Category Archives: Myself

A Career in Signs

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Last weekend the ventured to Clinton, Oklahoma for Sweetie’s family reunion. While there SuperPizzaBoy and I ventured to the very nice Route 66 Museum. It is a great museum but I was struck by how much gas station memorabilia they had. Especially the signs. I had actually worked for many of those companies.

Pegasus

My first oilfield job was with Mobil Oil. I worked as a summer roustabout in the Permian Basin of west Texas for two years and as a summer engineer one year. Mobil was my first employer out of college. I worked as the West Ranch oilfield on the Texas Gulf Coast That was back in the day. The employees were very proud of their company and it was a big family atmosphere. Mobil is now part of Exxon.

Champlin Petroleum

My second job was with Champlin Petroleum in east Texas. Champlin was a medium size very aggressive exploration company that was part of the Union Pacific Railroad.  Their assets are now owned by the huge independent Anadarko Petroleum.

Shell OIl

I worked for Shell for a couple years here in Oklahoma. They bought the assets I was working for and then they sold them. I never did figure those guys out. One thing, though, don’t call their shell a “clam.” That drove the Shell lifers nuts. So I always made it a point to do so. It is called a “Pecten.” To me, it will always be a clam.

Check out Signs, Signs.

Saving My Neck Downtown

I love Tulsa even though it has a few faults. One of the things that drives me crazy is that we get ice and snow here and nobody downtown clears their sidewalks. It’s not only irritating its dangerous.

I bought myself some slip on grippers for my shoes and life is now grand. Earlier this week after our recent ice and snow storm I had to make a few errands in one trip. I had to go to the courthouse and pay the real estate taxes, drop off and pick up some books at the library, and go the post office to mail some letters. Couldn’t do it before.

Snowy Travels

So I strapped on my new duds and off I went.

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They took a little getting used to plus they are very noisy but I was able to walk on sheets of solid ice with no problems at all. And, as a bonus, you get to talk to a lot of people. A sheriff’s deputy at the courthouse wanted a pair and asked where I got them and so did a security guard at the post office wanted some for his wife.

The only thing is don’t wear these inside. I took a few steps in our lobby downstairs and took them off. I think they would scar a floor in now time. Fortunately they are pretty easy to put on and take off.

My life is changed. I can venture out at lunch now after ice storms.

I rate them four stars out of four.

Pancakes, more pancakes, bike riding, getting stalked, and puppy love

A lot has been going on lately. It is hard to keep up with it all.

First up is it is United Way season. The Yogi’s are big supporters of United Way and so is my employer. Thursday they had their Pancake Breakfast. I’m always up for pancakes! Here is the lineup of this year’s cooks.

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What a fine looking crew, left to right, there is Dave (my boss) his pancakes were great, his boss Bob (his pancakes were even better), Steve (Co-worker), and Mike. The lady at the end is fellow geocacher Teresa (“Mommakiss”). $5 for all you can eat. The place was packed. I think they made a lot of money. The event was organized by another fellow geocacher Linda. Great job Linda!

I converted both Linda and Teresa to geocaching. I witnessed to them and gave my testimony and they saw the light. I walked them right up to the altar of their first geocache and they have been faithful witnesses to the Department of Defense Satellites encircling the globe emitting their steady dependable signals that enable us to find old M&M tubes hidden in the shrubbery of abandoned Wendy’s restaurants.

Friday was the start of a three day weekend. My employer has gone to an optional 9-80 work week so Sweetie and I had a big day planned. We dropped her car off to get fixed, then we dropped the kid off at school. We drove downtown to meet with our attorney. No we are not suing you, yet. Don’t make me mad though, our attorney is a mad dog.

We were hungry after all that legal stuff so Sweetie and I hoofed it over to the Blue Dome Diner. Tulsa blogger Bill Miller posted about it recently and I had to go try it. Sweetie and I each had the blueberry walnut pancakes. I ordered three, Sweetie, one. I followed Bill’s example though and ate only half and took the other half home. The pancakes are wonderful! (Sorry for the out of focus photograph.)

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We waddled back to the car, went home and changed out of lawyering clothes and into our biking clothes and drove out to the river and rode a short ride of about 12 miles or so. I only got one photograph. (Sweetie will leave me if I don’t keep up!) It is of downtown Tulsa where I work. I had to wave at my coworkers still working. Don’t worry, next week they will have Friday off and they will be waving at me from the river.

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Look at those big old fat fluffy clouds.I love them. They day was perfect. Temperature in the mid 80’s, a little breeze, and low humidity. I was in heaven! The sun was straight overhead so all the trees had perfect little round shadows underneath them. What a day off!

It came time to go to Quik Trip get something to drink and then pick up the kid from school, the car from the shop, and go home. This is where I found out I’m getting stalked.

There was this waiting for me in the mailbox at home.

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I think it is a little ominous, don’t you? Anybody have any ideas who this could be. Sweetie says it is my fellow blogger Baloney. Couldn’t be, could it?  She’s my friend. We went dancing last week! Go check her out, let me know what you think. Is she the one or not? I sent her something earlier this week. It was real nice.

Don’t laugh. It’s a poop cache. They are very rare.

Then it was time to go check on Nana. She is recovering nicely from her broken leg and will be and running around Dress Barn again in no time. We took our two mutts Ginger and Abby because they like to play with Nana’s Fiona. After the playing it was cuddling time.

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Ginger is on the right, Fiona on the left, Abby is the white blur behind Fiona. We couldn’t get all their faces in the picture. They are friends but not that good of friends.

By then I was worn out. I made the most of my day off don’t you think. And I’ve got two whole days to go this weekend!

Boys Night Out

Its Book Group time for Sweetie! Her once month outing with the ladies. SuperPizzaBoy and I go out and do stuff. Come join us!

Are you ready to go SPB?

First, Dinner at Fuddrucker’s. Plain Cheeseburger for the kid.


Dad loaded his up at the “make your own” bar.

Then to Laser Quest. One 20 minute game. Very intense workout. I came in number one! I gave those 11 year olds a butt kicking they will never forget. I’m the King of the World!

We finished at Barnes & Noble. The rule is I’ll buy you a book but you better be with me at the checkout stand; he was!

Home,

Half Day Off

Yesterday I took a half day off and played a round of golf with some coworkers.

Above, note the equipment. The finest irons on the generic market of 1988. The best $19.95 driver and 3 wood Sam’s had in 1991, and a wonderful $7.50 Walmart putter from 1992. Nothing but the best for me. Sweetie got me the golf bag a few years ago, its the best item of equipment I have, next to my lucky SpongeBob SquarePants golf balls.

BTW – I still love that license plate!

My coworkers. We had a great time.

The weather was warm, humid, and sunny. Wonderful.
Signature hole. I wonder if they would let me hide a geocache there?

We played some golf, we drank some malted beverages, a couple of us made some great shots, some of us made some horrible shots, but we all had a great time.

How did I do? What do you mean? I played golf during working hours so I did great!

Oh, you mean what was my score?

OK, I shot a 64 – pretty good uh?

and

a 62 on the back 9!

Habanero Popcorn

Do you have a problem with popcorn. I mean you microwave a bag and then everybody wants some. I’ve got the solution. Habanero flavored popcorn. I’m the only one in our house that will eat it. They carry it at Bass Pro here in Tulsa.

Its really good but it is really hot. Water and beer don’t help. Soda is probably the best, something with a little fizz to it.

I just eat it without any liquids and finish off with peach frozen yogurt. That works great. So I get two snacks instead of one.

And you don’t have to share. But not everybody is as selfish as me.

Rejuvenated Rear End

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

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

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

Before,

After

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

I finally got around to it.

We have a bicycle problem at the house. Sweetie’s is propped up against the wall. Makes it kind of hard to get in and out of her car.

Mine is balanced all wobbly on my work bench. So if I need to do anything I have to move the bicycle. Pain in the butt.

So after school today SuperPizzaBoy and I went to Home Depot and found two fold down bike racks for $5.95 each, plus tax. They come with screws but I spent a few more pennies on some heavier duty manly lag screws.

Come home, did my manly home project. Sweetie will be so proud of me when she gets home Thursday night! I’ve been telling her that I would take care of it since about 1992, and I did. Isn’t it nice to have a guy around the house who follows through?