Category Archives: Family

My World – Oklahoma Road Trip

I had a four day weekend so we decided to take a little road trip from Tulsa.

First we headed off to Oklahoma City

On the way we took a small detour on old Route 66 so I could find a few geocaches. One place we looked was at this old gas station right on the road. The landowner left a little informative sign. Apparently their was a counterfeiting operation here during the depression. Also, not long ago somebody dumped a body. We didn’t see a body but somebody had dumped a kitten there. Very sad.
A little further on we stopped at “Pops.” A diner/gas station on route 66 near Arcadia. Built by an Oklahoma Oilman this place boasts over 400 kinds of soda pop. I believe it! We only had one each.

SuperPizzaBoy had a “Mexican” Coke, Sweetie a Grape Nehi.
I had some sort of Black Cherry Cream Soda. They were all great.

A little blast from the past, we went by the first house that Sweetie and I lived in when got married. Nearly 20 years ago.
Next, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. It was great. They had a exhibition on “Turner to Cezanne” from the National Museum of Wales. Plus the museum is know of their Dale Chihuly glass exhibit. Breathakingly beautiful works of glass. Check out his web site here.

We spent the night in downtown Oklahoma City. We ate dinner and saw a movie in Bricktown. Lots of canals, restaurants, bars, and a movie theater.

Next day, we ate breakfast and headed down to Duncan, Oklahoma to see the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center.

This is a small museum but well worth seeing. They have an interactive, hands on area, great for kids, and a regular museum with some great works. The star of the show is a multimedia presentation about a cattle drive. It is multi D. So when it rains you get sprinkled, you also smell the bacon and coffee on the campfire. When the longhorn’s stampede you feel it in your seat.

Next, it was back north to Norman to the University of Oklahoma. They are working hard in Norman to make a university for which the football team can be proud. The University is home to the Fred Jones Museum of Art. The basis of the art collection is the Weitzenhoffer collection the university received several years back. Works by Degas, Gauguin, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, among others are in the collection. They also had an exhibition of the Rennard Strickland Collection of Native American Art.

We really liked it but our eyes were getting a little glassy from what SuperPizzaBoy called our “Museumathon.” So we loaded up, drove to Oklahoma City to Johnnies for hamburgers and great ice tea and then booked it home.

Check out That’s My World for great photos of our world.

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,

Trail Ride

On our trip to Idaho we took a two hour trail ride

SuperPizzaBoy about to mount his horse under supervision of Gramps, his grandfather.

Sweetie, always has a smile.

My cousin Merri Ann is all set to go.

We crossed a little stream.

My sister, Ellen, brother Bob, and cousin Karol.


I liked this picture mainly because of the horses ears.

It was a cool misty afternoon and we all had a pretty good time.

Happy Father’s Day

The dashing Forest Ranger above with the cowboy hat is my Dad. The good looking kid sitting on the wall with his Smokey Bear is yours truly. This is my favorite picture of he and I together. I always thought that Dad being a Forest Ranger was pretty cool. He worked his whole career in the United States Forest Service and retired productively in Idaho years ago.

He did all sorts of cool things like fighting forest fires all over the west, going on pack trips in the mountains, stuff like that. He also could build and repair anything. Most importantly, he was and is an interested and involved Father. What else is there?

Happy Father’s Day Dad!

Skywatch Friday – Idaho

Last week we ventured to Idaho for a family reunion. We stayed in the Island Park area in the southeast part of the state near Yellowstone Park.

View to the east at sunset.
About the same time to the west.
For other pictures of the sky from all over the world check out Skywatch Friday.

Family Reunion Time

Late last week the Yogi family traveled up to Idaho for a family reunion. The weather was supposed to be cold and wet but it gave us a break.

We had a great time. We did a little bit of everything. Below is my cousin Merri Ann and my brother-in-law Irvin getting ready to go on a ride.
SuperPizzaBoy and cousin Shiloh horsing around.
Somebody else (not a relative) horsing around.

SuperPizzaBoy and Sweetie.

Cousin Merri Ann organized the event and of course did an excellent job. We stayed at a Lodge in Island Park area of Idaho, very close to Yellowstone Park. The lodge was wonderful. All the amenities, set in the woods but with great vistas.


Still more horsing around. My Dad, “Gramps” and SPB.

SPB and some cousins.

A great time was had by all. We decided to do it again next year, same place.

No Rest on the Seventh Day, but I am not Complaining

Sunday:

Lets see, up at 5:15 am, get dressed, drive down to the Arkansas River. Run six miles with Burt and Jeff from church. Drink coffee at Starbucks until 8.

Drive home, get dressed, we missed church today but Sweetie is teaching 4 year olds and I’m helping her so we all load up and go to church anyway. SuperPizzaBoy goes to his Sunday School with his buddy.

Sweetie and I go to see the 4 year olds. Not enough adult help (2 deep adult leadership for child and adult safety, married couples don’t count!) so we had to combine with another class. Take to big group and then since so many kids they play on the playground.

SPB’s new bed is in at the furniture store. So I drive up there with the truck (sneak in a geocache on the way.) Pick the stuff up, take back to the house.

SPB’s kid furniture needs to go!

His old ceiling fan needs to go also

New one, more masculine, needs to go in.

Turns out that taking down the old ceiling fan and putting in the new one is what soaks up the hours.

SPB’s new bed frame is maple, snaps together!

Sweetie finishes it off, SPB is pretty happy with it.

Time for a Chipotle’s burrito and a malted beverage.

Not very much rest today but all in all a day well spent and satisfying.

Graduation

As previously reported SuperPizzaBoy and I flew to Colorado to attend and celebrate his cousin Jillian’s graduation from Colorado State University at Fort Collins.

Jillian graduated with dual degrees. BS in both Agricultural Business and in Equine Science. She is very smart. She has loved horses her whole life and has one of her own. She was also on Colorado State’s horse judging team and won many individual and team awards.

The Ag Department at CSU hosted a breakfast for the graduates and their families. Below, from left to right, is Jillian’s dad, Irvin, sister Marian, and Jillian herself. Both sisters are very pretty. Good thing they took after their mother and not dad. When Marian was younger she and I used to partner up and kick butt and take names in all sorts of games, Scrabble, Monopoly, whatever. Our motto was, “You know what you call a good loser? A loser.” We were very obnoxious. Eventually nobody would play with us. I understand that, I mean, why keep beating your head against the wall?

Jillian’s friend, Megan, and Jillian with “Cam the Ram.” He is a sheep I called him a goat, I thought I was going to get escorted off the campus. They take sheep and goats very seriously at an Ag school I found out.

Its a good thing they didn’t hear me earlier. SPB asked me why the animal was there. I told him that they were going to barbecue him to serve the graduates after the ceremony. He asked me if he could have the horns. I said sure little dude, but you have to share with Shiloh.

Sisters Jillian and Marian (with Marian’s son Shiloh in the background.) He is looking kind of thoughtful.

Another shot of Shiloh. Shiloh is a great soccer player and is very athletic. He and and SPB get along very well. SPB is very laid back, slow moving, and bright, Shiloh is very energetic, active, and also bright.. (In the background in the red coat, is Shiloh’s great grandfather (my Dad) Gramps.

Graduation picture, sorry, dim lighting, cheap camera, and distance are a bad combination.
Afterwards Jillian’s parents threw a party in honor of Jillian and her friends. We had quite a time. They cooked fajitas, malted beverages were available.

My brother-in-law Irvin, the master chef at work.


They had games like the sack race below. Also three legged race, spoon race, volleyball. Everybody had a great time.

SPB and Shiloh with their Bakugan. I don’t get it. What’s the deal with Pokemon, Bakugan, and Bionicles? It has its own language, SPB can lecture for hours on the subject.
All good things must come to an end. Sunday, my Dad, Gramps left to go back to Idaho. My sister Ellen, next to him. Fortunately for her, she doesn’t look like me.

Going to Colorado

SuperPizzaBoy and I are flying to Colorado Friday. We are going to participate in the celebration of niece Jillian’s graduation from Colorado State University. Jillian is one smart cookie and she has worked pretty darn hard to get where she is. She is a champion horse judge and has won a bunch of awards doing it. We are mighty proud of her. She is going to slapping her dorky old uncle around because the photograph doesn’t do her justice.

So we get prepared. Clothes, camera, etc. Most important is I downloaded 500 geocaches into my two GPS receivers. It’s just not prudent to go out of state without at least one backup GPSr. I just hope that my sister Ellen doesn’t get too mad at me. She should understand, she’s geocacher, so is her husband Irvin. For that matter I think Jillian is also.

Hmm…. I guess this might run in families.

Sign up Here

I have a great deal for you. It won’t cost you anything, nothing at all. Just by leaving a comment for this post, you can help a great organization with a fund raiser. Just read a little bit further and leave a comment and then you are done.


Here is the deal. The Autism Center of Tulsa is having their annual 5K and Fun Run Saturday morning at Hunter Park here in Tulsa. You can click on the link above to find out more but they provide a ton of resources to help Autistic children and their families cope with the disease. This includes sponsoring seminars and other training, family fun nights. They have a resource center with all sorts of information. They don’t do therapy, they provide information, support, and services.

OK, I’m done, here is my deal. SuperPizzaBoy as well as Sweetie and I are running the Fun Run, and I’m also running the 5K:

Please leave a comment for SuperPizzaBoy encouraging him to complete the Fun Run. No strings attached. Just leave a comment and you are done!

I’m not quite done. We have had some very generous donors who contributed to Logan’s team. If you would like to join them go ahead and click on the widget on the right. If not, just leave a comment. I would appreciate it very much.

One last thing, if you or somebody you know live in Northeast Oklahoma and have a child with autism and need help or information please tell them about the Autism Center of Tulsa. The contact information is on the web site. They can help.