Life is Good

Life is good.

I took my social work licensing exam this morning. The closest testing center is in Norman, OK so I made the two hour trip yesterday afternoon and stayed in a hotel last night. I have (and have always had) some pretty serious exam anxiety and was hoping to use the long drive to Norman to clear my head. The drive ended up being the best thing that could have happened to me. The views were breathtakingly beautiful, serene, and peaceful. I passed the time rocking out to my old favorite songs, appreciating the views, reflecting on the past year, gaining perspective, and (dangerously, I know) snapping photos with my phone. I know I will probably catch some heat for doing this (from my mom, dad & Mr. Fred specifically), but as you can see there was little to no traffic and I just felt I had to share the views I was witnessing.

The thing is, it's not often that I sing the praises of Southwest Oklahoma, but on that particular day, I can honestly say it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

Enjoy...

How would you like to live there?

I arrived in Norman with a clear head and happy heart. Oh, and just a couple months shy of the one-year anniversary of my graduation and subsequent move to Oklahoma, I passed my test this morning.

Housewife, House Life

As a general rule, I try not to use my blog to spew negativity or complain (extensively) about my life. For one thing, there is already far too much negativity in the world for me to add to it with my ho-hums about whatever is bothering me at any particular moment. Additionally, I live a pretty fortunate existence. I have my health; my loved ones have theirs. I have more than adequate shelter, clothing, and food on the table. I have what friends and I like to call, first world problems. 

But to be honest, I've had a few hard days in Altos. I miss using my brain and feeling intellectually exhausted. I miss having lots of friends, colleagues and constant connection to other living, breathing beings. I miss having a schedule. Granted, there are many out there who wish (on a daily basis) that they could have a break from the bonds of their oppressive schedules; an opportunity to do whatever they want whenever they want. I recognize this. In fact, I'm sure that in the past, I made that exact same wish. I acknowledge that the grass is always greener. 

Apparently, today pictures of standing brooms have been sweeping Facebook. I only saw one picture, but articles are being written about how many people are trying it (successfully). I did not believe it was possible and, of course, had to see it for myself. I was sure that I was going to spend the better part of the afternoon in an endless cycle of stabilizing the broom, slowly stepping back, watching it fall, and cursing those who said it was possible. But, alas, on try number one, this is what I got...

Now that is pretty cool. There was apparently a lot of hype about how this phenomena has something to do with the vernal equinox (which isn't even until the 20th by the way), but the equinox has nothing to do with why I think this is cool. It is cool because I just had no idea it was possible. And it is nice sometimes to be reminded (even if by something as silly as a standing broom) that you never know what is possible until you try. It is also nice to have the time to appreciate the little things. Like standing brooms.

I only feel bad for my broom. Just think of all those times I've rested it against the wall when it wasn't in use. From now on, it shall stand tall. Chin up.

Atypical Altusian Weekend

People. We had events (plural) to attend.

On Friday night, Eric and I attended our first official AF function since Dining Out at the end of JASOC. This means that Eric had to get all fancied up in his Mess Dress and I got to wear something pretty. Something sparkly. The event was a banquet to honor the nominees and celebrate the recipients of this year's base-wide awards. A paralegal from Eric's office had been nominated so we attended in support of him. It was a good event complete with the comedies and tragedies of anything worth attending. As for comedy, we were all squished into our tables and chairs like sardines. And, as with any AF event, there is a serious amount of "please rise for..." Each time we were asked to stand, the majority of the room had to enter a sort of dance with one another. We had to move with great coordination. No one knew the steps, but we caught on quite quickly; stand from the right, sit from the left. And you better hope you are not sitting next to a lefty at dinner! As for tragedy, our guy did not ultimately win the award, which we were all a little disappointed about. But between the hilarious and the sad, I got to meet several of the people Eric works with as well as a number of the big wigs on base. It is always nice to put faces to the names you hear on a regular basis.

When we got home, I thought Eric and I might enjoy some wine and a movie, but the poor guy seems to have lost some stamina since moving out to the country. Unable to keep up with the pace of a busy work week AND THEN going out to a party, he was zonked out, I'm talking snoring on the couch, by 11. Hey, that's usually my job!

On Saturday we had a big day ahead. A day I have been looking forward to for months. The Miss Altus beauty pageant. OH EM GEE. Originally, a big group of us had planned on going, but the men folk slowly trickled out of the picture. By the time Saturday rolled around, the only guy still on the roster was Eric. And he crumbled under pressure. Opting to play video games and eat pizza instead (a guy's night through and through), he called out at the last minute.

Off I went to Charlies on base where I enjoyed some pre-event beverages and dinner with two lovely ladies, Sarah and Lauren. Suzanne, the fourth lovely lady in our group, was kind enough to agree to pick us up at Charlies and take us to the auditorium downtown. Before I go on with the story, there is something you need to know. I had all of the tickets in my wallet because I was the one who was designated, "responsible enough not to lose them." We are talking some serious pressure for the new-ish girl in town. The stakes were high. I was confident.

Back to the story. Suzanne was supposed to pick us up, but we had a bit of a blip in communication. When we (I'm not naming names) received the text from Suzanne asking where to park, we thought she meant, "where do I park when I get to Charlies?" What she actually meant was, "I am at Charlies waiting for you with my three year old daughter who has to pee."  When we finally realized the error in our interpretation of her texts, Suzanne and her baby had already been waiting in the car a good fifteen minutes for us. Of course this realization resulted in a frenzied escape from Charlies. My frenzied escape resulted in me leaving my wallet on the table. Tickets and all.

I called Eric and asked him to pick up my wallet and bring it to us at the the auditorium. He, too, already had a couple of beverages under the belt and said, "No can do, sweetie." So instead, he called Charlie and asked her to hold my wallet for me while I begged the ladies at the entrance of the pageant to have mercy on the new-ish girl. I love small towns. She remembered me, reminded me where our seats were, and had mercy. We took our seats and settled in for an exciting couple of hours.

Miss Oklahoma talking about Miss America

The pageant was the real-deal complete with swimming suit, evening gown, talent, and interview portions of the competition. We were also graced by the presence of Miss Oklahoma who received first runner up at the 2012 Miss America Pageant. That's right, we were among royalty. My favorite portion of these types of competitions is always the interview. The best that night went a little like this,


Interviewer: "What do you want other people to know about people from the state of Oklahoma?"
Contestant: "I want people to know that people from the state of Oklahoma are polite, nice, and caring, which is not something you can say for the northern states."
Me: "Booooo, oh wait, was that mean? My bad." (okay fine, that last part happened in my head, but come on, really?)

In the end of the competition, some girl was crowned Miss Altus and my crew and I skipped the after party in the Blue Room (we had kids to get to bed, babysitters to relieve, and wallets to recover). Someday, I am going to attend one of those... Nonetheless, I maintain the pageants hosted by the city of Altus are some of the best entertainment you can get around here. I've already marked my calendar for next year!

Aaaaaand fast-forward to the end of the weekend. It was Sunday night and bitter cold. We got our first real snow of the season (not counting a little dusting we were graced with on Christmas morning). We got about four full inches. Enough for Eric to have a one-hour delay for work on Monday. By Monday afternoon it was all gone and by Wednesday, we are supposed to be up to 70 degrees. That is how winter is done in the dust bowl, my friends.

Does this mark the beginning or end of my 28th year?

I think after a lengthy and confusing conversation with my dad, the mathmagician, I can answer this question. Each birthday marks the end, not the beginning, of a year. When I turned 28, it signified that I have been an occupant of Earth for 28 full years. It did not mean that I am starting my 28th year. Though I am unable to articulate why, this thought actually scared me a little. Perhaps you already knew this and it is not alarming. Perhaps no one has a clue what I am talking about. But for me, it was a significant revelation. I've told you before about Altus and revelations...they come at odd times and about strange things...

Regardless, I ended my 28th year on Earth with a bang! First of all, I was able to celebrate the fact that I have two friends with whom I could enjoy lunch on my birthday. This is a big accomplishment and I am ecstatic about it. In Maryland, I ran in packs (wolf-like, I know, but not in a Twilight or Sci-Fi way). I was always surrounded by friends. Friend-making in Altus has been steady, but slow-going; something to which I am unaccustomed. On my birthday, I enjoyed a lovely lunch with Sarah, Robin and baby Caroline at the Grapevine Cafe in Downtown Altus. For the first time I ordered their chicken salad on a croissant, I will never have it any other way. Revelations. The rest of my birthday day was filled with calls, emails, texts, and facebook messages from friends and loved ones. These messages brightened my day and, for the first time in history, I was able to respond to every last one of them. Who says being unemployed doesn't have its perks?

On Monday night, Eric was supposed to make my birthday request, Pad Thai, for dinner. However, I suggested that we postpone the dinner to Friday (instead of a work night), crack open a bottle of wine, and make a date-night out of it. He agreed and we had leftovers instead. After dinner, I heard him banging around in the kitchen, searching through all of the drawers. A few minutes later he walked out with an ice cream cake that he had embellished with Reese's minis (that is love). He sang the birthday song and did a little gig. I made a wish and blew out the candles.

On the weekend after my birthday, Chris, Eric and I met Sarah, her bother, Imran, and her sister-in-law, Betsey, in Dallas. Sarah's birthday was exactly one week after mine so we did a joint celebration out on the town in a real big city. We stayed at The Adolphus and enjoyed dinner at a I-don't-know-how-many-stars restaurant called, Charlie Palmer at The Joule. The hotel and the dinner were about as classy as it gets. The rest of the night was a ton of fun, but I would hardly describe it as classy. We learned a lot about ourselves that weekend. Primarily, that we are more at home in dive bars than in the posh clubs surrounded by lines to get in. Either that or we are incredibly impatient. You can take the kids out of Altus, but you cant take the Altus out of the kids.

All feeling a bit delicate on Sunday, the ride home for Chris, Eric and me was...slow. Once getting home, Eric and I spent the rest of the day doing important things like catching up on our long list of, "movies we want to see."

On Monday, Eric made the best Pad Thai he's ever made. He ended up making it on a Monday anyway because we had decided to have dinner out with friends instead on Friday night (friends who we are happy to still be able to call friends after a major foot-in-mouth faux pas on my part). Let's just say, it's always a good idea to double check who the recipient of your text message is before you press send...but I digress...back to Monday!

We sat at our dining room table (as opposed to on the couch in front of the TV) and enjoyed a meal together. A delicious dinner and face time with Eric was the best birthday present of all.

Four Hergs, One Adventure

Four Hergs, one adventure

In the middle of January, Eric's parents made their pilgrimage to Altus, America. In the weeks before their arrival, I worried that the potentially freezing temperatures the month of January usually offers would make for a pretty icky visit to our fabulous little city. However, mother nature bestowed upon us some gorgeous temperatures and allowed the wind (you know, the stuff that comes sweeping down the plains) to subside for the few days they were here.

On a Friday afternoon, I picked mom & pop H up from the Will Rogers Airport in OKC. They piled into my little car and tried to mentally prepare for the trip home. Hearing that it is a two hour drive home from the airport is different than actually making the two hour drive. Each person I've picked up from OKC usually starts to get excited that we are nearing home when we drive into Lawton. The fun part is telling them we still have an hour to go... But being that this was their first time in Oklahoma, they enjoyed and were fascinated by the views and the (lack of) scenery.

Since it was a Friday, Eric was still at work when we got into town. I drove them through Altus and brought them to our house, which they could pick out once we were on the street form the zillions of pictures we've sent/posted. I gave them a tour and then we sat out on the back porch and had some snacks & refreshments while we enjoyed the balmy January weather and waited for Eric.

We sure packed a lot of fun and adventure (and car time) into their one little weekend in Altus. On Friday night we went out to dinner at the Quartz Mountain Resort & Restaurant, which Eric and I had raved was, "probably the best restaurant you are going to find (not actually) in Altus." Eric and I both felt the food was only okay that night, and his parents were too nice to comment otherwise. At least in taking them there they got to see the beautiful mountains, Lake Altus, and a very lovely sunset. After dinner, we took a little walk outside by the water and were treated to a breathtaking starry sky; big sky country = millions of stars country, it really is a beautiful thing to see.

On Saturday morning, Eric stepped into his dad's breakfast cookin' slippers and whipped up a lovely breakfast. Then, tummies full, we took in the sites of downtown A-town. We hit all the usual antique/boutique hotspots. One shop owner, who Jerry engaged in conversation, remarked that when she traveled to the DC area, she was taken aback by all of the scenery (read, buildings, trees, foliage, what have you) and that she finds it is kind of nice to be able to "see where you're going." Conversations like these are good for me to hear. They remind me that as much as this place can get to me and drive me crazy, it is actually what some people prefer. They really are more comfortable with wide, open spaces.

Prison at Ft. Sill where Geronimo was held

After mom & pop H had their fill of downtown, we drove out to Ft. Sill in Lawton. Rumor had it the museums on Ft. Sill were worth seeing. That excursion seemed right up Big Jer's alley, so we saved the Ft. Sill trip for their visit. The museum was actually pretty large and impressive. Divided into several buildings and historical sites, we got to see an interesting collection of American Indian history and artwork (mostly focused on the US Army's interactions with (and against) Native people), the prison where they held Geronimo and other prisoners of war, Geronimo's grave site, and a large collection of the Army's tanks and their bombs and their bombs and their guns. You tell me which part you think Eric & Jerry enjoyed most and which part Lourdes and I liked best, I'll give you one guess...

Where's Waldo (Eric)?

An inspirational message on the wall at Meers

By the time we finished looking at all of the above and more, we had worked up pretty significant appetites. Meers was the only cure. To Meers we went! Or tried to go, but we got lost on Ft. Still. We found a gate, which was closed and then we got lost again! About an hour later, we finally weaved our way off that massive military base and found our way to Meers. By that time, we were really starving. Of course, per the usual, we were greeted by a long long (too many longs) line at Meers, but we got there just in the nick of time as it grew exponentially as we waited. We were finally seated a good three hours after we first felt the pangs of hunger, man, life is tough. Jerry and Lourdes, like those that have come before them, were not disappointed in the Meerscheeseburgers, the Meersbeers, or the Meerscobler. Tummies full again, we made our way back to Altus. 

Sunday was game day. It pains me to talk about it now, but at that time the Ravens' Superbowl hopes were alive and well. We had planned a little gathering for the Ravens v. Texans game so that our friends could meet our family. I made a big lasagna (I suggest you try this, 'twas a hit) and we had a plethora of snackums and schneckens. The game was stressful to watch, but the party was fun. And in the end, the Ravens got that "W," like I said, still hurts.

Mom & pop H were leaving on Monday out of OKC. How time flies when you are having fun! We couldn't believe it was already time to return them to Will Rogers. We had just enough time on Monday morning to take Jerry & Lourdes on a tour of Altus AFB complete with a stop at Eric's swanky office. They enjoyed seeing where the magic happens; its hard not to feel proud of Eric when you see that place. We made the long trek to the airport and before we knew it, were saying our goodbyes. Our time for Altusian adventure had run out.

Now Eric and I can say that we've hosted both of our parents in our own home. It is always an interesting shift in roles since for so long, we have been the guests/occupants of their homes. It is a pleasure to do it. It is nice to feel like you have a little bit of a opportunity to take care of the people who have taken care of you for so long (and in our cases, it really was so long). Of course, just like with my parents, the phrase "take care" is only relative. Eric's parents continued to take care of us, even as guests, by gifting us with so many of the tools and gadgets we need to continue to build our home and progress on our many projects.

To Lourdes & Jerry, we were so happy you made the trip and the house felt so empty after you were gone. We look forward to having you as guests in our home again be it in Altus or at the next stop on this crazy ride.

Family + Friends + Florida = Another Knot Tied

Stunning.

It seemed we bounced like ping pong balls from Arkansas back to our respective homes, and then to the Sunshine State to celebrate Bijan and Banafsheh's wedding. In the days between getting home from Arkansas and leaving for Tampa, we were all still feeling a bit googly-eyed and glazed over from all the excitement of the holidays. My mom & dad, and I were each at home long enough to do a few loads of laundry and throw our belongings back into suitcases before heading of to the airports.

<Insert usual ridiculous story about how long it took me to get to the airport from Altus> Long story short, I had a direct flight from Dallas to Tampa. Took me 3.5 hours to get to Dallas, 2 hours to get to Tampa.Yay!

When I arrived in Tampa, my parents were already there. They had flown in from Baltimore and arrived a couple of hours earlier. Just early enough to pick up our rental car and grab a bite to eat. Knowing me as they do and figuring I'd be frantically hungry by the time I arrived, they greeted me at the gate with a buffalo chicken wrap. I ate that thing in a matter of seconds, but will never forget how good it was.

Me & my Babak in St. Pete

We went straight from the airport to my amoo (uncle) Hossein's house. There, we spent a lazy afternoon on his porch enjoying the warm weather and the sun. My cousins were busy with last-minute wedding errands and "to-dos," but by the time dinner rolled around, everyone had congregated at Hossein's house. The party included: Three amoos (Hossein, Hassan, & Taghi), one aunt (Elaine), two cousins (Babak & Bijan the groom), the bride-to-be (Banafsheh), one couple who are good friends of the bride & groom (Milad & Nazi), mom, dad , and me! Hossein, after spending most of the afternoon in the kitchen, served a delicious Persian dinner complete with all of my favorite dishes! We had a great time hanging out together and were so pleased that Bijan and Banafsheh decided to spend the evening before their wedding day in our company.

On the day of the wedding, we spent most of the morning on the porch. We did this everyday we were there because Hossein's porch overlooks a beautiful pond with ducks and herons and various other waterfowl. The weather on that particular weekend in Tampa was perfect, so we happily watched the hours pass from that spot.

In the afternoon, my mom and I had hair appointments. Usually Gila is our personal hair stylist, but unfortunately she wasn't able to make it to Florida that weekend. Desperate times called for desperate measures, so mom and I called on the experts...or so we thought....

Thankfully sporting "hair dos" rather than "hair don'ts"

We ended up at a little salon near my uncle's house. The two women working in the salon both acted a little squirrely when we showed up, but we thought nothing of it. I sat in the chair first, and the poor girl worked on my up-do for well over an hour; verging on two. Somewhere near the 90th minute of tugging, struggling, and sighing, she admitted that she was told our appointment was for "two little girls getting their hair done for a birthday party" and that up-dos are not her thing. She would be, "happy to color my hair and put in some extensions, though!" Luckily, she was really sweet and I (consider myself to be) a very easy-going customer. With a lot of patience, some stylistic input from me, and a little encouragement, she eventually created a pretty nice hairdo. My mom's hair was a little less intimidating and she did a great job with it in a pretty short amount of time. Hair crisis averted, we went back to Hossein's to get ready for the wedding. 

Babak and me

Step aside Brangelina

A couple of contenders for "world's best uncle"

Dad & Amoo Hossein (ps, Babak made the centerpieces)

The wedding took place in the clubhouse (not a good word for it) in a beautiful Tampa neighborhood. The houses all around it were picturesque and ginormous, like pictures out of a Better Homes & Gardens magazine. There were sculptures and fountains outside the building and beautiful archways, great rooms, and balconies inside. The ceremony took place in the presence of close family and friends only. The best ceremonies are those that are memorable. Those of us lucky enough to share in the experience will never forget how wonderful or sweet Bijan and Banafsheh's ceremony was. 

Moments after it ended, the rest of the guests began to arrive; somewhere between 50 and 60 in total. The party started with dancing (just how I like it)! It was a unique reception that mixed aspects of both Persian and American culture, with a twist on it all. I am not able to speak on anything that went on that night besides dancing as I think I only left the floor to eat dinner (which was delicious). It was such a celebratory and fun-filled night. I couldn't help but get teary-eyed a few times when thinking about how amazing it was that so much of my dad's family was in one room, in America. We had patiently waited so long for that exact moment. It was hard to be anything but thankful.

St. Petersburg

Some of the crew

On Sunday, we spent the day in St. Petersburg, FL. It is kind of an artsy fartsy little place with huge old trees and beautiful views of Tampa Bay. We walked along popping in and out of shops and galleries before making our way to the pier where we had lunch. The food was great and the view was beautiful. We were having a wonderful time except a few of us (myself included) had a little trouble staying calm in the presence of hundreds of descending sea gulls. In fact, one very aggressive bird even took it upon himself to steal a chip right out of my mom's fingers. I tell you, my mom and the animals, really not sure what's going on with that...

That night the whole crowd from the pre-wedding night got together again for dinner on Sunday. This time we went out for Italian food. We visited for so long that we closed the restaurant down. It was a great way to end the trip with all of us together again, one more time.

Babak and Momma in St. Pete

Monday morning made for one last relaxing morning on the porch. Bijan & Banafsheh came over for lunch. Hossein cooked some very yummy spaghetti (Persian style). We all stuffed ourselves silly one last time before it was time to say goodbye. Mom and I had flights home that afternoon and my dad stayed until Tuesday.

Trying to postpone goodbye for as long as possible, my mom and I indulged in classy top-shelf martinis at the TGI Friday's airport bar. After pushing it to the point that my mom was being paged for her flight, we went our separate ways, hopped on our planes, and headed for opposite sides of the country. Because I still had a three and a half hour drive when I got home and I was getting into Dallas close to 10, I stayed the night at my friend Shannon's house. Her mom surprised me with a visit, too, staying up way past her bedtime to say hello. Shannon and I proceeded to stay up way past her bedtime visiting, but we had a great time. Poor Shan had to go to work in the AM, but I (after being gifted with a spare key) was invited to sleep in until I could pull myself together to get on the road.

On Tuesday morning, I made my way home to Altus. As usual, it was wonderful to come home. I am so fortunate to have been able to take all of those trips and spend time with all of those people, but after almost a full month of bouncing around the country, I was happy to be back in A-town and back home with Eric. A prolonged stay in my sleepy town was just what the doctor ordered.

The Big Eight-Oh!

ma-tri-arch
Noun:     1. A woman who is the head of a family or tribe.
              2. An older woman who is powerful within a family or organization.
              3. My grandmother.

The Crew

photo credit: Lee Guthrie Photography, www.leeguthriephotography.com

I've talked before about how cool my grandmother is. But I'll do it again.

My grandmother is glue that holds one huge, spread out family together. Many moons ago, my grandparents made an investment in having a large family. I know it mustn't have been easy, but the look on my grandmother's face when we all come together says, "It was worth it." Together, they had six children who went on to build families of their own. In total, there are well over thirty of us including grand and great-grandchildren. My most recent attempt to count came to thirty-six, but I am never quite confident that I'm remembering every person at any given time.

The almost-whole family came together on what many call "New Years Day," but we call "Grandma's Birthday" to celebrate my grandmother's eightieth year.  The only people missing from the party were Joe (grandson) and Rebecca who were absent (along with their children) because they were bringing yet another grandchild into our ever-expanding clan. Little Randy, Jr. shares a birth month with the lady of honor!

My grandmother is the coolest grandmother for a number of reasons,
I will mention but a few:

1. She loves The Godfather trilogy
2. She has incredible wisdom and and the sharpest wit; a powerful combination
3. She has a (not so) secret crush on Howie Long
4. She loves art, history, travel, and culture
5. On rare occasions, she has popcorn and a beer for dinner
6. She creates wonderful opportunities for our family to spend time together and enjoy each others company
7. For a time, her ringtone was "Black Betty" by Ram Jam
8. She is the picture of strength and resilience
9. She likes to "yank people's chains," but certainly isn't afraid laugh at herself, too
10. She is always up to learn more, understand more, and pursue personal growth

 I could go on and on...

Suffice it to say, she is well-loved, respected & admired by many, and everyone wants to sit with her at dinner. She keeps us laughing. She teaches us through example that joy can be found in the small things in life.

I know I speak for all of us when I say, we are lucky to have you, we are so thankful for you, we love you, and we were overjoyed to be able to celebrate the big Eight-Oh with you. Happy (belated) birthday, Grandma!