Nice Weekend

Spring Sprung with vengeance last weekend. The Yogi’s made the most of it.

We went on a long walk with the mutts Abby and Ginger. SuperPizzaBoy took his Triton. We went about 4 miles plus or minus.

SuperPizzaBoy and I put in a raised bed in the back yard. Sam’s sells a kit to do it so it was a pilot project. We put it right over SPB’s old swing set that he has outgrown. It was a nice weekend project. We are going to add some top soil and maybe plant some tomatoes when we get the thumbs up from Sweetie, our resident Master Gardener.

The mutts came out and inspected the work. They are not much into manual labor though. Mainly they provide security against squirrels and rabbits.

And we spent some time at Nana’s house checking out her new dog Reba. She’s a sweetie.

SPB had spent the night with Nana. You can tell he is a man of leisure.

Anyway, that’s the weekend report, a little late but hey I can’t help it.

How was yours?

Meet Reba

We have a new member of the family. The World’s Greatest MIL, Nana, felt the need for a new puppy to give her shitzu Fiona some company and so we now have Reba.

Reba is a four year old shitzu who was a brood dog at the same kennel where Nana’s Fiona and our own Abby came from. Reba got very sick and had to have surgery and she couldn’t have puppies any more and the breeder couldn’t have another house dog so Nana adopted her. So Reba is kind of a rescue dog.

Reba was very upset last week when she first came to her new home. It didn’t seem like she was going to settle down or bond with Fiona but happily she is adapting quite well and will even sit still for a few pictures.

She is starting to eat and drink and assert herself a little bit.

I mean look at that face.

My World – Brady Theater – Tulsa

My wife and I attended a Norah Jones concert recently at the Brady Theater just north of downtown Tulsa. It was built in 1913 and was “the” theater in Tulsa until the 1970’s when the Performing Arts Center was built. Since then it has been in private hands and has a good reputation as a good place to watch performers like Norah Jones.

It has quite a history. Supposedly it was the site of Enrico Caruso’s last ever performance in 1920. The story goes that he got sick while in Tulsa and died in Italy in 1921. I couldn’t find any reputable source to corroborate that but hey it makes a good story. Here is one version.

Many performers have appeared at the Brady. According to Wikipedia they include Al Jolson, Isadora Duncan, Ethel Barrymore, Helen Hayes, Benny Goodman, The Marx Brothers, Katharine Hepburn, Peter Frampton, Buddy Holly, Debbie Reynolds, Dave Brubeck, Van Cliburn, Stevie Ray Vaughan, U2, The Pretenders, Frank Zappa, Genesis, The Kinks, Mötley Crüe, and Robin Williams. My wife and I have seen Kenny G and Gordon Lightfoot.

It also played a part in the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot which is supposedly one of the deadliest in our nation’s history with about 300 killed (some estimates go as high as 3000). Check out the Wikipedia entry. The Brady was used as a detention center. It seats about 2800 for a concert but supposedly 6000 people were herded in temporarily and then moved to the State Fairgrounds.

Some say that the Brady was actually used as a haven from the violence.Others say people were detained there. I don’t know much about it the photo doesn’t look like people are being led to a haven.

Supposedly the ghosts of Caruso and many of those who died during the riot inhabit the building. I don’t really believe in ghosts but I can feel the history of the place when I attend a concert there.

It has an active schedule. Check out their web site here. Jeff Beck and the Barenaked Ladies are coming in March. Jackson Browne in August.

Check out That’s My World for other images from around the world.

Note on Photos. The top photo is mine. The others are courtesy of the Beryl Ford Collection/Rotary Club of Tulsa, Tulsa City-County Library and Tulsa Historical Society.

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

NIV

The verse is from my Pastor’s sermon this morning. The photo is from a combination run and geocaching outing last Summer.

Check out my friend Baloney’s site for other pairings of verse and images.

Norah Jones at the Brady Theater and Go SOONERS, POOH BEAR!!

Friday Night Sweetie and I had a date. Dinner and a Show!

First we went to McNellies downtown for burgers and beer. Nothing but the best for us. McNellies has dozens of beer on tap we got Chimay’s from Belgium.

Not only are they tasty, they are beautiful to look at.

Now, that’s what I call a perfect pairing. Sorry Sweetie, I couldn’t resist.

Then we went to the Brady Theater to see Norah Jones put on a show.

I wasn’t a fan of Ms. Jones going into the show but I am now. I thought her songs lacked “oomph” they were airy and weightless and not much substance. Hey, I’m a fan now. She can really sing plus it seems that she has a nice personality and handled the drunken “I love you Norah” calls from the audience with grace and humor. She put on a wonderful show. Apparently Tulsa is the start of her nationwide tour.

The funniest thing was when she asked if there were some sort of rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma and the audience responded with the drunken “BOOMER” only it sounded like “BOOMAUGHHAH”. She just laughed and said “All I can hear is Pooh Bear. What’s that about?” I laughed and laughed. You have to live in Oklahoma to hear the drunks go “BOOMAUGHHAH.” So for the rest of my life I’ll be yelling Pooh Bear!

Sorry OU Fans, that’s the way I roll. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t go to OU or OSU either one, and I love both schools (I expect SuperPizzaBoy may be attending one or the other eventually), but the Sooner Fans get a little overbearing. Hey I don’t blame them, lots to be proud of for that school. They have really worked hard building a University that the Football team can be proud of.

Go Sooners!!

POOH BEAR!!!!

Amy Bloom – “Where the God of Love Hangs Out”

“Where the God of Love Hangs Out” is a collection of short stories by Amy Bloom. They are loosely related and tell the story of a family as time goes by. I love short stories and was looking forward to reading it. I didn’t really like it though. The problem is nothing much really happens. I’m not talking about action adventure type stuff with guns, bad guys, and sex. I’m saying that nothing happens. It’s like trying to move through molasses.

I kept on reading though because I liked the characters. That ever happen to you where you don’t like reading the book but you keep doing it because you like the characters. But I just can’t go on any longer. That happens to me all the time. I’m not saying this is a badly written book. I’m just saying that it’s not my cup of tea.

I love short stories but I’m glad this is a library book.

So 1.5 stars out of 4. Sorry.

Skywatch Friday – Osage Hills

I ran in a trail race in the Osage Hills northwest of Tulsa last Sunday.

View from Holmes Peak to the southwest.

Holmes Peak to downtown Tulsa

Downtown Tulsa earlier in the race.

How’d I do in the race? I finished vertically. So I was happy.

For other views of the sky from all over the world check out Skywatch Friday.

SuperPizzaBoy Live

Hottest Place in Tulsa Tuesday Night

Tuesday Night at Panera Bread on Cherry Street SuperPizzaBoy’s school had their Spirit Night. The kids get to sing songs in an open mike type forum and Panera generously donated 10% of their receipts to the school. It’s win/win for everybody.

Son got to sing two songs. “Simple Melody” by Irving Berlin and “You Have to Pick a Pocket or Two” from Oliver.

So all his singing by SPB and his classmates was lots of fun. Fun’s great but SPB’s Dad had a mystery to solve. Before his performance a beautiful dark haired girl came up and gave him a big hug!

Hey Bud, who was that?

What do you mean NoneYa? What’s NoneYa?

What do you mean I don’t know her? If I knew her I wouldn’t be asking who she is!

What do you mean you forgot her name?

You can stonewall me all night Bud, your Mom is going to get down to the bottom of this situation!

Oh yeah, there was another show in Town last night, old what’s his name. People who couldn’t get into Panera wandered over to see this dude.

Did anybody go see him? Who’d he open for?

Crazy Heart with Jeff Bridges

Last week Sweetie and I went to see Crazy Heart. A movie about a down and out country western singer, Bad Blake, played by Jeff Bridges, who is playing the bowling alleys and bars of the southwest trying to earn a living. Its a hard grind and he isn’t doing it very well. That’s a nice way of saying that he has turned into a sad old man. Then he meets a very sweet reporter, Jean Craddock, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Anyway, you can guess the rest, or maybe you can’t.

It’s a romance and its a also a drama. It is about it’s never too late to start over and its also about sometimes you don’t get a do over.

I loved this movie. I give it 3.5 stars out of 4.

Check out the official movie web site. Lots of good info there.

Here is a trailer.

My World – Tulsa History Museum

A couple weeks ago SuperPizzaBoy and I went to the Tulsa History Museum operated by the Tulsa Historical Society at the Travis Mansion at Woodward Park.

Know something, it was free. SPB and I are all over free.

It’s not a real big museum but it is packed with stuff.

We loved this old truck polished to a high gloss.

They had relics from some of the grand old movie theaters downtown. Some cities have preserved some of these spaces and repurposed them for concerts and such. Not Tulsa, we’re progressive. We tore’em down. Can’t ever have too many parking lots!

I’ve previously posted this picture. It’s SPB discovering a juke box. His first selection was Frank Sinatra, which was fine. His second was the Partridge Family (or something similar). So no more juke boxes for SPB.

Pardon the reflection. (If my photographer knew he was doing this blog would be a lot better.) They had an exhibit on old department stores and including some of the fashions. I love that yellow dress. Do you think they have my size?

I loved the crown shaped perfume bottle. I bet it has the butterfly and taffy scent. It has to.

We enjoyed ourselves. We went next door to the Tulsa Garden Center. They had something going on also. I’ve always loved this little room off the end.

Hey, look who we found, Sweetie, working a booth and helping kids, hey that’s SPB!, plant something.

Yep, Sweetie, who is here there and everywhere is working with the LiL Green Thumbs with their children’s programs. I’ll brag on her a little. In addition to all her other talents, she is a Oklahoma State University certifed Master Gardener.

Know something else. She made the display board and decorated the table.

She’s awesome.

For other views of our world check out That’s My World.

YogisDen.us

Welcome to my world