Give a cop a hug, or not.

After 54 years of living under the radar, 2009 is Yogi’s year for pissing policemen off. Earlier this year I got growled out via a loudspeaker from a cop car about 15 feet away from me at about 5:45 am.

Last Friday, I took a late lunch downtown and went for a run. On my walk back I crossed a street midblock about a block ahead of a police car. He pulled up to the intersection to the stop light facing north. I was going north, I wasn’t even thinking of him, I looked east and west and thre were no cars so I started across the sidewalk without a walk light. He honked his horn and yelled at me.

I went over there and asked him what was wrong. He was very angry. He said “I can’t believe that you jay walked right in front of me and now you are going cross that street against the light with me sitting right here.” I said sorry about that. He waved his arms and yelled, “Yeah well what up Bro” and burned rubber taking off.

So, I am a little puzzled. He wasn’t worried that I was doing anything that was endangering myself, him, or others. I was disrespecting him! By serial jaywalking!

I have been walking and running extensively around downtown and surrounding neighborhoods for 17 years. I hardly ever cross streets at intersections. Do you know why? Because it is dangerous that’s why! The cars turning don’t look for pedestrians. I cross mid block generally. No turners.

What is wrong with our policemen! I don’t think they are feeling the love. I’m not either.

I’ve always got along great with policemen until this year. I think that have very stressful jobs and are underpaid for what they do. My best friend in high school, Jeff Russell, eventually became an Albuquerque policeman and died in a car crash while on duty in 2002.

Anybody have any ideas about what we can do to make our policemen feel more secure?

My World – Modern Run

When Tulsa residents think about architecture they think about the art deco buildings downtown. These buildings have been documented well and many of them are well taken care of by their owners.

Just south of downtown are several modern buildings that are interesting either visually or historically. I went past several during a noon run last week.

First up is the Abundunt Life Building on South Boulder. It was built in 1957 by the Oral Roberts Ministries who occupied it until they moved to south Tulsa. There are all sorts of wild stories about the building during the Oral Roberts ownership. Since I don’t repeat rumors, you will have to read them yourself here. The building has been empty since the 1980’s. The city is after the present owner to bring into compliance with code.


Above is the “new” Mapco Building, below is the “old” Mapco building. Mapco was a natural gas liquid pipeline company that was purchased by Williams in 1997. I tried to do some research on the internet but was not able to find out when the buildings were built or who architect were.

The new building is very bold in design, but cool and corporate. The old building is warmer and humane but has two interesting features to me. One is the large flag that always flies over the building . The building overlooks Veteran’s Park which is the prime fireworks viewing spots on July 4. The flag always looks great with the fireworks.

The second feature is the cool little individual shades over the windows. It makes for interesting shadows during certain times of the day.

The new building has shades over the windows also. It can get hot in Oklahoma in the summer.


Below is an apartment building on my running route. I guess that you could call this modern in design. It looks better in the picture than it does in real life. It looks like it is made of reinforced concrete. It might stand up well in a tornado. Note the overhands at each level which could function to shade the windows.

Below is a more attractive modern apartment building. It is a Tulsa landmark and overlooks the river.
Below is the former Getty Oil building. This building has really grown on my over the years. The exterior lookss like it is a lattice. I never really noticed it before.

Below is the Blue Cross Blue Shield building. Again, it has overhangs that can shade the windows during the heat of the day.

That’s about it. What struck me about researching the more modern buildings compared to older buildings is the paucity of information about architects, builders, etc. Just like everything else we won’t appreciate many modern buildings until after they are are gone.

ModernTulsa is a web site and blog that is very useful in learning about modern buildings.

Check out My World for more photographs of our world, from all ove.

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.

Star Trek

Sweetie and I dropped SuperPizzaBoy off for a birthday party and sleepover. We took advantage of our childlessness to have a date. Dinner and a movie. We ate at Louie’s. We went to see the new Star Trek movie.

This Star Trek has all new actors playing the parts. It is about time! There is only one original Star Trek actor left. Watch the movie and find out who. I’ll say this at the risk of making Trekies mad. The original series, as good as it was, is not as good as some of the followup series and movies. This latest movie in particular is very good.

One bright spot for guys is that in this movie the women’s uniforms are again short dresses!

I rate this movie 3 stars out of 4.

Happy Birthday SuperPizzaBoy!!

Yep, it is SuperPizzaBoy’s Birthday. His Mom and I are very proud of him. No matter what he is doing.

Basketball Fan
Performer on the Coffee Club Circuit.

Video Game Character
Samurai
Animal Lover
Just Chillin’
or Scholar and Newspaper Celebrity

Have a great day, even if it is a school day.

Plot Uncovered

This is a nation of plots and conspiracies. I don’t want to gloss over these. I mean you have to take them seriously.

First, I’m sure that you have heard that our new President Barack Obama is a secret Muslim, right? You have also heard about his secret plot to trample on the constitution and enslave Americans? Oh, come on, sure you have.

Second, George W. Bush. This is easy. His dad, “H” was a member of the Trilateral Commission. No wait, that was Jimmy, Doesn’t matter! “H” is a member of the Yale Skull and Bones Society. They are the ones who stole Geronimo’s skull from his grave right here in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Son George had a secret plot to trample on the constitution and enslave Americans. Oh come on, you know its true, right.

Third, Bill and Hillary. Guess what, same plot. They almost made it happen. Remember all those Russian tanks that were massed on the border just waiting for the order to attack Texas? You didn’t believe that? Shows how naive you are!

Well guess what , like a true blogger, I have recently discovered a plot right here in Tulsa. Yep that’s right and I have the documentary proof for it. You get to read it here first. The news hits the wires in a day or two, you will be way ahead of the curve.

Here it is!!

New Plot Exposed!!!

Sunday Skirtlifting

Sunday – Memorial Day Weekend – I grilled burgers and hot dogs at Nana’s house.

SuperPizzaBoy and a friend swam in the pool.
We ate, a lot, I took a nap, and then,
it was time to go geocaching!

First up, Legend of the Woodwalker by Team Gingerbread.
Fun, fun, fun, ooh ah, ooh ah,
Chiggers, no ticks, yet!
Just duck your head, and go down this trail.


Next, the first of two skirt lifters. I love lifting skirts. You never know what you will find. Sometimes you find trouble! The geocache under this lamp skirt is called Air Supply by spamby. You get one guess why it is called Air Supply.


I found a few others. Then I went to replace one of mine that has gone missing, Little Haikey Creek. Below is the replacement cache and its contents. Note the SpongeBob SquarePants golf ball. I promised them to fellow blogger Baloney if she would take up golf, or geocaching for that matter. She better make up her mind; the balls are going fast. (Don’t tell her, but I know where to get more!)


I had a lot of fun. I had to stop at Walgreens and spend $1.99 plus tax on some itch ointment because of the chiggers. Small price to pay in my book!

Sunday Morning Double Run

Sunday mornings I go run with some guys from our Sunday School Class. Actually I haven’t made it too often. Last Sunday morning I showed up at 6 am and nobody was there so I fired up my ipod and brought my camera and off I went by myself.

The Jenks bridge.

This is exciting. It is one of my employer’s pipeline installations. This is called a “Pig Launcher.” A pig is a bullet shaped foam plug that is pushed through a pipeline to get eliminate the liquids that build up and cause excessive pressure drop.

You thought pig launchers are fun, look at this. These are “City Gates” where the gas is delivered to the local utility. Notice the twin dark blue cylinders off to the left center of the photograph. Those are what odorize the gas for residential service. Pipeline quality natural gas is odorless.

Almost back to the car, view across the river to the buildings that once housed Oral Roberts University Medical School and City of Faith Hospital. Oral was told by a 900 foot Jesus to build the medical school and hospital. Oral must have misunderstood. Both the Medical School and the Hospital folded a long time ago.

I got back to the car, time to go to Starbucks right? Wrong! I couldn’t find my keys. They must have fallen out of my fanny pack while taking a photograph.

So guess what, I ran the route again! Instead of 4 miles, I got in 8 miles. I didn’t find my keys, somebody else did. They stopped me and gave them to me when I was almost done with my second lap. Bless them.

Sorry, I wasn’t in the mood to take photographs on my second lap. I was just glad to see those keys. I am absolutely positive that it was my 666BOI license plate that led to the return of my keys.