“Where are you guys!?” my phone chirps as Clara navigates us down Route 70.
“Tell them were 20 mins away”. The wedding starts tomorrow but our two friends from college are already in Kansas itching to meet up.
Checked in and settled in we swoop by their room, “I think Kansas City BBQ is in order!”
Nothing's changed with these guys, we fall into the same old design banter and start launching a dizzying array of apps to show off this gesture or this feature to each other. You wouldn't guess we talk everyday on gchat by the number of stories we still have to share.
The groom’s suggested we go to Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue a prime example of up class Kansas City BBQ. Sitting outside we surround ourselves with a field of cooked meats and take turns grilling the waitstaff about the finer points of KC BBQ and sampling every way you can cook a pig.
“So we need to get a ridiculous amount of liquor for a bachelor party”, Nour tells the waiter.
“Oh, then your going to Crown Royal, it's under that bridge.” When the description of a liquor store involves “it's under that bridge” you can't pass on that gem. And when said liquor store has shopping carts inside you've come to the right place.
Outside we divvy up the goods and I tag the place with a new Field Series sticker. My goal is to mark the best places, keep an eye out for the Field Series logo near places.
“You have to use this specific elevator and you have to have this card to get to the top floor,” the groom says as he buzzes us to the penthouse of the hotel. We crack open the plethora of booze looking out over downtown KCK (Kansas City Kansas).
Kings cup ensures everyone knows the rules and gets blitzed in the process. Clara snuck Kleine in and he takes turns getting pets from everyone in the room.
It's way to early but we’ve dragged ourselves out of bed and get ready for the wedding, the four of us look sharp. The ceremony is intimate, Alex and Masha look spectacular.
Everyone gathers at the reception and we meet Masha’s dad. He’s this broad chested towering Russian who's English consists of “z best” and a series of bear like grunts. Russian weddings involve round after round of vodka shots and none of us are about to break tradition, especially with this man. As we bring our glasses down from a shot he goes around the circle high five-ing each of us and then turning his glass over to show he empty and needs a refill. Someone who can speak English flags down a waiter and we’re soon refilled.
The night involves dancing to the YMCA, many more rounds of vodka and sparklers.