyway because it’s for a great cause. And, the volunteer shirts were nice. 🙂
It was a little bit chaotic. I’m not sure that any of the volunteers knew what they were supposed to do. No one had assigned jobs ahead of time. Heck, I had five different jobs in 10 minutes.
I’m thinking I might listen to Brian and refrain from volunteering for the Labor Run next year. We’ve given them our holiday weekend the last few years. We hadn’t been able to go out of town because we’ve had to be at the park first thing in the morning. I’m thinking it’s time to start enjoying our Labor Day weekend again. By not committing to the Labor Run, maybe we can actually go out of town for a change, which is something we haven’t done in forever — at least since we started volunteering for the event.
After the Labor Run, I managed to squeeze in a Zumba class led by Melissa and Todd at South YMCA, which was awesome.
I have been pretty lazy about my workouts lately so getting Zumba in four days in a row (Friday with Jenny at East, teaching my own classes on Saturday and Sunday in Andover, and then with Missy and Todd on Monday at South) was fantastic. It really got me thinking about how much I love to take Zumba classes and maybe I should put a schedule together so that, whenever I’m in town and have some free time, I can easily find a Zumba class. I used to keep a map of all of the Zumba classes in the Wichita area but I haven’t updated it in years. It’s probably time to dust it off and work on it again.
In the meantime, here’s the helpful Zumba schedule I put together:
These are all of the weekday evening classes, ideal for people like me who work their butts off during the day.
These are all of the Zumba classes for the full week.
These are all the classes on the weekends (Friday included).
Don’t fret if the writing is too tiny. You can click on these pictures and then you can zoom in. Also, I will post links to the printable PDF versions so you can stick them on your fridge or board at home or in the office. I hope you guys find these helpful. I know they will help me a ton. Until next time!
No Comments
Anniversary Finale
Posted on September 2, 2016 by Ching under Life, Relationship.
Brian and I finished our month-long anniversary celebration with a couples massage at Sveta’s with our favorite massage therapists, Michael and Mindy. It was kind of bittersweet because I found that Michael is moving away, which means he won’t be around for my birthday massage. Michael has been my go-to massage therapist for several years now. I’m not sure how I will get by without him. On the plus side, Brian told me I could have Mindy — unless, of course, we’re getting a couples massage in which case he gets her and I will have to settle for someone else.
We decided to have lunch at Food Trucks at the Fountain after our massage. Our go-to food truck, Kamayan, was there. Predictably, Brian got ribs with sticky rice and I got porchetta with steamed rice.
Brian and I parked ourselves at the table next to the truck. They had a patio umbrella for shade but the sun had shifted and so it wasn’t really shading much of the table at this point. After we scarfed our food up, we realized that we should really adjust the umbrella. It had a very heavy base and I couldn’t move it by myself. Brian did a good deed by adjusting the patio umbrella so that it shaded the entire table, which benefitted the couple with two kids who took our place.
We spent the rest of the afternoon chilling at home before bowling. I know it’s not idea to go bowling after a nice, relaxing massage but we have our Jack & Jill bowling league on Sunday nights. At least I didn’t have to teach Zumba that day.
Anyway, that pretty much sums up our 14th wedding anniversary. Nothing too exciting this year. Now the countdown for our 15th wedding anniversary begins!
No Comments
