My parents rock, and move rocks

Alternate title: Dad loves Altus, a whole lot

My dad had to attend a work conference in San Antonio last week and my mom decided to travel along with him. This brought them within about seven hours of Altus so, naturally, they decided to take a road trip out to see Eric and me! On Thursday evening, I met them at the Wichita Falls Municipal Airport, scooped them up in my little car, and drove them back to Altus. By the time we arrived in town, the sun had already begun to set, which means that they were treated to one of our big, beautiful sky sunsets on their first night. A real treat, as it truly is a beautiful sight to see.

Altus also looks pretty big and exciting at night, you know, with all of the lights lighting all of the nothing. Needless to say, my dad was smitten with Altus before he even got to see it in the light of day. I heard statements, such as, and I quote, "This is just like Tampa, don't you think, Jan?" and "really, what does Columbia have that this place does not?" This put me in the position to bash Altus even more than I like to bash it just to prove that it is not an easy place to live. Truth be told, it's really okay here, we live a nice, comfortable life, and are quite capable of having a good time. But when someone comes to your sleepy town and tries to tell you how awesome it is, it puts you on the defensive, seriously!

Okay, now that THAT rant is out of the way, on with the rest of the visit! We got to our house, gave them the grand tour, and chowed down on some delicious pizza that Eric made while he awaited our arrival. After dinner, everyone was pretty sleepy and my dad had arrived with a cold he caught at the meetings. We decided to hit they hay a little early that night, but only after my dad downed a nightcap of cough syrup like a 21 year old on St. Patty's Day.  

On Friday, Eric had to work. My parents had graciously offered their help with various projects going on around the house. Some projects, such as the flooring project, were off the table due to the amount of labor and mess involved, but I was more than eager to tap into their vast knowledge of gardening. I was determined to try and rub some of the green off their thumbs and on to mine. After taking a beating during the hailstorm and then living through one of the driest summers in Altus history, our flower beds were looking rough. And that's putting it nicely! I suggested that we take a trip to a nursery on the side of the highway on the way to Blair. We arrived there and found that they offer a nice selection of all kinds of plants. We chose a combination of ornamental cabbages, mums, and pansies and returned home.

The flower beds were surrounded by this horrible, black, plastic liner, which we promptly removed. We had the idea to re-line the flower beds with the many scalloped-edged concrete blocks that the previous owner had left behind. However, instead of placing them scalloped-edge up, we placed them scalloped-edge down. This created a more sleek and modern line around the bed AND we didn't have to shovel out more money to buy brick/stone/rock. My parents also taught me a lot about how to incorporate natural rocks, stepping stones (again, left by the previous owner), pots, and plants into a garden to create depth and interest. We moved some bushes (rose and other types) to different parts of the garden in order to consolidate plants so that we only have to regularly water certain parts of our yard during drought. Really helpful advice, especially for this area of the country! We had so much fun and after about one and half full days of hard work and sweat, the gardens were looking like they belonged to a different house!

We still have to mulch the gardens and put in a few more plants, but I feel a lot more confident about moving forward. Before my parents visited, I felt so bogged down with all of the other projects that the gardens just felt overwhelming. Now I have the tools (literally and figuratively) to move forward in my gardening endeavors. I also now understand why people enjoy it so much. Thanks, mom and dad!

When Eric got home on Friday night, the four of us went to the restaurant at Quartz Mountain, which we had heard was pretty good, but hadn't yet tried. Overall, I have to say it was a strangely enjoyable experience. We were seated next to a table of women who were having a loud conversation about country line dancing complete with demonstrations from the percieved "expert" at the table. We were ignored by all of the wait-staff for about 15 minutes, which probably contributed to the rocky start we got with our waitress.

When she came to the table to take our drink orders, we asked whether they had a drink menu. She gave us the look, you know, the one that makes you feel like a heathen in a restaurant that doesn't serve alcohol. After an awkward pause, she informed us that they have a full bar and that the bartenders would be happy to make us anything we wanted. We then played twenty questions to try and figure out what kind of beers they had in stock. By the time this ordeal was over, we had the distinct feeling that she wasn't too fond of us. Luckily we were able to charm her as the night went on and she eventually warmed to us. As for the food, pretty impressive! All of us enjoyed our dishes. And the restaurant actually had a little charm including beautiful views of the lake and a great outdoor dining area that would have been really enjoyable had the weather not been so chilly. Another good find brought on by houseguests. This just goes to show that Altus gets more awesome with each set of visitors!

After a nice, big breakfast on Saturday morning, Eric had to put a little time into work so I showed my parents around Altus. They were interested in seeing the antique shops, which meant I had a good excuse to visit all of my favorites. Never failing to find treasure on these trips, we each came home with some booty. Dad got glass ice cream cups, mom a gravy boat, and I, a candy dish. You can see where our loyalties lie! We were also on the hunt for good steaks for a dinner we had in mind for Sunday night. Earlier that day, my mom had scoured the phone book and discovered a meat shop in town so we found it and checked it out. They sell hormone and antibiotic free beef from cattle that were humanely treated and on vegetarian diets. A conscious carnivore's dream! They were pretty pricey steaks, but we bought them anyway in order to give the place a try and (hopefully) ourselves a treat!

On Saturday afternoon, Eric and I brought my parents to the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Reserve. We wanted to take them on the hike we did with Meg and Matt earlier in the fall, but the parking lot at that trail head was overcrowded. Deterred from creating a new parking spot by the park police ticketing other creative patrons, we moved on to a different set of trails. Again, we found the trails to be poorly marked, but the good news was that we got to hike a different part of the park; an experience new to all of us! In the end, whether or not there were trail-markers didn't seem to matter much anyway because we very quickly went from trying to follow the blazes to trying to follow my dad from one crazy nature-inspired pose to another. Here is a bit of what I mean...

Dad and the rock

Dad and the branch

The rock and Dad

As usual, he kept us laughing the whole time and the craziness was contagious...

Wonder Woman

prairie dog

Meriwether Lewis

Irresistible

All this silliness helped us work up a big appetite (we may have just been hiking to "earn" our lunch) so we lead my parents on their pilgrimage to the world famous Meers! The line was really long and Eric had a little trouble seeing the cheeseburger at the end of the tunnel, but we persevered and it was soooooo worth it! I hadn't seen my dad that happy or eat that fast in quite some time. Eric and I, after hearing rave reviews of the peach cobbler and lusting over the ice cream with Meg and Matt, were determined to make it through dessert this time (gross, I know). All I can say is if you ever get the chance to visit Meers, DO THE COBBLER. The warm peaches, gooey breading, and smooth and creamy ice cream did NOT disappoint.

After lunch, we followed the signs and our curiosity to The Holy City. We learned that it is the site of the nation's longest running Easter passion play. Long ago, on a cab ride from the Lawton airport, the driver had told me the same thing. I imagined the "city" to be a small town that also hosted a passion play, but it was more like a large set. It was pretty interesting, but we only drove past it. Perhaps something to explore further down the road. We made our way back to Altus and had a quiet night that did not include dinner.

On Sunday, mom, dad, and I spent a little more time tending to the gardens (Eric had to keep on working) before we all settled in to watch some football. The Redskins playing like, well, the Redskins, got us all a little down, but prepping for our delicious dinner kept all of our hopes alive. We pulled out them fancy steaks, my dad whipped up his famous marinade, and we gathered mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus, and onions (from Walmart and our fridge) for grilling. My dad also made everyone's favorite rice. Eric and I tried to pay close attention to the process as we are now trying to perfect his recipe on our own. Our friend, Sarah, joined us for dinner and my parents were happy to put a face to a name they hear quite frequently. Dinner was delicious and the fancy steaks were really good. Too expensive to eat regularly, but a nice treat for sure. The guys went to bed pretty early, but my mom and I stayed up late into the night catching up on the Real Housewives of New Jersey. Some things are more important than sleep.

Monday, sadly, was the last day of my parents' visit. We got up, had breakfast, and debated about how to spend the morning all knowing that it would go by too fast. The day ended up being like nothing any of us could have imagined. This portion of the story is best told countdown style...

T-minus three point five hours until we leave for Oklahoma City
Deciding it would be nice to get some fresh air before a long day of travel, we go to the reservoir and enjoy a brisk walk in the beautiful, slightly chilly weather. 

T-minus two point five hours until we leave for OKC
We get back home and get ready to go to lunch at my new favorite Mexican restaurant (discovered by Meg on her visit).

T-minus two hours until we leave for OKC
We pull up to the restaurant to find that it is closed on Mondays. I had been talking it up all weekend. The disappointment was palpable. Dad suggested getting sandwich stuff, but I was looking for more of "an experience." My old favorite Mexican restaurant came to mind so we made our way to Pick Up Taco. We all enjoyed our yummy lunch at the next-to-best Mexican joint in Altus. I also wanted to take my mom and dad to June's Tasty Treats (another fave). After lunch, we pull up at June's only to find that she too is closed on Mondays. We stand at the door, peering in like sad children, when my dad notices movement in the back of the store. He pulls the door and it opens. There is a woman inside (June's daughter, I believe) doing some cleaning. My dad begs, "please, can we have some cookies, my daughter said you have the best cookies in town and we are visiting from Maryland and leaving this afternoon." She responds, "you're in luck! I just baked some" and graciously sells us enough cookies to feed a small army even though the store is closed. There are definitely some really good things about small towns, too.

T-minus 45 minutes until we leave for OKC
We get back home, mom and dad pack their bags, and we pack the car, which includes my glass recyclables since we were making a trip to the big city. Still pretty full from lunch and not looking forward to sitting in the car for a couple of hours, I suggest a walk around our neighborhood. My mom and dad agree that it is a good idea, but decide they want one last look at the painting progress on our house before we go.

T-minus 40 minutes until we leave for OKC
We walk around to the back of the house where the paint crew is hard at work. We are joking and chatting with them and my mom is petting our contractor's dog who, by the way, we know really well at this point. He has been around off and on since spring and everyday since my parents arrival in Altus. My mom has pet him a bunch of times! Our contractor is telling us a story about his dog when all of the sudden I hear growling and yelling and notice that my mom's arm is in the dog's mouth. He attacked her.

T-minus 30 minutes until we leave for OKC
We are standing in the kitchen, my mom is running water over her wound, the contractor is trying to show us the documentation he carries regarding the dog's vaccinations, and I am trying to find out whether my mom's tetanus vaccination is current. We remember that it is because, oh yeah, she got one in July after being  mauled by the Man O' War! Come on, man! Mom starts to feel like she is going to pass out so she lays on the floor. I decide we need to see a doctor.

T-minus 20 minutes until we leave for OKC
Dad, Mom, and I get in the car. Yes, we only have 20 minutes before we have to leave, but her health is more important than making their flights. The bleeding had stopped at this point, and her arm looked painful, but not life-threatening. She gets one of the nurse practitioners she works with on the phone who talks with her about what happened, how we responded, her (and the dog's) vaccinations, and how the wound looks. She clears my mom to clean up the arm and get on the plane. She will take a look at my mom's arm at work on Tuesday. Instead of going to the ER, we go to Walgreens and purchase wound care supplies.

T-minus five minutes until we leave for OKC
We are back in my kitchen, doctoring up mom's arm. We get her all cleaned up and make her arm acceptable to be seen in public. By this time she is feeling better and we are all cracking jokes.

T-minus 10 minutes after we were supposed to leave for OKC
We leave for OKC.

Considering how the day unfolded, I'd say a departure only delayed by ten minutes was pretty impressive. Luckily, the trip to the city was smooth-sailing and we arrived with enough time for them to get to their gates without having to run or beg and plead for favors and exceptions. Phew! 

All in all, we had a wonderful, fun-filled weekend. The only problem was that, like all good things, it was over far too quickly. Well, that and the animal attack, but for my mom this type of event is starting to seem, for lack of a better phrase, par for the course... Let's hope this was the end of her personal series of When Animals Attack.

Come again, mom and dad! It was a great time, we love you, AND Eric didn't even have to visit this establishment after you left...