Skywatch Friday - Lafortune Park

After a run at Lafortune Park in Tulsa Saturday morning. It looked like it was going to rain all day but all we got were clouds. I'll take clouds.

For more pictures of the sky from all over the world, and maybe contribute one yourself, check out Skywatch Friday.

Caz's Chowhouse - Tulsa

We had some customers come in for a meeting. They were flying in and out the same day with time for dinner. I work downtown so I needed a place that was convenient to downtown and the airport.

I thought of Caz's Chowhouse in the Brady District at 18 East Brady. I hadn't eaten there in several years. So I called them (918 588-Chow) and made reservations.

So we went and were not disappointed. It is in a funky old building, is nicely appointed and had blues and jazz music going on. The service was very attentive but not obtrusive. We stayed there for a couple hours and had a great time.

The prices are quite reasonable, most of the entrees are under $10. They have a wide selection of comfort food, salads, hamburgers, and salads. My companions had the grilled salmon, and a salmon salad. They all thought their food tasted very good.

I had my favorite. Sweetie laughs at me about it and so do my coworkers. My customers were very polite but you could tell they were amused. I had the chicken and waffles.

Yep, that's right, chicken tenders on a waffle. With syrup, with a side of black eye peas. Hey don't knock until you try it. My suggestion, do like I did, ask for a go-box right away. That way you can put half of it away until the next day. Otherwise, you will be bloated.

For desert, we shared the bread pudding. It is made right there in the restaurant, and it is great.

I rate Caz's Chowhouse 3.5 stars out of 4.

Rough Day for 666BOI at Church

At Church, nobody will even park around me anymore!

(just kidding folks)

The last two Sundays have been a little eye opening. Our Adult Sunday School class began a study of Genesis and I found that many people in the class. Meaning, almost all who spoke up, do not believe in the Theory of Evolution. I was surprised. Shame on me!! I spoke up the first Sunday, played nice the second, shame on me again!!!

So I guess that I could refute what they believe in, but guess what, I won't. I don't want to argue. Has anybody ever won an argument?

Instead I'll talk about what I believe. Don't worry, this is going to be short, I'm spreading it out.

I'm taking a lot of material from an excellent web site called Theistic Evolution - One Christian's Perspective. There is also an excellent post on the New Scientist web site.

What do I believe about how man came to be here: I find no conflict whatsoever between Evolution, including Natural Selection, and the Creation Account of Genesis. I do not feel like I am "rationalizing" the two or twisting the concepts or anything. I believe that God made man (and woman).

Some of my fellow Christians make fun by saying "So you think that man came from the ooze." I say no, the Bible teaches that God made man from dust. (Gen 2:7). Not much difference to me between dust and ooze, besides a little moisture.

I'll tell you one thing. I'm not sitting silent any longer. I may be sitting somewhere else but I'm not keeping my mouth shut on this subject.

See I think this fake conflict between Spiritual matters and Scientific matters is important. I think that it is important because I think many people think they have to choose between believing in God, or believing in Science. I think Science reveals God's creation to us. I don't think it refutes it. I think that Science is a tool, it is not a religion. I love Science. The more I learn about our World and our Universe, the more I am in awe of God and his wonderful creation.

That's all for now. What do you think? I would like to know.

Just so you know. I like my Sunday School Class and all the people in it. They are great folks. I just didn't know them as well as I should. They are not shunning me. I think they feel a little sorry for me. It doesn't change my high opinion I have about any of them. Also, they all know loads more about the Bible than I do. They are all spiritual warriors. They are also first in line to help just in case anybody needs a helping hand.

My World - Philtower Building

Philtower was completed in 1928 by oilman Waite Phillips, brother of the more famous Frank Phillips of Phillips Petroleum Corporation. Its not really art deco but a neo-gothic design with art deco touches. It fits in very well with the other buildings downtown.

Its a great building and all that but the real interesting thing about it, to me, is that Phillips deeded the building to the Boy Scouts of America in 1941 to finance operations of the Boy Scout camp Philmont a huge ranch in northern New Mexico, that he also donated to the scouts. If you have been involved in scouting you should have at least heard about Philmont.

In 1977 a group of local investors purchased the building from the Boy Scouts. They have kept the building in excellent condition. They converted 10 floors to residential apartments. If you are in the market you can check it out here. The site has a lot more photographs (better photos to be sure) and more historical information.

Philtower has its own gallery on the first floor with original floorplans and architectural drawings. It is very cool.
The building has a very ornate lobby. It is not gold leaf like the Philcade across the street but still just as spectacular.
I just love stairways like this.

For more views of our shared world check out That's My World.

Road Trip - Kansas

Last Thursday coworker Dave and I went on a road trip to Kansas. We needed to talk to some of our field guys up there plus go to an energy industry meeting. I love going to Kansas. It is very scenic (yep, I think so, really), and the residents take great pride in their state. Regulatory wise in my industry it is a little more restrictive than what I'm used to so sometimes I irritate our Kansas based employees by calling it "The Peoples Republic of Kansas." But I'm just kidding, they know that.

Dave and I each had new navigation systems. Same manufacturer, different models. We had to check them out so we used both. Let me tell you, you don't want to go to Kansas without a backup GPS.

We took the back roads. We went through Sharon, Kansas. Home of Martine Mcbride. We happened to run into her. She let us take her picture. Very pretty lady with a great voice. Still runs around the praire barefoot.

We also went through Medicine Lodge, Kansas. Home of Carrie A. Nation. She's deceased so we didn't see her. At the cocktail party we went to that night though I led several toasts to her memory.

You know, if she took those glasses off and set that hatchet down she wouldn't look that bad.

Spent the night in Pratt, Kansas very neat tidy midwestern town. Brick streets, all that good stuff. They have their Miss Kansas pageant there. Several have won the Miss America pageant. I don't think Carrie would have won. Smashing whiskey bottles isn't much of a talent, and the bathing suit segment would have been a problem for her.

After our meetings, dinner, and cocktail party I went geocaching. There a couple dozen caches in Pratt. I did not find a one. Made a bad decision on the route to them (I walked) by the time I got in the vicinity it was way dark. I had a great walk though. About seven miles all told. Most of it was out in the country.

Sweetie doesn't like it when I going exploring on foot, especially late at night. But I see great stuff that I wouldn't see sitting in a motel room. Like this sunset.

Or this house. Sorry for the blurriness. I didn't have a tripod.

Pratt has a park called Lemon Park. Great lighted walking trails that meander all over the place. 10 PM and there were all sorts of people walking their dogs and walking together, I loved it. Not a hint of the creep factor that one sees sometimes in parks late at night.

Next day, time to head back to T town. Dave and I loaded up on Fat Tire Beer. (I mean we bought a couple cases of it, not go on a drinking binge.) Cannot get it in Oklahoma because of our strange liquor laws.

She's moved out

My MIL, Nana, who is staying with us while she recuperates from a broken hip had a friend, Patty from southeast Oklahoma, visit her this weekend. Nana has a recently purchased house near to that she has moved her furniture into but has not moved herself in yet. She and Patty were going to stay the night in Nana's new house during Patty's visit.

Well that darn Nana, she got to thinking about it and announced she was going to go live in her new house. I mean why not, she's almost all unpacked. So we loaded the stuff up she had at our house and moved it to her house. Took about 15 minutes. And then we decided to have a party. I grilled some buffalo steaks and Sweetie prepared the beverages.

Patty, Sweetie, and Nana out by the pool.

Martini anyone, anyone!

Chips and guacamole

SuperPizzaBoy and I watching "Run Silent, Run Deep" with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster on Nana's TV. Those old school navy movies with their bathtub special effects are great.

Nana still can't drive for a while, but she is on the road to mending. She is very happy to get back into her own house.

Mother In Law Philosophy

Something Old

Something New - On Sale and Still Unwrapped

Still good advice.

I was told to never come back

Last night Sweetie and I attended a function at the Tulsa Country Club, a very swanky old school country club, courtesy some friends. We had a great time and enjoyed ourselves immensely and are very grateful for their generosity.

As much as I enjoyed myself I was a little nervous. You see, I had been to a party there before. A long time ago, even before Sweetie was a part of my life. It was before they had their existing club house. The party was in their old clubhouse. A very fine and distinguished building.

I won't get into who I was with or what the function was because that doesn't matter. What matters is that apparently things didn't go well and I was told that I wasn't welcome back.

The evening started out just fine. The building looked really elegant with all the late model cars parked in front. Nothing but top shelf here. Don't be bringing your old junkers.

We had cocktails and then dinner. A photographer came around. Do you see how elegantly my companion and I were dressed. Relaxed and fun loving, that was me back in them days before I turned all serious and stiff like I am now.

I am not sure what happened next. There were lots of rumors, nothing ever proven, personally I think it was something I ate. All I know is that I woke up the next morning to some accusing stares and somebody thrust a newspaper in front of me with this picture and asked if I was happy with myself.

I have to admit that I had a really good time. But, I was told, "do not ever come back."

And that is why I was nervous last night.

Skywatch Friday - From the Credit Union Parking Lot

I love Skywatch Friday but sometimes I don't know what to post. I had some good possiblities but I was going home after a run Wednesday night and just had to duck into a credit union parking lot to take this picture.

For more picture of the sky check out Skywatch Friday.

Duplicity with Julia Roberts

Sweetie and I went to see "Duplicity" last weekend. A movie starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owens. They play a pair of ex CIA Spies who have gone over to the private sector. They of course fall in love (I didn't mean to spoil the movie for you!) but don't quite trust each other. They work as industrial spies for two competing home products companies who CEO's hate each other.

The movie is kind of a satirical comedy and I love Julia Roberts' wry performance. She has really turned into a great actress, and she is looking better than ever! Clive did ok.

I found the movie almost impossible to follow. There are so many twists and turns. I would like to see it again. It is one of those movies that could have had several endings, and maybe did. I'm not sure that I liked the end they chose. But they kept me guessing.

I give the movie three stars our of four. The acting was good but the movie was almost impossible to follow.

The movie does have a great website though. Much better than average.

Sweetie and Earth Day

Sweetie gave me and SuperPizzaBoy (and everybody in SPB's class) Earth Day Cookies today! Nobody else in the entire world would ever think to give us Earth Day Cookies.

Thanks Sweetie, I savored every crumb. You are special.

Watery Wednesday - A Sunday morning walk along the Arkansas River

Sunday morning walk on Arkansas River in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

South Side of the Jenks Pedestrian Bridge at dark thirty in the morning.

Started north. I'm a sucker for any kind of trail. This one is nice, asphalt and well lit, even at dark thirty.

Part of the woods between the trail and the river is eagle habitat. Stay out from November to the middle of March.

Went as far as the new Creek River Spirit Casino, open less than a month. Cost, reportedly about $195 million. 300,000 sqare feet of space. I've been watching them build this for a long time. Nope, I didn't drop in a few quarters before I turned around.

It's getting light, sun is coming up. Here is a picture of the eagle sanctuary. You can see the river through the trees.

I beg your indulgence here. My employer's natural gas pipeline crossing the river. My crew at work buys a lot of the gas that goes through this thing from thousands of gas wells in western Oklahoma. This pipeline is ultimately connected to almost all the gas pipelines in the United States. If you live in North America and have a natural gas line to your your house, it is connected to this line.

An hour after I started, a picture of the north side of the Jenks Bridge.

Check out Watery Wednesday for great photographs of water from around the world.

My World - A noon walk in downtown Tulsa

Monday at noon was the best day so far this Spring here in Tulsa, OK. So I put my hat on, hooked up my ipod, turned it to Miles Davis, grabbed my camera and went for a walk.

On the north side of downtown I came across this crane. I love big manly machinery. I hope that they keep it here a while. I think they are going to demolish a condemned bridge over the railroad tracks. I'll have to come by periodically and make sure they are doing it right. Also, look at the blue sky. Like I said it was a gorgeous day to be out and about.

I am just a kid when it comes to trains. I love them all.

This is the BOK Tower, built in the mid 1970's. If it looks familiar it may be because it was designed by Minuru Yamasaki and Associates who also designed the World Trade Center buildings. The BOK tower is 52 stories and 667 feet tall which is almost exactly one half the height of the WTC buildings (1362 feet and 1368 feet). Supposedly the BOK tower is the tallest building in the plains states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. (Wow! the plains states are world renown for their real tall buildings!!)

Sign inside the BOK tower. I've never been in a building where walking is not permitted. Beware, we Okies can be strict! I confess, I willfully walked through the Upper Level Lobby. Just try and find me!

Gotta go, I'm on the run from the walking police. Thanks for visiting.

For other views of the world click on over to That's My World.

Rejuvenated Rear End

I'm still higher than a kite about my new license plate number 666BOI. I was so excited I decided to the truck repaired. You see about three years ago I got rear ended by a male nurse on the BA Expressway. (I know ha ha ha, har har har, you all are so darn funny, I've heard it all....) and my truck got damaged. I settled with his insurance company and got a check to fix it and never did.

In the meantime I got two cracks on the windshield, both of them eventually spread across the width of the glass.

Well, I can't have the best license plate in the country be attached to a truck with a rear end that needed fixed. (Again, ha ha ha.... enough). So I took it in to get both the bumper and the windshield fixed.

Before,

After

Have you ever seen a rear end that was so smooth and wrinkle free?

Nana is moved in!

My Mother-in-Law Nana is moved into her new house in Tulsa. She is was moving up here anyway and had a contract to buy a house when when she broke her hip and had to have surgery, then rehab here in Tulsa.

Well but she is one tough lady and she worked extremely hard and flew through inpatient rehab, and closed on her house. She and Sweetie spent most of the last week supervising the move from Antlers, OK to Broken Arrow. The movers unloaded it all Friday.

So here is a picture of Nana (on the right) and another tough lady (Sweetie) resting up at the new house.

Nice pool in the back yard.

A few treasures from the old house, now in the new house.
The Bear
The Old Cookstove from the Homestead in Northwest Oklahoma

Gumball Machine from the Pharmacy

SuperPizzaBoy's Rocky Horse. I remember him small enough to fall of it. Now he trips over it.

Nana had the movers deliver the old piano to our house. It looks like it belongs here.