well.....um.....

wow.

Downtown Day

Cooling off at the Downtown Rotary's Fountain at the Metropolitan Library.

First National Bank

A not-so-good photo of a beautiful vent cover at First National.

Downtown Day in Pictures!

This is a beautiful clock in front of the Municipal Building.

From a rug at the Skirvin Plaza Hotel.

Colin at t he Skirvin Plaza, in need of nicer apparel.

Hallway, Skirvin Plaza.

Chandelier, Skirvin Plaza.

Another rug, 14th floor, Skirvin Plaza.

Underground metro tunnel.

Municipal Building.

Light fixture on the Municipal Building.

The Art Museum.

As For Me and My House, We Are Tired of the Cold.

I hope you all had a beautiful Easter, despite the cold weather. We had a good day. We had the traditional Easter Pizza for lunch since the ham was hiding in the refrigerator while we were at church. Never fear, the true Easter lunch appeared later in the day. Sugared ham, dilled red potatoes, deviled eggs, melon, shoepeg corn, rolls and coconut cake. What do you have for Easter dinner?

Colin told us his new classmate moved here from Tulsa. Spencer asked, "So, he used to live in Tulsa and now he moved to America?"

Last week Colin's class took TWO field trips. The first was to the Lincoln Exhibit at the National Memorial followed by a trip to the Asian Market as part of their study of Asia. The second trip (yes, that first one was one trip) was to see a play called Alice. Then we had no class on Thursday and Friday, so we had our own field trip with friends, led by me and entitled "Downtown Day." We played at the Myriad Gardens, rode the trolley to the Skirvin Plaza, toured the hotel and then walked underground to Leadership Square where we had lunch. Then we spent an hour at the Metro Library and visited the Art Museum lobby to see some Chihuly art. Except for the part about us FREEZING, it was a great day.

I haven't been around much 'cause I'm all filled up with work, Cub Scouts, field trips, Spring breaks, vacation planning, Easter, kittens, adopted students, cooking, homework, dining with astronauts, soccer, basketball, cultural edification, PTF, BSF, VBS and spring cleaning.

And, about the kittens...I've still got to go develop my film. I don't do digital yet. They are CUTE though. Almost three weeks old, their ears are starting to move to the tops of their heads and they have started playing with each other. They are both roly-poly fat with kinda longish grey fur and skinny little tales. In other words, they look like rats except for their cute little faces. This time next week it will be a kitten carnival.

Considering some upcoming deadlines, I may not be around the blogosphere much for a few weeks, but the boys are working on some art "for mommy's blog," so stay tuned!

Today we went skating downtown at the Braum's rink. All but one of these people had never skated before and they put on quite a show!
Posted by Picasa

Last night we had our pictures taken at the Meinder's Garden downtown, hoping to find something good for our Christmas card. The boys did very well, really, but we let them loose to be silly at the end.
Posted by Picasa

Saturday was James' big day! He completed the Half-IronMan Redman Triathlon in Oklahoma City!!! The race started at 7:00 a.m. at Lake Hefner. It was cold and windy and the lake was choppy. The lake was also very low on water because of this summer's drought. In fact, the swimmers had to walk in the water for a portion of the race because it was too shallow to stroke! We watched them run out into the lake and then it all became a sea of splashes and arms. James said the lake water was warmer than the air and that it was thrilling to be out there swimming with hundreds of other athletes.

After a 56-mile ride in very windy conditions and a 13.1-mile run, James was exhausted but still walking and talking. I found him at Louie's with friends eating a giant cheeseburger and cheering on those who were still running around the lake. He went back to the event tents for his after-race massage and then home for an early bed time.

James' plan was to retire after this race. I thought he might change his mind after the race, but he seems to be sticking to the plan. Preparing for triathlons like these takes a lot of time and he would rather spend that time riding bikes with Colin and Spencer for now. They are planning to become mountain bikers together!

Congratulations, James! Job well done!

Yesterday I took my boys to their first amusement park: Frontier City. Some friends had invited us to join them, but when I told the boys, they were less than excited. In fact, they told me they don't like amusement parks and they were not going. Knowing my boys as I do, I was quite certain they would love amusement parks, so I made them go. I dragged them there. It was a silent ride with two little boys sitting in the back, arms folded and scowling at their bad mommy.

We were there less than one minute before their dispositions did a 180. Nobody enters the park without a stroll through the souvenier shop, and that alone was worth the trip for them! We pushed them through and headed for the tea cups. One ride and they were hooked!

We started slow with canoe rides, a climbing feature and swirling tea cups, then moved on to the big rocking boat. Colin was reluctant to get on the boat, but Spencer and I talked him into it. Three minutes later, Spencer and I were green and Colin was wanting to go again!

The boys loved the swings that swirl around, so we did that a few times and then headed over to let the boys drive the Model A's around the track. Somewhere around there I found myself on the Silver Bullet with Spencer.

Big. Mistake.

The ride probably lasts about one minute, and in that time I thought of curse words I hadn't thought of since the 70s. That thing was a monster. We went upside down and sideways. And we went fast. I think the thing came off the tracks a couple of times. I can't believe I didn't puke.

I could barely walk away from the ride and I was sick for hours afterward. I was the mommy who watched the purses and took photos for the rest of the day. What was I thinking? I'm 42 now. As James said, "There's a reason old people don't ride those things."

The rest of the day was a jumble for me. The boys rode the wooden roller coaster and a bunch of other crazy rides. They were absolutely loving the amusement park! The boys had a chance to go around again for their favorite rides before we left. Colin chose the rocking boat and Spencer chose the "coffee cups." I think they're hooked.

I, however, am feeling a little queasy again today. My brain feels altered, too. Ugh.

Myriad Botanical Gardens
Posted by Picasa

Exploring the "jungle" at the Botanical Gardens
Posted by Picasa

We picked our own blackberries and peaches.
Posted by Picasa

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman, Oklahoma
Posted by Picasa

Yesterday we went to the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History with some friends. Although 10,000 daycare kids were there, we had a nice time and the boys loved the skeletons. Colin took his notepad with him and sketched a few. The museum is good, though I can't quite understand why a third of it is devoted to Native American history. Of course, one could argue that humans are "natural" as much as dinosaurs, but only Native Americans?? Why not pioneers? I would even understand a section on archaeology. I'm sure there is a reason and I'm counting on my readers to enlighten me.
Posted by Picasa

After school today I took the boys downtown for the Arts Festival. They insisted we stop by home first to get their notebooks and pens so they could draw the flowers that grow downtown. We parked far far away for free and rode the trolley in for 25 cents. The gardens were beautiful today and the weather was perfect. We got there before the after-work crowd, so it was relatively sparse and easy to get around.

We didn't see much art, really. We did stop for every new plant we saw so the boys could draw it in their notebooks. I bought them Dippin' Dots ice cream and we sat on the lush green lawn in the shade and watched the ducks swim in the pond.

We eventually made it to the artist section and, what do you know, the boys noticed the flower pots sitting beside the art and they sat down to draw those flowers, too. At least the artists thought it was cool! The boys did finally notice one artist's work and we spent a lot of time in her booth looking over her colorful sea life silkscreens and asking her about her inspiration for her wacky flowers.

After looking at the art, we headed over to the children's "bowl" where the children are allowed to tie strips of fabric to mobile structures. The boys absolutely loved it! After a while, Spencer decided it might be fun to roll down the hills, so he spent a good thirty minutes running up, rolling down and starting all over again. The grass was as soft and green as it gets, the landscape was beautiful, and he rolled down under those colorful creations, which were gently moving in the wind. Perfection.

"Mommy, what happens at night at the festival? Do the criminals come and steal all the art while everyone is sleeping?"

"No, they put the art away and they also have policemen who watch over everything at night."

"Oh. So, then...some policemen are nocturnal?"

Introducing your new favorite restaurant: Thai Basil.

I've been frequenting Thai Basil for some time now, but today as I sat across the table from my most handsome lunch companion (Spencer) I thought, "Hey, I should tell my blogging friends about this place!" Isn't that sweet how I think of you?

Anyway, Thai Basil is owned by the chef, and she is very good! Although I don't know exactly what makes the food "modern" I probably would have described it in the same way. Perhaps it is the absolute freshness of the food. It is colorful and abundant, never mushy, and full of flavor. She does not use MSG and the menu, though possibly Americanized, is not limited to the standard Thai-American fare. For instance, she makes a Three Flavor Snapper with Pomegranite Sauce and Teriyaki Sauteed Chicken on a bed of Sweet Potatoes and Fresh Vegetables. Exotic, no?

Of course, our favorites are Pad Thai (rice noodles tossed with eggs, cabbage, carrots, scallions, sprouts, peanuts, tofu and chicken and seasoned with tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce) and Panang Curry Chicken (chicken with spicy coconut milk, red bell peppers, peas and carrots). We order one of each, share them, eat until we're full and then take half home for lunch the next day!

Some people are afraid to try Thai food because they've heard it is spicy and/or it is weird. Well, unless you ask for spicy at Thai Basil, your food will have a mild flavor. That's what we get and we love it. As for weird? I don't think you'll find anything you don't recognize at Thai Basil. It is mainly chicken or shrimp with rice, noodles or vegetables. I hope you'll give it a try and let me know what you think!

Another thing to like about Oklahoma City? Our beautiful capitol building!

Another fun thing about Oklahoma City is the Oklahoma Railway Museum. I'm not saying it is the best railway museum in the country, but it certainly the most people-friendly. Guests are invited to climb aboard any of the cars and explore the insides as well as the outsides. You'll feel like you've stepped back in time in the quiet little gift shop which is devoid of fancy marketing schemes. From time to time, you might even find Thomas the Tank Engine, who LOVES Oklahoma City!

Six in the City
After a nice long game of dodgeball with my boys, I headed out in my mini-van to pick up some Sesame Chicken from the neighborhood chinese restaurant. When I arrived, I found a small young asian boy playing ball in the waiting area. His parents run the restaurant. I would guess he was about three years old and he had one of those bouncy balls that was about the size of a soccer ball. It took both hands to pick it up. He would bounce it then chase it. He couldn't have been cuter.

There was an older Asian man who helped him with the ball for a bit. He was probably in his 60s and he was wearing a security guard uniform. Nice man. He clearly enjoyed his few minutes with the boy. I thought he was the grandfather, but when his order was ready, he left alone.

As I waited there in my "jogging" pants (as if) and pony tail, in came a Harley man, decked out from head to toe in black leather, excepting his snakeskin cowboy boots. His wavy grey hair came well below his collar and his face was mostly hidden by his black leather hat. After placing his order, he flipped open his cell phone and called someone. His voice was soft and gentle and the person on the end of the line put a twinkle in his eye.

The door flew open and in pranced a young maiden with long black hair and dramatic eye makeup. She walked quickly to the counter, they handed her her food, and she walked out. The entire time she was talking on her cell phone.

The little boy's mother called out my order in broken English, then, in Chinese, warned her little boy to stay out of the kitchen area.

Celebrity Sightings, Part 2
Had lunch today at the Saturn Grill with my co-workers (and ex-co-worker). The Bachelorette guy came in for a t0-go order and waited for it next to our table. I think he is more handsome in person than on television (which suprised me!).

45th Infantry Museum.
Posted by Picasa