Ever since I stopped being reading buddy I have missed it. I love my job and the rewards of a new feature that its released and makes the job easier for our workers or saves the company money, however it is nothing compared to a kid saying thanks you made it fun to read. I still have the hand drawn cards from the kids I help and I am very proud of having been a part of the program.

Last fourth of July I had the opportunity to be a part of a bowling team to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas city. Btw, thanks again for all of your generous donations. I have been thinking of Volunteering for this program since I learned about it on TV years ago. So I asked my wife and she was all for it. Since we both work and wanted to make sure we were making the right commitment we decided to become a Big Couple.

We met the director of the program during summer bowl and started the process right away. Last night was our home visit by one of the counselors. We had been filling out forms and giving references for a little while now, but yesterday made it feel real for me. The questionnaire and home visit really made me understand a little better what kind of commitment we are about to make. We both love the thought that we might be able to change a child’s life for the better.

I feel very good about what we are doing because we have such a team behind us. The counselor and everyone we have met from that organization has been very friendly with us. I am sure they make everyone feel this way, but they just keep on saying how perfect we are for the program and how much we can help.

We are not sure how soon we will be matched up with a little, but we are hoping soon. We cannot wait to be able to mentor and connect with a child. Being a volunteer is so rewarding that I crave it from the moment I stopped doing it a couple of years ago.

So I have been itching to get a new tattoo, and it has been a very difficult experience so far.

The last time I got a tat was in Chicago. Both of the shops that I got work done at were very accommodating. Even Jade Dragon which is one of the busiest shops that I have ever been to took care of me the day I came in. That was eight years ago when tattoos were a little less main stream. While some people might disagree with the last statement, I make it because know we have reality TV tattoo shows… and not just one, but several.

While in Michigan I visited a couple of shops, but I did not get a good vibe from either. One of the artists was very talented, I guess the itch was not intense enough back then. A tattoo is something so permanent that you have to trust that your vision and the artist’s talent do match.

I did not expect to walk into a shop here and get a tattoo, I don’t want something that simple. I also know that price has to be figured out once the details of the piece are decided. This is not my first tattoo, but every shop I walk into treats me like a number. I never got a corporate feel from a tattoo shop before, but I am getting that feeling more and more from the shops that I have visited in this city.

I was able to get the name of a couple of artists and I have not had a chance to meet them yet, and maybe that will be my “in.” I almost feel like a weekend warrior on the land of ink. Did everyone getting tats mean that now we are going to have MacTattoo Parlors?

The people at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicle) hold a certain power that they use as a weapon. They know what forms you need. They hold onto that power like it is their sword, and they would never dare to let you know what you need until they have you right in front of them. Why? Well, they want to see your face when they tell you do not have the correct form. That is why they are alive, to see the face of a disappointing person that has to go back to obtain the correct form.

They wear a facade of anger, but internally they are happy, happy that they can tell you no, happy that they have that power, happy that they are making you have to take a little number again and wait for the seemingly random order you are being called on.

That’s right, even to have a question answered you need a number. Why, because again, the interaction that most business have handed to machines to deal with it is still kept alive at the DMV. Instead of being in an endless loop of number pressing, you have a warm body in front of you ready to tell you, get back to the line.

There is simply nothing you can do about it. You need your license or your vehicle titled, you have to go to them. Even though it would seem to be a simpler process handled online, they still want you to come in and bring as many documents as you can so they can have the pleasure to tell you none of the 26 exhibits you have brought are sufficient. And no, it is not allowed to have something faxed, even if it is from another state department, even if will take 3 weeks for it to be obtained by mail, even if you were willing to give a DNA sample.

It is futile to deal with them, it is futile to try to reason, it is futile to try to resist… you don’t even know it, you have already been assimilated.

In other news, I have a Kansas license plate now, YAY, no more dealing with Michigan!

The first one interviewed was with The D, but now it is Average Jane’s turn. Dr Who (had to mention this just for a couple of friends that actually know who Dr Who is) fan that has talent to spare, make sure you check out her garage band… but for now lets go into the interview.

» Read the rest of the entry..

So Bea and I are going to play cultural hosts of sorts for this Thursdays Blogger Meet Up.

Thursday May 8th, 6:30PM
at Rincon Colombiano
611 N 6th St
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 281-3900

I have written about it, Bea reviewed it on Yelp and we know the owner… go over to Spyder’s blog to RSVP so we know how much people are coming. It is a great place for a good meal, there are tons of meat to eat for you carnivores but also Plantains, Yuca, Beans, Rice and Arepas for Vegetarians Hope to see you there!

I have been writing this post in pieces for quite some time, I could not find the appropriate tone for it because I did not want it to sound like a PSA, or become as sensational as the local news paper. A couple of weeks ago a gang fight broke out at a local arcade, I had not heard about a gang fight since I witnessed many back in high school.

Gangs back in high school were something you just had to get used to. The break down in the family structure, not so much the whole marriage father and mother roles, but the sense of belonging to a family in general, to me is what breeds gangs.

When a teenager feels alone and there is nobody for him to be around, they seek the companionship of a family. You then start learning that that family is to be protected and the enemies became many. While what happened at power play could have been simply some kids that were trouble and had been kicked out of school feeling left out, it could also be something a little more serious.

I don’t think that gangs are going to take over the whole Kansas City area, but when brawls are starting at family places, and malls, girl fights that make it to youtube and could land some teens in life in prison, I get a little worried. I then realized that I have been so disconnected from that world since high school that I have no idea if the gangs around here wear any colors.

Back when I was in high school, your starter jacket identified the people that you associated with. Gold and Black, Blue and Black, Red and Black were all color combination that to me meant something. I had minimal issues with the gangs at school because my best friend was someone that was respected, not because he was a member but because of his size.

I think it is important to learn how to identify gang members, and to promote prevention. I think organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters make the most difference. Even TKC’s mentality of more Xbox is probably a good one.

I have heard that most real gangs around here do not mess with regular citizens, but the string of young people acting stupid and being so violent is really something that should concern us all. If you have any additional information about this subject, please post it.

I am not the biggest sport fan there is, but I do like to cheer for my teams and the Royals and the Chiefs are in different divisions than the Cubs and the Bears so it is easy to cheer for all of them. The Wizards and the Fire are another story.

Today is the Cubs home opener, and I know many people will say that the Cubs have never done anything within my lifetime. I do not deny that, but then you just don’t understand what it is to be a fan. You like your team because you have lived there, or like me was the first professional baseball team you ever saw play.

One of the hardest things of being away from Chicago, even though I love Kansas City, besides being away from family is the great food. I have yet to have found good Chicago Deep Dish pizza, and miss my loaded hot dogs and Italian beef.

Thanks to Food, K.C. and Other Things, I found out about this Cubs home opener day lunch today. I might have to go and get an Italian Beef if have never had one, go to KC Lunch spots for the false advertisement (the first time I saw his blog I thought he had found this delicious dish here in a KC lunch spot). I am already wearing my Cubs jersey
I am predicting that the Cubs are going to win it all this year and hope to be right as I was when I predicted the Patriots demise at the hands of the Giants.