@KCMO311 For The Win...

I owe some mad props to @KCMO311 for getting this grate fixed. All these years I've just been bitching on my blog about things that were broken. Recently I've seen @KCMO311 fix things for other Twitter residents, so I tried it. Not only did @KCMO311 respond within an hour of my tweet, but it was fixed 2 days later. I am very excited that they were able to work to get this repaired. It's just one grate in a city FULL of grates, but they listened and got it fixed. 

I was taking the after pic while KCP&L was still on site and they personally asked me what I though of the repair job. They did a great job! 

I endorse @KCMO311!

BEFORE

AFTER-view from the other side

Where to Spend Bitcoins in Kansas City

Eager to spend your Bitcoins, but want to keep the money in Kansas City? 
It's going to be tough as only 2 area business are excepting Bitcoins in exchange for goods and services. 

LOST DOG-Emmett

It worked for Perceus, let's see if social media can find this lost dog, Emmett!

Fliers are posted all around the Garment District looking for help to find this 1 yr old mini Aussie. Heck, they are even offering a $100 reward. Do not chase the dog if spotted. I fostered an Australian Shepard/Blue Healer once and those dogs WILL win a chase. 

Text from the flier:
NAME: EMMETT     WEIGHT:    12 LBS
SEX:     MALE           BREED:      MINI AUSSIE
AGE:    1 YEAR         OTHER:     NO TAIL

PLEASE CALL: 630-689-3545  ASAP
AND/OR            630-917-6784
                           CALL ANY HOUR (really)

LET'S FIND EMMETT!!!

My Stay in the Occupy Atriums Unit

You may remember my post from a year ago about the squatters in a foreclosed condo 'Occupy Atriums'. In early 2012, a group of people took up residence in a unit of Atriums at Soho. Since their departure, the unit has been resold and the new owner has made a concerned effort to get the place in shape.

Well, I stayed in that unit recently. No, I wasn't squatting.  My own unit was scheduled to have some repair work done that would leave me without a place to stay, so I looked around and found this unit still unoccupied. I contacted the owner and arranged to stay there for a week while repairs were completed.

I had so many preconceived notions of what the state of the unit would be despite knowing about the repairs and upgrades made over the summer. What kind of bad juju had the squatters left behind? Had they left behind any treasures, any paraphernalia or even smells?

To my surprise, the unit was immaculate, fresh and attractive. Sure there was a small stain on the carpet, but what apartment doesn't have that? I shouldn't have been surprised that after 390 days that nothing from that incident has been left.

My stay was very pleasant. It's always fun staying somewhere that isn't your own home from time to time. Plus, this is one kick-ass unit. The unit has high end finishes and plenty of storage. The big window in the bedroom is STUNNING!

It's going to be available to rent shortly. You too can stay in the Occupy Atriums unit! I don't think that can be said about any other condo unit in Kansas City.

I still wish there was a spot somewhere that the squatters had written: "Occupy Atriums was here!" or maybe they had and it's been painted over.

Enough of my blabbing, here are some pics of the unit:

Living Room + bar seating

Bathroom and coat closet

Kitchen

Living Room with view of Bar seating and kitchen

Bedroom with STUNNING original windows

Thanks again for letting me stay!

2013 Winter Storm Q Pictures

WINTER STORM Q

February 21, 2013 

                                       

7:15 am

7:29 am

7:35 am

7:59 am

8:12 am

9:10 am

You know how good coffee would have smelt on this day?!!!....sigh

I-35 exit ramp to Hwy 169

I-35 exit ramp to Hwy 169

Woops!

I-35 & I-70 E

I-35 & I-70 W

The Farmhouse front door

Pacific House

Just a ferret out in the snow

#LoveKC & Me

I only had to venture out a couple blocks to help around a dozen people out on Thursday (2/21/2013) get unstuck. Here are pics of some of the drivers I helped. 

Brought shovel to these guys who needed to move their Camero

Monte Carlo who just wanted to get gas. 

2 Fords trying to go the same way.

1 Semi, 4 Cars, 4 Public buses and 1 Plow stuck.

I went down to help turn the drivers who were behind the above image.  Luckily the Parks Department took notice and came to help.

KU fan in a Mercedes stuck. Made sure he didn't go down the hill  from which I just came turning the drivers around. 

A City Auction

A downtown loft sold at auction a while back.

The unit had been unoccupied for about 2 years, never finding a buyer. Having some free time, I thought I'd sit in on the auction and see what it was like. Many of the potential buyers were hoping to swoop in to get it at a steal for under $100k. That didn't happen.

The property had sold in 2007 (in the height of the market) for $230k and went that day for only $145k. Amazing for a 1,800 sqft unit. 

The Auctioneers

Inviting sign to potential buyers

The Great Downtown Pumpkin

Brrr, or Booo?

Arctic Blaze is the color of his face,
To face the bitterly cold pace.

Google Fiber Information Meeting

 I just got back from attending a Google Fiber Information Meeting. The meeting was held at Santa Fe Place, Monterey Club. In attendance were representatives from each of the HOAs managed by Curry (the ones in Fiberhoods). Of our board members, I'm the most technically inclined thus I got to attend the meeting.

The representatives reiterated the 3 fiber internet/TV offers, the supplies attached to each offer and the two agreement options (these were emailed to board members a month ago). They did give a fantastic analogy for how fast G.F. is to dial-up. It would be like if Dial-up and G.F. was driving a car.  G.F. could make it to New York, NY before Dial-up reached Independence, MO. Now you know.

It didn't take long for folks to start asking questions. I'm pretty sure everyone knew the 3 packages, something about the supplies and they may have skimmed the email about the agreement options. Now, installation is where the real questions came from. Examples of questions:

'Will you need to pull out the coax line?'

'Can I have fiber on the coax wire I have?'

'My Time Warner Wi-Fi doesn't reach very far. Will the Google Fiber Wi-Fi go to my living room?'

'We have new construction on The Plaza. How will the instillation work?' (Google rep says they can add the lines as the walls go up. Fair answer.) 'No, our building is already built. It's 5 years old.'

'Will you have to take up my tile?'

I normally don't like making fun of people behind their backs, but these were just too funny. I'm sure these adults are brilliant at their respective careers (I assume because they all earn more money than I do). They aren't stupid people, just ignorant on the subject of fiber. At least they are attending meetings like this to learn more about fiber.

So, I didn't learning anything new, but I did get free wine, free fancy water and a T-Shirt. Not a total loss. There was food, but I had already eaten at Oklahoma Joe's earlier (I'm so Kansas City!).  Check out my boring photos below.

Boring picture of mingling

OPEN BAR

Mingling

FREE T-SHIRTS

Google Fiber internet network provider

Apple Pie Moonshine-Short Cut Cocktail Recipes

Apple Pie-The Short Cut Cocktail

Want a quick way to make the southern favorite, Apple Pie?

The creators of Apple Pie Moonshine have given us a head start. The moonshine is for sale in 48 states, at a decent price for 80 proof ($19.99 on sale when I bought it.) I found this version is logistically Apple Pie, but lacked that homemade (sweet) flavor Apple Pie drinkers are use to.


Needed:
1 jar of Apple Pie Moonshine (750ml)
1 half gallon of Louisburg Apple Cider  or Cinnamon Apple Cider

Add 2 jiggers of Moonshine, fill the rest of the glass with Cider.
-Serve over ice in a low ball glass.
-If you want it warm, bring the Apple Cider to a slow boil before adding it do the glass.


Want more oomph in your drink...yeah ya do!

Mix in one jigger of your choice from the following alcohol:
Listed in order of alcohol content
-Everclear
-151
-Vanilla Vodka

Fire Hydrant Finally Fixed

It's been a long time coming...Fire Hydrants are being replaced! 

I wrote about the one on my block over a year ago and this weekend the crew were out to replace the hydrant. 

The crew started mid-Saturday removing the old busted hydrant. These guys spent all day removing the old pipes. Sunday they came back to replace the pipes and hydrant with new parts. Do you remember how rainy it was Sunday? Downtown KC received 1.45" of rain. Hundreds of gallons of water poured into the hole the guys had dug the day before making their work that much harder. The crew persevered and got the new parts in place. You'll see in the photos (sorry about the blur...dropped the phone too many times) that the road crews haven't been by yet, but I'm happy to have a working hydrant. 

It looks like they are going with a nice retro style on the new hydrants. I like it! 

September 20, 2011

November 10, 2012

November 10, 2012

November 12, 2012

What a good looking hydrant!

Repetition is the Key to Learning

Repetition is the key to learning.

Repetition is the key to learning.

Repetition is the key to learning....

You'll never forget it in your deepest darkest dreams!

                                                                      ~Mr. Durrill 

                            my middle school history teacher

                                                       

McWhirther Printers Building to be Demolished

Downtown Kansas City, MO may lose another building. An order to demolish or rebuild was posted on the building at 915-917 Wyandotte, KCMO on October 2, 2012. The old building bears the name McWhirter Company Printers, but is owned by Old Town Partners VII, L.P. The notice gives the owner 30 days to begin repairs or demolish the building. No repairs have started since the notice was posted. 

Old Town Partners VII, L.P. purchased the property 915-917 Wyandotte in May 2004 for $1 million dollars. Currently there is an operational parking garage below 915 Wyandotte, but the surface parking has not been safe enough to use during the current ownership (and possibly before). 

The notice has been taken down since the photo was taken on 10-11-12. The owners did have 10 days to submit an appeal. If this building is demolished, I don't know if the residents will miss the building. It's not particularly old nor does the architecture present much detail to look at to the neighbors, but it's still a local building with history. This building deserves to no longer sit in disrepair. 

To Be Continued...

McWhirter history:

 The printing company was originally John W. Beery Printing, but was purchased by A.C. McWhirter and C.C. Ammons. The printing company became known as McWhirter-Ammons, originaly located on the 1st floor of Graphic Arts building at 934 Wyandotte. The printer changed names in 1946 to The McWhirter Company Printers. One of the books that McWirter-Ammons printed Prairies and Pioneers by John Sterling Bird (1931).

Source 1

Source 2