Long time no travel, huh guys?
My mom told me to write a blog while on this trip, so that's the main reason I'm putting this down. But also, on the flight, I started listening to "Broken" by Jenny Lawson and she says she writes because she can't remember and I want to be reminded, if I can't recall.
Skipping all of my feelings on COVID for the moment, I will say that I have been on one trip in the last 17 months - to Disneyland when masks were still cool (mandated) and I felt as safe as an on-the-verge-of-agoraphobic-person might.
My work has been gracious and accommodating enough to keep us all afloat and working remotely for the duration, but plans are changing and they will likely want us in the office come September (though I'm sure they will play it by ear and listen to science and who knows what exactly will happen). But with this looming return to the office, I felt an incredible urge to take advantage while the COVID numbers were low(ish) and work from another place for a week.
I had reserved myself two vacation days in August, assuming I would take a long weekend somewhere, but in the end decided to travel the weekend prior, work M-W from a hotel and then drive around, explore, etc Thur-Sun.
Where to go, I asked myself, and then pulled up Google Maps and zoomed out until I could see all of the US. I've done this a number of times in the past. Spinning the globe, as it were, and picking a place at random to travel. Norway, Iceland, Barcelona, Ireland. And Europe is always my first choice (sorry Australia) because there are so many different countries and personalities to check out. I'm still not ready for Europe yet and, honestly, I don't know if Europe wants me/Americans right now. So, I limited my dreaming to the US and tried to come up with a place that I REALLY wanted to visit, but that no one else did. I say "REALLY" because if I'm going to break out of my anxiety to get on a plane with strangers and see a new city that I don't trust at all (I only trust my own house at the mo'), I better REALLY want to go.
Friends and family offered ideas. Go to Utah, see Arches and Zion. Go to Savanah. Go to North Carolina. I had my own ideas. Maybe Minnesota or Wisconsin. I sort of wanted to go there and do want to see all 50 states some day (I've already been to 36, but who's counting).
In the end, I decided on Oklahoma City. But WHY, I hear you ask. I'll summarize.
- I watched this TED talk in 2013 and found it entertaining and interesting.
- I liked the TV show Saving Grace, which was based in Oklahoma City
- I really wanted to be myself again and do something off-the-wall that no one would understand. I find joy in being the oddball traveler.
So, that brings us up to today. My wife drove me to SFO airport, where I flew first class (it was only $100 more than economy and had NO frills other than a single window seat) to Dallas, TX. "Wait, I thought you were going to Oklahoma City." Didn't you just see me say that I'm the oddball traveler? If I'm going to spend 9 days away from home, I'm going to make it worth it and having a connecting flight is not my idea of a good time. Driving 3 1/2 hours to OKC after a night in a fancy pants hotel in Dallas sounds just like the slow adventure I'm looking for. All I hope to see tomorrow are fields and maybe an antelope or something.
When I booked the tickets, which was only a few weeks ago, all COVID numbers were so low they were comforting. BUT that pesky Delta variant had to rear its ugly head and start spreading itself all about.
Now, you know I live in California where we like to wear masks even when vaccinated and "save grandma" by not spreading COVID. We're liberal as hell and, to me, that means having a ridiculous amount of empathy for others. I knew I'd be coming from hippyland and that maybe this part of the country wouldn't be on the same page. But I did not expect to go into a restaurant to pick up my dinner and not see one mask. I did not expect to check into my hotel, which has a bustling lobby and bar with live music, and not see ONE mask. I'm confused by this, but mostly just curious. What are Texans hearing that they feel masks are not...what's the word...valuable? Are they right? Are we too cautious? I mean, I'd rather be overly cautious than not, but I also realize this is MY decision and everybody can do what they want. No one gave me funny looks, so I'm going to keep putting that thin cloth over my face on this trip and the locals can do what the locals want to do.
Anyway, I'm going to tell one funny story and then sign off for the night. I hope in the next couple of days I can convince you (and myself) that OKC is kind cool and maybe worth a visit. I hope you enjoy my evening ramblings.
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Storytime:
I landed in Dallas at 5pm. It was 99 degrees out. I picked up a rental car, some dinner and checked into my hotel, giving my car to the valet. After I had a bite, I realized that I only had 8oz of water with me (courtesy of Alaska Airlines) and definitely needed more, given the heat! I looked on Google Maps (a really helpful tool) and saw that two blocks away was a Wine, Spirits and More shop, so I changed into shorts and flip flops and started walking. The shop was on the same side of the road as the hotel, the shady side, but the sidewalk was closed and blocked by a very tall fence. Still there seemed to be enough room on the grass and dirt between the road and the fence to walk and not get hit by a car. I quickly realized that the tree roots were not flip flop friendly, or broken glass, but I managed to go slow and not sprain an ankle or get sliced.
When I reached the shop, gently glistening from the 90+ degree heat, I was sad to find the door was not on the street side, but rather around back near the parking lot. Not that big a deal, but I don't like being hot and just didn't wanna (imitates a toddler's fit). The place was BEAUTIFULLY air conditioned and I could have stayed in there all day. There must have been 50 customers (no masks) and 10 employees (no masks). I took a lap and decided that I should also have some gin for my troubles and picked up a small bottle for the week. I could not find water. I did make eye contact with a lovely older gentleman who worked there and asked, "Do you have water?" He was slightly surprised. I mean, who goes to "Wine, Spirits and More" for H2O? He took me to a walk-in freezer and pointed at a case of water. There were no single bottles available. I thought, "Well, I will need a lot of water during the trip and it is hot and OKC is in the 90's too. Sure, I'll take a case." When I went to pick it up by the plastic on the side of the case, it ripped a healthy strip of plastic right off, dropping the case on the ground. I hadn't done enough damage to loosen any bottles, so I picked up the case in my arms like a heavy, squirming child and somehow also gripped the gin in my fist. By the time I got to the cashier, I realized that I have to carry this half broken, heavy ass case of water back over the tree roots and shards of glass. But I talked myself up. "You got this! You're strong and capable and it's only 2 blocks." I made my purchased and head outside.
Thank goodness the cashier gave me a plastic bag with a handle to hold the gin. I looped that around my wrist and hefted the case of water onto my shoulder. I started walking, feeling very confident and thankful that the water had been in that super cold room. That was going to help get me back to the hotel and not die of heat. And that's when two water bottles fell out of the case and hit the ground. Ok, so I had to stop, pick up the bottles, which I put in the plastic bag (awesome) and repositioned the case on my shoulder long ways up, so the spot where I tore the plastic was facing the sky. By the time I reached the street (remember the door was near the parking lot), I was no longer glistening but damp and panting a little. I took my mask off of one ear to let in hang off my left ear, so I could get fresher, yet humid, air.
Slowly, I walked over the tree roots and avoided the broken glass. I switched shoulders with the water and flung the bag of gin all around, but kept it all together. I just had to cross a small alley to get to the next sidewalk. Unfortunately, my mask, which had been looped around my ear, came a little loose, threatening to fall off. So, while crossing the street with case of water on one shoulder, bag of gin and bottles of water looped around a wrist, I tilted my head at a ridiculous angle to try to hold onto the mask with my ear (I don't know if you've ever tried to use ear muscles, but it isn't that successful). When I reached the next sidewalk, which was on the corner of the hotel, I had to stop at the bus stop and rearrange everything. By this time, I'm pouring sweat, putting the mask back on, and not looking forward to dragging my white trash ass through the lobby of this fancy hotel. I walk passed some country-club looking people and had the most brilliant idea of my life. I asked the Valet to put the case of water in my trunk (since they had my car and I had two bottles of water in the bag). She was lovely and accommodating and now I was flying high that I wouldn't have to walk through the lobby with a case of water on my shoulder.
I went to open the door to the lobby and it just sort of wobbled, but didn't open. I tried the other door. Also wobbled. I turned around and saw a guest of the hotel and said, "Am I broken?" Which must have seemed like a fair question, considering I just gave a case of water to the valet, was pouring sweat and couldn't open a door. But he was nice and said he had the same problem earlier, and that the door sticks. Finally I made it in and up to my room, where I stripped off my drenched clothes and stood directly under the ceiling fan drinking an entire bottle of water.
