"OOOOOOOOOK-lahoma, where the wind goes sweeping down the plain!"
I took a road trip with the family this weekend to the lovely panhandle of O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A this weekend to see my brother and his college team play baseball. On this trip, I came up with two very important life-long conclusions: 1) I am pretty sure I am done taking road trips with my family and 2) I am VERY sure I will never, ever, not for any amount of money or fame, move to the Oklahoma panhandle.
Let me explain myself. I love my family and every strange quirk about each one in it. I really do! But this weekend proved to be a lot of ridiculous time together that lead to frustrated parents, a cranky baby, and a lot of boredom... My parents have a communication problem. They constantly assume the other person knows what he or she is thinking or meaning, but 99% of the time they are wrong... This leads to an annoyed dad who doesn't get breakfast and a frustrated mom who is holding her "I-told-you-so" inside because she knows it wouldn't be a wise thing to say at the time...And it leads to two daughters who have their parents figured out down to every detail...It's kind of funny, actually. My parents love each other so much, and I guess that's why they manage to get over their ridiculous communication problems almost as soon as they happen. I am grateful for that. Charlotte took her first long road trip. She did really well on the 7-hour drive to OK. I think she only cried a few times, and that was because she was hungry. Then, she slept really soundly in the hotel on both nights we were there. I was actually quite impressed with that little lady. Emily mom-ed her like a pro, too. Kudos to them both. Really, I feel badly for the kid. By the time we got on the road to head home, Charlotte decided she had had enough of her car seat. She was in no mood to have to sit strapped in and stare at nothing exciting for the next 7+ hours. She made sure to let us know that frequently. Now, you can't hold it against her. In fact, I was commiserating 100% of the time. I didn't want to be there, either. I am happy to report that she and I both made it to our homes with most of our sanity. As for the boredom, leave it to my dad to take the "scenic route" during times when going the fastest way would be prudent. He loves driving and enjoying the geography of our great nation...which is not a good combination for three girls sitting in the back. As interesting as the plains and ghost towns of OK and CO are, once you see one, you've seen them all. And if you haven't seen one, it's nothing lost, really. Trust me on this one. I saw enough for you and me... Emily and I had to resort to quoting our favorite speech of the Academy Awards: "Sank you, my mother. Sank you, my friends. Sank you, animation. Sank you, Academy. Domo origato, Mr. Roboto." We said that a lot. That's how bored we were. But that was just on the drive home... You know how bored you are reading this? Yep. That's about where were were, too. :o)
As for the Oklahoma panhandle...It was so windy there, I was pretty sure the state would just pick up and blow all the way to the Gulf of Mexico! It was the coldest wind I have felt in a long time, too. Really, there is not much good to be said about the OK panhandle, in my opinion. I guess I can say, drunk cowboys named Ty Young have pretty teeth...
I did read a great book on the trip. I highly recommend Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz and not just because Oprah agrees. It kept my attention the whole time. It was beautifully written in both first and third person. Good book. Read it.
I'll put up pictures of my amazing trip ASAP. I promise, those are actually pretty fun to see. :o)
No comments:
Post a Comment