The Road to Austin

Austin here I come. The only place I've been in Texas is the Dallas/Ft.Worth area. Oh, and Amarillo on my way west. Oh, and Galveston briefly before getting on a cruise to celebrate our 25th anniversary. But I hear Austin is a great place to visit. I'm thinking, though, that this weekend may not have been the best choice. There's a huge winter storm headed that direction.

I planned this trip for work, and invited Mark to come along. We extended the visit by a day so we could hang out and explore the city. We may be exploring everything indoors. I mean like restaurants and shopping, people.

Weather has been a constant topic of conversation lately. What are we? Old? Only old people talk endlessly about weather and politics and the price of gas, right? What was it we talked about when we were young? I don't remember.

Mark is the Trip-Miester, planning even trips to the grocery store in great detail. Well, maybe not the grocery store. That's where he goes on auto-pilot and works the isles in exact order, neatly stacking the familiar brands in his basket in a specific order that I'm not privy to. He has a plan and a pace and I'm welcome only if I can keep up and don't drift.

Anyway - he already has explored Austin on Mapquest, plotting out points of interest and importance. He's printed out all the boarding passes and checked the weather. Now he's looking for the umbrella. I'm pretty sure he was a tour guide in a previous life. I just get to relax and follow the man with the umbrella who is leading the way.

Mama never said there'd be days like these

OK, I told you I'd be back. Due to the miracle of Excedrin Migraine I am now back to walking and talking, as opposed to stumbling toward my bed, moaning in agony, praying to pass into a coma.


Anyway, about Portland. We rented this great house, which you can read all about on my sister's blog. If you are 15 years old and reading this blog (unlikely) and you hate your siblings most days, or fight with them endlessly and look forward to the day when you can live your own life unencumbered by the family you didn't get to choose, then just wait. Because there will come a day, say in your 4th decade, when you can spend a week in the close company of said siblings and feel like they are your best friends.





Yes, we checked out the Rose Festival Parade and the Dragon Boat races on the river. We wandered through the Portland Rose Garden and got inspired to fill the yard at home with roses. We took the streetcar into the Pearl District to shop and eat, and drove to the Oregon coast to dip our toes in the freezing surf, stopping at Camp 18 for breakfast.










But the best moments were the simpler moments. Singing around the piano in the rented house. Walking a couple of blocks to Imago Dei to attend a Sunday service. Hiking a trail near the coast and discussing and debating God and the necessity of Jesus Christ. (OK-for that discussion I was just listening, given that I could barely catch my breath due to the steep slope of the trail).


Then there were the moments of insanity like when I decided it would be a good idea to ride a carnival ride with my daughter, nieces and nephew and brother. There were moments I thought I was going to meet my maker. And if I had, He would have slapped me upside the head and asked me what I was thinking!





For the record, I did NOT join my nieces on this ride. Although they say it was easier than the ride I chose.





Another perfect hour was spent at Arleta's Library, ("Because Good Food is Long Overdue") a local restaurant around the block from my brother's house. I'm not sure what made this a highlight of our trip. Maybe it was the care that my brother's partner, Rudy, took with planning the menu, or the fact that we had the tiny diner to ourselves with the cook working his magic before our eyes as he laid out the gourmet spread on the simple, ancient counter.


So mothers of warring siblings, take heart. There will be days like these for your children, if you resist the temptation to murder them in their sleep while they are young.

How hard is it to click the publish button?

I wrote this four days ago and just realized I forgot to hit "Publish Post". So I'm hitting it now and I'll be back to enlighten you with more fascinating and juicy details about my life. I know. You're on the edge of your seat. Were you getting up? Is that what you were doing on the edge of your seat? Well slide back and get comfy. While you read, I'm going back to bed. I have a screaming headache.

I wish I had...



I don't know what I wish I had. I do know that I'd like another week of vacation. Or a calorie-free cupcake. I'm really not that hard to please.



I also know that tomorrow we're getting up at a ridiculously early hour to sell stuff from the garage to the eager hordes who will be lined up to snatch up my in-laws' cast-off treasures. At least that's the plan. Then we'll load a truck, the first of two, and bring stuff back to Oklahoma, then head back here to Newton next weekend to do it all again. Not the garage sale part. Just the truck loading part. Then the precious in-laws will be moved. Yay. That's as excited as I'm gonna get at the moment. I'm too tired to shout. But I really will be thrilled when that much is done.



Did I mention we went to Portland and enjoyed an amazing 5 days of my brother and family's hospitality? It was freaking awesome. Maybe some day I won't be too tired to tell you all about it. Kind of like when someone forces you to watch their slides from their recent trip to Europe.



Oh wait, people don't do slides any more. Maybe it's like when someone wants you to sit with their laptop on your knees while all their 592 photos scroll by. I'm just wishing my family would get all their photos uploaded so I can bore you with the details. Of course, 90% of the folks who read this blog were with me.

Where am I?

I'm wondering if all hotels have the same decorating company. Is there a HotelMart where all chains go to buy the same nondescript furniture and stripy bed skirt and patterned window treatment? Because I could be taken blindfolded to one of these rooms and wouldn't know if I had landed in a Holiday Inn Express, a Comfort Inn, or another similar chain. The hotel room I'm in at the moment has no artwork on display whatsoever, which I find a refreshing change from what is usually screwed to the walls. Is it really necessary to use screws to attach the paintings? Do people walk off with more than the towels? Once I stayed in a hotel where the remote was screwed to the bedside table. That was seriously irritating. Another hotel had you check out a remote from the front desk. Is there a black market for TV remotes that I don't know about? Don't you need a TV to go with the remote?

I'm hanging out and working in the Atoka area and just came back from dinner. My coworker and I asked at the front desk for a restaurant recommendation, then left in search of the suggested Mexican place. We jumped in her truck, buckled in, tuned the radio to a good station, pulled out of the parking lot and...into the parking lot across the street. Somehow the fact that the restaurant was just across the street got lost in the telling. Or maybe in the listening. Hope nobody was watching the two women from "the city" who by all appearances were too lazy to walk across the road.

I've noticed that these chain hotels are trying to find ways to distinguish themselves from one another, since the decor/architecture/breakfast spread are all so cookie cutter. This hotel has one of those massage chairs in the lobby that you can use for free. I'm just not all about stretching out in a chair and letting my body parts get jiggled while folks pass by on their way in and out of the building. Now if they wanted to put one in each room, I'd be all over that.

Another hotel I stayed in recently offered "Happy Hour" where you could grab a beer or diet coke out of a cooler between the hours of 6:00pm and 8:00pm. I think they threw in a Snickers candy bar fo' free. It's not like I'm staying in the No-tell Motels. I usually stay in the best place I can find as I travel around Oklahoma. Me and the oil workers hanging out eating our fruit loops and waffles in the morning. My favorite time was when I stayed in a hotel where they were having a firemen's convention. That was some seriously pleasant eye candy to go with my morning coffee.

Did I really just say eye candy? Wow. I've sunk to a new low. I'm going to go read Tolstoy and listen to something from Rigoletto to improve my high-brow quotient. Or, I could just watch "John and Kate Plus Eight" on cable.

Where's my purse. I need the remote.

I'm not a banker, so I'm off to work. But then who wants to be a banker these days...

I had a good weekend, if anyone cares. It was a perfect mix of fun, family, rest and checking things off my many lists. And because, as we all know, I love bullet points, that's how I'm going to continue with this post. Trust me, I'm doing you a favor because it will be so much easier to read than a long, run-on sentence that never seems to end and jumps from point to point and, well, you get it. So here goes. If you are in the "don't care" category, then check back tomorrow and maybe I'll have something profound to say. But don't hold your breath.

• Our staff lunch on Friday was at Avanti Bar and Grill which is attached to the Courtyard By Marriott over by Lowe's on the north side of the Kilpatrick, between May and Penn. If you're not from around here, then your eyes just rolled back in your head from all the details. It's an excellent restaurant and you must try it, but it's kind of hidden, thus the details. It opened last week, the night of the tornadoes, so you know how new it is. It would make a nice date destination. I know, you're thinking "now you tell me". Where was I when you were standing in line for two hours for a Valentine's dinner.
• Valentine's Day was pretty much a day-long date, in a empty nester sort of way. Starbucks first thing, (never have I seen so many couples there. Usually it's one spouse staggering in to grab the coffees and run) then Mark went with me to that old ice skating rink in Bethany that they've turned into an antique/flea market kind of place. It was his suggestion because it was Valentine's Day, and he actually enjoyed it, although if you ask him he'll tell you we were there for two hours when in reality it was more like 45 minutes. We are apparently antiques because the whole experience was like a stroll through our childhood. If we had only kept everything we ever owned, we could be selling them right now for ridiculous prices. I made an exciting $10 purchase which I will share another time after I upload the photo.
• Still talking about Valentine's Day, but I could tell I was losing you, so I'm hoping another bullet point will refresh your brain. So after the antique mall thing we drove our to Okarche to Eischen's for their famous chicken. Mark wanted a menu, which if you've ever been to Eischen's is kind of funny since pretty much they just slap a huge basket of fried chicken and another huge basket of fried okra on your table, along with some white bread and bread and butter pickles. That's the menu. But man is it good fried chicken.
• I think that's all I'm going to share about Valentine's Day except that in the evening "Somewhere In Time" was on TV. It's a movie with Christopher Reeves, who was GORGEOUS, and, and, dang I can't remember her name. Oh yeah, Jane Seymour. We saw that movie in the theater back in college and thought it was the most romantic movie ever. I remember crying. But I was always crying back in college. Sleep deprivation will do that to you. Anyway, it was a fitting ending to our walk-down-memory-lane Valentine's Day.
• Sunday after church (I admit it, we watched church online) we had our Sunday lunch with Angela and Riley, which is a habit I adore. Tessa was also home because she had volunteered at the Addy Awards Saturday, and niece Alli joined us. Los Amigos in Bethany is what makes me feel like we live in a small town surrounded by the big city. It's always full of people we know, which makes me feel connected.
• Last thing, if you're still with me. We hung our new kitchen cabinet doors and they are amazing. Well, we're still short two doors because the guy who made them got confused. But all the others are hung.

So I'm sure I missed something, but right now you're saying thank the Lord this post is over. I'm here all week. No really, I'm in town all week so I'm hoping to have a peaceful and productive number of days. Did you have a good weekend?

attempt at art from boredom

Still in a hotel in Idabel. We worked Monday and Tuesday and now it's time to go home, but all paths home lead to very icy, hazardous conditions. Hopefully later today things will start melting before I start getting resentful. You know - feeling sorry for myself because all my coworkers back in "the city" as they say, are hanging out at home taking a couple of days off due to the nasty weather while I work in the only non-iced corner of Oklahoma. Anyway, got bored and thought I'd share a photo gallery. I present...Hotel Watercolors in Sepia ('cause that's the dominant color today). At least I entertained myself for awhile.

When Am I?

Yep, so here I am in Idabel, which is apparently the tiny little corner of Oklahoma that's not covered in ice at this moment. I'm snug in a hotel with a DingDong out of the vending machine and Bachelor on the TV. It doesn't get any better than that. Well, maybe if I was home snuggling with Mark and not worrying about how or when I'm going to get home. Or if I was on a cruise. Or a ski vacation. Or if - OK, it does get way better than this, but I'm warm and full and entertained, so no complaining.

For some reason the ABC channel here makes people sound like freaky robo guy with the machine altered voice calling with the ransom instructions. It's very distracting. And when will Nikki stop crying? And did Jason just snarf down a burger and fries and smores like it was his last meal and crawl into that tent with Perky Girl? Seriously I hope he took some Gas-X first. Perky Girl will be getting a little more of the "real" Jason than she bargained for.

Did you see that Oklahoma City is the 2nd fattest city in the USA? Marvelous. Just one more statistic to add to our dismal health stats. Surprisingly, Miami took the number one spot. So much for the South Beach diet. That's exactly why I didn't get into that diet. Well, not exactly why. It could have something to do with my love of baked goods. And my dislike of sweating.

OMG, I, like, can't stand the, like, drama on the Bachelor. He so, like, doesn't get her. She's such a, like, beyotch. I'm all, "Somebody got hit with a pugly stick". Gotta go find a tissue. l8r.

T.G.I.M.

I'm off today since I worked 14 hours on Saturday. I have a quiet Monday to myself to do whatever I want. For some reason on days like this I don't want to shower. It just seems like such a waste of time since no one is here to see or smell me. There are so many other fun things to take up the day. And who knows, I might exercise and get all sweaty, and then I'd just have to shower again. It's a slim chance, but a chance, and I certainly don't want to shower twice.

The nest is empty again with Tessa back at OSU. She's been kind of dragging around all week after having her wisdom teeth removed, but boy did she perk up when it came time to pack and head back to her sorority house. You've never seen laundry done so quickly and with such cheerfullness. As with everything in life, it's all about the motivation.

I spent some time over the weekend in rural Oklahoma and caught up on the local gossip discussed in the diner. One woman who used to weigh about 400 pounds got a lap band and now weighs 90 and is dying because it slipped, but doesn't want to have it taken out. A precious 7 year old boy is dying from a heart condition and he got his wish from the Make A Wish Foundation to go to a NASCAR race and see Dale Jr. Families who have been dirt poor all their lives are now getting rich from oil and gas wells drilled on their property and are busy buying up diamond rings, big houses and bigger trucks. You can make more money working a weekend at a cock fight than you make all week in your regular job.

Also, thought I'd share some Do's and Don'ts - a few things I've learned:

• Do take the time to enjoy the landscape and the space. A breathtaking sunset and a huge full moon are much easier to appreciate with nothing obstructing the view.
• Do wear camo to the local diner if it's hunting season and you don't want to stand out as that city woman.
• Do have lunch with the county sheriff. Too many reasons to list.
• Don't go to the local diner expecting to order their specialty fried catfish on Saturday because Friday night is all you can eat fried catfish night and there won't be any left.
• Don't order the calf fries unless you fully understand what you're getting and are in full agreement with eating cast offs from the castrating session at the local ranching operation.
• Don't discuss the local cock fights when you're eating lunch with the sheriff.

Rural Walmarts Rock

On the road again. The benefit today was that Atoka Walmart had a Wii Fit! Wiiiii!!! We've been popping into Walmart, Target and Game Stop to see if any Wiis are in stock waiting to be snatched up. While I was in Walmart this afternoon buying some supplies I remembered to stop by the electronics section and ask. And of course, no Wii.

Then about 10 minutes later, over in the pharmacy section looking for Tylenol Sinus medicine, I hear "Would the customer who wanted a Wii Fit please return to Electronics" over the loud speaker. Me! That was me!! Here I come, don't give it away, make way for me through the stampede of the 152 other customers who heard there was a Wii Fit available and were rampaging towards the unsuspecting Walmart Associate innocently holding one of the most sought after items since Tickle Me Elmo.

Except no one cared. It was just me who stampeded, heart racing, to electronics. Maybe they just aren't that into Wii Fit in rural Oklahoma. Maybe it's just us folks in "the City". All I know is I didn't have to use my nunchuck skills to get the Wii. The Walmart Associate just handed it over. She didn't unlock anything or make me buy it right there. She just put it in my basket and told me it might set the security buzzer off when I leave (presumably after paying for it) but just keep walking like I knew what I was doing. Apparently there's also a low crime rate in Atoka.

Now at the hotel I'm watching HGTV 'cause I don't have it at home and I only get to indulge when I'm traveling for work. So I better go. I'm learning the 25 Biggest Decorating Mistakes so I can come to your house and point them out. Just trying to be helpful.

Oh, and happy birthday to my Bonus Dad. Hope you have a good one.

Christmas thoughts from the past

I was cleaning off a shelf and came across my journal from Bulgaria. Hope you don't mind if I share a few entries leading up to Christmas. Merry Christmas Eve!

November 22, 1994, Sofia, Bulgaria
We've been in Bulgaria 4 months. It seems like an eternity and just yesterday all at the same time.

Nov 28, 1994, Sofia Bulgaria
We've spent hours and days trying to obtain visas to no avail. Our option at the moment is to travel out every 30 days. For what purpose, Lord?...Lachazar says we are being watched, that we are on a list of undesirables. It seems even our own embassy isn't backing us. So now we have 14 people here - to do what? Play church, as Phillip says? I hope not! What seeds are we planting? I don't know.

Dec 5, 1994, Sofia, Bulgaria
Mark is in Romania for the 3rd day. God has given me strength to deal with life here on my own. This a.m. I took Angela to the tram stop while Tessa slept, and it went smoothly.

Dec 12, 1994, Sofia Bulgaria
Mark went to the passport office Thursday. He and Zdravka finally saw the head of the office. There was so much anger and yelling! But Mark and Zdravka felt as if they were set aside - looking on in a scene they were not part of - watching desperate people. No visas!

The city turned off the hot water, so showering is out of the question. The water is painfully ice cold. I suppose that's better than the alternative which was two days without water, one day with.

Dec 15, 1994, Sofia Bulgaria
Betrayal - interesting subject. Lucho's long time friend takes our money and papers, does nothing with the papers, but says he did - and takes the money. Still no visas.

Dec 23, 1994, Sofia Bulgaria
Just returned from a "visa" trip to Macedonia. Sort of a nightmarish trip with 3-4 hours sitting at the border - no toilet, people urinating and defecating along the side of the road, behind trees, dumpsters, anywhere with a little darkness. Why are we here if we can't get visas?...

But tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I am completely unprepared. Not many gifts purchased, no tree yet. Not even my heart is prepared to celebrate. I wept while sitting at the border last night - the indignity of it all! But you were born, my precious savior, in a stable! Mary was huge and uncomfortable. She had ridden on that nasty old donkey until she thought she couldn't go any farther. They stopped at inn after inn and no amount of Joseph's pleading would move the occupants to make room for his wife. They just said "no room" with eyes averted. Maybe if they didn't see the problem they wouldn't have to admit that their hearts were cold and unfeeling. Mary wept quietly as they trudge on behind Joseph's bent shoulders.

All she wanted was a little dignity - for someone to look her in the eyes, recognize her need, and help. But no one saw - no one noticed. It wasn't their problem. She finally slipped exhausted from the donkey, onto a pile of hay in a stable, the only place to get shelter from the chilly night air. Where were all the angels now with their lofty messages? Surely if this really was the expected Messiah there had to be somewhere better than this. There was no dignity here - no comfort - no help.

And yet, the Angels had to be there. They must have been waiting - holding their breath, waiting to explode with joy! Mary was too exhausted to know.

I wanna be a golden retriever

One of the Executive Directors in my building brought her chihuahua to work one day last week. He's a cute little thing, but true to the nature of male chihuahuas, he thinks he's ruler of the universe. He marked his territory repeatedly throughout the day. He peed in front of every office door and left a little chihuahua poo in front of mine. Not sure how I got that honor. I actually thought it was funny since I wasn't the one on my knees trying to clean up after him.

It reminded me of the chihuahua we had in Phoenix named Peanut. He was definitely a territory marker. He also challenged the biggest dogs in the neighborhood like he was going to tear them to pieces, until one day a huge German shepherd just calmly picked Peanut up in his mouth and shook him. Peanut was a little more judicious about his challenges after that.

Dogs have been a big part of our family, but it's not like we started out with that in mind. Neither Mark nor I grew up in big dog or animal-loving families. Not having grown up with dogs as a central part of the family, I'm always fascinated by their personalities. Oh they do have personalities. And you can kind of follow our family's history by our dogs.

Olathe - Sandy, a blond cocker spaniel that could climb any fence invented by man. High maintenance, narcissistic female with boundary issues. She would put herself between 4 year old Angela and the back door and not let her in the house. Sandy went to live on a farm. (Really!)

New York - Shilo came from the local shelter. Free thinking female averse to following rules. When we walked in the door of the shelter another family with little girls about my girls ages was dropping Shilo off. Their landlord no longer allowed pets so Shilo went right back out the door with us. Many hours were spent chasing her down in the little burg in the Catskills where we lived. Shilo went to live with Aunt Shari when we moved to Bulgaria and eventually chose a life on the road.

Bulgaria - No family pet, just lots of stray dogs that liked to bite. Tough, mafia types that talked big but responded well to big sticks or a swift kick with a boot.

Phoenix - Mark worked at PetsMart's headquarters and one day took the girls to a local PetsMart while I was at work. Peanut was there waiting to be adopted. We weren't really supposed to have pets in our rented townhouse, but how can you say no to two little girls snuggling with a tiny animal with his toenails painted blue? As far as personalities go, Peanut had a Napoleon complex. Small male, really big ego. When he wasn't giving directives to the neighborhood dogs, he spent most of his days shivering under a blanket, even though we lived in Phoenix! He was also terrified of thunderstorms. Tessa convinced Mr. Mooberry, her 3rd grade teacher, to let her call me at work. She was crying and very concerned that it was storming and Peanut would be upset. I assured her I could NOT leave work to go comfort the dog. Seriously, Mr. Mooberry! Some little blond chick had you wrapped around her little finger!

Johannesburg - After our tearful departure from Peanut (went to a single woman who pampered him shamelessly), we promised Tessa we could get another dog. This time we decided to actually get a puppy rather than a full-grown dog from a shelter. Unlike most of Africa, South Africa is very developed with plenty of shopping available. So we just went down to the mall and picked out a little scotty dog. Tessa promptly named him Dooley after the boy in Jan Karon's Mitford series. Having never experienced the "joys" of puppyhood, Mark was back at the pet store within 48 hours determined to send Dooley back where he came from. Fortunately, the pet store wasn't open yet, and Dooley was trembling in terror at the thought of having to return to that place. He broke Mark's heart and home came Dooley. He was a delight, but full of mischief. He was also very...um...male. The neighbor girl who had a disability that made clear speech difficult could oh so clearly say the word "humping". We had to leave Africa unexpectedly, and Dooley happily went to live with our young pastor and his wife, Maranatha and Allison.

Oklahoma - Of course we promised Tessa a new dog. I can really relate to the Obama family! Raising one puppy was enough for a lifetime, so we drove to Tulsa to pick out a dog from a lab rescue organization. Winnie is half lab, half golden retriever. There was never a more loyal personality, eager to please and eternally patient. Her only dislikes are the mailman and men in hats. Otherwise she's content to spend her days in the backyard hunting squirrels, or sleeping at our feet. Oh to be so accepting of life. We had thought of getting her a buddy, but then Riley and Angela found a stray little Beagle mixed with something else. She has taken up residence at our house and Winnie has done most of the puppy training for us. She's curious, determined and emotional, not to mention cute.

Know anyone with these personalities? I often wonder what God had in mind when he created dogs. Did He intend them to be man's best friend?

Now cats. They're just the spawn of Satan.

Every day the same. Yeah!

I should really be getting ready for work, but I'm just not that into it. If it didn't require getting up off the couch, showering and doing all that follows to try and make myself presentable to the world, it would be easier. There are so many things in each day that must be done again tomorrow and the next day over and over. Just think how much time we'd save if we didn't have to shower, brush teeth, beautify (or at least de-uglify), do dishes and vacuum and bathe the dogs and do laundry and clip toenails and pluck eyebrows and, well you get the picture. What if each day we woke up to a world where all we got to do was learn and imagine and create and relate with the people we love. Would that be such a bad thing?

OK now I'm thinking of all the people I've met who wake up each morning in much more difficult circumstances and I'm feeling like a thankless complainer. I've shivered in a hut in Romania in the coldest weather I've ever known and talked with a father trying to keep his toddler son warm and fed with a few sticks for firewood and little else.

I've hovered in the doorway of a hovel in the largest slum in Kenya. No running water. The toilet is the ditch outside that runs disgustingly through the entire massive encampment. It's hot. The flies are relentless. The smell is staggering. The one adult is trying to care for her children and her sister's children. All eight of them living in this one-room, dirt-floor nightmare. She's the last adult left in her family and she is HIV positive.

I've held a tiny, beautiful, blue-eyed baby girl in an abandoned shipping container in a temporary village made up entirely of abandoned shipping containers in Armenia. The mother, who was my age (37 at the time) looked like she was 60 and begged me to take her child. She and her husband were trying to survive with the remaining six children and they didn't need another mouth to feed.

Well then. I guess I'm going to go shower now and celebrate my life. I have plenty to celebrate.

Testing the tent and family unity

Off to go camping. Should be interesting. I wonder if there are any hotels available in the Davis, Oklahoma area. We may be checking in around midnight tonight. I've wanted to do this for a long time, but it took quiet, consistent pressure to keep everyone on track toward the goal. So many things threatened to put us off course. But we are going and it is going to be fun, dangit!

I was trying to remember if we've ever been camping as a family. We went with our Sunday School class once when the girls were very young. They came home with a case of lice from playing in someone's camper. Eeww. Mark, Tessa and I went camping in South Africa. It's not every day you see an orangutan run by your tent. Those are the only official camping experiences I can remember. But there are other times that we might as well have been camping. Our first night in Bulgaria when we slept on bare beds with no blankets, and shared a couple of granola bars and a small things of applesauce for breakfast. Going to George Delchev's family "cabin" in the Bulgarian countryside. It would take a whole nother blog entry to describe that experience. All four of us sleeping in the same bedroom when we first moved to Bethany while we renovated the others. If the camping experience involves existing in close proximity to one another, creatively cooking in an awkward and inconvenient way, peeing in random places, and sleeping in unfamiliar beds, then we've "camped" way more than most people. I'm just sayin.

Made in Oklahoma

The gauge on Mark's Fun-o-Meter was flickering near empty, so we took a day trip. The goal was to avoid all highways and drive through the Oklahoma countryside to Woods and Waters Winery outside Anadarko. Mission accomplished. It's a little surreal to encounter a man named Dale who speaks four languages, has traveled the world, and operates a winery with his Russian wife Lena in rural Oklahoma. But it looks like they've got a good thing going on their 600 acres. Twenty of them are planted with grapes. We had lunch while listening to two young men play classical guitar, then spent a few minutes under Dale's friendly tutelage learning about their locally-produced wines. We now know a little more about wines, but that's not saying much when our starting knowledge was pretty close to zero. We came home with a bottle of Rose of Caddo (it WAS grown in Caddo County after all), and a bottle of Fire Water, a white jalapeno wine. Yes, jalapeno. You can feel the burn.

I am an island

I've been on the road again - The weekend was spent in Cherokee. Right in the middle of the historic Cherokee Strip, it's a part of Oklahoma I hadn't seen, other than flying through on northbound I-35 on the way to Kansas. You definitely have to go to Cherokee on purpose. You don't get there for any other reason.

So I have a confession. I'm just not a people person. Stop snorting, my loved ones. You were waiting for something really juicy. You already knew that and you still love me. Then why do I feel guilty about it? Being surrounded by people 24-7 is an energy drain to me. Being by myself with my computer or a good book - major energy gain. So when I am out with the dental van, I often find myself RUNNING for the hotel after a full day of volunteers and patients and staff. Chatty chat chat. Smile and be perky. Act like you care. Ugh.

The truth is, I've made some amazing friends along the way. I'm not sure where the wall comes from. Well, actually I know where some of it comes from, given that my adult life has been something of a rollercoaster, but that's for another time. Mostly I just think it's nature more than nurture and I should get over it.

For the trip to Cherokee I knew I was going to be in close quarters with folks for a full 48 hours, so I prayed and pepped-talked before going. And actually, it was rewarding. People in Cherokee were sweet and friendly and genuinely glad to see us there. The staff was great! I was a little concerned because the dentist with me was an African American in rural Oklahoma. She got some looks and some attitude here and there, but for the most part, people behaved themselves.

It helped that Karen Hawkins, Chair of the Board for Great Salt Plains Health Center, where we were serving, was welcoming and gracious. A politician to the bone, she was once the town mayor, knows everyone in town, and now owns the Cherokee Inn and neighboring restaurant, Cherokee Station.

If you go, I'd recommend starting the day at Ms. Dottie's Cafe for breakfast. All the local folks go there for good reason. Then take a trip to nearby Great Salt Plains State Park. For dinner, head to the Cherokee Station. The steaks are great - raised by Lon and Karen Hawkins of course.

Thought I'd share some pics taken by Marsha Price from Woodward. Thanks Marsha! Wish I had a fraction of your energy!

Jenks, OK- who knew?

We had a great little staycation Sunday and Monday. Phantom of the Opera at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center was amazing. Is it true that this was probably the third or fourth tier troupe that performs this Broadway show? Their voices were ridiculous. Perfect! Of course, the music is haunting and beautiful anyway. I almost cried it was so beautiful.

Afterwards I'd hoped to have some sushi for an early dinner, but In The Raw in the Brookside area of Tulsa is apparently closed. (I heard Mark mutter "thank the Lord!" You think I don't hear but I do!) So we found a sweet little Mexican restaurant with a covered patio and great food.Then off to Jenks. It's just south of Tulsa off of the Creek Nation Turnpike. We stayed at the only hotel next to the Aquarium. Since we've been trying to walk we were excited to see a paved walking path along the Arkansas River. Yay! While walking we kept hearing live music so when we were done sweating we cleaned up and walked the opposite direction to the Riverwalk Crossing. Lots of restaurants, live music in a couple of places, families and couples strolling along the river. We had a seat at one of the cafes and enjoyed the music as the sun went down. Who knew you could find that atmosphere in Jenks? Plus it was one of the rare low-humidity nights. Refreshing!!

On Monday the aquarium was a cool and relaxing way to spend a couple of hours on a hot day. The best part is the shark tank. Plus the Fishes of Oklahoma exhibit will make you never want to swim in an Oklahoma lake again. That's why when I water ski I spend a lot of time splashing and kicking while waiting for the boat to come pick me up. I don't want any of that wildlife to take an interest in me! 120 year old alligator snapping turtles? 110 pound, 7 foot catfish? Really?

Anyway, we're back to the real world today. I guess I can't complain too much since I have the week off.

Staycationing

Off to Tulsa tomorrow to see Phantom of the Opera, then out to dinner. Monday we hope to visit the aquarium and maybe Gilgrease Museum. A mini staycation since gas and airline tickets are too high for a real vacation.

I just wrote a whole long blog and got an error when uploading, so I'm going to bed. I'm sure none of it was particularly eloquent anyway. Grrr.

Wild at The Wilds

We don't get out to The Wilds often enough. Every time I'm out there I feel like I've gone on vacation or somehow wondered by mistake through a time warp. The old mill and the covered bridge still amaze me. We were our there for Father's Day fishing, canoeing, roasting marshmallows for s'mores, playing volleyball. Yes, it was 95 degrees and very humid. But we built a fire anyway.

I can't remember how long it's been since I rowed on a lake in a canoe. Apparently my muscles and brain retain the memory 'cause it was really easy and oh so quiet and relaxing. Mark and I in one canoe, Dana and David in another, and Angela with two of Dana's granddaughters rowing around the smooth surface. That was BEFORE the DeLong boys took their turn, and played bumper boats.

I've decided fishing is like gambling. Every cast has the potential of being the "big one". So you keep casting. Tessa didn't catch a thing, but not for lack of trying. Angela and I finally pulled her away and forced her into a canoe. Apparently I was the canoe nazi, bossing them around from the steering position. We couldn't resist singing the theme song from Pocahontas as we rowed. Yep, we're dorks.

More Wandering

Hanging out in Ocean Shores today enjoying sunny weather and several long walks on the beach. Yesterday we wandered around mountain lakes, rain forest trails, and beaches as we made our way around Olympic National Park. Hoping to get home easily tomorrow, given American keeps canceling large numbers of flights. We aren't flying on the type of plane that is grounded, so we're hoping, hoping, hoping for a smooth trip home.

The Couple That Ate Seattle

Apparently we’re taking a culinary tour of the city. Today we continued the trend by hopping a trolley to an industrial neighborhood in the Union Lake section of Seattle in search of Skillet. You’ll never think of the lunch truck in the same way once you’ve eaten out of one of Josh Henderson’s trailers. Josh is married to Kelly Carrier, who is the oldest daughter of Judy and Dave Carrier, our wonderful friends from Phoenix. They serve gourmet meals out of a silver Airstream trailer in alternating locations in Seattle.

We went for breakfast. The handwritten menu on the chalkboard leaning against the trailer offered about 6 choices. Mark picked “Trailer Hash” – bacon, eggs, potatoes and veggies. Yum! I chose an amazing dish of waffles, eggs, and oddly – a bit of pork roast. Also tasty!

We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon driving down and around and up the west side of Puget Sound on our way to Port Angeles. Stopped for lunch in Port Gamble and had homemade chicken noodle soup – even the noodles were homemade - and a freshly baked cinnamon roll. Mark had his third meal of clam chowder since coming to the northwest. Mmmm Mmmm good. We tried to work off all the good stuff by hiking for awhile in the Olympic National Park. A large part of the park is closed due to heavy snow, but we still had some beautiful territory to explore.

Tomorrow we plan to drive Hwy 101 down the coast to Ocean Shores. You may have read the book or seen the movie base on the book titled “The Tale of the Traveling Pants”. I’ve decided I could write a book called “The Tale of the Traveling Windbreaker”. We realized Mark has been wearing that green jacket since his first trip to Bulgaria back in 1993. Oh the places that jacket has been. Time to get a new jacket!