WSU Shocker Basketball Game

I'll be honest with you... I don't really understand the rivalry between the Shockers and the Jayhawks.  Maybe it's because I lived in Florida for so long and cheered for everything that looked like home.  Maybe it's because I just love all things Kansas and all things Wichita.  Or maybe it's because I'm a peacemaker and don't understand why we can't just all get along.

I remember in high school sitting in my room and listening too Wichita State games in the says of Xavier McDaniel.  (Don't do the math.)  And I was amazingly faithful until my teenage hormones took over and I discovered the Jayhawks and Mark Turgeon in particular.  My friends and I had such a crush on him. We even wrote a song about him to the tune of Madonna's "Like a Virgin"... ya know... "Like a Turgeon".  (It's stuff like this that make blogger anonymity pretty priceless, but I digress.) Since then, I have mainly been a Jayhawk, but have been coming back to WSU since the time they hired Turgeon to coach.

Now, if I haven't lost you with that confession, you should know my love for the Shockers is at an all-time high.  Probably because after a lifetime of radio and tv broadcasts, I finally got to go to a live game, and in my quest to rediscover Wichita, I've rediscovered why I loved them first.

Widdle Mama, Curly, her Tallman and I get together to watch as many games as they'll air.  We absolutely love college basketball, so when my friend Debbie called about having an extra ticket to the game this week, I couldn't say "yes" fast enough.  The evening was nothing short of awesome and that includes our picnic in a cemetery pre-game.

The Charles Koch arena is far more comfortable than the last 3 arenas I've been in.  Seats were comfortable, there was good legroom (but then again, I'm 5'4").  The stairs didn't seem like a "Biggest Loser" challenge which was also nice.  The atmosphere was electric the whole time.  Before we got to the arena, I pre-apologized to my friend for what she was about to experience, "I'm a loud sports fan... I might embarrass you."  But in that arena, I was the shy one!  Good lawd, that place was hopping!

It was a great game and we won by a large margin which is always fun.  I won't critique the basketball side of it - their play speaks for itself.  VanVleet is a general on the floor, Morris is coming alive at the right time of the season, McDuffy and Kelly had a good night and Frankamp showed signs of the high school phenom everyone wants him to be for WSU.  All of this contributing to a great experience for the fans.  It's all about having fun, and winning is the funnest thing I know.  :)

I have three regrets about the evening though:

1. I regret that didn't get a selfie with Wu when we passed him in the concourse. 
2. I regret that I never got the hang of shouting "three" on the three-pointers.  If my percentage of times I got that right were a shooting percentage, Marshall would bench me.  (Can you bench a fan for missing crowd chants?)  
3. I regret that I'm *muffled tones* years old and am just now experiencing this for the first time. 

What I won't regret is giving the experience a "Keeper of the Plains" rating.  If you've never been to a game you gotta get there!  It's 100% Wichita, and 1000% entertaining.  

Delano Barbecue

On a typical Friday night, my family gets together to enjoy dinner together, to catch up on each others' week  and to somewhat celebrate the end of the work week and the beginning of the weekend.  For the sake of introductions,  I'll simply introduce my family as Blondie (Sister, the First), Curly (Sister, the Second),  TallMan (Curly's Love) and Widdle Mama (The Sisters' and My Mom).

This Friday night, we were attempting some dietary responsibility and TallMan Googled "best salads in Wichita".  Among the top 5 was a barbecue joint which seemed odd in a search for salads.  Always ready to try something new and something local, Widdle Mama, TallMan and I opted for Delano Barbecue for a great salad (that just sounds weird).  I have to tell you though... we couldn't even finish our meal without planning when we would come back  and who we would bring with us.

What I loved about this place was not just the super friendly staff and really good food.  I walked away appreciating them for two main reasons.  First, I love small businesses that have great attention to detail.  From the decor on the tables to the pictures on the wall to the food itself, you could tell nothing about this place had the "I'll Just" Virus.  You know what that is... that little bug that makes people or businesses look at what they need to do and, rather than do things really well and put forth extra effort, they say "I'll just (fill in the blank)" and opt for mediocrity.  It's a virus, because once you give in to the "I'll Just" Virus, it spreads rapidly; and before you know it, a really great idea has had crappy execution and the person or business becomes known for its ok-ness.

Ok, so they refilled it right after this.
It was popular!

Delano Barbecue doesn't have the I'll Just virus.  A little bit country and proudly redneck, you get the feeling they are comfortable in their own skin. Good food, unexpected samples, and incredibly original sauces (I loved the Thai Lime) let you know this isn't like other BBQ places around town and is a world away from microwave chains.  Only Widdle Mama had the salad which lived up to the hype.  TallMan and I enjoyed the 2 meat dinner with 2 sides, and were more than impressed.  Burnt ends were fork tender and the turkey rivaled anything I've had on Thanksgiving.  Even the drink options were unique.  I'd go back right now just to have another glass of the Coconut Iced Tea.  And can we talk about the Thursday night S'mores bar?  Um, yes, please.

The second reason I loved it was because you could tell they were proud of their corner of the world in Wichita.  At home in the former art studio of Blackbear Bosin, there's a tribute to him on one wall.  (And hey, Wichita! How is it people don't know who he is? And why isn't there a Blackbear Bosin Blvd or something?  He's legendary.)  Pictures of old Wichita on the walls remind you that great things start small.  They also have regularly scheduled "Give Back Night" where 10% of their evening sales benefit a local charity doing good in the community.

For these reasons, we give Delano Barbecue our first "Keeper of the Plains" rating - unique and inviting.  It's one of the places that makes Wichita a great place to live.  Give it a try and tell them Re:Wichita sent you.

So have you tried Delano Barbecue?  What did you like about it?