Yogi's Den

Weekend in Black and White - First Roll

2012-01-27T21:38:00.000-06:00

My Mother-in-Law recently gave me one of my late Father-in-Law's cameras. A Kodak Brownie Hawkeye.

I took it, cleaned it up and put a roll of film in it, and much to my delight it works.

So these are old school black and white photographs. I took these photographs at a local Harley Davidson dealership here in Tulsa.

I found a local lab that sells and processes the 120 film that the camera uses. Now that I have the first roll behind me I'm going to go take some more. Got any ideas for me for subjects?

The Weekend in Black and White

Skywatch Friday - Big Sky

2012-01-26T05:48:00.000-06:00

After a whole day of misting rain the sun finally gave us a wink.

Skywatch Friday

War Horse - the Movie

2012-01-25T06:02:00.001-06:00

We went to see War Horse Sunday. It's been out long enough that you don't need me to tell you that it is great movie. But I'll say it anyway.

The movie is quite emotional on several different levels. It always takes me a while to figure why I'm feeling what I'm feeling.

To me it is a movie about a noble, brave, and loyal horse who gives his all. That's great, but what is really great ...

Is that he inspires those same qualities in the many different people who come into contact with him.

Five stars out of five for this one.

ABC Wednesday - "B"

2012-01-24T08:00:00.007-06:00

It's almost the end of January, April is around the corner and I am already looking forward to Baseball.

I love it whether in beautiful downtown San Diego or here in AA Tulsa.

We're serious fans,

We sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game, with gusto.

We say hello to the mascots.

We check out the camera ladies fingernail polish and wonder what the duct tape is for.

We watch the fireworks.

And sometimes even watch the game.

ABC Wednesday

Ruby Tuesday - Orpha's Lounge

2012-01-23T08:00:00.006-06:00

Drab day to be looking for Ruby Tuesday photographs last week. I saw lots of red over near Orpha's. Tulsa's most venerable dive bar.

(No I was not in Orpha's before I captured this image. I kind of like the tilt, sorry.)

I've seen lots of people passed out in front of it over the years. Well maybe two or three in twenty years.

As some of you know, I work for natural gas pipeline company. So I'm really liking their gas meter. Sure looks better than standard utility company gray.

Ruby Tuesday 2

Pets Forever - Hogging the Heat

2012-01-22T10:58:00.000-06:00

Chrissy our 20 pound cranky Maine Coon.

Pets Forever

Occupy Tulsa Returns

2012-01-21T09:38:00.001-06:00

Occupy Tulsa returned after an extended break. No camping this time, they gathered at the Federal Courthouse in Tulsa. They brought a drum this time. But they were all by themselves.

Except that Tulsa's welcome wagon was there. No gift baskets though.

Everybody seemed to be having a great time during a chilly noontime.

So, what do you think about the Occupy movement? Has it got legs or is winding down?

Weekend Reflections - Midwinter

2012-01-20T06:09:00.000-06:00

Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday - Sky Furrows

2012-01-19T05:47:00.000-06:00

Since I've been participating in Skywatch Friday I spend a lot more time looking up than I used to.

It's interesting to me all the different patterns, textures, and colors one can see.

Sometimes it looks like God is plowing the sky.

I wonder what he is going to plant?

Skywatch Friday

Wordless Wednesday - Tryptych

2012-01-18T05:40:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

2012-01-17T08:00:00.013-06:00

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta is a book about the aftermath of a rapture. One day, about dinnertime, a good portion of the earth's population simply disappears into thin air. The people remaining are left to deal with it the best way they can. What they endure is not a God induced misery of plagues and famine. They are left to deal with the tribulation of dealing their feelings and sense of loss with their wives, husbands, children, parents, friends, family, coworkers and acquaintances that just plain disappeared one day with no warning.

The rapture didn't follow any rhyme or reasons, many devout Christians were left behind while atheists, Hindus, Moslems, and other non-Christians went. There was not any word sent down from God about what he was up to either. Some families were left intact, in others, all but one member of a large family left. Softball teams were left without center fielders.

So everybody tried to work there way through the results. Some just made the best of it and tried to maintain an upbeat attitude. Others didn't want to forget and didn't want others to forget. They joined a cult called the Guilty Remnant. They live communally, wear only white, and smoke continually to show their status. They follow people around just to show they are watching them. Especially people who are about to do some sinning.

I try not to read book reviews before I do mine. That way I have nobody to blame for my uninspiring, off point reviews which despite that are all mine, but I loved the following blurb about this book from a review by Stephen King. He said:

"The Leftovers is, simply put, the best Twilight Zone episode you never saw."--Stephen King, New York Times Book Review

That in a nutshell pretty well sums it up.

I loved this book. I give it four stars out of five. I have never read Tom Perotta before. I'll be checking into his other books. Get it at your local library!! Save some bucks.

Muggles No More!!

2012-01-16T07:51:00.002-06:00

So why is Sweetie so danged happy? Look at her. She's positively giddy.

I think it is because she is missing out on a geocaching adventure.

She'll go geocaching with me, and she is good at it. But she doesn't mind missing an outing.

Even when I took these ladies geocaching. I mean they look nice but they just couldn't get into it.

(No I didn't really take them geocaching, but I could tell they wanted me to ask them to go.)

They weren't really dressed for it either. I found a couple other people to go geocaching with me. Smarter than the cheerleaders, and really, better looking also.

My friend Jonni of That's Baloney on the right and her neighbor Diane, on the left. I'll take them geocaching over Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders any day. Jonni is also one of the Real Housewives of Oklahoma ("RHOK") who are a hoot. Check them out. They brought their great kids Michael and John. None of them had ever been geocaching before. So that made them "Muggles." Muggles are what geocachers call non-geocachers. It's from the Harry Potter books where muggles are just regular non-wizard people.

My mission Sunday was to lead Jonni, Diane, and their kids away from being muggles to the salvation of being geocachers.

Of course, the ever stylish Jonni had all the right clothes and accessories. Note the led lights on her ball cap and the carabiners. Check out the footwear.

Neiman Marcus I think, their geocaching collection. That's where Jonni gets her snuggies. But keep that on the "down low" she doesn't want people to think she is putting on airs.

Everybody took a turn with the GPSr going from cache to cache at the Ray Harrell Nature Park in Broken Arrow. Above Michael is putting back together a cache we found. Below is his mom, running on ahead looking for the next one.

Of course when we found it it was like "take a picture of my cache." OK J. We got it.

The kids had a good time exchanging trinkets and signing the logs. You may wonder where SPB is? Well, he and I have found over 1100 so he's a little jaded.

Anyways Jonni, Diane, and their kids are no longer muggles! Welcome them into the fold. Four more saved! That is how evangalism is done, one person at a time.

Jonni's version of the day is posted on the RHOK blog.

If you are a muggle and are tired of the shame and want to find out how to not be a muggle any more or just want to find out more about geocaching check out Geocaching 101.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Pneumbra

2012-01-15T08:40:00.000-06:00

Starting out on a run after work last Fall.

My shadow was cast clear across a four lane street.

Yogi Pneumbra?

Shadow Shot Sunday

Jesse James, RIP

2012-01-14T08:00:00.003-06:00

This past week we had great weather. One day at lunch I sneaked off to the nearby suburb of Sand Springs to check out a geocache, or two at their River City Park right on the Arkansas River.

There was a lot of stuff to see on the way to the caches. The park has its own Rodeo Arena.

Complete with grandstands.

No horses in the grandstands though.

There is a bicycle BMX park also. It looks like loads of fun..

I did a little trespassing and got up on the levee. Strictly forbidden,

but officer I wanted to get some shots of the Gerdau Steel Mill. It has been shut down, as far as I can tell, since 2009. The place used to be bustling. Pretty sad.

I finally got close to the cache. It is called "Jesse James." I am not going to spoil things by showing the cache location.

It is not named after the outlaw but a famous bucking horse. I googled and searched. There was a bucking horse of that name back in the early 1960's that couldn't hardly be ridden by anybody but I couldn't close the loop with Sand Springs, Oklahoma nor Willie Mendell. Anybody out there know anything about Jesse James the horse?

I love mysteries like that.

Well anyways, I got back to my car after all my wandering around and guess what...

All was well with my (Kia) Soul.

Have you had any good walks lately?

Weekend Reflections - Lafortune Park

2012-01-13T06:59:00.000-06:00

Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday - Sunset View from the Office

2012-01-12T05:52:00.000-06:00

From last week, straight out of the camera except for cropping.

Skywatch Friday

Watery Wednesday - Gulf Shores Memories

2012-01-10T18:04:00.001-06:00

Gulf Shores, August 2011

Sorry, I'm missing the Gulf of Mexico.

Watery Wednesday

The Next Big Thing in Medicine is Small

2012-01-10T07:34:00.002-06:00

If you don't think that Tulsa is at the forefront of medical research and breakthroughs you'd be wrong. The latest trend in family medicine got its start right here in the homeland.

You may think that it looks like an old time British phone box. It does look like that but it is actually a complete doctor's office. Don't believe me? Well look for yourself.

See?

Think about it. Rents are high, rents are paid by the square feet, minimize the square feet, minimize the rent, ~~reduce the cost to the patient~~ increase doctor's take home.

Waiting rooms you ask? Wait in your car. You'll be parked right outside. It's kind of small you thnk? How much room do you need? If the doctor needs more room, he can open the door and you can both step outside? Why all the glass? Cuts down on the electric bill.

What about modesty and privacy? Hah! Aren't you the one who blogged about your colonoscopy? Posted about passing gas on facebook? Puhlease give me a break on your modesty. Besides, are you really sick or not?

There are lots of advantages if you think about it. You want to know if the doctor is in? Just take a look. You want to know what's wrong with that nice looking person that had appointment in front of you? Step up to the window and find out for yourself. You might learn something. It might be something you saw on Grey's Anatomy last night so you can just tap on the glass and let them know. Crowd sourced medicine, very edgy, very cool.

Good old American know how and that can do attitude. You heard about it here first.

I'm participating today with my friend Impulsive Addict and her Talk to Us Tuesday linkup that she and her friend Shawn manage. I am not sure that it is for guys to join in, but I'm doing it anyway.

Our World - One Place Tower

2012-01-09T08:00:00.004-06:00

Maybe the economy is getting a little better?

I've been taking pictures of a bright red crane that is helping to build a new building in downtown Tulsa.

It is for a new multi-use development called "One Place." It will have an 18 story office tower, a 120 room hotel, loft apartments, and room for restaurants and such.

The crane is 325 feet tall and the mast extends 196 feet. It can lift 15,000 to 20,000 pounds depending how far out the load is on the mast.

It is nice to have new money being spent downtown.

http://www.milesassociates.com/projects-details.aspx?projectid=37&ontheboards=1#

I wish the design would be a little more imaginative. In a city core loaded with art deco treasures and located across from the street from the Cesar Peli designed BOK Center, One Place will be a sea of beige.

The crane is cool though!

Our World

A Sunny Saturday on the Arkansas River

2012-01-08T08:00:00.002-06:00

We are having a another sunny pleasant weekend in Tulsa. Son and I decided to go for a little walk on the Arkansas River near downtown.

We have some bigass trees in the River Parks. Son is going to tell on me for using the word bigass.

We saw the crane being used to build the new One Place tower downtown. The crane is supposed to be 325 feet tall. Hmmm, I was going to link to their web site but they don't have one. Hmmm... Should I make one for them?

We saw a flag flying in the breeze and some fishermen in the river just below a low water dam. Hmmm... (Is that irritating you?) I'm afraid for their safety is all.

We saw a homeless campsite. Usually they are more discreet than this. What a way to live.

We saw some wilted flowers in a tree planted as a memorial. I've come across lots of things like this in my running, walking, hiking, geocaching, activities. Lots of sadness out there.

This is the plaque next to the tree. I googled the name. The only hit I got that come closest to being appropos was a businessman in his late 20"s who was murdered in the New York City area back in the 80's. Lots of mystery out there.

I was taking a picture of the trees and the sky. I know, I lust too much after bare naked trees. This time one of the squirrel's nest moved.

I didn't have my good camera with me and of course no tripod but I think that the squirrel's nest is actually an eagle of some kind. Maybe a bald eagle? (But probably a hawk of some sort.)

I'm not really sure. He got tired and flew off.

We ambled through the rest of our walk. We took our time as we looked here there and everywhere. We were a little tired. I'm participating with my friend Baloney's Perfect Pairings today with the following verse.

The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
   and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

(Isaih 40:28-31) NIV (Thanks Bible Gateway!)

Shadow Shot Sunday - Downtown

2012-01-07T08:57:00.002-06:00

The sun is low this time of year, even at noon. It contributes to the cool weather but makes for great shadows.

Cross hatch pattern on the side of a building with an old school fire escape.

Shadow of tree and light pole. I don't know what kind of tree it is that still has its leaves this late in the year.

Shadowshot Sunday

Weekend Reflections - Restoration Hardware

2012-01-06T05:54:00.000-06:00

Sweetie and I checked out our local Restoration Hardware store in Tulsa during a recent outing. They used to actually sell hardware there with a little bit of furniture. Now they have some token hardware that you have to look hard to find and really funky furniture. Really funky expensive furniture.

On our visit the theme seemed to be reflections. They had both polished and burnished surfaces.

I couldn't figure out if was art deco or some sort of new modern type stuff. (Please note: stuffed shirt, humorless, self important, mid-Century modern fans, please be nice in your comments. You guys are worse than Ron Paul supporters.)

I'm not sure what we would do with these binoculars. Too heavy to carry outside, I'm not that interested in our neighbor's doings. But the binoculars are styling.

What a coffee table. Made by laid off aircraft assemblers maybe?

Sweetie laughed when I suggested that we ought to buy a bunch of this stuff.

Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday - Redbud Nature Preserve Sky

2012-01-05T08:00:00.004-06:00

On a bright, sunny, warm New Year's Eve Eve (the day before New Year's Eve) the Yogi's went on a family hike to Tulsa's Redbud Nature Preserve.

It's known for its varied terrain including some great bluff's and cliffs.

But the day we were there the sun and sky were the stars. It felt good to get out in the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine.

The sun and sky were doing their magic.

Skywatch

Wordless Wednesday - What are you looking at?

2012-01-03T08:00:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

Ruby Tuesday - High Rise Cranes

2012-01-02T07:51:00.001-06:00

We have some new construction going on just a couple blocks from the office.

It's been a long time since I've had a chance to inspect a new building as it goes up.

Maybe you can help me along. We want them to do this right after all.

Meantime, I will be keeping my eye on this crane.

Ruby Tuesday 2

Shadow Shot Sunday - Early Morning Gas Company Shadows

2012-01-01T08:00:00.018-06:00

Early Morning Shadows

First up, Natural Gas Lantern Shadow on the Parking Garage. The gas is how you know we are not Public Service Company of Oklahoma, the electric utility.

Backing off a bit

Second, the Federal Courthouse Flag and Shadows, from the Gas Company Office. Do you see both flag shadows?

Happy New Year to my fellow bloggers, family, and friends.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Yogi Film Festival Movie #1 "Beer Wars"

2011-12-31T07:52:00.001-06:00

We have been watching lots of movies lately. "Beer Wars" I watched online, the others I'm posting we went to theaters.

I just got through watching a dynamite documentary on Amazon's streaming service, Beer Wars. A film about the beer industry in America. I was hooked, it is about the battle between the big brewers and the little guys in the beer business.

It turns out that it is a no holds barred fight going on in the aisles of our grocery stores, on the shelves of our liquor stores and in the halls of Congress as the big guys are fighting to maintain their virtual monopolies and the little guys are fighting for access.

What I like best about the film is the passion of the small brewers. They are in it for love and their love has them in debt, personally. The big guys are fighting slowing sales of their crappy swill and are looking to exploit the niches opened up by the little guys.

But you know, that goes on in almost any business. All is fair in love and war though, right? Above and below are zoomable infographics. The top one shows which brewers own which brands. The big guys have been buying the little guys and so that beer you think is from a small brewer? It may not be. The infographic below shows how dominating the big guys are and how truly small the little guys are.

Well maybe, the disturbing part of the movie is how the big brewers use their campaign cash to buy access to our representatives to reinforce and bolster their advantages. That buying out of Congress is one thing that I think drives both our Tea Party and Occupation neighbors nuts. The brewers are very equal opportunity. They don't care if a representative is a Republican or a Democrat as long as they vote the right way. I love capitalism and the vibrancy it adds to our economic system, but the access that big money has to congressional power is corrupting the system.

I didn't mean to get all serious about this. This is a great flick. Watch it, cheap on Amazon dot com. (Free if you are an Amazon Prime Member)

Grab a beer and drink, No no no, not a Bud Light fool, something decent.

Yogi Film Festival Movie #3 -"We Bought a Zoo" - the Movie

2011-12-31T07:51:00.004-06:00

The second movie in the Yogi Movie Festival is "We Bought a Zoo"

Fun, fun, fun but I wish they had watched their language!

We Bought a Zoo was the third movie we saw over the holidays. It is a gentle movie about a guy with two kids, a moody teenage boy and a very cute little girl, who loses his wife, their mother and finds himself at loose ends. Trying to make a fresh start he looks for a new house out in the country and finds a house and along with the house a private zoo complete with staff of fun characters.

So not knowing a thing about he plunges in and before he knows finds himself almost buried alive financially and emotionally under his new burden. I'll let you guess the rest.

I liked the movie, it kind of markets itself as a family movie but the language is a little rough at times. SuperPizzaBoy muttered loudly several times about why there was so much cussing.

Still, all in all not a bad move. I give it three stars out of five. Go see it.

Yogi Film Festival Movie #2 - "The Adventures of Tin Tin"

2011-12-31T07:51:00.003-06:00

The whole famdamily went out to see "The Adventures of Tintin." I'm going to refer you to the IMDB site to explain what the movie is about. It's complicated and they do a better job than I can.

Besides I dozed off during the movie a few times.It's pretty and has some neat animated action scenes but it really is kind of dull, even though we sprang the extra bucks for the 3D version.

I give the movie two stars out of five. Nice scenes, great action, sometimes, but kind of dull. Gottasay though that SuperPizzaBoy reports that he likes the movie.

Yogi Film Festival Movie #4 - "the Descendents"

2011-12-31T07:50:00.000-06:00

Sweetie and I went to see The Descendants with George Clooney. Clooney plays Matt King a less than perfect husband and father whose less than perfect, extreme sport addict, wife Elizabeth ends up in a coma following a speed boating accident and will soon die. King decides to round up both his perfect little girl, and his less than perfect teenage daughter , who brings along her moronic boyfriend and make the rounds of family and friends to tell them that they need to get to the hospital to say their goodbye's to Elizabeth.

So that's pretty sad, but then Matt starts to find out things about his wife that he has to go check out on his own. This is against a backdrop of Matt's cousins and a big land deal coming up where the family is going to sell out a huge chunk of unspoiled Hawaiian wilderness to a developer.

Clooney is a great actor. This is a serious movie but he provides comic relief. He can just look into the camera and be funny. He reminds me a little of Steve Martin sometimes.

Also interesting is the Hawaii we see in this movie. Much of it is the Hawaii of Dog the Bounty Hunter. the red neck side of things.

I give the movie four stars out of five. Go see it, leave the kids home though.

James B. Ross, The Best Drummer in Tulsa

2011-12-30T06:33:00.000-06:00

I took my new camera out for a test run the other day. The funky one on the right is the Lomography Fisheye No. 2. It has a field of view of 170 degrees. In other words it will take a photograph of everything it is pointed at. The results are a little distorted. Which I love.

It's a film camera which means that learning how to use can be a little expensive. I took a bunch of pics on my first roll. Not very many are presentable.

While taking a late lunch downtown a man asked me if I would take his picture. Little did he know.

His name is James B. Ross, he is new to town, and he said that he is the best drummer in town. He said that is saying a lot because Tulsa is a music town and is known to have great musicians. He just came here and is staying at the Salvation Army Shelter. He asked me if I knew that they had whole families down there. I said yep, I know.

Anyway he is between gigs and doesn't have a drum set. He told me, "No worries, it may take me a while but you will be hearing from me again."

He asked if he could see the pictures I took of him. I told him that I can't because its a film camera. He looked at me and laughed. "I'm so sorry man, the new cameras are digital. You need to get one. So you can see what you are doing."

Have you ever had a homeless guy feel sorry for you?

Good luck James B. Ross, I'm going to keep my ear to the ground for you.

Skywatch Friday - View from the Office

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

I know that I run the risk of repeating myself too often. I like the way the Arkansas River looks like it is looping on itself.

Skywatch Friday

Wordless Wednesday - Yogi's One Minute to Nirvana

2011-12-27T21:39:00.001-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

Geocaching - Scouting Chandler Park for the RHOK

2011-12-27T13:00:00.000-06:00

Son and I have been scouting geocaches lately. Not that I need an excuse, he hates geocaching with a passion. If they ever came up with a videogame "Zelda the Windwaker Geocacher" he might be interested. Otherwise forget it. But he's a good sport. The reason we are scouting geocaches is that my friend Baloney of "That's Baloney" and I thought it might be fun for her and some of her fellow Real Housewives of Oklahoma ("RHOK") members to go geocaching and then for us to blog about the experience.

(In case you are wondering, all is well with my Soul)

I think it would be fun but I don't want to take them to find geocaches that I've already found. What good would that be? On the other hand looking for a cache and not finding it is a bummer. Especially if some of these ladies bring their kids along. And then you want to take them some place different, but not too far away, after all these women are busy. Sometimes I think they should change their names to the Real Busy Housewives of Oklahoma .They are on the go all the time, here, there, and everywhere.

So anyway SPB and I decided to check out a cache in Chandler Park in west Tulsa. The cache is called "TAG CITO 2011 Commerative Cache". (A little translation, TAG is Tulsa Area Geocachers, a local geocaching group, CITO is Cache In, Trash Out where cachers help clean up parks and such as a way of giving back to the community.) Anyways, nobody had found it in a while so off son and I went.

(Nope that is not a cache, it really is a birdhouse, I checked)

There was a little disclaimer in the description. It described the terrain as "rough." That can be troublesome because no geocacher will ever claim that terrain is too "rough." If somebody planted a geocache at the summit of Mount Everest the description would say "possibly rough terrain." Well anyway, off we went. The first thing we saw was the birdhouse. You know if some girl scouts could make it this far, so could the housewives.

(You don't really need to climb this wall)

Now, I'm not going to spoil anybody else's fun by showing how to get to the cache or the details of its placement or any of that. But I have to ask myself, could the RHOK women climb up this wall of rhoks? Heck with them, could I climb up this wall?

Assuming they got up the wall and down the other side and into the canyon, could they get out? I wasn't sure that I could get out! The shadows were getting kind of long. Maybe we'll find something a little less challenging. I'm not worried about them, they can do anything, I'm worried about me. I guess that I'll keep on looking.

Signs, Signs - Central Library

2011-12-26T08:46:00.002-06:00

I'm a big fan of libraries. Tulsa has an excellent system of libraries scattered all over the City and County of Tulsa.

Two views of the sign at the west door for Central Library of the Tulsa City County Library System.

You'll find me at lunch at the library two or three times a week using their free wifi to play Scrabble and Words with Friends on my ipod or actually checking out books. I've been doing that for about 20 years now.

My fellow patrons are in doing their homework, listening to music, reading newspapers and magazines. For some, they are getting a respite from the cold. Everybody is treated with respect. I love libraries.

Signs, Signs

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T22:20:00.000-06:00

Yogi here with a Christmas report from Oklahoma

It was dry, sunny, and warm!! You can have your White Christmases, you really can. For me I like the warm sun.

Christmas Eve we spent at Nana's house. Here is mother and daughter. I like that dynamic flip in Sweetie's hair.

We brought our three mutts to mix and mingle with Nana's two mutts. It was mutt mania Christmas Eve especially when Sweetie broke out the treats.

After an excellent meal of tacos and tamales courtesy of Nana and a nice long relaxed visit, we went home and watched "A Christmas Story" in our jammies. SuperPizzaBoy loves that movie and laughs hard. It's fun watching him. Sorry, no pj photos folks. I don't think SuperPizzaBoy would mind, Sweetie would. Anyway, after the movie he went off to bed and then Santa came (wink, wink, to all the parents out there). Santa ate the two gingerbread cookies and was nice enough to leave a note.

Next morning, coffee and more gingerbread cookies. I know I said no pj pcs, but you know I lie a lot. You can tell when I'm lying. If my lips are moving, I'm lying.

Nana and I showing off our favorite gifts, hand knitted scarves from Sweetie.

Ginger, got a hedgehog. Notice the wild eyed neurotic look. The hedgehog never did give her any milk, and Ginger tried all day long.

Nana gave me two cameras, a special fisheye film camera on the right, and an old Kodak Brownie on the right. She gave me some 120 film for the Brownie, the shutter worked, I cleaned up the lens as best I could and snapped a few pics outside. If I can find a place to process the film, and if there are pics halfway presentable I'll share them. The fisheye camera will be interesting I know the flash is powerful. I took a pic of Sweetie and she reeled. I think I could stop the Russian Army with the flash. It is powerful.

Sweetie worked hard preparing a variety of tasty dishes, I smoked some chicken quarters and a turkey breast and we ate very well. We had a coworker of mine who joined us. It's always nice to have somebody join our foursome.

We missed being with the rest of my family who gathered at my Sister's house in Colorado Springs.

And now, the dishes are picked up and cleaned up and we are resting.

I hope that you and your family had a great Christmas!

2011-12-24T09:19:00.000-06:00

From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another

The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other.

(Emily Matthews)

Merry Christmas from the Yogi's to you!

(Yogi, SuperPizzaBoy, Sweetie, and Nana)

Weekend Reflections - Christmas

2011-12-23T08:25:00.000-06:00

Christmas is many different things to many different people. A big part of Christmas is light and what makes light fun are reflections.

Christmas tree in downtown's beautiful art deco Philcade Building.

Even lawyers love Christmas.

Reflections while putting the lights on at our house.

Wreaths at a florists window.

Decorations at Pier One.

Hey, if I don't see you before then have a Merry Christmas!

Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday - Chilly Early Morning at Washington Irving Park

2011-12-22T07:58:00.000-06:00

Skywatch Friday

Outdoor Wednesday - Dance With Me

2011-12-20T19:58:00.002-06:00

I love trees, I love'm in the summer with all their leaves and I love them in the winter when you can see their bones. I love how they adapt to each other as they compete for sunlight.

This grove of trees looks like a wild dance party to me.

"Oh come and dance with me, my baby

Let's dance, till we go crazy

The night is young and so are we...

...Let the music hypnotize

Let our bodies synchronize

One dance and you'll be mine..."

(Dance with Me by Debelah Morgan)

Do you see it?

No? Do you see my son SuperPizzaBoy swinging to the beat?

Not only do I love trees, I love film also.

Outdoor Wednesday

The Vault by Ruth Rendell

2011-12-20T13:00:00.002-06:00

The Vault is one of Ruth Rendell's "Inspector Wexford" novels. Reginald Wexford has retired from being a policeman and is kind of bored although he finds plenty of stuff to do. None of it really has any meaning for him. He is a good detective but he is not very dashing, athletic, and is the opposite of the tough guys we love so much in America.

He gets a call from the police asking for his help on his case. They need the help really bad but not so bad as they are going to pay him or really give him any sort of official status or even cover his expenses. The case involves a hidden underground vault near a house where several bodies have been found. Several from over ten years ago and the latest just two years ago.

The case is a real headscratcher and Wexford proceeds to work on it by talking to the present occupants of the house, neighbors, and others. He does it almost apologetically explaining to everybody that they don't really have to talk to him, but they do. He slowly starts piecing together what happens. The people he talk to are all characters, most of whom have secrets of their own, and are not necessarily that helpful, but they are helpful enough.

In the meantime he has family drama to attend to. His daughter is involved in a love affair with a man half her age who really can't handle rejection and things really take a bad turn there. His daughter is hiding what really happened and he has to figure that story out while solving the police puzzle.

I give this book four stars out of five. I love the interplay between Wexford's work on the case and his family life and all the different "difficult" characters he has to talk to, and the portayal of a mine trying to find some meaning in his life.

Go to library and get this book! The Kindle edition is $12.99 which is way too much in my opinion.

Ruby Tuesday Miscellany

2011-12-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

Various Ruby Tuesday Candidates Recently

A candy cane at Tulsa's Winterfest and below some playground equipment. Both photographs are film.

A phone booth found while shopping with Sweetie at Utica Square.

Sad to report, SuperPizzaBoy doesn't want to visit Santa this year:(

Ruby Tuesday

It's Christmas, 1980's Oklahoma style.

2011-12-18T06:53:00.002-06:00

My favorite Christmas decorations are nativity scenes. The stores are loaded with them. All sorts of styles to choose from.

We have several in our house. Sweetie does a great job with them.

This one below is special to me. It is not the fanciest one we have.

I got it in 1986 right after I moved to Oklahoma City from Dallas. In those days before the internet and Amazon.com you ordered novelty merchandise out of catalogs. Remember all the catalogs from those days? Lands End, and Eddie Bauer were just the beginning. Anyway my secretary, whom I'll call Frances, was the catalog queen in the office. She'd find something cool and several people would order it. Anyway she found this nativity scene and several of us in the office ordered one. I don't know why I did, I was single and didn't decorate for Christmas but I liked it.

Lake Hefner (Copyright © 2010 by Laura Anne Heller used by Creative Commons License on Flickr)

A subsequent summer Frances drowned after falling off a sailboat during a midnight cruise on Lake Hefner with her new boyfriend. She wasn't wearing a life jacket and didn't know how to swim. It being at night the guy couldn't see her and a sailboat is not the most maneuverable thing around. They didn't find her body until the sun came up the subsequent morning.

It was a real mess. She had left her long time boyfriend of many years a few weeks before. But he was still the beneficiary of her life insurance, 401K, all that stuff. It was a real heart breaker. He got it all and he kept it all and I dealt with both him and her family through the whole process. It was a sad and stressful time, for a long time, for everybody who knew her.

We were kind of a tight knit little group and the loss and chaos afterward hit us hard. This was in the midst of the mid 1980's oil bust that knocked all of Oklahoma for a loop. It seemed that things were never going to get better but eventually of course they did.

Christmas is many things to many people and to me a big part of it is remembering Christmases past especially people who are gone. I always think of Frances at Christmas and how things often don't turn out the way we plan and that life is fragile. I also learned that people are resilient and although they may never forget something somehow they get through it.

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21 NIV)

And of course I learned that you need to keep your beneficiaries current on your life insurance, 401K's, and such to help out the people you leave behind because you really don't know when something is going to happen to you.

I'm linking up with That's Baloney today for her perfect pairing day.

Camera Critters - Coyote Geocaching

2011-12-16T16:20:00.000-06:00

I was at a local park very early Friday morning to hunt a geocache. As I was walking to the cache I looked up and saw a coyote.

He noticed me about the same time so we stopped and looked at each other. He was nice enough to hold the pose so I could get this shot.

Then he trotted off. I was able to get this last shot of him. As I was walking another coyote came out from the woods to the left. He didn't stop so by the time I got my gloves off and camera out, turned on, and pointed in the right direction, he was gone.

I was worried about one thing though. They had come from the direction of the geocache so I went to check it out.

Nope, they hadn't found it before I did. Whew.

Camera Critters

Skywatch Friday - Playground Sky

2011-12-15T05:24:00.000-06:00

Playground at a local park on a brisk Autumn day using film

Skywatch Friday

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!

2011-12-14T05:59:00.000-06:00

Hey, whose day is it? What's the matter little girl?

Who grew up, but never forget how to have fun.

and learned all about Flowers

and became a Wonderful Mother

and a Hard Worker

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

I love you very much.

Qualified Applicants Only Need Apply

2011-12-13T10:37:00.000-06:00

I had a job opening a while back. Here is one resume that I got.

We hired somebody else. Should I give this guy another chance? He does have a way with words don't you think?

Ruby Tuesday - Zoo Smiles

2011-12-12T06:02:00.000-06:00

We found this during our trip to the Oklahoma City Zoo back in October. Am I the only one who finds this smile to be disturbing?

Ruby Tuesday

Hey it's Christmas

2011-12-10T08:20:00.001-06:00

It's Christmastime at the Yogi's. We got the tree down and put it up. It's all prewired which is wonderful. As long as it works. Sweetie and SuperPizzaBoy are in charge of decorating the tree except for the most important ornament.

It goes up first. For some years now I've wanted it to be at the top of the tree. Lots of people put stars at the top. In fact I put it up there and down it goes. Sweetie has a very nice angel that goes on top instead of the star.

Sweetie's angel is very nice but what do you think of my angels? You can tell that they like stars. They got them all over their outfits. I bet they would vote to put the star on top of the tree.

Actually, you know how women team up. I think they would vote with Sweetie.

Sweetie has lots of ornaments that remind of Christmas's past. This is SuperPizzaBoy way back when.

Now look at him!

We also have an ornament with Sweetie's Dad, "Boompa." This will be the fifth Christmas without him. We all miss him very much. Nobody loved Christmas more than Boompa.

Sweetie loves snowmen. We have lots of them, especially in sets of three. Its kind of a symbol of our family.

Except, the littlest snowman is going to be bigger than the other two here anytime.

Anyways, its Christmas and you know the rule. As far as I'm concerned though, I wish the person holding the sign would read it herself. Just saying.

Not everybody is so happy about Christmas as we are.

I hope that everybody has a great Christmas!

Weekend Reflections - Downtown

2011-12-09T16:00:00.004-06:00

Williams Towers I and II are my favorite reflective buildings in Tulsa.

They combine a smooth black reflective surface and odd shapes.

To create all sorts of interesting sights that vary by the hour.

Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday - Winter

2011-12-08T06:13:00.000-06:00

A scene from one of my running trails in south Tulsa. The grass is dead, the leaves have dropped and we can see the "bones" of the trees. Trees amaze me how they make space for each other. These two seem like they are dancing.

Skywatch Friday

Wordless Wednesday - The Tin Man

2011-12-07T06:05:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

ABC Wednesday - "U"

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since I've done ABC Wednesday. I had a powerful hankering to participate this week. Turns out the letter this week is "U." U is tough, I looked long and hard for U. This is all I got for U.

How about a Union flag. This one was carried by an IBEW member for fifteen kilometers.

No U here at the zoo. Unless....

you look at the Ugg boots on her feet.

How about a geocache Under a bridge?

I got lots of pictures of this kind of ewe.

ABC Wednesday

Ruby Tuesday - The "Football"

2011-12-05T08:00:00.001-06:00

The Tulsa Historical Society has an exhibit on Jim Halsey, a legendary music industry insider who manages such acts as the Oak Ridge Boys, Clint Black, the Judds, and tons of others. Check the link. I had never heard of him before the exhibit.

Anyway, long before cell phones he traveled with the portable phone above. Supposedly it was the same phone, called the football, as what US Presidents were supposed to have available in case the Russians wanted to talk about something that was bothering them. The Presidents phone was called the football. Now I imagine its all done with cell phones.

Hey ever wondered what a triple platinum record looks like.

There you go.

Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday

Christmas, Firemen, Exotic Dancers, and Fun in Downtown Tulsa

2011-12-04T10:01:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've shared what is going on in downtown Tulsa. So grab your coat and put on your hat and lets go.

First, Winterfest, not much going on at noon but in the evening they have ice skating and hot chocolate.

The ice rink is problematical. Sometimes they have trouble with keeping the ice frozen especially when it is windy. The operators of the rink say that the wind is a problem because the air friction with the ice creates heat that melts the ice. HAH!! Wrong. As a licensed professional chemical engineer I'd tell them that the air temperature is higher than the ice temperature so the air cools and the ice warms. The wind accelerates this. We call this convective heat transfer. If the sun is shining and warming the ice. That is called radiative heat transfer.

Lots of construction going on these days. One of my customers is building their own building. SHUDDER, I hope they make it. Building our own building in the energy business is risky. They are a conservative well managed company

The old and the new. The Midcontinent Building is in the distance. Built back in the 20's when Tulsa's energy industry was wheeling and dealing. Of course the black buildings in the foreground are modern. They are also the headquarters for Samson. A family owned oil company that recently sold itself to Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts ("KKR") for $7.2 Billion. Reportedly the second biggest buyout in the USA this year. Wheeling and dealing is still going on in Tulsa. Just think shale oil and gas.

Next, a monument to Tulsa Firemen. I had to kind of study this a little bit. The guy in front is from the early 20th century the guy in back in contemporary. Tulsa firemen (and firemen the world over are awesome.)

Right around the corner is Tulsa's monument to exotic dancers. Yeah, that what it looks like to me anyway. I don't know why they are so close to the firemen.

Salvation Army bell ringers. Haven't seen them in years downtown.

In what I think is the outstanding idea of the year is popup shops. Several local merchants have set up temporary stores in a couple of the old art deco buildings. They sell lots of cool stuff much of it handmade locally. I love it, love it, love it. They are going to be open until December 30.

If nothing else check out the the lobby of the Philcade building. Host to many of the popups. The downtown deco building owners are very proud of their properties. They encourage photography and some of them have fact sheets the guards will give you. I love that generosity of spirit.

Know something else. My favorite Christmas decorations are wreaths. There, you guys now everything about me.

Hey look it's Occupy Tulsa. Occupying looks like boring stuff to me. I don't know how they are doing overhauling our financial system but they stay busy with general assemblies, working groups, and facebook updates. I have never seen them use the weird hand signals they use to facilitate consensus during their meetings. I guess they don't need them when the five of them get together.

Last stop the cake shop across the street from the office. I love what people are doing with cake design these days.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

2011-12-04T08:17:00.001-06:00

I just finished Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, the second book in her Hunger Games Trilogy. The story of Katniss and Peeta continues. Wikipedia's summary of the trilogy is here. The books are meant for young adults but I love them. The books move quickly through the story and there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot. I'll be reading the final book soon.

I give it four stars out of five.

Breaking Dawn Part One

2011-12-03T15:30:00.000-06:00

Sweetie and I went to see Breaking Dawn part one the other day. How about I give a fast recap, with not too many spoilers.

Let me see, Bella is now all growns up, she and Edward decide to get married! Sweet, right?

Take a good look at this photograph, its about the only time Bella ever looks happy.

She and Edward have a good time at the private island. They take their clothes off and get in the water.

They get tired of playing in the water and they put their clothes back on and play some chess.

And then they get tired of chess and take their clothes back off. Young people these days.

Meanwhile, Jacob is running around in the rain. You know he's a lot better looking and more likable than Edward but I always worried about this boy. At least Edward knows to come inside when it rains. He just can figure out whether he keeps his clothes on or off.

And then... You'll have to go see for yourself. Let's just say that the fur flies.

Here is the trailer.

I give the movie about three stars out of five. I mean it's not too bad. Women just go crazy over it. Guys, big hint, watching the movies is definitely less painful than reading the books.

Bedlam

2011-12-02T16:30:00.000-06:00

Saturday night is the time for the annual Bedlam football game between the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. I didn't go to either school but I enjoy watching it. I just want it be a good game. If either team played defense the game might even be interesting. This was supposed to be a big year for OU but they stumbled. OSU was going strong and they had a small lapse. So this game is about bragging rights in Oklahoma and the championship of the Big 12 Conference. Over the years OU has dominated OSU, winning 76 games, losing only 17, with 7 ties. I enjoy teasing fans of both teams and generally keeping the pot stirred.

I just hope that it is a good game.

Skywatch Friday - Changing Light

2011-12-01T05:57:00.001-06:00

We are well into Fall and sliding into Winter. The days are still nice and some of the trees still have their leaves despite our stiff Oklahoma breezes.

(At entrance to Tulsa's Philbrook Museum of Art)

Daylight Savings Time has ended so the sun is setting at about 5:15 pm. I work until 6 so I get to see some great sunsets late in the day.

The Arkansas River reflecting the sky. A refinery is just to the left of the river. In the foreground is our county courthouse on the left and city county library on lower right. I experimented with Picnick's "HDRish" treatment to try and bring the buildings out of the blackness.

Have you tried any experiments lately?

Skywatch Friday

Philbrook Museum Festival of the Trees

2011-11-29T18:21:00.002-06:00

Tuesday I met Sweetie and world's best MIL, Nana at the Philbrook Museum here in Tulsa to check out their Festival of Trees. Also it is Nana's birthday! This is from last year, darn me I don't have a picture of them together since then. Take it from me, they both get better looking ever year.

The Festival of the Trees is all about Christmas. So of course they had a Santa.

And all sorts of trees made by local individuals, classes, and other groups. You can buy these works of art.

If I had a cabin in the woods, I would want this tree for that. It needs a little color though. I'm thinking some red strands of some sorts.

This was my favorite tree. I loved it.

Nana liked this one. Of course she is decorating for a tropical Christmas this year.

This is what she has in her living room. You should see what her tree is.

I liked this frame full of balls.

This I found plain disturbing. I'm going to have nightmares.

I think this is the Blair Witch Project tree. That is also very disturbing.

I don't find this disturbing at all.

They had gingerbread houses also. I loved this little red school house. I reserve the right to repost for Ruby Tuesday, anybody mind?

This was the most joyous house. I love how they glued the kids faces to each of the cookies. Or maybe, maybe that might be a little disturbing also. What do you think?

A "Cars" themed post. Love it, love it, love it. Second best movie ever made.

And for you Christmas lovers from the People's Republic of Kansas. A special "OZ" gingerbread house. I love the ruby slippers underneath the house.

And Hogwarts, I love Harry Potter. Those movies are all tied for about 6th on the alltime best movie list.

And this was my favorite gingerbread house of all. I like how it is at an angle and whopperjawed and all that. Whopperjawed is an Oklahoma technical term. I have a lot of readers from Canada and Great Britain who need some translation sometimes.

Anyway, we looked around and then I had to leave. Helping America solve her energy problems and all that you know.

Our World - Muskogee, Oklahoma

2011-11-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

My Dad came for a short visit from Idaho for Thanksgiving. He likes historical type stuff and I wanted to show him something new so we headed down the turnpike to Muskogee.

First we went to the Five Civilized Tribes Museum. It is not that big but it is powerful. It has displays on the five tribes that were forcibly resettled from the southeast USA to Oklahoma. No photos are allowed but they have a dynamite display on Native American Medal of Honor awardees from the Five Civilized Tribes. Upstairs they had an art show going on. Check it out when you are in town. Very inexpensive admission charge.

The building it is housed in is the original Agency Headquarters from the 19th century. Very handsome in it own right. Gotta remember to stay off the grass if you go!

Next we went down to the Port of Muskogee to check out the USS Batfish. The Batfish was a submarine that sunk fourteen enemy ships during World War II. Unfortunately the museum was closed but we could look at the vessel through the fence.

There were some other things to look at also. Some anti-aircraft guns.

And this. It looks like it could ruin somebody's whole day downrange.

And a little bit of humor.

It was an overcast day with no color. So how about a photo of my Soul.

Then we toured the port a little bit. I'm in the natural gas business. We are always looking for pipe. Our engineers can't ever find any. We found some. Come and get it guys.

We found this cool machine. Dad and I love looking at this kind of stuff. Sweetie and SPB can't stand it.

So, we had a pretty good road trip.

Our World Tuesday

Hugo - the Movie

2011-11-27T16:54:00.000-06:00

Watched Hugo the movie on Sunday. The family loved it. Entertaining enough for kids, meaty enough for the parents. I loved it. I recommend you go see it. We saw the 3D version. Here is our latest family portrait.

Have you seen a good movie lately?

Today's Flowers - Poinsettia

2011-11-26T20:51:00.000-06:00

Sweetie wanted to get some poinsettias for some friends and family members so we headed out to A New Leaf in the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow. It is a not for profit organization that provides, among other things, job training services for individuals with disabilities, and they had Poinsettias in all sorts of colors and patterns.

There is no such thing as popping in and out of a greenhouse for Sweetie. She is the gardener's gardener.

I think she wanted one of each. We finally picked a few out. Is there anything better than flowers for Christmas? (Or any other occasion?)

Today's Flowers

Did you know, according to TLC

Poinsettia'a are not toxic.

They are originally from Mexico.

They were introduced to the United States by Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico.

Black Friday Geocaching

2011-11-26T08:00:00.003-06:00

SuperPizzaBoy and I decided to celebrate Black Friday by Geocaching.

The first one we tried was "Mental." My GPSr said it was in the middle of this road. The description of the cache said to grasp with both hands. We couldn't find it. If you spot it, let me know.

The second was not too far away by one of the best geocache hiders in Tulsa. I'm not going to say who he is or where we were because I don't want to give it away.

When I'm frustrated finding a cache I always wonder if eating the berries would give make it easier for me. I've never tried it.

I looked everywhere. SPB took this picture of me up in a tree. It was quite a ways up there, fifteen or twenty inches maybe. Sometimes I think maybe the young earth creationists are right. I mean if I had any relation at all to a primate I would have at least one climbing gene. Don't you think? I can sure put a death grip on a branch though.

SPB found the next cache nearby.

The fake snake is a nice touch. I'll have to try that sometime. Back in the day, that was a favorite office prank to play on somebody. Put a rubber snake in somebody's desk. Nowdays you'd get in trouble for doing that. Of course, HR departments now don't have any people so you have to log into their web site to see what your self service punishment is.

The last place we went to was pretty popular. There was a group on the right of the tree and the guy on the right. It was getting cold so SPB and I decided to go home and try it again some other day.

What did you do on Black Friday?

Great Day

2011-11-25T05:43:00.000-06:00

Well we had Thanksgiving over at my Mother-in-Law's house.

There was a whole houseful people. And a little bit of food. It wasn't exactly like feeding the multitudes with a few fish and loaves.

We had lots to eat and lots to talk about. And of course everybody was happy that the Dallas Cowboys beat the Miami Dolphins... well at least I was happy:)

Below is Sue Carol. She is Sweetie's aunt and a retired school teacher.

My favorite were these pots. It's kind of a double self portrait.

What was in them was good also.

Anyway, we had a great Thanksgiving. How was your day?

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:00:00.002-06:00

Whoever you are with,

and Whatever you are eating,

Have a great Thanksgiving,

from our family to you and your family

Curiosity and Mars

2011-11-23T07:47:00.000-06:00

I just found out this morning that NASA is about to launch a new Mars rover vehicle named Curiousity.

Curiosity weighs over a ton and is loaded with all sorts of scientific instruments. It is so big that they are going to lower it on the surface via a crane from a hovering craft above the surface. How NASA can do that from a gazillion miles away is beyond me!

Once there it will roll around on it's six wheels, collect samples and engage aliens.

One thing I've never understood is how such a fragile machine that has to be assembled in a clean room can survive a thundering ride aboard a Saturn V rocket.

Used to be everybody was excited about space exploration, especially kids. We all wanted to be astronauts or scientists. Now most of the kids I talk with want to be video game designers.

Check out the NASA Curiosity site, lots of good stuff there for grownups, kids, and teachers.

Oklahoma Autism Conference

2011-11-22T21:25:00.000-06:00

Sweetie and I attended the Oklahoma Statewide Autism Conference last weekend in Norman, Oklahoma.

The conference was about the nuts and bolts of autism and its treatment. Not about what causes autism or what is going to cure it. It was about basic information on therapies and interventions. Plus how to deal with the ongoing war that parents have with public schools trying to get the education and help that their children have a right to.

(I got a bad case of "conferencitis" and had to get outside and get myself centered. The conference was held out in the middle of nowhere. Nothing like good honest grass, trees, and skies to get my head back on straight.)

I attended three dynamite presentations. Dan Coulter gave the keynote address. He He got diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in 2009 at age 59. He gave us Aspie parents hope about our kids future as he discussed his career as a public relations executive with AT&T and later Lucent Technologies and the business that he started and runs.

(I saw lots of places to place an "Autism Conference Geocache" next year. To help other folks with conferencitis who have to get outside and get some fresh air.)

Registered dietitian Elizabeth Strickland gave a great talk about nutrition and gut problems in kids with autism and what can be done about it.

(A general aviation airport nearby. I love the control tower, I love what I call "Okie mid century modern red brick" architecture. I hope the mid century modern Nazi's stay off my butt. Then can't even agree among themselves what mid-century modern but they jump all over my butt. whenever I venture a comment on the subject.)

Dianne Twachtman-Cullen, PhD, editor in chief of Autism Quarterly presented on the importance of Executive Function supports in the school setting. It was very eye opening.

There were many other presentations. It was nice to get away and learn new things. There were other Autism parents from Tulsa that we hung out with.

Check out my first link above. It will take you to links where you can download the presentations and notes.

Ruby Red Zoo Train

2011-11-21T08:00:00.004-06:00

Train at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

Ruby Tuesday

Ascension

2011-11-20T09:21:00.000-06:00

"After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight." Acts 1:9 NIV

Tree stump sculpture found on the Oral Roberts University campus.

Perfect Pairings

Metal Art

2011-11-16T06:23:00.000-06:00

At the Garden Diva in Tulsa. Right across the street from The Church (see yesterday's post.)

Signs, Signs

The Church

2011-11-15T08:00:00.002-06:00

Leon Russell owned the recording studio in Tulsa known as the "The Church" in the 1960's and 1970's and according to Wikipedia he still records there on occasion. Interior Shots. It is an icon of Tulsa musical history.

Boomer Sooner!

2011-11-14T06:21:00.000-06:00

At the Autism Center of Tulsa's Smarts and Arts trivia game fundraiser last Friday a University of Oklahoma football helmet signed by head coach Bob Stoops was one of the top items in the Silent Auction.

Fellow blogger and chair of the event, Jonni, demonstrates how the helmet is used. As you can tell from her shirt Jonni is a Sooner. Don't feel sorry for though as she has mostly overcome that.

(Photo ripped off by me from Jonni's Facebook page)

Ruby Tuesday

Getting My Head on Straight

2011-11-13T09:13:00.001-06:00

Saturday afternoon, Sweetie went shopping with her Mother and SuperPizzaBoy went to hang out with his friend, Agent Q. So I went geocaching. I ended up in a park in the Tulsa suburb of Bixby.

Part of the reason I love geocaching and trail running is that I can get outside. I love the sound of the wind through the trees and how the sunlight feels on my face. It gets rid of the noise in my head.

There was a cache in a remote area of the park. It took a while to get through the thorns, shrubs, and brambles to get to it.

There was an old structure there. It looks kind of like an old railroad bridge but not near heavy duty enough, in my opinion.

I looked high and low, over and around, here and there, and everywhere. But I just couldn't find it.

I knew it was there. Several people had found it the day before. M5 the cacher that hid it is known for his wickedly hard to find geocaches.

I finally gave up and walked on out. I wish that I had found it but that's part of the game. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and was living totally in the moment while I was looking. Nobody in the whole world knew where I was. I love being lost that way. (I hope that it doesn't bite me in the butt someday.)

What do you do to get your head on straight?

"A heart at peace gives life to the body..."

Proverbs 14:30.

Baloney's Perfect Pairings

Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence

2011-11-12T22:48:00.000-06:00

I just finished "Women in Love" by D.H. Lawrence. It was written in 1920 and is set in the early 1910's, before the first World War, and concerns the lives of two sisters, Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen who live in a small coal mining town in England. Gudren, who is an artist, falls in love with Robert Crich, a businessman. Ursula falls in love with Robert Birkin, an intellectual. A good summary of the book is here. The book is about relationships, between men and women, and between men.

The book has a racy reputation but it is very tame by modern standards. It was banned in Britain for 11 years after its publication.

My impression of the book is that it is a torrent of words, a regular Niagara Falls. Lawrence sets up the various scenes completely including the emotional state of the parties involved and then puts the scene in motion. I thought he was great at picking out the nuances of a relationship, from deep attraction, to mild irritation and of describing how people in a group interact. He set up some scenes that seemed fairly innocuous and then suddenly something happens, a punch is thrown, a horse kicks up, somebody drowns. To do all this requires the deluge of words, words of all types. I read the book on my Kindle because it is free and that was handy because of the built in dictionary.

I enjoyed the book but it is not light reading. The information density in the prose is thick and if you don't pay attention to it then the subsequents scenes don't make much sense. Anyways, I'm glad that I read it and can now tick it off my life TBR list and I don't think that I'll be reading much more of his stuff. I am not smart enough.

Veteran's Day

2011-11-11T08:01:00.001-06:00

It is Veteran's Day - time to remember and appreciate our veterans.

Time to wave the flag and have parades.

These men and women sacrificed to help keep us free.

They are all over.

My Great Grandfather James, U.S. Army.

Great Uncle Rollo, U.S. Navy

My Uncle Glenn, U.S Navy

My Great Uncle Quentin, U.S. Navy

My brother Bob, U.S. Navy.

The best brother-in-law in the world Irvin, U.S. Army, and my Dad, U.S. Army.

My niece Jillian's husband Brian, U.S. Army

My wife's cousin's son Tyler, U.S. Marine Corp

Tyler's grandfather, Sweetie's uncle, Glenn, U.S. Marine Corp.

We owe you.

Occupying Skywatch

2011-11-10T06:33:00.001-06:00

Lots of Weather and Geological Drama in Oklahoma this week. Tornadoes, three earthquakes, and some much needed rain. The state tourism department, trying to capitalize on the moment, jumped on the opportunity.

Yesterday a front came through and afterward the sun was shining.

Meanwhile at Tulsa's downtown Centennial Green Park the Occupy Tulsa folks were trying to dry their stuff out after all the rain.

They have had their own drama. The city has a park curfew from 11pm to 5am that they have decided to enforce and the occupiers have decided to resist.

What kind of drama have you had where you live?

Skywatch

Wordless Wednesday - Health Insurance Open Enrollment

2011-11-09T05:41:00.000-06:00

Costs, Deductibles and Co-Pays up, Coverage Down.

Wordless Wednesday

Lomography Walls

2011-11-08T06:14:00.000-06:00

As some of you know I sometimes I use a a film camera. A Diana Mini. The use of cheap film cameras to capture images is called Lomography.

Lomography has a feature where members can create mosaics very simply. The mosaics are called Lomowalls and are quite popular. Here are a few Lomowalls I have created recently. I think they are pretty self explanatory.

SuperPizzaBoy and his friend jumping on the trampoline in our back yard.

Swinging at a local park before his comedy improv class.

Swinging at a State Park during a camping trip.

His style of camping. Bringing along electronic entertainment.

Jenks Buddy Baseball

2011-11-07T06:32:00.001-06:00

Sunday afternoon we ventured to the Tulsa suburb of Jenks to their high school baseball field.

The Jenks High School Baseball Team was having their fifth "Buddy Baseball" day. They invite children with autism to come play some baseball. Each child is paired with two "buddies," baseball players who spend the time with the kids. This was SuperPizzaBoy's first time to participate.

His buddies were Eric and Bryce, both varsity baseball players.

They went out and warmed up with SPB. Poor kid, he has bad sports genes. I was the worst little league baseball player ever. No lie.

The kids got to bat from a tee, field, run the bases, the whole deal.

Give each other high fives.

The Jenks high school cheerleaders showed up.

After the game there were smiles all around.

And of course pizza, of course pizza.

We are now big fans of Jenks High School.

Thanks so much Eric, Bryce, their fellow teammates and coaches, and cheerleaders. We appreciate you so much.

Our World

Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks

2011-11-06T16:00:00.001-06:00

I just finished this book. It is awesome. It is about a young registered sex offender in Florida who due to the Florida residency laws can live in only one place in his county, underneath a causeway. He wears a gps ankle bracelet that lets his parole officer know instantly if he strays into a forbidden zone.

Also, thanks to an internet based sex offender registry, given his name anybody can get on the internet and find out his histroy. So for 10 years he is doomed to homelessness and despair and he never actually assaulted anyone. He was lured into what he thought was a liaison with a 14 year old but the girl's father met him at the door. Lucky for the daughter.

The whole thing about sex offenders' residency laws has intrigued me. Sex offenders don't have any advocates so they are free game for any politician looking for a few cheap votes to make it harder to find a place to live. It has gotten to the point where some of the offenders have stopped registering their addresses and go underground which makes it harder to authorities to monitor them.

This book about more than sex offenders though. It is about the difference between shame and guilt, and the nature of belief and reality which is fancy way of asking how do we really know the truth about things. It is also about community and how we deal with outcasts.

The book is also about growing up without parents who care. Take my advice, care about what your kids and grand-kids are looking at online. It matters.

The book is extremely well written and kept me going to the end. I rate it four stars out of five.

More Information - Infographic on Sexual Predators

Via: MedicalBillingAndCoding.org

The Master Teacher

2011-11-05T11:10:00.003-05:00

Serendipity on the campus of Oral Roberts University

Found on the campus of Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Sculptor Beverly Paddleford

Perfect Pairings

Scripture and a Snapshot

Oral Roberts University Prayer Tower

2011-11-04T06:42:00.000-05:00

The prayer tower is at the center of the Oral Roberts University campus. ORU is a christian university her in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The tower was designed by Frank Wallace, who designed some of the other buildings on campus, and built in 1967. It is built to look like a cross from any angle. The lattice work is symbolic of the crown of thorns.

It is certainly a striking building. It has many reflective surfaces.

It is the centerpiece of the campus.

Of course, being in the natural gas industry, I noticed that they still have their natural gas fired flare still going at the top of the structure. I'm glad I'm not the one paying for that!

Weekend Reflections

Prairie Office

2011-11-03T05:42:00.001-05:00

Do you see my new Prairie Office?

How about now?

Jealous? Don't be,there's room for you also.

Skywatch

Occupy Tulsa

2011-11-02T06:25:00.002-05:00

I went out at lunch today to check out the Occupy Tulsa site at 6th and Boston today.

There wasn't a whole lot going on. If there was ever a peaceable assembly of people this would be it. There were more tents than people.

Shoot, there were more spectators than participants.

Their campsite looked more like geocaching campout site than a protest. It was neat and orderly, no litter around, everything put away. The tents were put up properly, they had to be since the wind had 28 mph gusts. Overall they do a neater job than most Boy Scout camps I've been around.

Signs, Signs

Followup - Apparently Nine Protesters were arrested early (around 2 am) this morning by Tulsa Police. The Police used pepper spray on some of the people they arrested.

Mary K. Oxley Nature Center

2011-11-01T06:17:00.000-05:00

Sunday afternoon we talk a family walk to the Mary K. Oxley Nature Center here in Tulsa, OK.

Even though it has been a dry year, there is lots of water at the Nature Center.

They have lakes, ponds, and sloughs there.

They also have lots of trails, a boardwalk, a few blinds, and an observation tower to view it all.

As a bonus Sweetie found a snake skin. I flubbed the focus on the pic.

It was a great afternoon.

Watery Wednesday

Freaky Fun

2011-10-31T08:00:00.006-05:00

This time of year can be very disturbing

SuperPizzaBoy's school is private, so they have a "Freaky Fun Night." Sounds innocent doesn't it?

Well, then come join the fun!

We'll have loads of fun!

Yes we will.

2011 Tulsa Run 15K

2011-10-29T22:39:00.003-05:00

Saturday I ran in the 34th Tulsa Run 15K Race. It was my 18th. It is the one race that I never miss.

One of these days my streak is going to break. Oh well, a year at a time. Over the 18 years I am on my third generation of co-runners. It seems people start running in their late 20's or so and do it for about five or six years before getting bored with it and quitting. I intend to run for as long as I can.

We used to have a large contingent of Army guys from Fort Sill that would run in formation and chant. That was cool, especially downtown when their chants would echo off the buildings. They have been in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting for us. Today we had the guy above and a few soldiers. However a unit of the Air National Guard based out of Tulsa, the 138th Fighter Wing, participated in a 15K race in Iraq that went on at the same time as the Tulsa event. About 600 airmen from the 125th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron participated in the race. It's going to be an emotional day for many when our troops will be home and can run in the race again.

We had a fireman who ran the whole race in his bunker gear. Tough guy in my book.

And a girl with a balloon tied to her hair.

And some ladies with Tutus.

There were about 3860 finishers in the race.

Off they went. It took me about three minutes to get to the start line.

This is a long post. I don't want you to miss the hero of he race. At least she is my hero. This lady had a sign on her back that said that she was nine months pregnant and today was her official due date.

I ran up to her and asked if it were true and she said yes.

Here she is, running 9.3 miles on her due date with a big smile on her face. I sprinted on ahead. I didn't want to be the one to deliver her baby. For one thing where would I get boiled water?

The only thing worse than having to use a portapotty on a race course is waiting in a line to use the portapotty. I learned early on in my racing career to not "carbo load" the night before a race on lots and lots of pasta. Unless of course you want to spend part of the race waiting to use a portapotty.

We had several bands along the route. All of them good.

I loved this girl's nice socks. If I ran in something like that I'd get laughed at. Of course they laugh at me anyway, but that is another story.

This dude (it's a dude, shaved legs and all) wore sandals.

I don't know who the striped guy is.

Batman and Robin

Some witches.

And Fred, Shaggy, and Daphne from Scooby Doo.

Lots and lots of people

The loop de loop over Riverside Drive.

Nice thing about running races is that you can just throw your cup down at the water stops. I love that.

This was my last shot on the disposables. I brought two of them this year and used them both up with 5k to go. Best because the last 5k hurt and it was pretty ugly. But I finished vertically.

They pass out candy bars at the end of the race. I always aim to get two Snickers bars. Don't laugh, sometimes they run out.

And of course a T shirt. The economy must be looking up as they passed out technical fabric shirts instead of cotton this year.

I'm all pumped about next year. Are you pumped about anything next year?

Thanks to those that stuck to this overly long post.

I Would Sooner be Geocaching

2011-10-29T07:39:00.000-05:00

(See that guy walking through the field above. You probably thought he was a farmer spreading seed. Yeah, well you are wrong. That is the actually first geocacher in Oklahoma with his fanny pack.)

I had to south Tulsa to conduct some important gas bidness Friday. Afterwards I decided to go geocaching on the campus of the University of Oklahoma at Tulsa. Don't get excited, OU Tulsa doesn't have a football team, I guess they share the one at the main campus in Norman.

Enough for the chit chat don't you think? Lets go find a cache.

First up is this buffalo sculpture. Don't ask me cause I don't know.

Good grief, OU puts crimson and cream on their dog urinals.

OK, OK, I get it.

Well, you know when I blog about caching there is this balance about letting people know about the cache but also not just giving it away. So, I found the cache and I took a picture of it above. Do you see it?

There are two other caches on the campus. Too many people around so I'm saving them for later.

Devon Tower

2011-10-28T07:03:00.001-05:00

I went to Oklahoma City yesterday to see a customer. I took the opportunity to check out the Devon Tower. It is topped out and will be ready for occupancy early next year.

Weekend Reflections

Warm Days of Autumn

2011-10-27T05:54:00.001-05:00

Catching SuperPizzaBoy stretching under a full moon.

Skywatch

Annual Hayride

2011-10-26T06:47:00.000-05:00

It's time for the school's annual hayride.

You don't want to miss it. Come feed the goats!

Hang with your friends around the campfire.

Have some smores. Yummy.

Listen to a scary story.

You don't want to miss the last ride of the night. No you don't. It is special! Lots of room for everybody, pack in tight. Any parents want to go? Hop in!

The last ride of the night is the most fun.

The Seniors make sure of that.

Come back next year!

Happy Halloween

Alligator Haiku

2011-10-25T07:59:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it is Wise to Read and Heed the Signs!

Why?

As promised, Alligator Haiku. My first since my sophomore year in high school, 40 years ago.

Sunny Zoo Pond Shines

Gator Lazing in the Grass

Hapless Swimmer Chomp!

If you are lucky, it will be another 40 years before my next try.

Oklahoma City Zoo

Signs, Signs

Vicksburg National Cemetery

2011-10-24T07:04:00.001-05:00

On our way to the Alabama coast for our vacation this past summer. We spent two nights in Vicksburg, Mississippi touring the Vicksburg National Military Park there. One of the most sobering sights is the Park's cemetery. It holds about 19,000 graves including 17,000 from the Siege.

During the siege the fatalities were buried all over the place. After the war, the bodies were disinterred and brought to the cemetery. The short headstones are of unidentified bodies. The taller headstones are identified. There are 17,000 Union graves in the cemetery. Including about 10,000 casualties of the Siege of Vicksburg. The rest were re-interred from elsewhere in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana., 13,000 are unidentified. Until 1961 when they ran out of room veterans from America's other wars were also buried there. As the cemetery was for Federal soldiers only, the Confederate veterans were buried in other cemeteries in Vicksburg.

(Sorry about the blurry photograph. The darker markers look kind of ghostly to me.)

There are only two Confederate veterans buried there, and that was by mistake.

In this very peaceful setting it is hard to imagine the violence and misery of the Battle of Vicksburg.

Our World

To the Oklahoma City Zoo and Beyond

2011-10-22T10:04:00.001-05:00

A perfect storm on Friday, SuperPizzaBoy is on Fall Break, Sweetie needed a break so all of went on a road trip down the Turner Turnpike to see the Oklahoma City Zoo.

My favorite, a ruddy black rhino getting a mud treatment.

What a sweet little kitty.

I forgot to note what kind of bird this is, but I thought him handsome. I guess that it is a him.

Does he look nervous to you. I think he is worried about his relatives this time of year.

All sorts of wild critters, big and small.

An ostrich took a liking to SPB and followed us around.

I love pumpkins.

After a few hours at the zoo we refreshed ourselves at Belle Isle Brewery at 50 Penn Place.

And walked on down to Full Circle Bookstore. We bought more than we should but it is the best bookstore in the state.

SPB settled into his favorite chair.

The store has everything, a bunch of Shakespeare above (I don't ever buy Shakespeare but they kind of set the tone.)

And then we went home.

I love Road Trips, Zoos, Brew Pubs, and Independent Bookstores. Don't you?

Camera Critters

Irma Voth by Miriam Toews

2011-10-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

"Irma Voth" is a "coming of age story" about a teenage girl with that name. Her family are Mennonites who lived in Canada but then went to Mexico in their continuing search of land where they will be left alone by the government. She has been shunned by her family for marrying a Mexican and then her husband leaves her. Women don't do well in her family so she ends leaving her family with a younger teenage sister and an infant sister that her Mother gives to her.

The book is about her adventures as she finds her way in the world and encounters with others. Besides that the book is about escaping an old life and finding a new life and what that costs her and in a twist what her quest for independence cost others. It is about deep secrets and the costs of those secrets. I found the book amazing. It is 250 pages and I'm not a particularly fast reader but I zipped through in about three hours. It's one of those rare books where the story is so compelling and the writing is so smooth that one loses the sensation of reading.

Besides being a great story the book presents Mennonites as three dimensional real people and not idealized concepts as portrayed so many times in movies and television.

I give the book five stars out of five. I got my copy at the library. I recommend that you do the same.

I'm going to be reading more of Miriam Toews (pronounced tâves). She is Canadian of Mennonite descent. She may be the best author that I had never heard of. She also starred in a Mexican movie, "Silent Light." Must be nice to be talented.

Office Skywatch

2011-10-20T06:38:00.000-05:00

We've had very mild autumn weather so far. Earlier this week we had front come through from the west right at quitting time.

Check out Skywatch for other views of our sky from all over the world.

Nintendo Pix

2011-10-19T06:31:00.000-05:00

SuperPizzaBoy bought himself a new Nintendo 3DS a while back. He sold me his old DS. Looking at it I saw that he was quite active taking pictures with it. It has a cool hacking features. So I have yet another low def camera to play with.

These you can blame on SPB. Top left is his cousin Mr. Beans, a very cool guy who SPB made even cooler. I just love Cheap Sunglasses. Then me with the scrunched up face and then some lower left is SPB with some self love and then with the Hello Kitty look (I guess).

Do you have your own Nintendo DS yet? Or do you bother your kids for theirs?

A Home for Little People

2011-10-18T08:19:00.000-05:00

My favorite cache from the geocaching campout we attended this past weekend.

Keystone Caching Caper - Fall Fest 2011

2011-10-16T17:11:00.000-05:00

The Tulsa Area Geocacher's had their annual Fall Fest geocaching event at Keystone State Park in northeast Oklahoma. This year it was called "The Keystone Caching Caper."

SuperPizzaBoy and I attended this year. The guys and gals that organize it do a great job. It is always lots of fun.

Sweetie couldn't go. I'm sure that she felt bad, sleeping in her own bed rather than sharing our tent.

Home sweet home. Not bad for overnight. Tell you what though. There is a railroad track adjacent to the park. The sound of the big trains thundering through the woods at high speed is awesome. I don't mind the sound of trains and these trains sounded like they were headed right at me.

SPB always looks forward to the smores. He is quite the accomplished smore chef.

The fun at at geocaching campground is finding the caches. They have tons of temporary caches that are fun to find.

Should I be worried about SPB? He loved dancing with this skeleton.

Should you be worried about me? I love lifting skirts, especially leopard print skirts out in the woods.

This one was called "greased pig" or something like that. What a mess to find. But unique!

And a geocaching event is kind of like a running event. The event is fun, but you had better get the T Shirt.

See ya next year!

Our World

Yogi's Den

Weekend in Black and White - First Roll

Skywatch Friday - Big Sky

War Horse - the Movie

ABC Wednesday - "B"

Ruby Tuesday - Orpha's Lounge

Pets Forever - Hogging the Heat

Occupy Tulsa Returns

Weekend Reflections - Midwinter

Skywatch Friday - Sky Furrows

Wordless Wednesday - Tryptych

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

Muggles No More!!

Shadow Shot Sunday - Pneumbra

Jesse James, RIP

Weekend Reflections - Lafortune Park

Skywatch Friday - Sunset View from the Office

Watery Wednesday - Gulf Shores Memories

The Next Big Thing in Medicine is Small

Our World - One Place Tower

A Sunny Saturday on the Arkansas River

Shadow Shot Sunday - Downtown

Weekend Reflections - Restoration Hardware

Skywatch Friday - Redbud Nature Preserve Sky

Wordless Wednesday - What are you looking at?

Ruby Tuesday - High Rise Cranes

Shadow Shot Sunday - Early Morning Gas Company Shadows

Yogi Film Festival Movie #1 "Beer Wars"

Yogi Film Festival Movie #3 -"We Bought a Zoo" - the Movie

Yogi Film Festival Movie #2 - "The Adventures of Tin Tin"

Yogi Film Festival Movie #4 - "the Descendents"

James B. Ross, The Best Drummer in Tulsa

Skywatch Friday - View from the Office

Wordless Wednesday - Yogi's One Minute to Nirvana

Geocaching - Scouting Chandler Park for the RHOK

Signs, Signs - Central Library

Christmas 2011

Weekend Reflections - Christmas

Skywatch Friday - Chilly Early Morning at Washington Irving Park

Outdoor Wednesday - Dance With Me

The Vault by Ruth Rendell

Ruby Tuesday Miscellany

It's Christmas, 1980's Oklahoma style.

Camera Critters - Coyote Geocaching

Skywatch Friday - Playground Sky

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!

Qualified Applicants Only Need Apply

Ruby Tuesday - Zoo Smiles

Hey it's Christmas

Weekend Reflections - Downtown

Skywatch Friday - Winter

Wordless Wednesday - The Tin Man

ABC Wednesday - "U"

Ruby Tuesday - The "Football"

Christmas, Firemen, Exotic Dancers, and Fun in Downtown Tulsa

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Breaking Dawn Part One

Bedlam

Skywatch Friday - Changing Light

Philbrook Museum Festival of the Trees

Our World - Muskogee, Oklahoma

Hugo - the Movie

Today's Flowers - Poinsettia

Black Friday Geocaching

Great Day

Thanksgiving

Curiosity and Mars

Oklahoma Autism Conference

Ruby Red Zoo Train

Ascension

Metal Art

The Church

Boomer Sooner!

Getting My Head on Straight

Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence

Veteran's Day

Occupying Skywatch

Wordless Wednesday - Health Insurance Open Enrollment

Lomography Walls

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