Winter 2014 February 20 Thursday

68 degrees (Edmond, Oklahoma), 63 degrees, Memphis

And how the wind does blow!  Always surprised (I shouldn't be) when in Oklahoma, open the car door and almost get blown away by the wind!  Even worse than usual today, winds up to 60 mph.  I was happily adjusted to living without the wind!  Even to the point i didn't ride my bicycle in high winds.   Of course, in Oklahoma, if you don't ride your bicycle in the wind, you don't ride your bicycle at all!

In Oklahoma for a "baby shower" for Aliene's Grandson and his wife.  How time passes!

I am always surprised when hotels don't seem to "get" it that they don't really save any money by apparently adjusting their heating so it doesn't heat!  We just stay in another hotel!  I wake up early and I always resent having to sit by  HVAC unit blowing cold air when it should be warm!  A complain always brings apologies, but no corrections.  I'll try to complain here before I name the hotel because it otherwise is a nice, reasonably priced motel.

My favorite hotels are the Hilton group, followed by Marriott.  I find Marriott rooms too small and a little pricy usually, but the staff is always wonderful.  My favorite hotel in OKC is a Hilton Garden Inn, with a wonderful swimming pool and HVAC that isn't noisy!  I even have visions of living there full-time, just so I can swim in their wonderful pool every morning.  (Not really, but the pool is absolutely wonderful, always the right temperature, water clem and most of all it opens at 6:00 am. so I can swim with no one else in the pool!  I am not a swimming as such, I just like to paddle around, but I really enjoy it).

This thought came up this morning when I noticed an ad touting the "best" Hampton Inn's , one of our favorite hotels to stay at.  What surprised me was none of my favorite Hampton Inns were on the list, but several were that I have stayed at and didn't really care for.  (It wouldn't be fair to name them, some of them I only stayed in once and/or it was several years ago,).  Of course, to be absolutely honest, I sometimes judge my stays on whether I am upgraded or not and the quality of the HVAC.  I was surprised my all time favorite Hampton Inn (Clarksville Arkansas) was not on the list, if nothing else for their wonderful swimming pool and the cheerful lady at breakfast, as well as the excellent staff.

I always miss my house when I am out of town, although I expect with the change of Lakeland,  we will be moving before the deterioration starts.  We'll miss Lakeland, but Lakeland won't be Lakealnd in four years anyway.  

Summer 2013 August 31

79/80 degrees this morning.  A little muggy. 

Last day of August of 2013.  To say the year has flown by would be to minimize it.

The early morning has it's own little world, and I am both a participant and an observer in it.  Almost every morning I wave to the newspaper carrier, the Walgreens truck driver (they apparently change at this Walgreens at the time I ride my bike by) and, of course, the other persons who work out what could be considered early (in the 4 a.m. to 5 .am. range).  

When I think about it, there are a lot of little subcultures we exist in daily, from our drive to work, have coffee at Starbucks on Saturday morning and breakfast at Steak n Shake on Sunday morning.  We get to "know" people and then wonder what happened when they disappear and never return.  Since in most cases we never know their names, or frequently even their occupations, just that they occupy that little subculture and we meet daily or weekly or even monthly or several times a year (in the case of the Hampton Inn we stay at on the way to OKC where they recognize us by name as we walk in the door, and ditto with the Hilton Garden Inn in OKC) where we truly minor actors in their stage of life.

The wonderful start of a 3-day weekend!  I love it!  The empty slate lies before me, although I know I won't get close to getting done what I plan!

Went to a new restaurant last night "Jacksons on the Square", a wonderful place.  Service was excellent and some of the best blackened catfish (with crab on top) that I have ever had!  It was a truly wonderful experience and it wasn't all that expensive.  Certainly not cheap, but affordable for an occasional meal.