Lawrence

Went out to the bars last night with a couple of coworkers. They decided before I arrived that we would be going to Lawrence (about forty miles west of here). The reasons for this remain a total mystery to me; not one of us is from there or went to school there. We had no idea where anything was or where the parties were. But it turned out for the best in the end: KU had beaten Kansas State earlier that day, so the whole town was one big party.

We ended up at a place called Abe & Jake's Landing. It turned out to be really awesome, a huge place that spanned several floors. Besides the main dance floor, there were four bars, some very elegant quiet areas, a pub/cafe area, a balcony patio, and really good music. The whole place is an old factory along the banks of the Kansas River, which results in a strange combination of loud and peaceful. Anyway, a great place, better than any I'd been to in a while, so I recommend it if you're ever there.

Didn't end up finding any house parties, though. It is possible to find them when you're from out of town and don't know anyone; but it's difficult and far from a sure thing. I guess hope just springs eternal.

On the way home, I saw the stars for the first time in a long while. Particularly Orion, my favorite constellation (don't ask me why), which only rises in the winter. It was nice.

The quote of the evening was between two fellows who just moved here from Florida and California, regarding the Midwest:

"It seems like everybody you meet here is attached, like they get engaged and married really quickly, really young, you know?"

"Well, it does get very cold in the winter here..."