07.22.08
Posted in Manhattan, People, Sports at 1:00 pm by Todd
This summer I am playing in a 6-v-6 soccer league run by the Manhattan Parks and Recreation department. We are generously sponsored by della Voce bistro italiano. The team is made up of ex-teammates from my high school team – the Manhattan High School Indians. This includes the likes of Noah Reagan, Oscar Montenegro, Justin Kastner, Steve Howe, Justin Deweese, Brett Robinson, and Jim Launchbach. The team is supplemented by friends to round out a good, but aging team.
We finished the regular season with 3 wins, 1 tie, and 3 losses. At least 2 games we should have won (the tie and one loss). We are starting the tournament tonight and hope to play better in the tourney than we did in the regular season.
I have enjoyed the soccer but the best part is catching up with old friends. It is amazing that Oscar hasn’t lost a step and has turned out to be a hard working banker and family guy. Steve and JK are still in pretty good shape and still quite the players despite the lack of practice. And Jim is as strong and aggressive as ever – a nice thing to have on the back line. And it was fun catching up with Deweese but it sucked that he broke his collar bone in the first game.
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06.12.08
Posted in About Me, KSU, Manhattan at 9:13 am by Todd
Just wanted to let everyone know that the Wallentines survived the Tornado last night. Kari, Anna, and I were safely stored in the basement as the sirens went off and the newscasters tried to keep us informed. Virg waited out the storm up at work (his house doesn’t have a basement) and then spent the evening with us. He had a tough time getting home since the damage was on his side of Manhattan. Luckily, his house had no damage.
I know not everyone in Manhattan was spared but I am glad to hear there were no fatalities here in town. I am praying quite a bit today for people in Chapman (KS) – it sounds like their twister was a lot stronger than ours.
What I am hearing right now:
- K-State has some damage. Kari and I will head up to campus to check out her office.
- K-State is quasi-closed today. Some people are working today to clean-up but classes were cancelled. I imagine most people will be at home today.
- Damage from the store was mostly on the west side of town (in my old neighborhood – University Heights and around Lee school).
- All of my friends are ok and still have houses. But I am betting that the office of one of my friends is ruined (if not tornado damage then definitely flooded).
Well, that is it for now. Wallentines ok – Manhattan has some damage – K-State closed. More to come as things change and as I find out more information.
Update (11:50a 12 June 2008): We took a trip up to see Kari’s office. Weber Hall is still standing but has quite a bit of glass damage and a large amount of roof damage. I hope to upload pictures this afternoon that I took on campus. The good news, Kari’s office was undamaged and Nichols Hall is fine (my office). And for the most part, the damage on campus isn’t that severe. There is a lot of tree damage, a lot of broken glass, and some roof damage.
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03.05.08
Posted in About Me, Business, Manhattan, Sports at 9:41 pm by Todd
Two weeks ago I finished the beginners boxing class at KO Boxing. It was a very fun and enlightening class. And thanks to the tireless efforts of the training staff, I was completely exhausted after every workout!
That following week, I started the regular training class at KO Boxing. And from the workouts so far, they are going to be painfully hard. I struggle through every workout. And to make matters worse (or better), I have sore muscles that I never knew existed. I am also learning that my brain fails to function when it doesn’t have oxygen: I can’t seem to perform the combinations correctly as they are being called out. I am hoping that someday I will actually complete a whole workout, without stopping at all, and get all the combos correct.
For now, I am just happy that I am pushing myself harder than I have in a long time.
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02.01.08
Posted in KSU, Manhattan at 2:23 pm by Todd
I recently found out that GE Aviation will be opening up an office here in Manhattan (Kansas). This will bring some new jobs and new opportunities to the area. My father mentioned it to me since he played a role in bringing them to town.
This seems to be a great opportunity for K-State students and staff. This should provide some chances for students to do internships, co-ops, and part-time work as well as a place to work after graduation. Manhattan is certainly in need of these types of employers (technology-related jobs are lacking in the area).
This could also mean research partnerships with faculty and staff at the university. I know our research group is always looking for industrial collaborators where we can hone our ideas and apply those that are deemed beneficial.
So I am glad to see another employer move to town and bring some much needed jobs to the area. I would love to see GE expand their plans as well as other employers opening up offices in town.
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01.31.08
Posted in KSU, Manhattan, Sports at 10:46 am by Todd
Last night I saw something that I haven’t seen a in a long time. I almost can’t believe it happened.
K-State beat KU in Bramlage Coliseum! 84-75.What a huge upset.
Congratulations to Coach Martin, his staff, and of course the players. They certainly prepared well and did everything necessary to walk away with a victory. I was really impressed by a couple of freshman …. and not Bill Walker and Michael Beasley (they played well but I expected that). I was really impressed by Jacob Pullen and Dominique Sutton. Jacob stepped up big and hit some great shots. But most of all, he hit his free-throws (10 for 10). And Dominique played some amazing defense on Rush as well as pulled down some big rebounds.
Way to go guys. Keep up the good work. I am looking forward to seeing you in action Saturday against
MU. Hopefully you won’t let down.
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01.10.08
Posted in About Me, Manhattan, Sports at 7:06 pm by Todd
My friend Adam convinced me to try a new boxing workout that he has been doing for a while now. He claimed it was a great full-body workout. It turns out, he was right (for once).
I started the introductory class on Monday and had my second class Wednesday (it is a Monday/Wednesday 6:30p-7:30p class). It is a great workout, especially for my abs. And for the price, it seems to be a pretty good bargain ($98 for the intro course which includes the cost of hand-wraps).
If you ever need a good workout or want to take up boxing, I suggest checking out KO Boxing. The owner, Lorrisa, is nice and the gym is a great environment to learn. And based upon what the “real boxers” look like after their workout, it is a great place to train.
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01.08.08
Posted in Manhattan, People, Restaurant at 3:52 pm by Todd
For some time, Noah Reagan has been busy learning all he can about running a great restaurant. Even when we were young he used to grill some pretty fantastic dinners when his parents were out of town (and we had the run of the house – sorry Mom and Dad Reagan). He attended school at K-State and studied Hotel and Restaurant Management. While going to school he worked at Dean’s Liquor learning about wines and spirits (which served us well in college).
During his time at K-State he had the opportunity to do an internship in Paris, France. Internships like this are great chance to see the world as well as develop a real sense of working at an up-scale establishment.
After graduating he packed-up his bags and headed for the Turks and Caicos Islands where his cousin put him to work at his restaurant. What a great chance to hone his skills. And based upon my visit, the place was fantastic (Noah picked Kari and I up from the airport when we went on our honeymoon to the islands and treated us to dinner at his place).
Over the next couple of years he spent time in Boston, Costa Rica, and another tour on the islands before he finally decided to pursue his own dream. He decided to open a new restaurant here in Manhattan, KS. It seemed like it took forever to go from idea to opening day (I am sure it felt a lot longer to Noah). I recall many conversations about location, menu, the market, and technology (technology being the only one I could speak intelligently about). I also recall a great evening of food at his parent’s house trying out some items for his menu (wow, he has really become quite the chef).
He is now open and running a great establishment named della Voce (I wrote about it here and here). It is a fantastic place to relax and enjoy some great food (way to go Melvin and the rest of the kitchen folk).
I am so proud of Noah for all he has accomplished and thankful that I get to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He has come a long way from that skinny, annoying neighbor I used to fight with over basketball games. I am truly blessed to know him and call him my friend.
Now go make your reservation at della Voce (subtle aren’t I)!
Related Links:
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12.17.07
Posted in Manhattan, People at 3:09 pm by Todd
I recently heard about a new micro-brewery here in Manhattan (Kansas). For years, the only local brewery that we had was the Little Apple Brewery (located in Westloop). But now we have a new one, the Tall Grass Brewing Company.
The brewery is the dream of Jeff Gill, a friend of mine. Jeff and I are members of the Theta Xi Fraternity. We met when I was transferring from the University of Missouri-Rolla (Alpha Psi chapter) to K-State (Alpha Iota chapter) since he was the Rush Chairman. He convinced me to live in the house and introduced me to many people that are still my friends today. So thanks Jeff!
And I hope that your brewery is very successful. I just wish I drank beer so I could help your business!
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10.23.07
Posted in Manhattan, Restaurant at 9:10 pm by Todd
Tonight was my first real experience at Della Voce (I have been in and out of that place over the last couple weeks helping to get the computers setup). Kari and I were invited to a private dining experience at the restaurant that was part marketing and part practice (for the staff).
Overall, it was great! The food was fantastic. The atmosphere was wonderful. And the service was very good.
I should warn everyone that this is not your normal Manhattan restaurant, although it is very typical of high-end restaurants in other large markets I have been to. What I mean to say is that most places in town are like Applebee’s, Chili’s, or Carlos O’Kelly’s (funny that I picked out three chains that have apostrophes in the name). Noisy, bland, and adequate service is the best way to describe them. When I go to these types of restaurants in town, the staff usually means well, but they aren’t trained as professional wait staff (usually high school and college students just trying to make a buck). For example, I really get annoyed when I am having a discussion and the waiter interrupts to ask how everything is going. Or when I have to try to find our waitress for 10 minutes just to get a clean fork. Those are signs that the staff is not as professional as they should be.
Della Voce is much different. The style is eclectic and modern, the music was fun and soothing (odd combination when I write that out), and the service was professional. Kari and I could carry on a conversation and not be interrupted constantly. I never had to ask for more water and when we had made our selections on the menu, the waitress was there waiting to take our order. Kari was also very relieved that when she made requests to leave things off, the waitress didn’t act like it would be a big hassle (she actually smiled and said sure). Big bonus points in Kari’s book.
Just in case you wanted to know, I had a crab cake, mozzarella, and tomato appetizer, the Italiana pizza entree, and a chocolate cake with vanilla gelato for dessert. Kari had a spinach salad for an appetizer, a stuffed trout entree, and peach cobbler with cinnamon gelato sans cobbler for dessert. Can’t wait to try more of the menu.
Noah and Melvin, you have created a great restaurant that will soon be a favorite to many in Manhattan. I know it is my favorite already.
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10.22.07
Posted in Manhattan, Restaurant at 9:30 am by Todd
This week will mark the opening of Manhattan’s new restaurant, Della Voce. It is an italian bistro started by two K-State alums, Noah Reagan and Melvin Watson. They will be opening their doors on Wednesday, October 24th 2007.
I have been friends with Noah for more than 15 years. He has had an amazing professional career so far at restaurants in Paris, Boston, and Houston. He has also worked in the Tiki Hut and the Four Seasons in Costa Rica.
I am very proud of him and know that his restaurant will be very successful. And I am not just saying this to get free food (which is always a nice gift, Noah).
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