Turkey Trot to Tulsa

Fun fact of the day: Tulsa and Altus are anagrams (read, I have too much time on my hands). But someone has to take the time to appreciate the small things in life, right?

Eric and I spent our first Thanksgiving away from home this year, but it was far from lonely. My great uncle and aunt, Vince & Gayle, invited us to celebrate with them at their home in Tulsa. We left Altus as soon as Eric got home from work on Wednesday afternoon. The trip from Altus to Tulsa takes about five hours and Oklahoma City is sort of a mid-point between the two.

We reached OKC right around dinner time and decided to stop. We didn't want to eat at any of the standard off-the-highway joints, so we turned to our trusty pal, Urbanspoon, for help. "The spoon" indicated that a place called Zelda's Greek somethingorother was both close to us in proximity and delicious. We plugged the address into our GPS whom we fondly refer to as, "Trixy," short for "Beatrice," and she began to direct us to our destination. Within moments, Trixy started saying, "you have reached your destination on right," but Zelda's was no where to be seen! In Zelda's place, we found an Indian Buffet called KhaZana. Again, we turned to Urbanspoon who informed us that 86% of patrons liked their cuisine, which was enough for us. We, too, enjoyed our dinner (Eric couldn't get enough of the curried goat) and were in and out of the restaurant quickly, which was exactly what we were hoping for.

We were guests in Vince & Gayle's home from Wednesday night to Saturday morning. They couldn't have been more welcoming and hospitable. We had a fabulous time getting to know one another and enjoying each others company. Vince, Gayle, and Eric had only met once before and that was during our wedding festivities. I grew up far away from all of our extended family. Although I was able to see and visit with my aunt and uncle on occasion, I've never really had the opportunity to get to know them as an adult.

We seem to remind Vince & Gayle a lot of themselves when they were just married and out on their own in the world for the first time. They have a lot of fond memories of those days and Eric and I loved hearing about them. They've traveled the world, lived in a multitude of countries, and experienced many cultures. We learned a lot from them about moving from place to place and admire their ability to foster a sense of community in each place they lived.

We stayed up late every night and consumed several wonderful meals. I helped Gayle prepare Thanksgiving dinner, which ended up being delicious. Through helping Gayle, I was able to cook my first big bird and clean my first Brussels sprouts. My cooking repertoire has grown exponentially since moving to Oklahoma!

We were also treated to a first-class tour of Tulsa. My aunt and uncle know so much about the city from it's history to plans for it's future and everything in between. They made excellent tour guides! My favorite stop on the tour was the house in which my grandmother and Vince grew up. It was so interesting to see the street on which they spent their childhoods.

On Friday morning, we went to the TU football game to tailgate with a group of Vince & Gayle's friends who have a sweet party spot with a direct view of the big screen inside the stadium. TU is uncle Vince's Alma mater; so again, they were able to tell us all about the campus and how it has changed. Vince & Gayle were married at a church on the TU campus, which we were able to see during our visit, too.

This may come as a surprise, but this was my first tailgate. St. Mary's doesn't have a football team and I've never tailgated before a professional football game either. I was impressed by how seriously these TU fans were about the art of the tailgate. Some had huge, fancy RVs orbited by two sometimes three flat screen TVs! It was a legit party. Eric and I spent much of the day wishing that we were still in college and reminiscing about the good old days. How did they become the "good old days" so quickly?

Our trip to Tulsa was wonderful. We felt right at home. Holidays are some of the hardest days to be far from home and familiar traditions. We can't thank Vince & Gayle enough for welcoming us with open arms and we truly look forward to future visits.

We left Tulsa for Altus on Saturday morning. Eric had been vetting a Challenger R/T at a dealership in OKC that was also offering Black Friday specials on their vehicles. Of course, we had to stop. We spent about three hours haggling in a glass box (an office that literally felt like a fish bowl). Haggling is certainly a skill that not all people posses. I've seen it perfected by my dad, Big Jer, and, now, Eric. We came within $500 dollars of a new car. The dealership refused to come down and Eric refused to go up. Eric walked right out of that dealership with the words, "you can't possibly be that cheap" lingering in the air. I didn't know whether to be proud or embarrassed, but I think that's par for the course in car negotiations.

Eric (and I) returned to Altus sans new car, but with a new sense of determination to find the perfect car and the perfect deal. The Challenger saga does not end here, but that is for another day and another post...

Twisters, travel, and taking Maryland by storm

In the days before our highly anticipated trip home, Eric and I were looking forward to a shortened work week and to having time to get our belongings packed and our house in order before leaving it again. On the Monday before we left, Altus was preparing to be the epicenter of some potentially serious twisters and I was shopping for earrings to wear to Laura and Dan's wedding. As the skies darkened and the winds picked up, the sales person from whom I purchased my earrings informed me that the Storm Chasers crew had just driven into town. With this news in mind, I made one more stop before heading home to get friendly with our local weather station.

When I got home, I called Eric to warn him of impending doom. Being the loving husband he is, he spoke with his boss who graciously invited me to ride out the storm in the JAG storm shelter (office). Instead of going to base, I modeled my new earrings,took pictures, and texted them to Eric and Sarah (who had braved much of the Altus fashion district with me in search of the perfect accessory). My priorities may be questionable, but check out these earrings! I had only been searching for months...

Rest assured, I'm not a total dope when it comes to tornado safety. I cleared out the bottom of our linen closet, which is the only room in the house that does not share a wall with outside. This place is only steps from our couch and TV, so I perched myself on the couch to watch the radar and listen for the warning to go into hiding. Much to my delight, that warning never came and the most dangerous storms touched down about 20 miles from our house. At about the same time that Altus was getting the "all clear," Eric arrived home from work and said, "I got orders to go to Vance AFB (three point five hours from Altus) today to prepare for a court martial on Wednesday, want to come with me?"

You can only imagine the panic that went through my brain. I hadn't packed a thing for our trip home to Maryland, the house still needed to be cleaned, my dress for the wedding was at the tailors and needed to be picked up. Trial on Wednesday? We are supposed to fly out on Thursday! And let me remind you, flying is never easy! It's always a trip just to get to the trip. Oh yeah, and there were dangerous storms moving across the state of Oklahoma. All this in mind, my response to Eric was, "Sure, definitely!"

Like two chickens with our heads cut off, we flapped around the house, throwing things into a bag and praying that the court proceedings would wrap up in enough time for us to make our flight. 40 minutes after Eric had announced the impromptu road trip, we were in the car and on our way to Enid, OK, home of Vance AFB. Our route to Enid essentially allowed us to track the path of the storms. The radio stations were announcing warnings for the towns we were approaching and passing. The most frightening part was that the sky was completely dark, which prevented either of us from being able to scan for funnel clouds. Arriving safely at Vance required constant vigilance, and on one occasion, four hands on the steering wheel. We both agreed that driving in that weather was the stupidest thing we'd ever done.

Playing thumb war with myself @ Callahan's Pub & Grille

Much to our delight, the court proceedings ended (and favorably for Eric) on Wednesday afternoon. I wanted to leave right away, but Eric reminded me that we had already paid for Wednesday night in base lodging. We opted instead to enjoy a date night and mini-vacay in Enid. As you may have heard, "seeing the world" is one of the perks of Air Force life. For dinner, we went to Callahan's Pub & Grille, which was right off of the main square in historic downtown Enid. Their menu was really interesting and offered surprising variety. Eric loved the fish and chips and I was totally impressed by their mastery of chicken madras. It would have been nice to stroll on the square, but the weather was cold and icky that night. Knowing we had a long day ahead, we returned to the hotel after dinner and hit the hay early.

A pensive Eric en route to MD

On Thursday morning, we woke up super early, stopped at the Starbucks (a requirement every time we pass one these days since the closest one to us is 52.9 miles away from home), and got on the road to Altus. Our itinerary for the day was as follows: Enid > Altus > Lawton > Dallas > Baltimore. While in Altus, Eric had to go into work and I had to run around like a crazy person, picking up my dress, setting up the soaker hose and timer for our now-beautiful gardens, cleaning, and packing. We checked off all the boxes on our "to do" list and made it to Lawton just in time for our flight. For the first time in the history of our travels through the Lawton airport, our flight took off on time and without a hitch! We had a long layover in Dallas, which we enjoyed at Champps where we ate, drank, and were merry! When we arrived in Baltimore, it was close to 1 am, which means that we traveled from 6am to 1am to get home to Maryland. Phew! My parents picked us up at the airport and brought us home to crash.

On Friday 11.11.11, we celebrated Laura and Dan's marriage, which was deserving of a completely separate post. See To Maryland for Love.

Lou Lou and Pop Pop

After breakfast on Saturday morning, Eric and I spent much of the day lounging and recovering at his mom & dad's. Smells of the early Thanksgiving dinner his parents were preparing were wafting through the house and we couldn't have been happier. We had decided to celebrate Thanksgiving early this year because Eric and I were not going to be able to make it back to Maryland for the holiday. On Saturday night, Eric's sister Jacqueline, his niece Caitlin, mom mom H, and my parents came over for Thanksgiving dinner. Being that six months had passed since I'd last seen Caitlin, she had doubled in size and seeing her for the first time brought tears to my eyes.

I'm quite certain that she is the happiest, most laid-back baby I've ever met and I've met a lot of babies! Eric and I couldn't get enough of Caitlin (no one could). She loves monitoring the room and the crowd. She wants to know what you're up to and if you happen to have diverted your attention, she likes to remind you that she's there and in charge! She is curious, friendly, and wonderful. I swear, I have the cutest nieces and nephew! It was a fabulous night. The meal was delicious and the company even better! It was so good to all be together again. Just like old times! Catching up with Jacqueline made for another late night as we stayed up far past bedtime solving the problems of the world, but I enjoyed every minute of it!

She loves her uncle Square Bear

On Sunday we had a practically perfect morning! We got up, snuggled Caitlin one more time before she and Jacq had to leave, and made Thanksgiving sandwiches for breakfast. Thanksgiving sandwiches are the best part of Thanksgiving leftovers. If you haven't done it, try it. After waiting the mandatory 20 minutes for digestion before exercise, I went shopping with Lourdes at my favorite store on Earth, Target (92.9 miles from Altus). I think I experienced a type of culture shock walking around the beautiful and clean isles. How I love that place! On the way out of the store, we passed a Starbucks so, of course, I stopped. I think by the end of our trip I had sampled all of the holiday flavors. I am feeling a little less depraved.

After we returned from Target, Eric and I threw our bags in the car and went back to my parent's house. Gila and Clint had driven through the night to get there and were napping when we arrived. While they slept, we watched a disturbing Redskins game. After they woke up, we watched a disturbing Ravens game. Then, we nursed our football wounds with my mom's famous spaghetti. All in all, it was a great night! Gila and I got in some heated rounds of Backgammon and did that thing where we giggle uncontrollably and no one besides us can understand why...

On Monday, Eric and I got up and went for a long walk with my mom while Gila and Clint, who are nocturnal, continued to catch up on their sleep. Well, my mom and I walked and Eric ran circles around us.  After our walk, Eric and I packed up our things again and got ready to head to Jacq and Tim's house where we had been invited for dinner and to stay the night. The plan was for me to drop Eric at their house (where he was going to use the key he has to get in) and go pay a visit to my family at Boys Hope. Before we left my parent's house, Eric says to me, "Hey, do you have my keys?" and without thinking too much I respond, "Yup!"

We left the house and were halfway to our destination when I realized that I did not in fact have the keys. Eric was temporarily (and understandably) pretty frustrated with me. In an attempt to make it up to him, I delayed my visit to the Hope to help kill some time by having lunch at Chipotle (142 miles from home; thus, another favorite we go without these days). Luckily, the day was beautiful and after lunch, Eric was completely fine with the idea of sitting on Jacq and Tim's porch and enjoying nature (a beverage, and a cigar) until they got home. Since I am always waiting for him at the door when he gets home from work with the need to talk, talk, talk, he gets very little quiet or alone time these days. He actually really enjoyed it.

I had a great time catching up with all my buddies and was able to jump in on the afternoon pick up & drop off schedule. It was just like old times! I ended up taking Durrell to work, because despite our best efforts to coordinate my visit with his day off, something got lost in translation...The best part was being able to surprise Charles. He had no idea that I was coming to town, so when he saw me waiting in the car, his reaction was priceless. My friend Tony came by that night to visit, too. We share some great and funny memories of our time at the house. It is always fun to catch up and there are few people in the world with whom I can laugh like I laugh with Tony and Georg (who was there working that night). I also had the privilege of meeting some of the new faces of Boys Hope.

After I left BHGH, I went back to Jacq & Tim's house where they had prepared a delicious Monday Night Football feast! Eric and I did a great job of tiring Caitlin out with our incessant chatter and attempts at baby humor so she went to be pretty shortly after dinner. We spent the rest of the evening talking a lot about what life has been like for Eric and me since our move and what it has been like for Jacq and Tim as new parents. We are so happy that we were able to share that time with them. It felt like no time had passed.

Early on Tuesday morning, Eric and I got up and went back to Boys Hope to pick up Donte and Durrell. They are now high school seniors, but were new to the program around the same time that I was. I am so proud of them and wanted to something special to celebrate them and all that they have accomplished. We took them to breakfast before dropping them off at school and got to hear all about the colleges they are interested in and how they feel about being seniors. Eric and I both really enjoyed it and we hope they did too. I'm kicking myself for not taking pictures (apologies for the pictureless midsection)!

After breakfast, Eric and I stopped at Terry's new house. He and Danielle now live on the same block as the Boys Hope Girls Hope houses, which means a lot of my favorite people are all on one street! Terry had just come home from an overnight shift at work so needless to say, we were all pretty tired and goofy. It was fun to squeeze in one more visit with him and to see where he lives now. We even got to say a quick hello/goodbye to Danielle as she headed out the door on her way to work. Terry had another night shift ahead and needed the day to sleep, so we kept the visit pretty short.

Our mantra for our trip home was quickly becoming, "We can sleep in Altus," but we were also quickly becoming pretty exhausted. We went from Baltimore back to the Herg house to squeeze in a quick nap before our next meal. For lunch, Big Jer, Eric, and I met Lourdes during her break. We ate at a nice little Italian restaurant near the bank where she works. After lunch, Eric and I popped into Dunkin' Donuts (141 miles from home) to fuel up on the coffee we hoped would be the antidote to our food comas. Coffee in hand, we brought Lourdes back to work, saw her office, and met her coworkers.

We rode our caffeine fumes all the way back to Clarksville to the Dodge dealership so Eric could test drive his new dream-car, the Challenger R/T. He had driven one in Altus, but it was an automatic, not the six-speed and he wanted to drive "the real thing." He also wanted to make sure I liked it. And liked it I did. It was such a fun car that I was ready to buy it and drive it back to Altus! Luckily, Eric is more practical. Well, that and he needed to do more research. How he loves his research!

When we made it back to my parent's house, Gila and Clint were in the middle of watching a movie. Eric took a nap in bed and I took over a couch. With one eye, I watched the movie and with the other, I slept. We ate a nice dinner together after movie/naptime had ended and before some of our friends dropped by that evening. If for some reason Eric and I didn't already know how incredible our friends are, this night was a great reminder. Katie, George, Ryan, Amber, Teri,  and Dave all ignored distance, fatigue, and pending early alarms to come over on a weeknight to hang out. We sat around chatting and visiting for a while and then decided it would be fun to play a game. Unfortunately, I had stolen all of the fun games and brought them with me to Altus (where they have truly come in handy). Ryan ran home and grabbed one for us and we retreated to our old party spot: my parent's basement (yeah, we're pretty cool). There, we spent hours playing a really fun game that was a combination between Pictionary and Telephone, which made us all laugh till we cried. It's hard to beat that kind of a night!

We woke up on Wednesday with the realization that, as always, time had gone by too fast and somehow it was already our last full day. Eric had made plans to spend the day with Dave, so he went off and did "man things" (i.e. shoot wall street zombies in the face with Dave and Ryan). I didn't hear from Eric all day and then I received this picture...

I suppose all the hours of zombie movie watching have paid off...

I spent the day running last minute errands with my mom in preparation for our dinner party that night. On Wednesday night, we had a huge Persian-version Thanksgiving feast. Mr. & Mrs. H, Jacq, Tim, Caitlin, and a colleague of my dad's all joined in on the fun. My parent's had cooked all of everyone's favorite dishes and we enjoyed being able to spend one last evening together before Eric and I had to leave again. We are so fortunate that our families truly consider one another friends. After all the guests left and the cleanup effort ended, Eric, Clint, Gila, and I spent one last evening together hanging out and talking as late into the night as we could manage to stay up.

Thursday morning came, Eric and I ate one final Persian breakfast (but this time it was leftover dinner food, not breakfast food), and my dad took us to the airport. The flight from Baltimore to Dallas was, well, interesting. I sat in the middle seat between Eric at the window and a guy on the aisle. About an hour into the flight, the man next to me reached down into his bag and pulled out a book (standard airplane behavior). Then, he proceeded to practice his lines aloud for an apparent role in an upcoming play (not-so-standard airplane behavior). He spent the next two hours shouting lines in an old-English and with a British accent. His performance was punctuated with dramatic hand gestures, head shakes, and guffaws! After he was satisfied that he had completed the requisite practice for the day, he put his script away and sang out loud until we landed safely at the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport. In all my years of airplane travel, I'm not sure I've ever encountered such an interesting (read: annoying and self-involved) seat mate.

The rest of the trip was unremarkable and we arrived in Lawton safely and on-time. We welcomed the feeling of homeiness upon crossing into the Altus city limits. It's always nice to unpack your suitcase and sleep in your own bed. It's also nice to go to sleep feeling thankful; our happiness cups runneth over with love! Until next time, Maryland!

To Maryland for Love

Friday, November 11, 2011 was a day for joy and celebration. Eric and I woke up together in Maryland for the first time in six months. We enjoyed an amazing and much desired Persian breakfast with my parents and went for a run on our old favorite trail. Before we knew it, it was time to start getting ready for the wedding of the year! 

In true Baltimore fashion, they met at an O's game

Our dear friends, Laura & Dan, had planned a beautiful fall wedding to take place on 11.11.11 at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club on the Eastern Shore. Eric and I had been looking forward to this day for months. Many of our dearest friends were coming together in support of this wonderful couple.

We have known Dan & Laura for a long time now. From that Orioles game when they first met to the day that they met at the aisle, we have enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom and grow over the years. We've witnessed their love and support of one another through the ups and downs of life. And we've shared many wonderful memories with them as a couple. Needless to say, this is a union we were all excited about and ready to celebrate!

This is how we do it

Reminiscent of college (and post-college) days, Eric's parents had graciously invited about fifteen of us to stay the night at their house once the wedding festivities were over. Eric and I were really excited about this because it allowed us to maximize time spent with friends and family. Six of us met at the Herg house pre-wedding to drop off our things and figure out a carpool. We were discussing which cars to take when Big Jer offered the use of the "cad-o-lack" (as he calls it) for the ride to the wedding. A great idea indeed as it is big enough to hold all of us and it's just plain awesome! Eric, Meg, Matt, Ryan, Teri, and I piled in and we were off in style. And yes, Eric did wear that hat for the ride. We made our way over the Bay Bridge, feeling more like we were riding in a boat than a car. The water of the Bay was a welcome sight for Eric and me after months in drought-ridden western Oklahoma. It was truly a gorgeous day. Perhaps chillier than the bride and groom had hoped, but the sky was a perfect blue and full of white, fluffy clouds. It was the kind of crisp autumn day that you can only experience in Maryland. We soaked it in and savored.

Making it official

We arrived at the club and immediately spotted some old familiar faces of SMCM. It was fun to catch up, but the anticipation was killing us. We wanted to see our bride, groom, and many members of the wedding party! Only a curtained glass door was separating us from our best of friends. A few of them peeped through on occasion to smile and wave at us. Everyone was happy. An announcement was made that it was time to take our seats. Finally, the moment we'd all come together for!

The greatest ushers that ever were, Katie and George, informed us that the first two rows were reserved and that the rest was fair game. So, being the self-appointed VIPs that we were and in the interest of not missing any of the action, we elected to occupy the third row. The ceremony was beautiful, but not as beautiful as the bride. Laura was truly stunning and Dan so handsome in his tuxedo. They exchanged vows, rings, and a kiss, and with that, the rest of the night was dedicated to the celebration of husband and wife!

Here is a great shot of the filet, I mean, of Meg & Matt

A cocktail hour with passed hors d'oeuvres took place in a room decorated with paper lanterns and a wall of windows overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. We were treated to front row seats for a breathtaking sunset over the bridge. When the dining room opened, we were delighted to find yet another wall of windows and a fabulous ball room. We got to eat, dance, and celebrate against the most beautiful backdrop, the Bay Bridge at night. Perhaps only Marylanders can appreciate this sight, but I've always found it to be a thing of beauty. We enjoyed a delicious meal and amazing company at the St. Mary's table. The filet was cooked perfectly and was tender enough to be cut with a spoon.  

Eric and I were pleasantly surprised to see that Chris, the deejay from our wedding, was responsible rocking the party. And it rocked! I have never seen a dance floor become so crowded so quickly. Everyone was ready and eager to party! Like all good weddings, the last song was announced long before any of us were ready, but lucky for us the night was still young. After a rendition of Don't Stop Believin' that would have made Steve Perry proud, the ballroom began to clear out and the St. Mary's table took to our seats to eat our cake. A faux pas? Perhaps, but one I am thankful for because that was some delicious cake! The chocolate peanut butter was my personal favorite.

Three wild and crazy guys

All of us, together again

This is what happy looks like

After scarfing down dessert, we piled  back into the Cadillac for the ride to downtown Annapolis. The bride & groom had selected a bar called Fado for the after party. Now, our bride Laura is known for falling asleep in a crowded room. In fact, this phenomena even made it into her sisters' maid & matron of honor speech! Being the great friends we are, we all took bets on whether or not the newlyweds would even make it to the after party. They did make it! They even stayed out longer than some of us (myself included).

The after party was great! There was a really fun band who sang 90s hit after 90s hit, which of course made all of us crazy. Sore feet and all, we danced late into the night! I think the band was having just as much fun as we were because they kept saying, "Okay, one more song and we're going to take a break......okay, for real this time, one more song, then a break.." and so on, and so on! Finally they did actually break.

The Cadillac crew said our goodbyes to the newlyweds, congratulated them on a rockin' wedding and for party hardying until the end, and wished them well on their honeymoon to Costa Rica. Then we made our way back to the Herg house where we were treated to pizza and snacky foods by Mr. & Mrs. H. The rest of the group joined us later and we all stayed up laughing and talking. Everyone had a great time, with the exception of Ryan, who was pretty sore about the fact that none of us had saved him any pizza.

We woke up the next morning to discover that Mr. & Mrs. H had prepared an amazing breakfast with the help of Teri who brought her famous muffins. The weather had warmed a little and we were able to enjoy breakfast outside on the patio and soak in some fresh air.

From our perspective, the whole wedding weekend could not have gone any better. It was a beautiful and fun night and the love in the room was palpable. You know it's a good party when you can feel the love. 

We enjoyed every moment of it and hope that it was every bit as wonderful as Laura & Dan had dreamed. We thank them and their families for an excellent time and for inviting us to share in a very special moment in their lives. Best wishes to both of you. We love you, always.