My 30th Birthday...

Before our move to Kansas, I had intended on taking a nice vacation somewhere (ok, Disney) for about a week to celebrate my 30th. However, after having moved to Kansas and only receiving 2 1/2 days to celebrate, we did what we could and within decent driving distance. So Seam decided that it would be a great idea to go to Kansas City (wait for it...)to a casino (ulterior motive). That's right, a casino. I have no issues against gambling when I'm winning BUT when I'm losing, which is often the case, it's a bummer. I really didn't want to go to a casino for my birthday but I reluctantly agreed to this excursion. I was given the choice between two hotels, the Argosy and Ameristar. I chose the Argosy, the reason for which I will get to in a minute. We boarded Hero at a veterinary hospital here and left Sunday afternoon. The drive was strange, at first all I saw was nothing, barren fields with an occasional windmill. Eventually it started to shift because I began to notice the beauty of the plains, seriously the land itself is so empty, meaning no developments, no homes, no cattle, no nothing...just land and rolling hills. This is how it must've looked when Americans began expanding westward...that alone is almost surreal. We entered into an area called The Flint Hills, not a lot to see but the hills and trees are very picturesque. Eventually we made the 200 mile journey to Kansas City and safely arrived at the hotel.

At first glance, the hotel didn't seem that nice; however, upon entering, things quickly changed. It's a very beautiful hotel, the amenities are lovely. Yes, I said lovely. So getting to my reason for THIS hotel...the BATHROOM! Yes, I know, strange but true. Plus, we had a 42" plasma HDTV on the wall, beautiful furnishings, etc. Ok...the bathroom, well actually, just the shower LOL...a huge walk in shower made of marble with a glass door. It also included a mosaic on the side wall, however the most wonderful part...a rain shower head on the ceiling AND a regular shower head...it was similar to being under a waterfall. Yes, I was excited about a shower...go ahead, laugh! LOL! Ok, so the rest of the hotel is just awesome as well. This place has 4 restaurants and one coffee shop, once we arrived we ate at the traditional casino buffet. It was actually a little different than any other buffet I've ever been to, I say that because they also had freshly made sushi AND Pho...pronounce Fa, although I say it like Fuh lol, it's a Vietnamese soup and if you've never had it TRY it, although I typically like Pho ga, which is chicken. Anyway, so the meal was good and no I didn't have Pho but it was a nice surprise. Then after a quick nap, we gambled and I lost $160 that night...I just kept telling myself, it's my birthday LOL!

The next day, my birthday, we set out to eat lunch at one of the restaurants featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives...it was something I've always wanted to do, I know high aspirations. Mama's 39th Street Diner was our destination, we got there..."closed for maintenance"! Seriously?!?! So as we're headed to another restaurant from that show, Seam saw something on the iPhone about Arthur Bryant's BBQ, we opted to go there. I mean, afterall, I was told, when in Kansas City, "YOU. MUST. EAT. BARBECUE." So we did and it was delicious. Per a suggestion from Facebook, I ate a burnt ends open faced sandwich...AWESOME! After that we headed back to the hotel/casino. There was no cake or real celebration, just a night of alcohol and gambling. Of course, Seam doesn't drink so I was the one who drank 2 bottles of wine...yes TWO...hey, you only turn 30 once. Actually, had I been in TX and unable to vacation anywhere, I'd have drank much more except I'd be surrounded by friends and family. Ok, nevermind, even without alcohol I'd rather have been surrounded by friends and family than be at this casino. Sorry Seam. However, it was a nice little trip and very much appreciated!

On Tuesday, we got up, checked out of the hotel and headed back to Wichita. Along the way, we stopped at Perkin's. It's similar to IHOP, except they are also known for their pies. It was a nice ending. I know, not many would think eating at a place like that should be deemed a "nice ending" to a short vacation. However, let me explain. During my internship at Disney, we would often go to a Perkin's there, after work, to unwind and eat. I haven't been to a Perkin's since my internship ended in 2003, it brought back a lot of memories and made me miss THOSE people and THAT place even more. So, yes, it was nice.

So, here I am 30 years old, stuck in Wichita, KS for another 4 months. LOL, although, I must say, slowly but surely, I'm gaining a greater appreciation for the state of Kansas. I know, it's true.