verb [ICT]

Daily [snap] – Wichita Public Library

verb [ICT] staff — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:45:31 +0000

Wichita Public Library | Photo by Conan Fugit

[go] Derby, Kansas

Bailey Ketterman — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:41:10 +0000

You may already know that I reside in the ‘burbs, or, perhaps more succinctly, the middle of nowhere. But what you might not know is that it hasn’t always been this way. I lived in Wichita for many years, and bought my first home in the booming metropolis of Derby, Kansas. And though I do love my rural life, sometimes I miss the relatively urban existence I once lived. I think that Derby is a very happy medium; it is outside the “big city”, but still has, quite frankly, everything a person might need. Allow me to explain:

The shopping in Derby has never been better; it seems that every day a new store is opening and the reasons to go into Wichita become fewer and more far between. While Derby is home to many big-box stores, such as Target, Lowe’s, Kohl’s, Wal-Mart, and Dillon’s, it also offers a unique variety of local shops and restaurants to satisfy any taste.

First, I have to exalt the beauty of the best Mexican food I have found in… well… anywhere. Casa Martinez (204 W. Greenway) is run by an immigrant couple and their children – just about as authentic as you can get. I have never been disappointed by a single dish, but the wait staff (all Martinez family) will tell you exactly what you should order. Add in some kick-ass salsa and delicious sopapillas, and you have a recipe for the best dining experience in Derby.

Blackberry Lane Cookie Company (1710 E. Madison Ste. 300) offers a tasty variety of made from scratch cookies, cakes, and other delectable treats. They also sell a selection of products to help you create your own masterpieces. Their selection of whole bean coffees and teas compliments all of their choices, and their gift baskets make perfect presents for any foodie in your life. The Daily Grind (315 N. Baltimore) serves up Derby’s finest brewed coffee, in addition to scones and a variety of baked treats.

The recreation in Derby is second to none; Derby Bowl (444 S. Baltimore) offers a family-friendly environment in which to knock down some pins on a rainy day. And when summer finally hits, Rock River Rapids (1900 E. James) provides the perfect place for the whole family to have fun and cool down. Whether you roam the lazy river or wait for the big bucket-dump, you can’t go wrong with this all-ages aquatic amusement. For the more adventurous at heart, the Derby Skate Park offers a bowl, stairs, rails, and all other types of street-skating apparatuses.

Derby even supports its own college-age summer baseball team, the Derby Twins, who play in The Jayhawk League all summer long. They put on a great show, and it’s an inexpensive way to catch a game with the entire family. From May through October, Derby operates a Fresh Air Market, every Saturday from 7:00 AM to Noon, featuring homegrown produce and handmade crafts.

To end your day, Derby offers a trifecta of options for your drinking pleasure. Madrocks (1821 E. Madison, Ste. 100), the city’s newest addition, offers a smoke-free environment filled with big screen TVs for your sports-viewing pleasure. If you’re a little more laid back, visit Little Busters (457 N. Baltimore) for a spin on the jukebox, a turn at the pool tables, or a swing at Golden Tee. If you’re a little more in the mood for a dive (as you know I sometimes am) The Green Derby (132 Sunnydell) offers a little hideout away from the hustle and bustle of “city” life. It often offers a sampling of live entertainment of a wide variety; come ready to be entertained.

Derby has so very much more to offer; what did I leave out? Let me know in the comments!

[meet] – Ask Verb: What are your favorite date night activities on a budget?

verb [ICT] staff — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:30:00 +0000

For our cheap date night in the summer months, we get ice cream from Marble Slab Creamery and a walk around the pond at Bradley Fair. We follow that up with window shopping at all of the shops and relaxing on a comfy couch with a cup of coffee at Barnes and Noble. Even with a book or magazine purchase off the clearance rack, we enjoy a full date night for under 25.00. – Tim Kaul

Walk the dog, go to the flea market on Saturday morning, then hit up the art museum for free admission! – Jessica White

There are a few go-to things we do for a cheap date night. If it is during basketball or football season, we hit Larry Buds to watch a game. It never fails – the two of us walk out of there stuffed and happily buzzed and we only spent $30. For an at home option, we have “make your own pizza night” and play music trivia in a homemade game where we use the cable music channels (e-mail me for a “how-to”). For the split decision – stay home and go out – we make dinner at home and then hit someplace with a good jukebox. We play all of our faves and rock out. Savutes, Barney’s and Paula’s all have awesome jukeboxes. – Jana Curl

We grab cheeseburgers at Southeast Carry-Out, then go someplace with live music and coffee. Alternatively, if we had to feed the kids before we left home (which means we’ve probably eaten, too), we might hit the west Borders and find all the books we want to check out at the library later. Oh, once again, coffee. Always coffee. On the extremely rare occasions that we’ve got the house to ourselves and there’s a good chance nobody will come home? Brew a pot of coffee, see what Netflix has sent lately or what we can pay-per-view, and cuddle on the couch. Turn off all phones. See, if anyone comes home, or calls, we’ll pause the movie… and never finish it, because we’ll be too busy being parents. – Stephanie Cloud Seery

Final Fridays. They’re perfect for blending in since buyers are the minority here. Plus, all the things to do and see will distract your
date from the fact that you’re avoiding the cash bars. – Brandon McPeak

We like anything competitive, so bowling or pool are usually our go-to cheap dates. On Saturday night, you can bowl an unlimited number of games at Northrock Lanes for $11/person after 11 pm. If we go the pool route, we’ll find a low-key spot and challenge each other to a marathon of pool. With cheap beers and 75 cent games, we never spend more than $20. Neither of us are very good, but it’s fun to try. If we want to stay in, we have Dinner & a Documentary night. We check out a DVD from the library or stream a documentary through Netflix (there are a TON to choose from) and cook together. – Shea Sylvia

Sometimes, when we want to have time to ourselves but don’t have extra cash for a babysitter and dinner and a movie, we have a date night at home. We put the kids to bed a little early and have dessert and watch a movie On Demand. It’s very casual and low-key but something we can indulge in more often than a full-blown date night. – Andrea Anglin

My boyfriend and I love to grab a bottle of wine and a redbox movie. You can find a good bottle of wine for less than $10 so it doesn’t have to be expensive. When it’s warmer, we also like to just adventure around outside in the evening. We love walking around the Keeper of the Plains area. It’s great on a crisp or warm night and good for people watching as well. – Liz Sothman

On my very favorite date, we picked up some ice cream from Cold Stone and headed to the park. While we ate our ice cream, we played on the swings and walked along the path. After that we played tennis and of course I beat him so that made it even better! We only spent about $10 and it was an afternoon of fun. On another date, we drove around all the rich neighborhoods in ICT and picked out houses that we liked. Besides the gas used in driving, it was a free afternoon spent daydreaming about the houses we’d never be able to afford. Rollerskating is another fun idea. Couple skating to “Red Red Wine”? Yes, please! We also volunteered and cooked for the homeless. It was morning full of doing good and making (and eating) pancakes. It doesn’t get better than that. – Carly Holmes

What’s your favorite cheap date activity in Wichita? Let us know in the comments.

[think] Should Standing Be Allowed at Intrust Bank Arena Concerts?

Ryan Unruh — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:18:05 +0000

“Don’t you know I’m still standing better than I ever did. Lookin’ like a true survivor, feelin’ like a little kid.” – Bernie Taupin via Elton John

She wasn’t sure about all the words, but then again “Roy Cohn, Jaun Peron, Toscanini, Dancron” isn’t the catchiest lyric. Sarah Kallail improvised what she didn’t know from “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” dancing and singing in unison (kinda) with her friends while Billy Joel pounded a piano and chanted random cultural references 100-yards below.

It was pretty much what the girls had pictured when they bought their tickets to the Joel and Elton John concert three months ago. The past week had yielded countless Billy/Elton playlists and lyrical status updates. Now, finally, they soaked it in and let it all out, reciprocating the Piano Man’s energy from their $100 nosebleeds.

A few verses in, their fire was fought with the beam of a flashlight. From the entrance to their section, a police officer pointed his finger to the ground and mouthed the words “sit down.” They obeyed, a little confused, a little embarrassed. They had quit singing by the time Joel got to “BELGIANS IN THE CONGO!”

Kallail felt deflated. “I didn’t realize we we’re the only ones standing,” she says. “We weren’t trying to ruin anyone’s time. We were just thrilled to be there.”

Sitting seemed to be the preferred position amongst the 15-thousand piano-pop fans packed into Intrust Bank Arena on March 3. Other than the elated first few rows, the crowd was glued to their chairs throughout. That’s in part because police officers prowled the bowl during the show, putting the clamps on any one who tried to give them the stand-up routine.

“We got a sitting ovation,” jokes Kyle Foreman. People around his floor seats clapped when an officer ordered him to sit. “They were more excited about that than Crocodile Rock.”

Foremen’s well aware some people may prefer to do their hoppin’ and boppin’ from that folding chair they paid good money for. “I’m sure there were people complaining about us on their drive home,” he says. “But Billy and Elton were putting on a great show and we wanted to show our appreciation.”

Sarah concurs. “I don’t want to ruin it for someone, but at a concert, the artist is trying to get the audience on their feet.”

Sarah Haertl, the Arena’s director of sales and marketing, says there’s no venue policy on standing vs. sitting. “We take directions from the show. Our goal is to make the show and the ticket holders as happy as possible.” She declined to say what, if any, directions Joel/John promoters gave regarding the issue.

With the Arena bringing in concerts Wichitans haven’t seen the likes of in decades, the issue of standing vs. sitting needs to be addressed. But it should be up to us, not the Arena or promoters, to develop an accepted etiquette. We’re the ones paying the big bucks, after all.

Sound off Wichita. Is it ever ok to stand at an Arena concert? Always ok? Does it matter where you’re sitting? Does the song matter? Sit for “Candle in the Wind,” set the dance alight for “Saturday Night’s Alright”?

Tell us about the buzz-kill cop who ruined your Jovi experience or the drunken Brad Paisley fan who made you wish you hadn’t dropped a bill-plus to sit behind him. Hopefully we can get the issue ironed out before the dulcet tones of Michael Buble spark some kind of sitters vs. standers showdown. His fans are supposedly very big on energy reciprocation.

image credit

Daily [snap] – Keeper of the Plains

verb [ICT] staff — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:27:22 +0000

Keeper of the Plains | Photo by Cheryl Dumcum

[eat] Los Cocos

Ashley Perkins — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:21:32 +0000

Last week, I wrote a post lamenting the loss of Red Mesa Grill and their excellent white cheese dip. Reader Josh left a particularly eloquent comment on this article, simply stating, “Super strong margaritas + great queso – huge bill = Los Cocos!” Coincidentally, I already had dinner plans at Los Cocos (1335 N. Tyler Rd.) for Sunday, and I was excited to put Josh’s proclamation to the test. The restaurant did not disappoint.

We started our evening at the bar, where I ordered a margarita the size of my head for $7. They have a wide selection of Mexican and domestic beers, and everyone in our party of 12 was able to find something they liked. As we sat at the bar and chatted, I took in the atmosphere of the restaurant. It is colorful and inviting, with a layout that makes it feel cozy and spacious all at once.

Once seated, we ordered a couple of rounds of queso blanco (otherwise known as white cheese dip!) and guacamole. Both were excellent, and we all had to keep ourself from filling up on the appetizers, because we had a feeling the entrees to come were going to be equally wonderful.

Of the dishes ordered, there were some standouts. The Pollo San Luis, smothered in cheese and topped with grilled shrimp was one of the favorites. We were especially impressed to find out that this dish was the namesake of our server Luis. Another notable entree was the fajitas, which were ordered by several at our table, including myself. Although some of the onions in my shrimp fajitas were a little burnt, the dish was great overall.

I would go back to Los Cocos anytime – in fact, my boyfriend and I agree that it will be our west side answer to Playa Azul from now on. I encourage you to give it a try, and tell Luis I said hi!

Daily [snap] – Wichita at Night

verb [ICT] staff — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:49:17 +0000

Wichita at Night | Photo by Jen Lancaster

[move] ‘Til I Collapse: Week 2

Tim Kaul — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:45:53 +0000

I’m not a fashion guy at all. Put me in boots, jeans and a T-shirt and I’m a pretty happy guy. But what you go to the gym in, or hit the road in, is super important. Here are a few general guidelines.

Shoes

Get the right shoe for the job. If you don’t plan on jogging/running too much, then a standard pair of cross trainers are going to do great things for you. However, if you want to punish the pavement a little bit, get good running shoes. Your knees, hips, ankles, shins and back will thank you. Get fitted for these by someone who knows what they are doing. We have a great running store right here in Wichita at First Gear (111 N Mosley Street). Go see them and they will analyze how you walk and get you into the right shoe.

Underthings

Spandex is your friend. I’ll give you a minute to go get your mental bleach and get that image out of your head. I don’t care who you are, a pair of compression shorts under your workout gear will make your life so much easier and less painful. I won’t go into details here but will say this, friction when it comes to your brakes is a good thing, when it comes to a night out with your special somebody, it’s a great thing, but when it comes to your legs and arms? Worst. Thing. Ever.

Outerwear

Thankfully we’re getting to the time of year that shorts and a T-shirt are acceptable workout clothing options. However, your favorite cotton shirt may not be the best option. Cotton soaks up liquid and gets heavy and smelly quick. The newest technical fabrics are marvelous; they wick away sweat and keep you cool as you workout. You can spend a BUNCH of money on this stuff but if you keep your eyes peeled you can find even plus sized workout gear for as little as $10 a piece

Those are the basics. Of course there are GPS units, Mp3 players and all sorts of other gadgets out there that you can drop all sorts of coin on, but that’s for another time. Right now, just get started.

Look both ways out there kids and I’ll see ya next week.

Is there a piece of equipment you wouldn’t be caught dead at the gym without? Is there a killer app that will make me run like Usain Bolt? Shout it out in the comments.

[primp] Semplifi Hair Care Challenge

Stephanie Cloud Seery — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:43:34 +0000

Hello, my name is Stephanie, and I’m a recovering hair product snob.

There, I said it. I’ve been hooked on high-end hair products since I was 17. Before that, my idea of splurging on “good” shampoo was to buy Pantene or Aussie at the supermarket instead of Suave. I’m not kidding; I went from Suave to Aveda on one sunny afternoon in a salon on Douglas, and I never went back.

Well, maybe that’s not entirely true. My income hasn’t always been able to match my appetite, so I’ve been willing to settle for generics that produced the same results and had the same smell and shine. I’ve also been known to bargain shop on eBay for products by the liter or in bundles to save money (free shipping gets me every time).

However, lately I’ve been unhappy with my hair. I’d just switched off from the big A to Bumble and Bumble, hoping to see some perk return, and it wasn’t happening. My hair was dull, limp, flat, refusing to hold a curl, stringy if flat-ironed… and I was desperate. My stylist suggested rinsing it with a de-mineralizing agent, and then using a deep conditioner. A pricey option, and in the end, my hair hadn’t improved much. I resolved to go on with life and hope that it would fix itself. My pocket book didn’t leave me any other options.

Then my beloved editors asked if someone wanted to try out a new hair care line called Semplifi, created right here in Wichita. Semplifi only has five products, and the developers claim it can fix anything. It has to do with the way the products work together, the way they work with your hair, and another little secret. Of course, I was skeptical; who wouldn’t be? I went to their website, and scoffed as I read the glowing testimonials. Still, I was intrigued. So, I came up with a plan. You see, under my roof there are four women with four very different kinds of hair, and very different hair problems. If Semplifi works as well as it claimed, it should work for all of us, right? Thus, the experiment was born.

I contacted the distributor and was thrilled when they offered to bring me and my daughters in for a consultation with the developer of Semplifi, Al Melchiorre. Al was very enthusiastic about the product line that he spent five years on. He told me that when he came up with the idea of Semplifi, he had to work with developers in Vancouver, Canada, because he couldn’t find anyone here who believed in what he was trying to do. I felt a little guilty, since I was so doubtful.

However, Al was very persuasive as he spoke about Semplifi. He explained that the secret of Semplifi is that certain products penetrate and fill the shaft of your hair, making it impossible for anything else to do so. The end result is that your styling products can’t penetrate and therefore don’t damage your hair. Al went on to assess each of us, running his fingers through our hair, lifting it, examining it… I really felt like he was doing detective work! Finally, he sat down with each of us and gave instructions on how to properly combine the products. Each of us had different problems, so we each had different ways to combine them to get the maximum benefit.

The plan is that all four of us will keep track of how we are using the products, and what our opinions are. We are making notes on how our hair reacts when we just wash and go, when we flat-iron, when we break out the curls for a night out, and any other time we do something different. Today I used mousse and put my hair in pigtails? Noted. In a few weeks, I’ll be back with an explanation about each of us, and what our hair was like before and after Semplifi. I’ll also talk more about the products and the Semplifi website at that time.

This skeptic has to confess that my immediate impression is positive. Actually, all four of us were impressed after Day One. After just one washing, and applying the products as instructed, we all felt like our hair was cleaner, silkier, and better-looking. My hair was lighter and full of volume, something I can’t remember it being in the recent past. I actually didn’t know how to style it, because it wasn’t the same hair I’m used to. If the next few weeks keep going like this, my next article might just sound like those testimonials I scoffed at on the website only a short time ago!

Have you used Semplifi? What did you think? What hair care products do you swear by?

Daily [snap] – Downtown

verb [ICT] staff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:56:56 +0000

Downtown | Photo by Sandy Keathley