SNL Amazon Echo Silver Skit

A coworker recently told me about a hilarious SNL skit about Amazon Echo Silver Alexa. It sounded like something I'd enjoy, so I found it. As promised, it was hilarious!

Enjoy!

Part 2: My Mini Vacay in Kansas City

For some reason, KC was pretty rainy for mid-June.

After getting restaurant suggestions from a friend, we checked out Char Bar. Totally loved that place! Had the weather of been nicer, I would've played their yard games. They're also pet-friendly, my friend's dog got a fresh bowl of water brought out for him. They're in the Westport area. Now the food...we shared their Charred Grits & Bits app with burnt ends and obviously, grits. So good with a little kick of spice.

My friend ordered and loved the CBGB Burger. I ordered Burnt Heaven. It was perfection with cole slaw and jalapeno straws. I thankfully had enough for leftovers the next day and it was just as good the second time.

Their rosemary lemonade was really refreshing and tart.

We were definitely in BBQ Heaven at Char Bar and I'd recommend that place again and again.

We checked out the nearby Sephora and dropped a lot if cash there. Found some cute shirts at H&M.

What adventures!

Movie #8: Ready Player One

Almost six years ago, Ready Player One was the book chosen as the book of the year by Kansas State University to be read by freshmen. I read it and really enjoyed it. It was set in the future where everyone spends most of their time in a virtual world called, the Oasis.

I wasn't sure if I would remember the details or if the movie would be as good as the book. The main discrepancy was that Artemis was supposed to be a curvy lady. I was really impressed that it matched up and translated well to the big screen. Check it out!

Part 1: My Mini Vacay in Kansas City, Missouri

A friend who I hadn't seen in awhile stopped by KC on her road trip across the country and invited me to come hang out for a couple of days.

We stayed in the Country Club Plaza area at the Holiday Inn Country Club Plaza. It was just outside of main area which was nice.

On our way to the Plaza for dinner, we walked through the Mill Creek Park area. It was a cute, little park. A big feature of the park is the beautiful J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain. It's fairly large and features horses.

We decided to eat dinner at Cheesecake Factory, which is on the edge of the Plaza closest to our hotel. I had never been there to eat before and I LOVE cheesecake. I ordered and loved their skinny taco salad.

I got their carrot cake cheesecake and it did not disappoint. :)

Part 3: My Staycation in Manhattan, KS

Roughly, 8 years ago, I attended Symphony in the Flint Hills. It's such a cool event, the Kansas City Symphony is essentially picked up and placed in a tranquil, prairie setting. Between the music and the scenery, it's an unforgettable experience. What's also interesting is that it moves locations around that state.

This year, it was roughly two hours from Manhattan, KS at Rosalia Ranch in Rosalia, KS.

Along the way, they had related events in Cottonwood Falls, KS. We stopped and got this great photo of their courthouse.

Cottonwood Falls was cute and quaint. At the Vintage Bulldog, I found a super cute, turquoise, glass fruit bowl. At Salty Cow Mercantile, I found a new K-State bracelet.

The music and scenery didn't disappoint. My dad took a gazillion photos. Here are my best photos:

We finished off the weekend, eating brunch at my beloved, Coco Bolos. My dad ordered and loved their Stacked Enchiladas. I super enjoyed their Baja Chicken & Shrimp Wrap! A great end to the weekend!

Part 2: My Staycation in Manhattan, KS

Summer experiences in Manhattan:

Our Arts in the Park Summer concert series is cool. I've been impressed by the caliber of performers. The Manhattan community really shows up for these.

New to Manhattan, as of this year is a Thai rolled ice cream place, called Pandora Rolled Ice Cream. This was my first time trying out this particular place and my second time eating Thai rolled ice cream. The process is neat to watch. The ice cream was pretty good, though the employee was not engaging at all.

Another fun summer event was Concert on the Patio at Liquid Art Winery. They always have a food truck. This time they had my favorite food truck, Smokin' Wille's BBQ. So good!

Beautiful Kansas Sunset

Part 1: My Staycation in Manhattan, KS

My dad and I wanted to travel together, but financially that wasn't feasible for me. So, he said he could come visit. So, we had a staycation in Manhattan, Kansas.

We started off at the Chef Cafe. It was rated the top breakfast place in Kansas and I could see why.

My dad enjoyed their Classic Breakfast and I LOVED their Dang Quesadilla with bacon, potato, scrambled eggs and cheddar-jack cheese grilled in a large flour tortilla. Served with chipotle sauce and sour cream.

We also took a morning 4.5 mile hike around the ever-beautiful Konza Hills.

The views we enjoyed


What a great start to our vacay!

Music: Reckless Love by Cory Asbury

I love the song, Reckless Love by Cory Asbury. The lyrics remind me of the goodness of God and His deep love for us. Something that I need to reminded of often.

LYRICS:
Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me
And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me
There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me
There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me
There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
Songwriters: Caleb Culver / Cory Asbury / Ran Jackson
Reckless Love (Single) lyrics © Bethel Music Dba Bethel Music Publishing

Movie #7: Ocean's 8

While in KC, (which I'll save for another post)I saw the movie, Ocean's 8. I'd seen the previous Ocean's movies and was interested in seeing one with an all-female cast. Like a lot of movies, most of the good scenes were shown in the previews. Womp-womp!

I was pretty impressed with the 8: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, and Awkwafina. James Corden and Dakota Fanning were also in the movie.

The premise is that Sandra is the sister of the now-deceased Danny Ocean and is on her way out of prison. She plans a heist at the Met Gala and slowly starts building her team. As always, things don't go as planned, but they carry off the heist.

See for yourself!

Day 2: Lawrence, KS

Day 2 was a hot day. After working outside in the heat, we had a couple of hours free. I made a friend and convinced her to go exploring. We were going to go to the river, but it was too hot. We walked around Mass Street, downtown. Got a frap at Starbucks and explored stores. We looked at clothing stores, bike shops, book stores, and running shops.

We checked out a cute shop called, Eccentricity. They had jewelry (my weakness) and clothing. I found two bracelets to add to my collection. The clothing prices were high, but the jewelry prices were reasonable.

After that, it was time for dinner and we ate at Free State Brewing Co. I had a really good Apple Walnut Salad and added chicken. It was light and refreshing, since I had to go back out in the heat later. After dinner, we walked around more. Eventually, we ended up at Ten Below Zero for Thai frozen ice cream. So good!!! It was like watching an artist at work.

Then it was back to the track for us for more work. It sure was beautiful out.

Last meal in Lawrence was at Salty Iguana. The hamburger meat in my burrito was unseasoned and ground too finely. Wouldn't eat there again, though their cheese dip was good.

Until next time, Lawrence!