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Game Day

October 28, 2012 //
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Is there anything more American than college Game Day?  There’s something so unique and fun about the games…the band, the fans, the cheerleaders, the colors, the sounds…

Today, I did something different.  A friend and I drove to Stillwater in the morning.  The first amazing thing was that we found a free parking space – on campus about a block from the stadium.  Wow!  That was $20-$30 saved.  Then we walked all around the OSU campus, weaving through the tailgaters.  Tailgating has skyrocketed from a few people with coolers in the trunk of their cars in the parking lot to full fledged portable kitchens hauled to the tents staked out throughout the buildings and parking lots.  It’s the ultimate cookout, potluck dinner, picnic…an industry in itself to buy the team tents, chairs, coolers, games, flags.  How do they get cable in those tents to watch the game?

We walked to Eskimo Joe’s in time to walk in while part of the OSU Marching band was playing the Alma Mater, walked back to the Student Union, walked around, grabbed a hamburger in the Union and back in time to watch the OSU Walk as Pistol Pete, the band, cheerleaders and pom squad led the team through a fan-lined street to the stadium.  Awesome!  I got teary hearing the fight song in the flood of orange and black, sprinkled with fans costumed for Halloween and the game…perfect school colors for the holiday.  Once we got the team into the stadium, we made our way through the crowd going into the stadium, walked back to the car and drove home with no crowds, arriving in time to light a fire and watch the entire game on television with the feel of fall and the stadium sounds still fresh in our ears.  I love going to the actual games, but this was kind of fun.  We got all the vibes with no traffic.

And they won!  Good job, Cowboys!  Go Pokes!!!

OSU Band at Eskimo Joe's

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Categories Entertainment, Events, Family, Friends, Places, Reflections, Travel

Van Buren, Arkansas

October 20, 2012 //
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Yesterday was a trip to Van Buren, Arkansas.  Yes, I am truly a senior when I am traveling to see fall foliage and ride trains!  The historic part of Van Buren is charming and well preserved.  They only messed up a few buildings when the siding salesmen came through trying to modernize it back in the 60s.  It was fun to walk down to the Arkansas River and see the wide water, unlike Tulsa where it is pretty dry right now.  I liked the old Anheuser Busch building with the original eagle logo still intact.

Riding the train up to Winslow, the highest incorporated city (pop 399) in Arkansas, was a trip back in time.  We were on a 1948 car called the Silver Stream and there were other cars from the 1920s.  You could also ride in the caboose.  It took a bit to slow down from the fast paced ways we usually travel, but it was worth it.  The drought has hit all the states, but we still saw beautiful fall colors as we went higher.  After traveling at 8-9,000 feet in the Sierras this summer, it seems funny to think of 1,729 as up in the mountains.  The conductors were train buffs of all ages who volunteer their time and kept it lively with their commentary.  There was a car full of second graders from one of our stops.  On the way back, we stopped to let them out at their school – how fun is that?  That must have been the noisy car, especially going through the tunnel when they tell them to scream!  I tried to imagine traveling across country like this a century ago.  As always, it depended on which kind of car you were able to afford as to whether you were scrunched in with strangers, loud conversations and interesting smells or whether you could ride in style in a private car.  It beat the stage coach or wagon.

Coming home, we detoured north from Vian and took the scenic route past Lake Tenkiller towards Tahlequah.  What a beautiful drive!  Every place has its own beauty and this is one of my favorites in my home state.  It’s pretty wild and wooly in those hills, but it’s gorgeous country. There’s another drive where you go by the lake more, but I loved the trees.  I’m so grateful to get to enjoy a perfect 75 degree, cloudless day without anything pressing….

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Categories History, Places, Travel

BBQ

October 18, 2012 //
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I like all kinds of barbecue and am not picky about where I go. I like atmosphere as well as good food. Sedona AZ has a great little place called Sally’s BBQ,

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tucked away in the main area.  I recently discovered JL’s in Pryor, which was excellent. Down home atmosphere with lots of seating. Parking lot is full of cars & trucks, even in the middle of the afternoon. Big servings for big appetites, served in a cafeteria style line.

Albert G’s has been one of my favorites – not just because the owner, Chuck Gawey, grew up next door to me and I love his whole family. The food is great, reasonably priced and close by. I usually get the 3 meat platter (ribs, sausage, and pulled pork are my choices – or the bologna for one), and split it with a friend. The tabouli is like his mom used to make for us and I always get the potato salad. The chicken specials are also yummy. Can’t wait for him to open his new location in downtown, just for the fun of it!

Today, I finally got to taste Burn Co. BBQ on 11th St. They close as soon as they sell out, so you have to get there early and I kept missing it. At 11:15, the place was packed. The line is part of the atmosphere and today they gave samples, which people were sharing in line. My choice today was “The Fatty,” which is a thick sandwich of a slice of a loaf made of ground beef, sausage, bacon, chopped meats. It was pretty spectacular, no matter how guilty you feel ordering it. Their sauce is a little spicy, but not too much. My other choice was the “Contest Platter,” one of the day’s specials. The ribs were thick and tender and the beans were good. Lordie…the candied bacon is addictive, following the current rage for bacon in any form. I got it to go, but loved the cramped seating. I shared it all with a friend with some left over. They open at 10:30 and probably have a line immediately, but it’s worth it.

Those are some of my favorites, which are all different kinds of barbecue…what are yours?

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Categories Places, Restaurants, Travel

The Zoo

October 15, 2012 //
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I went to the zoo with my three year old granddaughter yesterday.  It was the perfect cloudless, 75 degree day to enjoy.  I’m having flashbacks of myself at zoos as a child, teenager, mother, and grandmother.  Zoos hold an endless fascination for all ages.  The little ones are in awe of everything because it’s new and different.  They are imprinting images that are reflected in their picture books, on television, on iPads and everything else they can learn from.  Their little sponge brains are taking it all in on a fresh level with few preconceptions.  Even the toddlers can understand why watching the chimpanzees is funny.  Eliza pointed out the Mommy and Daddy and the baby, which she did with all the animals.  She was trying to relate them to the world she understands.  Everyone was laughing at their antics as they played with each other and the young one annoyed the older ones as they swung too close or jumped over them or woke them up.  I think that is the appeal.  We humanize the animals or compare them to ourselves.  Maybe it makes us feel more evolved or maybe it makes us understand our animal side.  The flamingos were standing around, as they do, and then a couple of them got annoyed.  Their feathers ruffled and they got into an argument, in human terms, then pecked at each other until someone won.  He, because we all assume males are more aggressive, strutted around the yard, rising to his full height.  I think I’ve seen this before…with humans.  You just have to laugh…we love the zoo!

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