Archive for "Travel"
Pad Thai Restaurant
Posted on September 8, 2023 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.
Brian found this great Thai restaurant by our hotel while we were in Overland Park a couple of weeks ago. When I looked at the menu, it occurred to me that there was hardly anything that Brian would eat. The dishes were more like stuff that I would like. I was so proud of him for going outside of his comfort zone.
The skinny-handled utensils were cool-looking but took a bit to get used to. It was like a fork and spoon with chopstick handles.
I can’t remember what this mango drink was called but it was delicious!
We got the appetizer sampler so we could try multiple things from the menu without having to order everything separately. I actually really liked everything.
They also gave us various sauces to try with the apps.
Because we had appetizers, we decided to split an entree which was a breaded pork dish. Although, we got super full from the apps that we couldn’t finish the main course. If we return I think we’ll just do appetizers and drinks next time.
I really enjoyed this restaurant and would probably come back next time we’re in the area. Until next time, GNG.
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PPA Kansas City Open
Posted on September 4, 2023 by Ching under Pickleball, Travel.
I played in some PPA tournaments in 2021 but then, after I got them out of my system, I resolved never to play in them again because I found them to be completely overrated. After playing in a few of these, I’ve concluded they are way more fun for spectators than actual players. The local/regional tournaments are just as fun and provide way more value for amateur players. I did get talked into playing in one last year (PPA Las Vegas) but I told myself never again because I’m not a fan of how the PPA charges for every single little thing.
I had to eat my words this year because PPA ended up working out an agreement with USA Pickleball and ended up taking over the “golden ticket” events from the APP. “Golden ticket” tournaments are ones that guarantee gold medalists a spot in USAP Nationals. Since I didn’t have my mixed doubles “golden ticket” (Ramon and I only ended up with second place at the DAC in Florida where I earned my women’s doubles and singles GTs), I still needed to earn one. I tried to earn it in APP Cincinnati and failed so PPA KC Open was my last chance. So despite my best efforts to avoid PPA tournaments, I still ended up playing in one.
Anyway, I’m pretty adept at making lemonade out of lemons so even though this was more of a “have to” than “want to” do tournament I was bound and determined to make the best of it. Despite already having my GTs in women’s and singles, I went ahead and registered to play in these events as well to get some additional tournament practice. And since I was just playing for practice, I decided to play up in those events whereas I played my normal division for mixed doubles (’cause I was actually trying to earn my GT for it).
We drove down on Thursday so I could compete in singles in 100+ degrees. LOL. We decided to stay at Hampton Inn because they’re super pet-friendly and reasonably priced and, apparently, we made a good choice because the Kawamotos chose to stay there too.
Brian was actually the one who spotted Jade Kawamoto in the lobby as we were walking to the car. He signaled for me to look. I knew it was one of the Kawamotos (they are twins who play women’s doubles together) but I hesitated to approach because I wasn’t sure if it was Jackie or Jade and I didn’t know how to tell them apart. I didn’t want to miss my opportunity so I went ahead and asked for a photo and that’s how we figured out it was Jade.
It’s easier to tell them apart when they are playing together because Jackie is right handed and Jade is left handed, but I really couldn’t tell you how to tell them apart when you see them by themselves. Jade said she’s the one who usually has her hair in a bun but, as her hair wasn’t in a bun right then, that wasn’t really a fool proof way to do it. She said if you see them together then you’ll be able to tell them apart easier. I told her about how the Johnson twins (Hunter and Yates) wear different color socks — one wears white socks and the other wears black socks — to help the fans tell them apart so I requested she and Jackie come up with an easier way to tell them apart. You know for the sake of all the fans. LOL.
Speaking of fan-girling, had to get a photo with one of my favorite dudes Brendon Long. He is so nice. I just love him.
Also got a pic with some of my favorite senior pros, Mircea Moriariu, David Belew, and Julie Johnson. Not only is Julie an amazing player in her own right, but she is mom to JW and Jorja Johnson.
I got pictures with all my singles opponents on Thursday. My first match was with super fun lady Kecia Vekovius. It turns out we had the same idea. She also has her singles GT already. Like me, she’s playing 3.0 at Nationals but she played 3.5 at this tournament for practice. Great minds think alike!
My second match was against Grace Lee. She was also super nice. Even though I lost, I had a blast playing against her. After I lost to Grace, I had to play Kecia again in the back draw before moving on to play Melissa Slezak below.
This match was also super fun. Our division started at 6 pm and our match was well past 9 pm. I honestly didn’t have any more fight in me at that point and what little energy I had left (very, very little after playing in the heat all afternoon) was no match for how well she could cover the court with her length.
Ultimately, my most favorite photo from Thursday is this pic that Karen snapped of Ben Johns in the sidelines as I was playing my first round match against Kecia. The photo reminded me of this photo that Justin McClung took at the Smash tournament a couple of years ago.
I ended up earning bronze in 3.5 35+ singles. Grace got gold and Melissa got silver.
We didn’t get back to the hotel until almost 11 pm. It was a long day. Thankfully, I had a later start time (3 pm) for women’s doubles the next so I didn’t have to get up super early. However, this was also a bad thing because then we were playing during the hottest part of the day. I think I would have much rather sacrificed sleep had a 7 am start to avoid the heat.
Here are some pics from Friday…
The conditions were brutal and we almost withdrew partway through our first round match against Liz Wright and Karly Gleason (pictured below). We were down 7-9 in the second game when we took a longer timeout to give Kendra some time to recover because the heat was really getting to her. Part of me wanted to win but winning that game would mean we would have to play a third game and I wasn’t sure Kendra’s body could take it.
I reassured Kendra that she wouldn’t be letting me down if we had to withdraw. Ultimately her health is the most important thing. Anyways, we already had out GT and were mostly just playing in the tournament for practice before Nationals. We ended up pushing through and continuing on with the second game.
I was kind of relieved to lose that game because it meant Kendra would have a longer break so we could decide our next steps. Somehow the break allowed Kendra to regain some energy and she decided that we should keep going. We ended up defeating Molly Sager and Megan White in the back draw before falling to Jenny Corley and Carley Mitus.
Out of all the teams we could have played in our division (4.0 10-34 age group), I somehow only ended up playing against people I already knew. The only person I hadn’t met before was Carley but that’s still pretty much a Wichita team because she was playing with Jenny. This always happens to me at tournaments. I usually end up playing against either people from Wichita, people I normally partner with, or close friends and usually in the first round too.
Kendra and I didn’t get the results we were hoping for but got some really great practice. And, all things considered, I’m just glad we survived and neither of us collapsed that day. The heat was really getting to everyone.
Saturday was my break because it was men’s doubles day. The guys got to enjoy cooler weather because it rained. It was both good and bad. The weather was better but due to the rain delay some events ended up getting canceled. I hung out with Brian most of the day and then went to the tournament to get some rec games in the late afternoon/evening.
I was actually hoping to catch my blind date Bill McChesney but I only saw him long enough to give him his shirt. Because of the rain delay, their event started and ended super late and then he had to go. I did get some rec games in with my new friend Craig Morford who I had only met the week prior when we hosted him for the Chicken N Pickle mixed doubles tournament the previous weekend. He was nice enough to hang around even though his men’s doubles event was canceled. We got to play some doubles and a couple of singles games, which despite not being much of a singles player (or so he says), he still kicked my butt.
You’re probably wondering why I had to get a blind date despite knowing so many people. I was kind of in a weird situation in that most of the mixed doubles partners I play with are higher level. Because I was trying to earn my mixed GT, unlike in women’s doubles and singles divisions where I already had GTs so I had the luxury of “playing up” a level, I had to play as low as my rating would allow for mixed doubles. That meant playing 3.5 and I didn’t really know very many people who could still play 3.5 level because even those who could wanted to play up it seemed.
I ended up picking up Shawn Kirby, who I had met at Smash a couple of years before when he ended up playing with Jenna Hessert as his blind date in 4.0 mixed. She had just started playing and didn’t know how good she was (she’s playing professionally these days). I was thinking if he could get gold in 4.0 and was eligible and willing to play 3.5 then we would have a good shot at earning our spot for Nationals. As luck would have it (or misfortune in this case), he ended up getting hurt and contacted me literally two days before registration cutoff. I had to scramble and find someone from the “players needing partners” list so as not to get moved to the waiting list. That’s where Bill comes in.
I’m glad I came out on Saturday night, even though I didn’t get any games with Bill. I at least got to watch Chris Olson and William Chaing (the Pickleball Studio duo) play their 4.5 men’s doubles championship. They ended up earning silver.
At the next court, Kyle Rinck and Matthew Rochat were playing a match against a team from St. Louis.
Much like the first two days of competition, matches went on until late. However, there were several empty courts which made those whose events got canceled quite peeved. The only way you were getting a refund was if you paid for insurance. As someone who usually skips that part, I’m pretty sure there were several people who did not get to play and did not get their money back.
It wouldn’t be so bad if you signed up to play multiple events but, if men’s doubles was your only event and it got canceled, then you would have come to the tournament for no reason. That would have really sucked. I’m not sure how many were in that situation but, considering the backlash I saw online after and some of the grumblings I heard, I think there were quite a few people who were.
We had to check out of our hotel on Sunday so Brian and Saki hung out with me at the tournament. Thankfully, they didn’t have to be out there very long as Bill and I went 0-2 in our division. I didn’t realize it until that morning but this was Bill’s very first tournament. I admire his gumption for choosing a GT tournament for his first because the draws are that much tougher when everyone is trying to earn their spot for Nationals.
I was really bummed about failing to earn my GT (yet again) but lucky for me, because of the events getting canceled on Saturday, PPA decided to pretty much give everyone who played in the tournament that weekend a guaranteed spot for Nationals. They sent an email to everyone stating this and I immediately got to work on finding a partner so I could claim my confirmed spot for mixed.
It’s so funny because the day they sent that email to everyone, I think people were scrambling to sign up for Nationals and the PickleballTournaments.com website ended up going down. The site went back up later in the evening and I was able to update my registration to add my mixed doubles partners and we are now officially confirmed.
Although things didn’t go according to plan, I truly feel that everything happens for a reason. I had a great time hanging out with friends at the tournament, seeing people I hadn’t seen in a while, and making new friends. As they say, all is well that ends well. Until next time, GNG.
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Hampton Inn – Overland Park South
Posted on August 31, 2023 by Ching under Travel.
I don’t really write about the places that we stay much (if at all) when we travel because most of the times everything is pretty basic but, this past weekend in Overland Park, we were so happy with the hotel that we stayed at that it bears a mention. First, let’s talk about the location. The hotel was literally five minutes from Elite Tennis and Wellness (the tournament venue) and had a Raising Cane’s in the same parking lot that we could walk to (huge plus). Additionally, there were several great places to eat in the vicinity including Tanner’s and Hawaiian Bros. I would totally stay here again if I’m ever to play in another tournament in Overland Park area just for the location alone.
Second, let’s talk about the room because it was HUGE! We had a little bar area of the entry with the fridge, microwave, coffeemaker, etc. And then right off that, we had a pullout couch (in case someone needs to crash with you, I guess). We also had a nice desk that divided the couch area from the bed. The bathroom was also quite spacious. Although, I was not a fan of the door to the toilet room because that made the toilet area a little tight but I did appreciate that you could shut that door and go to the bathroom while someone was brushing their teeth or getting ready at the bathroom counter.
You could leave the toilet room door open (which is what we did most of the time) except then you’re staring at yourself going to the bathroom because you’re facing the closet with mirrored doors. LOL.
I did not get a picture of the bathroom so you’ll just have to trust me on the configuration. Everything in the room was laid out perfectly, otherwise.
My other favorite thing about this hotel is they were super pet-friendly. They even give you these hang tags for your door to designate that you have a pet inside. I enjoyed Saki being with us all weekend, even though it meant fighting for real estate on the bed.
Saki absolutely loved the bed. In fact, whenever we came back from being out, she wouldn’t even hop off the bed to greet us.
Outside, the hotel has multiple green spaces designed specifically for you to able to take your dog out to do their business. Each area had a waste station with poop bags and a receptacle so we didn’t even have to bring our scooper and bags down whenever we had to take Saki out. They really thought of everything to make it easy for those traveling with their fur babies.
Lastly, the free hot breakfast each morning was a very nice perk. Additionally, you could get fresh fruit, oatmeal, cereal, and waffles as well.
The waffle bar was great because you always had two options. Plain waffles are available everyday but each day there was a different secondary waffle batter. The first morning it was blueberry. Then it was chocolate the next, and apple cinnamon on our final morning there. They also had all sorts of fixin’s you could put on your waffles. It was great!
If you wanted hot food, there were plenty of options. The eggs were just okay but the potatoes were great and I was grateful for the sausage links. You could also make a bowl of biscuits and gravy if you desired.
This is the plate I made for myself one morning:
This last photo is of the juice dispenser because I was so happy for the flavored water. I drank multiple glasses of the grape raspberry infused water everyday.
Anyway, I really liked this hotel and it has now made our short list of favorite places to stay specially when we are traveling with Saki. Can’t wait until the next tournament so I can stay here again. Until then, GNG.
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Cincinnati Quickie
Posted on June 8, 2023 by Ching under Pickleball, Travel.
I traveled to Cincinnati last month to play in the APP Vlasic Classic in Cincinnati. I saw that someone I knew from Oklahoma was listed in mixed doubles without a partner so I asked if I could play with them to try and earn my “golden ticket” to Nationals for mixed doubles. I already had my “golden ticket” for singles and women’s doubles so I really just wanted to play mixed. It was a quick a trip as it could ever be. I literally flew in to Cincinnati on Saturday, played on Sunday, and flew back home on Monday.
Brian dropped me off at the airport early on Saturday morning, May 13. I arrived in Cincinnati in the afternoon. Went to the hotel first to check in and then went to Sawyer Point Park (tournament venue) to watch the guys — Ryan Luelf and Eric Bunch — play. They played amazing the entire day. They went undefeated in the winner bracket and I honestly thought they would win the whole thing. However, they ended up losing to a team that they had already beaten in the championship match and finished in second place.
Here’s a picture of Caroline Luelf, Ryan’s wife.
Due to some rain delays throughout the day, the matches ran late into the evening. I think we were the last people to leave the park that night.
Here’s a podium pic of the guys. Ryan is on the left and Eric is on the right.
I’m glad that I didn’t have to play until the afternoon the next day so I could sleep in a little bit since we were there so late. I think Ryan and Caroline got to their Airbnb around midnight and then had to get up early the next morning because they were scheduled to play at 8 AM. I didn’t really end up sleeping in because I wanted to go to the park and watch their matches. I also need to get some feminine hygiene products (aka tampons) because shark week unexpectedly started early for me. I ended up taking an Uber to a Walgreens that I found on Google that (a) was in the same direction as the park, and (b) according to Google was open. Yes, I really did check. Unfortunately, Google let me down. The information online was outdated and the store turned out to be closed. It absolutely sucked for me because I paid money to Uber over there and they weren’t even open.
Instead of taking a chance on Ubering to another Walgreens that may or may not be open, I decided to call Brian to help me navigate the downtown area. I thought, surely there’s a Walgreens nearby that I could walk to. He couldn’t find anything. Anyway, I saw this young woman walking and asked her if there as any kind of convenience store nearby (because most convenience stores carry tampons) and she pointed me in the direction of a store which I never did find. Lucky for me, I came across a Marriott hotel. I’d stayed at many Marriotts before and they always have a stash of tampons. I went in the lobby and they were able to help me. They let me take as many tampons as I wanted so I didn’t even have to go to Walgreens anymore. LOL.
The Marriott wasn’t that far from the park so, rather than taking a car, I decided to just walk over there to save money. I walked by the Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds, and a few other sights. It actually worked out great.
I walked along the river that separates Ohio from Kentucky and followed the path to the park. It was a nice day for a walk and I actually quite enjoyed my little adventure.
Ran into Brendon Long at the tournament. He is an amazing pickleball player who I had seen on YouTube and Facebook livestreams several times. I met him for the first time at the US Open in Naples and it was a real treat to see him again at the Cincinnati tournament.
The tournament itself was fine but I didn’t get the results I’d hoped so I still don’t have my mixed doubles “golden ticket” — we are back to the drawing board. Eric is an excellent player but not having played together much prior was a disadvantage. I’m going to try to qualify again in Kansas City in a couple of months. Hopefully, I’ll get my “golden ticket” for mixed then.
Until next time, GNG.
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Wild Night in Rockwall
Posted on June 2, 2023 by Ching under Travel.
We had a wild night in Rockwall and it’s not what you think. Spring is known to bring a few thunderstorms through the area. Well, as luck would have it, a storm rolled through Rockwall while we were sleeping on Saturday night. Around 2 AM on Sunday morning, we were both startled by a loud crash. It literally sounded like someone had thrown a brick through the window. My immediate thought was someone was trying to break in. Of course, I screamed really loud because I’m a screamer. Brian, the take-charge guy that he is, goes “Don’t move!”
I had woken up Wes who was sleeping outside in the living room. He knocked on the door to see if we were okay and we were like, “One sec.” I like to sleep naked so I had to put clothes on first. Then the three of us got to work to figure out the damage and what to do next.
Brian and I put shoes on before tackling the clean up so we didn’t step on any broken glass pieces. Wes went to grab the vacuum cleaner and also started looking for supplies to help us cover the window (scissors, trash bags, tape, etc.). The entire time Saki was nowhere to be found. She jumped off the bed and hid in the closet when she heard me scream. She was completely terrified and would not come out. When we were done with clean up, I went in the closet to get her and she was still shaking. It took me a good 20 minutes to get her to come out and come back to bed with us. I’d never seen her this scared since her first 4th of July as a puppy.
Here are some pictures of the broken window.
Brian picking up the bigger pieces of glass before we ran the vacuum..
After we got the glass picked up, he went outside to take some pics and it was this tree limb that caused the damage.
The window got pretty banged up..
We couldn’t find any tape. Wes did find these little sticker dots that people use to put prices on yard sale items so we used it to stick trash bag plastic on the blinds to keep water from getting inside (in case it rained some more).
This is Brian trying to comfort Saki so she would come out of the closet.
The poor girl was absolutely terrified. Saki hid in the furthest corner of the closet in the dark the entire time we were cleaning up. We looked everywhere for her when we were done and, when we finally found her, she refused to come out.
We eventually got her to calm down and the three of us went back to bed. But it was short-lived. Even though it wasn’t raining, it was still super windy outside and the rusting of the leaves and the trash bag on the window was freaking her out. She eventually hopped of the bed and ran back in the closet to hide. We tried to get her to come out again but she would not and, it’s like 3 AM-ish at this point, we really wanted to go back to sleep so we ended up just moving her dog bed into the closet (it’s a pretty big walk-in closet) so that she could sleep in it.
Everyone on the other side of the house slept through the commotion so they didn’t even know the ordeal that we went through in the middle of the night (or, I guess, that morning). We told the Sagers about it when they got up. Here’s a picture of Molly trying to get Saki to come out.
We got some better pictures of the storm damage in the daylight.
We think this is where the broken tree limb came from..
It was so wild. We’d never even experienced anything like this at home. But then, I guess, there aren’t any big, mature trees in our neighborhood so something like this isn’t likely to happen. We all survived and no one was hurt and Saki seems fine now. She is such a jittery dog. It probably won’t take long for something to happen that scares her again. Here’s hoping not. Until next time, GNG.
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