Café's Hopping, But No "Signs of Life" In This Bookstore

Signs of Life

722 Massachusetts Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone number: (785) 830-8030
Prices: $$$$

The focus here seems to be more on the café and less on the bookstore which has a heavy Christian influence.

We only decided to go on Lawrence's Final Friday to hear University of Kansas (KU - #1 KU tromped #4 Kentucky earlier that evening by the way) opera students who were performing from 7:30 to 8:30 PM (every Final Friday during the school year). The café was doing a brisk business, but there were only a couple people browsing books during the hour we were there and one of them was my wife. I had a look around, trying to find a restroom during the opera intermission, but the counter on the book side was empty with not an employee in sight.

If you are a Christian book enthusiast, this may be a decent option in Lawrence, but be prepared to hike over the the café to get someone to help you. The café does have reasonably priced cookies, brownies and muffins (just $2 each), the most redeeming quality in my experience.

CombatCritic Gives Signs of Life 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Signs of Life on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, KS: Café's Hopping, But No "Signs of Life" In This Bookstore

Key Words: Lawrence, Café, Signs of Life, signs, life, bookstore, books, Christian, Kansas, university, KU, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, review, Yelp, Massachusetts, street, Mass

Translation for Civilians: G2G = "Good To Go"

That's The Spirit ... Professional Ownership And Reasonable Prices

Spirit Party Shop & Liquor

600 Lawrence Ave

Lawrence, KS 66049

Phone number: (785) 842-8700

Prices: $$$$

It is a small store on the corner of 6th and Lawrence Avenue with a fair selection of beer, wine and spirits, fair prices, and friendly staff. However, they offer no military discount even though owned by a retired Army officer ... FUBAR!

Epilogue: After posting the review above, the owner sent me a comment, explaining why they cannot offer military discounts rather than whining and attacking my character for posting less than (5) stellar reviews like most owners and/or managers would do.

Turns out the Kansas ABC (Alcohol and Beverage Commission) will not allow discounts for one group if not offered to everyone else. That makes perfect sense considering the ABC is just another over regulated bureaucracy. Thanks for the message Paul!

CombatCritic Upgrades Spirit Party Shop And Liquor Store To 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Spirit Party Shop & Liquor on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, Kansas: That's The Spirit ... Professional Ownership And Reasonable Prices

Key Words: Spirit Party Shop & Liquor, spirit, party, shop, liquor, Lawrence, Kansas, LFK, University of Kansas, university, Jayhawk, Jayhawks, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, store, service, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: WTFO! = "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Imperfect, But A "World" Of Difference At Planet Fitness Versus Other Health Clubs

Planet Fitness

2525 Iowa Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone number (785) 865-3771
Website: planetfitness.com
Prices: $$$$

If you travel as much as I do and like to stay in shape while on the road, then a gym membership with reciprocal privileges and numerous clubs across the U.S. is a convenience you cannot do without.

New on South Iowa, Planet Fitness is a breath of fresh air in Lawrence after being an abused member at The Summit and Genesis health clubs over the past three years.

They have dozens of stationary bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, stair climbers, weight machines, and other top of the list be equipment. They also have 32 TVs with 8 set channels and free Wi-Fi available, all for $10 a month. That's why I left Genesis where we were paying $80/month. 

Oh, and by the way, guests are free and you can upgrade to a Black Card, adding hydro massages, tanning (not my bag), drink discounts, and reciprocity at Planet Fitness locations nationwide for just $10/month more. The hydro massage beds (2), recliners (2), and chairs (2) are a relaxing way to finish a workout and almost as good as a real massage. The even have buckets of free chocolate and grape Tootsie Rolls ... HOOAH! The only thing missing are towels, a sauna, and shampoo in the showers, but hey, what'ya expect for $10-$20 a month?

My one primary complaint are the giant, and I mean HUGE (as The Donald would say), ceiling fans whirling over the aerobic equipment. There are two long rows of equipment divided into two groups, each with a giant fan overhead. As a matter of fact, I have been in the airflow created by a C-130 Hercules propeller with less force than these fans. Not all of us like cold air blowing on us when we are sweating profusely during rigorous exercise. Some do, but many, including me, do not. I have asthma and many of us who suffer from exercise induced asthma should not have unnecessary air blowing on us while working out. It exacerbates the condition and, in some cases, could lead to death.

I went to the front desk to inquire about a suggestion box or other portal where I could share my dismay about the fans and was referred to the Assistant Manager. Because the machines are symmetrical with basically the same number of identical machines on each side, I asked her if it would be possible to turn one fan off so people have a choice whether or not they have wind blowing on them. Made perfect sense to me and a win-win situation. Her response was: "No that's not possible. We have to turn them on during business hours.", being the wrong answer from a customer service perspective. The correct answer would have been: "That's a great idea, let me look into it and get back to you", but all I got was a bureaucratic, lazy, "that's the way it has always been done, so that's the way it's going to stay" attitude. Unacceptable.

CombatCritic Gives Planet Fitness An Initial 6 Bombs Out Of 10 With A Two Bombs Deduction For Uncomfortable Conditions And Management Complacency ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie





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Read Chris S.'s review of Planet Fitness on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, KS: Imperfect, But A "World" Of Difference At Planet Fitness Versus Other Health Clubs

Key Words: Lawrence, KS, Kansas, Iowa, World, Planet Fitness, planet, fitness, health, club, gym, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, service, review, Yelp, elliptical, weights

Translation for Civilians: G2G =  "Good To Go"

This Ebenezer Made Me Feel Like I Was Getting "Scrooged"

EBZ Painting

Serving Lawrence and Surrounding Area
Phone number: (404) 290-7215
Prices: $$$$

Ebenezer was recommended by a neighbor in Nextdoor, stating that he was "reasonably priced", dependable, and thorough, so I looked him up on Yelp and asked him for an estimate to sand and paint one 30' x 8' exterior wall. The five "5-Star" reviews made me hopeful, but I was quickly disappointed.

Our appointment was at 10am, but 10am came and went, so I called Ebenezer to find out why he was late. I received a call from him about 10 minutes later telling me "I'm running late and will be there shortly". He finally arrived around 10:30am, 30 minutes late.

I started to explain what I needed done, but he cut me off and told me that the job would cost "about $550". I explained that I had not finished talking and that there was more trim and touch-up elsewhere on the house that needed work. I showed him the rest of the job, then he asked me if I thought the price was fair. I told him, "actually, no, because I have another estimate for the entire job for about $275". He asked me what would be a "fair price" and I said: "well, I have an estimate for $275, so that seems like a good place to start".

Ebenezer explained that he is a perfectionist and that his work would make the house "look like new". I told him that I did not want it to look like new because it's an 1860's house and superficial imperfections are part of its history and charm. He told me that he could not do the job for "anywhere near $275", so I thanked him for stopping by and he was off.

If I were not a disabled Veteran, I could sand and paint the "$550" wall in a single day, eight hours max plus a $35 can of paint. Based on EBZ estimate, his labor alone would come to approximately $65 an hour, quite excessive for a self-proclaimed novice. Skilled tradesmen (plumbers, electricians, etc.) charge around $65 an hour and his estimate was double that of another "experienced" house painter, so "reasonable" is not a word I would use to describe him. Based on his lack of punctuality, excessive price, and wasting 45 minutes of my time ...

CombatCritic Gives EBZ Painting 2 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Two Bombs Equates To

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Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie





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Read Chris S.'s review of EBZ Painting on Yelp

Title: This Ebenezer Made Me Feel Like I Was Getting "Scrooged"

Key Words: EBZ Painting, EBZ, Ebenezer, Scrooge, painting, paint, pricey, late, Nextdoor, Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, service, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: TANGO UNIFORM = "Tits Up"

Unscrupulous, Rude, Unprofessional ... AVOID HARRIS AUTO REPAIR AT ALL COSTS!

Harris Auto Repair

811 E 23rd Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone: (785) 838-4488
Website: harrisautorepairinc.com
Prices: $$$$

Unscrupulous, rude, unprofessional ... AVOID HARRIS AUTO REPAIR AT ALL COSTS! 

Read my initial Yelp review dated 4/25/2016 for reference.

I have no idea how these guys get 5-star ratings on Yelp, other than from friends, but take this Yelp Elite's word for it, think twice before taking your car there because your or someone else's life could be in jeopardy if you do.

I should have gone with my gut feeling on these guys. Something was just not right, but I could not put my finger on it. Now I know what the problem is. They either do shoddy work or charge people for doing nothing at all because the $600 brake job they "supposedly" did on my car in April nearly caused me to rear end a bus that decided to stop in front of me (for no apparent reason) a little over a month ago and less than 3 months and 500 miles after they "fixed" my brakes.

As I mentioned in the review I wrote 3 days after they did (or did not do) the work referenced above, the brakes seemed no different than before I spent $600, but I trusted them and gave them the benefit of the doubt, assuming that the brakes worked fine and the vehicle was safe to drive. It is not. I was not very close to the bus I mentioned above, but when it unexpectedly stopped in the middle of a block for a jaywalking pedestrian, my brake pedal went straight to the floor and my car came to a very slow stop, barely missing the rear end of the bus. I was very lucky that I did not hit the bus, stopping inches from its bumper. Anyway, I was leaving town for a month and did not have time to take the vehicle in and tell them about the problem before I left, so I thought it could wait until I returned.

Well, now I am back from my trip and decided to stop by Harris Auto Repair today to tell them about the problem with their brake job. As I explained the problem, to Lance I believe, it seemed obvious that he was not going to stand behind the repairs they may or may have not made. Instead, telling me all of the things that could possibly be wrong with my brake system, I then asked him if they had inspected the system when they performed the work in April and why I was having the same exact problem after spending $600 in their shop. If they were in-fact "professionals", they would have inspected the brake system thoroughly (which I paid an extra $86 for), diagnosed the problem correctly, and performed NECESSARY repairs, charging me a fair price for work performed. At this point he started to get indignant with me, raising his voice and saying "look Chris, we've been through this before ... blah, blah, blah". That was when I stopped listening, realizing he was not about to stand behind their shoddy work (which nearly caused an accident) and telling him "Fine, I'll just take it somewhere else to get your work fixed".

On a similar note, a week or so ago (the day after I returned) I asked them for an estimate to have three belts replaced on the same vehicle (at which point I planned on telling them about the brake problem) and was quoted around $230, but I was alone and they could not shuttle me back and forth while the work was being performed, so I decided to go to my regular mechanic. Mike, at Don's Auto Center on 11th Street (near Haskell), quoted me $160 to replace the belts, which he did in an hour, charging me exactly what was quoted.

I will never consider taking our cars to Harris Auto Repair again and highly recommend that you consider doing the same. I have had extremely poor experiences with mechanics in Lawrence (Das Autohaus is another example) where integrity appears to be severely lacking, Don's Auto Center being the sole exception. So take your vehicles there because they are honest, you can trust them, they do good work, and they will charge you a fair price ... unlike Harris Auto Repair.

CombatCritic Gives Harris Auto Repair 1 Bomb Out Of 10, Earning Them A Spot On CombatCritic's "WALL OF SHAME!

One Bomb Equates To:

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Title: Lawrence, KS: Unscrupulous, Rude, Unprofessional ... AVOID HARRIS AUTO REPAIR AT ALL COSTS! 

Key Words: Harris Auto Repair, Harris, mechanic, car, auto, automobile, Volkswagen, VW, battery, repair, cost, con, pro, rude, Lawrence, Kansas, Yelp, combatcritic, review, wall of shame

Aggressive Driving Was All I Had To See To Decide NEVER To Hire This Company

River City Heating & Cooling

1120 E 23rd St

Lawrence, KS 66046

Phone: (785) 841-2665

Facebook: RiverCityHeatingAndCooling On Facebook

I wouldn't hire these guys if my life depended on it.

When a police car suddenly stopped with lights flashing in front of me just minutes ago, I needed to merge into the left lane to get around the officer performing his duty. The white River City Heating and Cooling van that had cut me off just minutes earlier (on 9th Street just east of Iowa) was to my left, but rather than letting me merge left, the male driver (with a woman in the passenger seat) aggressively sped up to ensure that I could not get over, causing me to have to slow quickly in order to merge and avoid the police car blocking my way.

If this is the way River City Heating and Cooling treat Lawrence neighbors while driving their clearly marked vehicle around town, you can imagine how well you can trust them with your heating and cooling needs.

CombatCritic Gives River City Heating and Cooling 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My Quickly Filling WALL OF SHAME ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:

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Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "#1 Ranked Foodie"



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Read My Review On Yelp!

Title: Aggressive Driving Was All I Had To See To Decide NEVER To Hire This Company

Key Words: River City Heating and Cooling, river, city, heating, cooling, furnace, air conditioner, Lawrence, Kansas, KS, 23rd, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR -"Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

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