Alright. Without trying to rip off this variation of the quote from Forrest Gump, I must tell of a situation today that arose in Albuquerque which could have prompted someone to say this. This morning on our way to breakfast, I ran a stop sign. There, I admit it. I broke the law and now, every time I think of Albuquerque, the only thing I’ll remember is running a stop sign, and the horror of having the car at the intersection honking its horn at me. This horn will echo in my mind and haunt me for many days to come. That’s what BJ’s telling me anyways. After a good night’s rest, we ate our breakfast with Frank and Dinah Hough and Mark Bane, the leaders of Sandia Church of the Nazarene. We ate New Mexican food, not to be mistaken with Mexican food. And for all of you New Mexicans out there, I had green chili with my breakfast. We took on an eight hour drive to Phoenix, Arizona. There was some beautiful scenery along the way, along with some important national landmarks (As displayed in the pictures on this entry). One of the positives of this long trip was it gave me the opportunity to repair the broken blog entry that some of you may have seen if you visited the site last night.

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The title of this entry is taken from the classic Bugs Bunny quote. He said this whenever he was lost and tried to figure out how he got lost, and it was usually because he took a wrong turn at Alburquerque. I’m in Albuquerque as I write this, however, I’m not lost. But I must enter some of yesterday’s events because not enough really happened to justify a blog. I think today’s entry will whet your blog reading appetite; I’ll include highlights of what happened yesterday.

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I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
They got a crazy way of loving there
And I’m gonna get me some.

I’ll be standing on the corner
On the corner of Twelfth Street and Vine
I’m gonna be standing on the corner
On the corner of Twelfth Street and Vine
With my Kansas City baby
And a bottle of Kansas City wine.

And there we stood, at the street corner that was featured in the famous popular song that was penned by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Now it serves as a monument for a park that is in downtown Kansas City.
It stands as reminder of the jazz music culture that was once prevalent in this area. After this, we went to an memorial for Lewis and Clark that was erected at a point that overlooked the Missouri River. Independence, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City was where Lewis and Clark embarked on their journey in forming the Northwest Passage. History. The consequences, positive or negative, of the seeds we sow and the actions we take. These thoughts run through my mind when I visit new places. A city, country, or even the world for that matter, are shaped and formed by the actions of people and their visions.

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A good night’s rest is what was needed last night, and I woke up this morning feeling I received just that. I needed it, too, for tonight is similar to last night in that regard. BJ pulled off a good showing this morning at Grace Church of the Nazarene. Our host in Kansas City, Joey Condon, is also the pastor of this church. Joey was the facilities manager at Belhaven (yet another Belhaven connection; see any patterns growing on this trip?) several years ago, during my tenure there. There was a crowd of around 65 today, and from what I could tell, they thoroughly enjoyed the service, as a good many of them came to greet BJ after the show to commend him. Perhaps what I liked most about this church was the diversity in people. There were all types of ethnic groups gathered today in one voice in worship. I have been to many places in this world where such a scenario would not be possible, but one good thing I can say for the people Grace Church, and the people of Kansas City, is that this is a place where it can happen.

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On day two of the WhaleBone Tour, we awoke in St. Louis, and ended the day in the metropolis of Kansas City.

After an early start, we made our first stop in Warrenton, MO, where we were able to meet with Bethany Herron, yet another graduate of Belhaven’s Theatre Department. Beaming is the word I would use to describe my friend, Bethany, and she is currently in the process of starting up a community theatre in New Haven, MO. If there is anyone who can do it, it is Bethany. I recollect the process of starting up a theatre company from my days with Gratuitous B, and I can assure you it is not the easiest thing in the world. Assembling a board of directors, drawing a charter, applying for 501 c-3 tax exempt status, etc. It’s tedious, but well worth it. We wish Bethany nothing but the best and will keep an eye out for the New Haven Community Theatre.

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