When
we were kids we would make frequent trips to visit my Grandparents.
My paternal Grandparents had moved to the Grand Lake area before I
was born, leaving my Father’s hometown of Neodesha, Kansas, and we
called these trips to the lake. I loved that land, the house, the
docks, the cabin, and the water. I still miss it.
My maternal
Grandparents have lived in the same house since the 1950’s. My Mama
was raised in that house and when we would jump in the car to make
the 2 hour drive I would hear her say that she was ‘Going Home’.
Commenting on Home can be difficult for me, when I go home
from work each day I pull into a slightly illegal driveway and climb
stairs to a 3rd floor apartment. I have a family in New Jersey, I have my husband’s
family too, but it’s still not 100% home. My Mama has lived in
Oklahoma for more than 30 years and I don’t think it’s 100% home
for her either.
I have had the privilege of traveling to the
Blue Ridge Mountains, near the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania,
with my Grandma many times. I’ve held her hand has she walked the
road that leads to the house where she was born and I’ve heard her
say that the old house is her home. My Grandma Lou has lived in
Kansas for well over 60 years and the house that she hasn’t stepped
foot in since the 1930’s still feels like home to her.
The
old saying goes, Home is where the heart is, and I believe this to be
true. Don’t we all leave little pieces of our heart everywhere we
go? Part of Home for me is on the residential street in East Tulsa, my parents house in Verdigris, the Condo on Boston, and
our apartment in Jersey City.
I guess all of these places are home, in one way or another.
1. I confess that I called out sick today and it was the best decision, ever. I had a migraine that started in late yesterday afternoon and just didn't let up. Good news is that the headache is officially gone, but my back and neck are very sore. Blah. 2. I confess
that my heart is not in New Jersey right now, not at all. My sweet
precious Grandmother is in Wichita, KS for health problems. We don't
have much news just yet, heart attack, stroke, or something else, we
aren't sure. No matter what is going on I know she's a tough lady that
has fought hard for all of her 85 years
on this earth. She's loved more than words by many and we are all
praying that she will recover from this too. Grandma Lou, we aren't all
there with you physically, but you know we are there in spirit.
we can both roll our tongues, bet you didn't know that!
3. I confess that I am also praying for my family and friends in Oklahoma again tonight. Springtime in Tornado Alley is not for the faint of heart and I think that the only thing worse than being there is being 1,300 miles away, helpless. Be careful everyone!
4. I confess that my running hasn't taken priority recently, I am a little behind in my schedule and not too happy with myself. I'm hoping to turn that around this weekend and get back on track soon!
5. I confess that I laugh a little on the inside when I hear complaints about the 90 degree weather we have been having here the past few days. This ain't nothin' y'all...I practically need a jacket! Not really, but it's just not quite as unbearable as some make it seem.
6. I confess that I don't know what I would do without my husband and my Sophie Jean. My little family is not perfect, but quite amazing. We have been through a lot in the past 1 1/2 years, it's made us stronger and our future is looking bright!
7. I confess that we have only hung up about half of our pictures, art work, etc. We move in last August. Yep.
I just watched Healing in the Heartland and have a few comments, take 'em or leave 'em.
This concert special was 1 hour long. The Hurricane Sandy special was about 12 hours, not seriously, but it went on for so long! Great performers at both, for sure. I wish this one was just a bit longer and that 12 12 12 was just a bit shorter.
The only thing missing from the concert in Oklahoma City tonight was Jon Bon Jovi and his turtleneck...
thanks for the memories Google.
Oh...the turtleneck.
And my night was made by this guy. I could listen to him sing for days.
This was obviously from a few years ago, the version from tonight wasn't on youtube yet. I love this song.
they won't change me. A hundred thousand miles mean nothing to me." -Eli Young Band
New Jersey is very different from Oklahoma...I know...shocking, right? Most of the differences are small.
If you're invited to a Barbecue in New Jersey you are not guaranteed Barbecue Sauce. Hopefully, a nice rub on some brisket or pork, but usually you're just going to get a burger and some hot dogs.
When I go running I lace up my Tennis Shoes, but my husband insists that they are Sneakers.
For holidays a big events you can bet that you'll see some type of Italian cuisine here in Jersey. Baked Ziti or Chicken Francaise, will make an appearance. In Oklahoma, it's probably going to be something fried, a cobbler, or a casserole.
Okies say Mozzarella, each syllable is given it's time in the limelight, in Jersey it's just Mozz. With a moo sound in there...it's really hard to type, call me if you're confused. Either way it's maybe 25% of the actual word.
Yield signs are closer to stop signs in Oklahoma, in Jersey it means jam your way into traffic at all costs. The commute is brutal.
Asking 'Hey, how ya doin?' will get you an actual answer out West, but asking the same question here in the East gets the question back as the answer.
I won't comment on the soda, pop, coke debate. I call it Soda, you're not changing that either.
There are many differences in culture and I'm learning about them every day. I may comment more on them later, I think I better start a notebook to make sure I don't miss any!
For 30 years
- 12 weeks - 1 day I lived in Oklahoma.
And now, I live in
New Jersey.
When people hear that I'm from Oklahoma they often ask questions...
How flat is it there? Not as flat as you'd think. Where is that exactly? North of Texas, on the right side of the Red River. Do you know all the words to the song Oklahoma!? Yes, every last one.
But the question that I receive the most is, have you ever seen a tornado?
The short answer is no, not head on like you think. I've never stood in a field, like Helen Hunt, to see one making it's way toward me with no where to run and hide. I do know how to spot a wall cloud, what a 'hook echo' looks like on the radar, that hail clouds are green, and if a tornado is actually coming your way you better take cover and pray like you've never prayed before. We regularly had tornado drills in school. I have sat in a bathtub with my family while waiting for a storm to pass. I know what a tornado siren sounds like and, unless it's a clear Wednesday at noon, I know the feeling in your stomach when you hear one.
You see, when you hear that siren go off you could find yourself in your 'safe spot' for hours with no event, that's the good kind. The alternative is the fate that you have just minutes until you're entire life changes. Everything you have could be lost and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. I know this feeling well and I'm one of the lucky ones that has never had any tornado damage. But I have seen the damage that a tornado will cause.
When Hurricane Sandy was heading our way last fall I had the 'Tornado Siren' feeling for 4 days, straight. I'm sure my blood pressure was through the roof and I think my calorie intake tripled out of stress. I wanted to run, because I could and I knew this horrific thing was heading my way. You can't run out of fear every time, we were on high ground and the only true fear that we had was losing power, damage to our cars, and damage to our apartment. We only lost power and we were lucky.
I cannot begin to list the number of inquires that I have
received from people I know in here in New Jersey in the past 30ish hours. I appreciate all
those that checked in to make sure my family and my friends were not
harmed during this horrible tornado. We are blessed.
The news
that all of my loved ones are still here with us should not ease your
worry or remove the sorrow that you feel for my home state. Too many
were hurt and too many were lost. I have to applaud the people of New
Jersey and New York, staying strong through Hurricane Sandy and still
rebuilding from this destructive storm, it’s not over and it won’t
be for a long time. Rebuilding takes time and heart, no matter the location.
I have
driven the streets of Moore, eaten in their restaurants, and slept in
the apartment that my friend Abby used to rent. I don’t know if it’s
still standing. The number of times I have driven Interstate 35
through this area can’t be counted. These are my fellow Okies and
they have lived through this before, they shouldn’t have to rebuild
again.
Remember that Moore, like the Jersey Shore will not
heal in the coming weeks, months, or even years. This wound will one
day be a thick rough scar in the landscape of the heart of Oklahoma
and it will be formed over the scar of May 3, 1999, and just miles from the scar of April 19, 1995’s bombing. The
gash that the May 20th
tornado left is deep and just a day after the people of Shawnee, Prague,
and Carney suffered the same unthinkable.
My Oklahoma is wounded and
suffering, again. I have absolutely no doubt that they will rise to
show that the Oklahoma Standard is alive and well. My heart is filled
with pride when I hear reports that they are turning volunteers away
because they have too many, and that clothing is no longer needed. Of
course there are many things that can still be donated and I
encourage you to do what you can to support these fellow Americans.
We loaded up fairly early in the morning to make the 2ish hour drive from Verdigris, OK to Fredonia, KS ... not exactly the two biggest cities in the world, but two of my favorites.
I got to ride shotgun in the Caddy through Claremore, Oolagah, Nowata, and Coffeyville. Emma and Mom made themselves comfortable in the back and I were able to nap a little bit. We passed my Dad's hometown of Neodesha and made our way into my Mama's hometown of Fredonia, God Bless Southeast Kansas.
I hadn't seen their precious faces since I left there in late December and I missed them so much! Our visit began with lots of hugs and kisses.
Dad and I showed off our Half Marathon medals and pictures, they questioned why anyone would want to run that many miles and for that long...but I think they were proud.
Grandma had to run some errands, so the ladies loaded up in the Caddy (I got to drive!) and headed to the local bank. Since my Grandma doesn't have an ATM card she wrote a check to 'Cash' and I put it in the tray. The teller looked a bit confused, I rolled down the window so she could say hi and we were on our way. No ID required!
The next stop was ALCO and the Grocery Store. I swear that my Grandma knows everyone in this small town! Our last stop was the Tri-Mee for some Beef Burgers, very slow, but very delicious!
While we were out the boys opted to make a trip to pick some wild mushrooms. When they got back we fried them up! YUM!
Raw Mushrooms
Fried Mushrooms!
We played some games, played with Emma, and just talked. Oh and we took some awesome pictures!
We can both roll our tongues!
I love my Grandma
We couldn't stop laughing!
Finally got an OK picture
Grandparents and Parents
Grandparents and ME!
Aunt Denny in her work scrubs :)
My Grandma is slightly crazy!
The visit wasn't nearly long enough, but I don't think any visit would ever be long enough. After a lot of tears and more hugs, we made the drive back to Oklahoma and my heart was heavy. A part of me will always be in that house, with those two amazingly crazy people.
When we got back to Oklahoma we met brother at the house and headed to Taco Bueno, it's not classy, but when you live so far from one you have to get some while you can!
My last post was about the OKC Half Marathon...all of that information took place before 9am! Sunday wasn't even close to being over!
We headed back to the hotel to take a shower and pack up, oh and take a quick nap. After a quick steak lunch we were on our way from the 405 back to the 918. And I napped again...for most of the drive.
We stopped by my brother's house where my parents left their offspring for some quality time together. It was very nice to just sit and chat for a bit, actually catching up in person rather than on the phone!
A couple of hours later I headed off to see my massage therapist. One of the best decisions I made for the race was booking a post race appointment with this fantastic lady! My legs were barely sore the next day and it was so great to catch up with Darlene. She's easily one of the sweetest people I've ever had the joy of meeting and getting to know, I will be visiting again in November for sure!
After I made a stop by QT for a glorious 32 ounces of Diet Coke, which I rarely drink anymore, but I just had to get one! I made my way over to fabulous neighborhood in Broken Arrow to see the in progress Overton house! WOW! I feel like the foundation was just poured, but much progress has been made. The kitchen cabinets are in, tile and wood floors down, and walls painted...really impressed! Of course, the highlight was spending a few more precious moments with this family. Caden was fulled by sugary cake and ready to give me multiple tours of his room and his new play room, he is excited and super adorable! I can't wait to see the final moved in product later this year! Maybe we can see the finished product of the Conway house, just a few doors away!
Next came a relaxing evening with the parents, my favorite. We just ate dinner (Molly's Tamales! YUM!), talked, and watched TV...like I don't live 1,300 miles away and I wasn't leaving in 36 hours. Bliss.
Oh - I got an iPad! Shut up!
Is is just me or does my head look freaky big in comparison to my tiny right arm? Probably just me, I hate pictures sometimes.
The
alarm went off...way too early obviously. We all slowly got out of bed
and began to prepare for the race. I pulled my hair back and put on my
running gear, including brand new socks...more on that later. I was
wearing bib #13165, Dad had #13166, and Brother Nate was sporting #11965. For
this run the lowest number that you can wear is #169...the first #168
numbers are reserved for the victims.
We made our way toward the
race area and managed to get parking spot less than a mile from the
starting line. I think the warm up walk actually did us some good.
The
starting area was PACKED and it was then that I realized we probably
should have left the hotel earlier than we did. We missed the 171
seconds of silence (168 for OKC and 3 for Boston), but we did hear the
National Anthem, very well done. We pushed our way through as many
people as we could, but we still ended up in the 7:30 mile pace group.
We do NOT run that fast!
6:30am Race Begins!
We crossed the starting line about 2 minutes after the gun went off. We were getting passed left and right, but we managed to go out with a decent and acceptable pace. Did you know that when you run a race you’ll often run more than the actual race distance? Well, you do ... so, I will do a breakdown the race mile by mile, get ready!
1st Mile – 10:11 Awesome pace, we felt really good. Right at the start you have to go uphill a little, but then you hit a sweet downhill section. We passed the Colcord and turned left to run by the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Making our way into the heart of Bricktown, all three of us were feelin good! 2nd Mile – 10:03 WOW! I couldn’t believe we were able to do the 2nd mile faster than the first! We didn’t go to fast right out of the gate, our legs were getting warmed up and our first big hill was in sight. We were on Reno (aka Johnny Bench Drive) and made a left on Mickey Mantle Drive, running past the ballpark where the Oklahoma City Redhawks play. Past Flaming Lips Alley, up and over the steep bridge and we were well on our way to the next mile stone! 3rd Mile – 10:09 Just slightly slower than the last mile, but it did include a bit of a long hill. We had just passed our first water station, no stopping yet, and we could almost see the Capitol! Lincoln Boulevard was mostly flat and the three of us were still all together. We didn’t want to hold brother back too much so we sent him on his way to hopefully finish in less than 2 hours. We had made it to the Capitol and the streets were still crowded!
4th mile – 9:44
This may have been the most boring mile of the race...not exactly the scenic route! Mostly small industrial buildings and nothing much else to look at, but did you see our time! Maybe we need to run a more boring route so we finish faster!
5th mile – 9:44
Exactly the same as the last mile, not much to look at, but we were making our way to the nice laid back neighborhoods of OKC.
6th mile – 9:55
A little slower than our previous mile, but I will take ANYTHING under 10:00! I’m still so impressed that we kept up this pace. I think Dad was sweating quite a bit and sincerely felt that he was sweating more than anyone else at the race! We were into the 1st residential portion of the race and loving the downhill course.
7th mile – 10:09
Back over 10:00 for this mile since it included some uphills, not too horrible, but they will slow you down. Most of this mile was in the Crown Heights section and included the infamous Gorilla Hill! Thanks for the Banana, perfect timing!
8th mile – 9:58
Another mile that was mostly downhill, but this is also the mile that my feet really started to hurt. When getting dressed in the morning I was planning on wearing a pair of socks that I had worn a few times before. Instead I grabbed a brand new pair! OUCH! The bottoms of my feet started to burn and I just knew that I was going to have a blister!
9th mile – 10:36
My feet really started to ache and we were in the long straight stretch...for some reason I find this part of the race to be brutal. It’s all on just a slight incline or completely flat, it’s long and it’s boring. The only cool part is that we start seeing more banners to remember those that were lost. Also, one of the water stops passes out sponges soaked in ice cold water, that was awesome. Thanks Devon!
10th mile – 10:23
Slightly faster than our previous mile and I believe we walked a water station! Not too shabby! We were finally done with the long stretch and I think we were both starting to feel it in our knees and feet. But the finish line was so close!
11th mile – 10:49
This mile wasn’t too bad, just a little slow. We made our way through the first section of Mesta Park and these people are AMAZING! So many supporters in this area ready to cheer everyone closer to the finish. This is mile 11 and 12 for the half marathoners and mile 24 and 25 for the full marathoners. The homes are so pretty and the streets are lined with shade trees, I’m a fan Mesta Park! I am not a fan of the new socks, probably the worse decision ever.
12th mile – 10:17
This is where things start to go bad for me. My right calf really started to lock up and give me fits. My breathing was great, so was Dad’s. My quads, back and feet felt great! I think the only think hurting on Dad was his heel. My darn calf had to go and get in the way!
13th mile – 10:54
I made it through the previous mile of the fairly well, but toward the beginning of this mile I had to stop and stretch for just a few seconds. I had to walk a hill as well, very disappointing. But once we started running we made sure our pace was good to make up for lost time. As we made our way back toward the Memorial and the finish line we tried to kick it up a little bit, and we did...only a little bit.
0.62 – 4:32
According to my GPS we actually ran 0.52 longer than the 13.1 miles...it’s not perfectly accurate so we are probably somewhere in the middle on this, either way, we logged our FASTEST Half Marathon time EVER! When we ran Wichita in October we crossed the finish line at 2:32:12 - our official time for OKC *drumroll* 2:18:54!!! That is an improvement of 1 minute and about 1 second per mile!
Finishers!!
Brother finished about 16 minutes before we did, but he didn't have his phone so he decided to nap by the car and this is how my parents found him.
I was able to stop by the medical tent at the end of the event and say a quick hello to a KD sister, Melissa! She was there with so many others to help anyone that needed medical attention. It was great to see a friendly face at the end of so many miles! Luckily, I wasn't too sweaty for a hug!
I was very impressed with my home state and this fantastic event! I really felt safe and welcomed. Well done OKC. Well done! #R2R - Run to Remember!
I have much more for Sunday, so to be continued...
Saturday morning came a little too soon, but I was ready to get the day started! I had some important people to see! We picked up brother and headed to OKC. First stop was the Expo to get our packets, shirts and other goodies.
Then we hit up the new outlet mall! I was impressed with the selection of stores, especially the giant Banana Republic with everything 50% off!
The family dropped me off at the Pettifer House. This was my first visit to their home since they purchased it last year. I LOVE their neighbourhood and they have already made it their own, very cute! The Overton’s arrived before I did and I got to say a quick hello to Mr. Caden...how is he already 2 ½?! Before dinner he went to visit his cousins and left with only one minor door smashing injury.
The family met us at Iron Starr BBQ. YUMMO! Chopped Beef Brisket and Sweet Potatoes made for a perfect pre race day meal. I will have to go back to try the BBQ Ranch dressing next time I’m in the city! It comes HIGHLY recommended.
We had a blast, I’m just sad that our visits have to be so short these days. The Overton’s headed back to Tulsa, with a quick stop in Edmond, one of the Pettifer’s went out to celebrate a Bride-to-Be and the other went home for some quality time with the above mentioned BBQ Ranch. The Marrs clan headed back to the outlet malls to get some more good deals. We closed it down!
We made it back to the hotel and prepared ourselves for the early wake up call. All of our clothes were laid out and numbers pinned our shirts. All we needed was a good night’s sleep!
Since the only thing constant about my blogging is the inconsistency of my posts...I am challenging myself to blog EVERYDAY in May. I’m sure some of the posts will be short, hopefully sweet, but short.
For my first post of this challenge I will recap part of my recent pilgrimage to my homeland.
I worked a full day on Friday April 26th, but my head wasn’t really in the game. I had a packed suitcase at home and a 7:30pm flight. There is one, yes only one, direct flight between Newark and Tulsa each day and vice-versa. It’s a tiny little plane with two seats on one side and only one on the other. Perhaps it’s a bit scary, but I’m used to it and enjoy the single seat to myself. I don’t have to deal with anyone stealing the armrest or drooling on my shoulder.
Newark Airport, EWR, is a large hub that is normally very busy, but my flight was out of smallest Terminal, A. I arrived early in anticipation of the furloughs I had heard so much about. I was able to jam all of my stuff into a carry on, so no time would be wasted checking a bag.
I was prepared to wait in line for my body scan, but as I made my way down the escalator I noticed that there was not one single person in line. Good news right? Well, I had contact with 9 different TSA workers in the ‘going through security’ process. A bit much if you ask me. I thought that this could be a good sign for the evening...maybe I would get to Oklahoma early!
No such luck – the plane was late coming in from Virginia and we were delayed nearly 2 hours. I have a second job working for The Krazy Coupon Lady and Friday’s are normally one of the nights that I work, I’m a party animal. The plane didn’t have Wi-Fi so I typed all of my information into a word document for some simple copy and paste once I had an internet connection. Have you ever tried to look through a store circular on an airplane of sleeping people? I don’t think I was well liked. And those little tray tables are a joke of a desk.
So, by the time it was all said and done... I didn’t even make it to Oklahoma on Friday...we landed after midnight. I had a couple of hours of work left to dodo when we got to the house, I never thought I would be wishing for Wi-Fi on a plane, but it would have made the night a lot shorter!
3:30am – I finally laid down to get some sleep.
Place your bets now ... how long will this daily post thing last?!
I can’t believe it’s been 18 years since that beautiful spring morning that forever changed Oklahoma, and the world for that matter. I don’t think I fully understood how horribly tragic it was to lose the 168 that day and how difficult it would be for the nearly 700 injured to heal. I was only 13 years old and didn’t learn of the bombing until later in the afternoon. I can’t remember if we were told at school or if I saw it all when I arrived home, it’s officially been too long ago to recall all the details.
With the recent events in Boston, MA and West, TX I find myself thinking back to how my memory of April 19th would be completely different if my 7th grade self had a cell phone, the Internet, and Facebook. I would have known about the explosion just minutes after it happened, I’m sure. Is that better or worse? I really don’t know.
In just 9 short days I will be standing in a crowd of people to run the Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon. Next to me will be my Father, my Brother, and thousands of others with the dream of crossing the finish line. This race was my first half marathon just three years ago. I trained with a wonderful group of ladies, we took a road trip down I-44, and after surviving a night in the haunted Skirivin Hotel we stood at the starting line. Most competed in the relay while Rhonda and I embarked on our first half marathon. We ran past 168 banners with the names of each victim and when it hurts a little or you’re out of breath, you never forget that you run because you can. You run to remember.
I personally didn’t know anyone was lost that day, but they were fellow Okies, fellow Americans, fellow human beings. Their lives were cut short by a heartless coward and it could have easily been me or someone I know.
As we were preparing to run a race in their memory one of the most prestigious marathons in the world was attacked. I’ve never been to Boston, I hope to visit later this year, but a part of me has dreamed of running that marathon. In that dream my family is waiting for me at the finish line to celebrate. How could someone think of taking that moment away from anyone?
I composed the above text last night with plans to finish the post today. This morning we turned on the TV to learn that one of the possible suspects was dead and the other was on the run. They are still searching for people in West, TX after the explosion. I was glued to the screen, what world do we live in? Is this even real?
Since this horrible day 18 years ago, Oklahoma City has risen and the Oklahoma Standard showed it's self. We've made it through 9/11 ... NYC, DC, and PA showed that they too will not be defeated. I have no doubt that the recently devastated cities will do just the same.
I was driving to work listening to more news on the radio and I just needed to escape for a few moments. I plugged in my iPhone and a song that I hadn’t listened to in a long time, probably years, came through the speakers. The Change by Garth Brooks. Maybe it was coincidence or maybe I was meant to hear the nearly 20 year old lyrics today.
I run because I can, I run to remember, and I run because this world will not change me.
I can't sleep. Why? About a thousand different reasons.
Quick Recap of the past month or so -
Barley made it through the end of the year at work, which was December 21st. Made a wonderful trip to Oklahoma on the 23rd.
Drove to Kansas on the 24th, enjoyed Christmas with my beautiful and wildly cray Fam.
Drove back to Oklahoma on the 26th.
Family Christmas on the 27th. Caught up with a couple of old friends on the 28th.
Caught up with more friends (Bridesmaids!) on the 29th.
Relaxed on the 30th.
Back to Jersey on the 31st.
'Firstmas' (Christmas on the 1st!) on ... duh!
Work...darn you January 2nd!
I didn't take too many pictures over the trip and I'm not sad about it. I really didn't look at my phone too often, especially while with my family. That might be because the reception is terrible in the SEK (Southeast Kansas), but I'm really happy about that. I will treasure the time spent.
It was far too short, it went by far too quickly.
While I'm not the most consistent blogger in the world, the reason for the latest lapse is the above mentioned trip and my health.
I went for my annual doctors appointment, regular check up, blood work, and the oh so lovely lady exam. Girls, we have it good don't we?! Super fun times. I had a few issues, don't we all? I didn't believe that anything major was going on, but then I received a call from my doctor. She stated that I needed to pick up this prescription...
Hey, we need to scan your brain...WHAT?! Yeah, kinda threw me for a loop.
Per the results of my blood test they believed that the reason for my less than perfect results were because of a tumor on my pituitary gland. I called for an appointment and took the only one they had before our December 21st departure, one hour after my call. This meant that I had to go all by myself. MRI tables are cold and lonesome.
The radiologist didn't scream in shock, so I figured that I didn't have something horribly wrong. Results were promised to me in 3 to 5 business days and this was one of the few reasons I even looked at my phone on our trip. Contrary to what my doctor said, she wasn't in the office until January 2nd. After some mild harassment she called with news...and this is where the Kindergarten Cop comes into play...
Yep! It's not a tumor! WHOOP! Thank the Lord and Hallelujah!
Do I know what the problem is yet? Not a clue. I have an appointment with a specialist on January 10th.
If you have a chance and are the praying kind, I'd appreciate a quick one :) Thanks Y'all!
I arrived at the Tulsa 'International' Airport Wednesday evening and was greeted by two pretty smiling faces! My parents went the extra mile to meet me inside! How special am I?
I am one happy Okie!
We hugged and such while we waited for my bag. When it arrived on the belt, upside down, I played the Dad card for some help...he nearly fell and/or lost an arm, but my luggage was properly retrieved.
The short drive home was overwhelmed with orange barrels, cones, and detour signs. Seriously?! What's up Tulsa?!
On the way through Catoosa we had to make a special stop -
Yes, at 10:45pm I ordered a delicious Number 6 (Beef Mucho Nachos, Taco, and Diet Coke) and I ate every single yummy bite.
Thursday
I was able to sleep in a bit while my parents went to work. After a few errands I met up with my Mom, Dad, and Shalise for lunch. I just realized that we didn't get a picture *vacation fail*. Shalise had just finished a Chemo treatment and apparently you can get 'chemo brain', this is new to me! Either way it made for an interesting lunch at Dex's Mexican Grill. Yes, I had Mexican food twice within an 18 hour period. I have no shame.
Mama and I quickly did some shopping before I headed off for a manicure and dinner with Chandra! Again, no photo...what is with me?! It was so nice to get caught up in person, so much better than facebook, text, and phone! Chandra - can't wait to see you, Ryan, and Caden in December ... I assume that Caden will probably be taller than me by then, too.
Next on the agenda was tailgating and the TU game! Ran into a few friendly faces here and there and had a special visit from Mrs. Melissa (McLean) Peterson!
Family of TU fans!
UTEP 11 - Tulsa 33!!! GO CANE!
Friday Dad and I got up for a morning, slightly rainy, slow run ... our last before the big race!
I took a long drive on the Creek Turnpike to meet up with my lovely massage therapist. Darlene is easily one of the sweetest people on earth and I've missed seeing her on a regular basis. Just like most everything on this trip the time seemed to fly by, but I'm so glad we were able to catch up! Tulsa Friends - If you're in need of a quality LMT let me know!
I spent Friday afternoon at TU borrowing Mama's computer to keep up with my job, a few short hours later I said my goodbyes to the lovely ladies of HR. Miss you all! I appreciate all the prayers and well wishes!!
That evening we went to dinner at one of my favorites, the location of my first job ever! MOLLY'S! We had a wonderful evening catching up with Linda and Russ, eating a perfectly cooked steak, and even doing a little bit of shopping.
Brother and I headed downtown for a few drinks and his roomie Nate joined us. Yep, that's right I hit the town with two guys named Nate...sounds like a great TV show. Beers for me, manly drinks for brother, and girly drinks for Nate...all made for a fine evening!
I enjoy anything served in a Copper Mug
Saturday
Early in the AM we headed to Kansas to see two of the four people I would nominate for the greatest Grandparents of all time. (hint: the other two art my late grandparents, I'm just that lucky)
Emma was our navigator
I walked in the door to smiling faces and big big hugs!
I never get tired of these hugs
Oh - and a special treat :)
mmmm.....
Rockey Mountain Oyster Sammich! Yep, judge if you must.
We ate our food, chatted for a while and then Dad and I loaded up to make the journey from Fredonia to Wichita.
Rural Kansas
Sweet artwork in near Derby, Kansas
We arrived, picked up our packets, and had some dinner with our Cousin Jerry. I recently signed up for Ancestry.com and I may or may not be completely sucked into it. So, we spent the majority of the evening reviewing family information and adding it to our growing tree! So interesting!!
We were able to get bed fairly early in prepration of our run.
Sunday
We ran many miles in preperation, picked our clothes carefully, and tied our shoelaces just right...and then someone drank too much coffee and we nearly missed the race! Note to self - lines for the bathroom will never be longer than they are prior to a long distance run.
We crossed the starting line with 30 second to spare an dour 13.1 mile journey had begun! Our pace was solid through the first few miles and only slowed slightly when we hit a couple of hills. We walked a few water stations and somewhere near mile 8 my toe thought it would be great time to cramp up, we walked a bit and then pushed through the pain!
I have to say that mile 9 and mile 12 were probably the most difficult, but we finished! WHOOP!
WE DID IT!
We celebrated with a drive back to Fredonia and they were so proud of us that they endured our stink for a hug!
Runners with Grandpa - look! no shirt!
Runners with Grandma!
Then I got a big plate of these...okay...I had two.
hello yummy.
Thanks Grandma for making my tummy happy! I had dreamed of biscuits and gravy for MONTHS!
We said our goodbyes and headed to my Dad's hometown, Neodesha, to catch up with our cousins ... yes, I have a TON of cousins!
Emma enjoyed the ride
On our way out of town we stopped by my Granpa's old shop - Dad painted that many many years ago!
Marrs name still holding strong!
And we were on our way back to Oklahoma!!
Tulsa in the distance!
My favorite skyline
Hello Boston Avenue!
We visited Brother's house before heading back to Verdigris...
Sister and Brother
Me, Mom, Emma, Nate
Me, Dad, Emma, Nate
And then it was over, another trip to Taco Bueno, bed and the airport.
Counting the days until I can step onto that beautiful red dirt.
On a side note - I'm full on sucked into Homeland, watch it.
