My Holiday Trip to Oklahoma (Pics are on Facebook)
December 21st
I left Ontario around 1 am and flew into Dallas into a cold morning around 5 am. Maria and Alex picked me up from the airport. We went over to our hotel hoping we could check in early and rest and relax for a few hours before hitting the museum. They valeted the car and let us check into the hotel. We had a large suite with a sitting area separated from the bedroom area by ¼ wall. We discovered my scooter had been delivered early, so after breakfast and relaxing for a few hours we headed over to the Perot Museum. It was about two blocks from our hotel.
Perot Science Museum- This museum is a wonderful place to explore. I think another day would have seen it all. They had a special exhibit called Journey into Space. This exhibit had all kinds of things about traveling into space and the possibility of going to Mars. There was a mock up of the space station that you could stand in and it revolved around you like it does the astronauts in space. It was quite the experience watching it go around you while you stood still. Maria and I took the glass enclosed escalator to the fourth floor. Mr fear of heights took another beating doing it. Once you ar eont he escalator there is no turning back so you have to go all the way up on it. They have an area you can stand in the overlook the downtown area. It is glassed in and it scared the heck out of me. I held onto a pillar and Maria’s hand to get out of the enclosed area on top. This museum is a place to explore over and over again.
We then went to lunch at a place called Meso Maya. Advertises as local real Mexican food. It was different, It tasted pretty good. We ate and returned to our hotel to rest and relax. Pizza was for dinner. The ratfinks I travel with ordered a pizza with zucchini on it. I hate zucchini. I also surprised Maria when I shut up and ate it anyway. Those who do not pay for it, do not complain about it. Then we tried to sleep and my sciatica woke up at 1 am and kept me up off and on all night. I think it was the flight that made my hip mad.
December 22nd
The Dallas World Aquarium was next on our places to visit while in Dallas. The Aquarium was less than a block from the hotel. This aquarium is a mix of zoo animals and aquarium. They take you to the top of the aquarium building and you slowly walk a path down to the bottom of it. The top is rainforest and ponds throughout it. As you walk through you see birds and animals up close. We stopped to see the otters get fed in their pond enclosure. At the bottom are the aquariums filled with fish from all over the world. There is shark tunnel you can walk through and sit to watch the fish. There is a black jaguar in an exhibit. He is gorgeous. He was sitting next to the glass so people could see him up close. This aquarium is worth the money to go see.
We left Dallas and headed out to find lunch. Lunch was a Sushi place that has revolving belts to bring you the food and you get to choose what you want. I had my first hand roll of crab and shrimp. Delicious.
Then it was on the road to Norman, Oklahoma. I was thankful throughout the entire week for Maria and Alex’s cars having heated seats. It was cold while I was there. My thin California blood said Brrrrto their weather. They dropped me off at my hotel- La Quinta Inn and Suites in Norman, OK. This a nice place to stay.
I had a handicapped bathroom and it looked like something out of a sci fi scene. I had two complaints. One is why is the handicapped room at the end of the hallway away from the elevator. I was in room 328 almost at the end of the hallway. Second, is the shower does not have enough power to it. I like to have a shower that power washes me. But then most hotels do not power wash guests in the shower. The room was nice with a dresser and desk. We moved the desk from sticking out in the room so I would not run into it like Maria did. Then Maria brought over all the boxes of stuff I shipped to her for gifts and separated them into piles for families. It took up a good part of the desk. Then it was off to the restaurant- Jason’s Deli- for a dinner meal of a taco salad for me. We walked over in snow flurries. So the beginning of my time in Oklahoma had snow coming down.
December 23rd
Shopping/Dialysis day/ Ollie Time
Maria joined me for breakfast and we started the day by going to Big Lots for wrapping supplies and a dialysis blanket for me. Then to Walgreens for a heating pad and something to help relieve the hip and leg pain I was having. I put on a hot/cold pack and it helped so I could walk around not in so much pain. Tylenol and Aleve helped relieve the pain, too. Then I went off to dialysis and had my run with the usual blood pressure, however these people listened to me and were able to take fluid off me. They were quite nice and on time. Maria picked me up from dialysis and we went to Shelly’s house to see Rhona, Shelly and Ollie. Ollie is a month old and is a cute bucket boy. He is still learning about his feet and arms and is adorable. I have been declared his another grandma: Granny. I was grannyfied. LOL. Then we returned to Jason’s Deli for some dinner and I had Muffalotta sandwich. An interesting conglomeration of olive mix and turkey. It needed bacon and some sort of sauce with it. I used Maria’s salad dressing to help it along. We walked back to La Quinta and wrapped presents in the wrapping stuff we had bought earlier.
I was then off to relax and sleep. The heating pad saw much use at night to help with pain.
24th Kaylee’s brunch/ Movie/ Shelly’s Ollie time
Maria picked me up and we went over to her Little Sister Kaylee’s house to do Christmas with her family. We played Star Wars Monopoly, Space Race and Uno while we were there.
We left her house, went o pick up Alex and headed to the Warren theater to see the new Star Wars movie- The Last Jedi. I had smothered tater tots and a diet dr pepper as my snack in the theater. This place is pretty cool. We were up in the balcony and they will feed you there all kinds of food off their menu. We spoiled our dinner that is for sure. The movie was good. I want to see it again to pick up parts I may have missed. Off to see Rhonda and have tacos for dinner after the movie. We did not eat much so she had tons of leftovers. Next time she said to bring appetites. I think we have to.
I sat with Ollie a little more and took a few pics. Then back to my hotel and rest and relax for the evening.
December 25th Rhonda’s for Christmas
We went over to Rhonda Martin’s house for Christmas celebration. Her daughter Jennifer and two adult girls and her younger son came over with their children, so a full house around the table, when we ate dinner. Presents were passed out to everyone. It was a good time. Rhonda had ham, turkey, potatoes, gravy, stuffing and yams with marshmallows, plus what ever else was there. We ate ourselves into a food coma. Alex brought a Christmas log cake he had made for dessert. Yummy sweet dessert.
December 26th Dialysis Day
Maria took me to a donut shop to meet her friends. Monster donuts, they are not kidding about it. Not one of us finished their donuts. Then we went to the Noble Natural History Museum with her friend and her kids. We had a good time with them looking at everything in the museum. The two children were good and had fun looking at things. They also had fun pushing me around in a wheelchair.
Then we went to lunch at Carls Jr, my usual lunch place before dialysis. Then to dialysis where I think they forgot I was coming. I was on the machine about an hour late and was late coming off the machine. They did not check in with me about my strange blood pressure either and I came off the machine heavy in fluid. I just took it and left. They will not be seeing me for awhile so why growl at things they will not be able to help.
December 27th Science Museum
Maria met me for breakfast at my hotel. It was 22* outside. Cold even for the Oklahomans. We went to the store the get picnic supplies for our lunch and head out to the Oklahoma Science Museum. This museum is a child centered museum with all kinds of experiments and activities for the kids to do. We set the kids loose with us and wandered the museum. I used a wheelchair and was pushed around. A few areas of the museum is hard to push through due to is being like grassy turf. There is a treehouse for the kids to climb, theater area, things for them to put together and do, science experiments, a Segway area, a show about explosive and a planetarium; as well as game areas and etc. We ate our lunch picnic in the museum table area with the girls. Everyone shared what they brought and it was a pretty good meal for picnic supplies from little Walmart. Thank you Maria We did the explosives show and the Planetarium show. I was falling asleep during the Planetarium due to lack of sleep because of my hip pain.
Maria took me to her house and I took a short nap on her chair and relaxed. We had fun playing with her dog Pi/ The other mom and girls popped in with pizza and we had dinner and dessert. After the girls and their Mom left, Maria took me back to my hotel. I slowly gathered things together to pack in the morning.
December 28th Pack it up, mail package, eye appts and airport.
I was up early at 5 am. I slowly packed my stuff up into a big suitcase and my carry on. I took a shower at 7am so I was clean to go. I finished packing and met Maria on my hotel floor ready to go with all my bags. We then got out into the snow flurries. Yes, as I am leaving it is snowing in Oklahoma.
We went shoe shopping at Brown’s and I picked up new Vionic tennis shoes. Then we went to Best Buy and looked at laptop computers for me. I ended up buying an HP pavilion x360. I am so mad at Apple products I am no longer buying them. Silly things made it difficult for my Apple laptop and Pixel 2 phone to sink google. Silly people. Best Buy was weird because we had to go hunt up someone to help us in the computer department. Usually customers are chum for them.
We went to wait for Alex to get home from work. We played with the dog for awhile and Maria helped me set up the new computer. We headed out to lunch at Red Robin’s. Good food and great sauces were had by all.
This trip I tried a few sips of alcoholic drinks to see if I liked them. At the restaurant Maria had a pretty strong Mojito I had a taste of. Something with Vodka in it the kids had in Dallas. Then a few sips of beer with them at a few restaurants. I do not do my own glass of whatever due to the meds I am on. The stuff I tasted was pretty good.
Alex and Maria has eye appointment, so they dropped me back at their apartment and I relaxed and rested before my flight home. Maria dropped me off airport around 6pm and I made my flight back to California via Dallas to Ontario on time.
My time with Maria and Alex is always fun. Thank you very much.