Daily Plethora

Those of you who have followed this blog from the start are probably aware that posts have been notably absent as of late…if you’re even still checking for updates…I really wouldn’t blame you if you’re not.  I am truly sorry, but this last week has been spent staring at PowerPoint, editing and deleting and editing and adding and moving and changing and discussing and changing and condensing and just generally pulling my hair out. And yes…I know all of that is editing.

Within the last 3 days, I spent over 40 hours at this desk, stopping only to snack, go potty, and stand up and walk to the door every hour to avoid deep vein thrombosis in my legs…not sure that worked–they’re killing me!  You wouldn’t have wanted to read all that in a post.  And the ankles…yuck!  Good thing I didn’t get that tattoo last week.

But the poster has gone to the printer now, so except for presenting it in a symposium Saturday, I am done! That and lizard care Friday, but that’s just fun!  So I thought I would work on my photo album for this experience ’til Rachel gets here tomorrow.

I have a dinner engagement tonight with a zoology professor from OSU…and his wife and kids. Had you there for a minute, didn’t I? No? Why not? Okay, okay.  My mentor invited me to have dinner with his family, which I think is a very nice gesture.  He wasn’t expected to do that as part of the program, but he has just been such a great mentor through this entire project.  I’m not sure any of the other visiting undergrads have had as positive an experience with their mentors as I have had with mine.

The past eight weeks have been a blast!  I can’t believe how fast they went by and I am so glad I had the chance to experience everything that has transpired…well, most of it. I know I missed a lot going on in North Carolina this summer, but it was so worth it!  Even getting fired….

Pepper on "sit-stay"...isn't he great?!

I ventured out on the lawn this evening after working with my data for a while and the first thing I spot is a little fella with a white muzzle and chest, white feet, and a white-tipped tail. Can you guess? Yep, a 10-week-old mantle Great Dane puppy! Absolutely adorable…and overwhelmed at first by all the crazy big dogs running around.  But he found his niche right quick

Pepper and the lab puppy take on the "big guy"

and soon he was tackling the two lab puppies, the pit bull puppy, and even going after the GSD puppy that is twice his age and three times his size.

Pepper and Capone

It was definitely puppy-night at the library lawn party!  I got my camera out and started snapping, but it wasn’t long before I was “informed” that I was neglecting my duty–that is, doling out treats. Well, I guess they were right.  But at least I got a few

"Sister"

cute faces before I put the camera away.  And that’s all, folks!

I know…I am not technically in school, but I have projects looming, work to finish, a poster to be printed, and a survey to complete.  It just feels like that last week of the semester before final exams.  It’s hard to believe it has been six weeks+ since I arrived!  How can so much fun be squeezed into so little time?

I’ve met some interesting people who absolutely love being researchers.  That in itself is contagious.  And I find myself talking science everywhere I go.  It starts out as a normal conversation and turns into discussions of abnormal psych or lizard behavior.  I find myself in awe that I am really here and so involved in this entire experience.

I strongly recommend that, if you get the chance to do something you are remotely interested in, you jump in with both feet.  I know that is not always the smart thing to do, and in some cases may even be irresponsible, but fear of the unknown should not guide your choices all the time.  You might miss out on a super opportunity…one which could change your life for the better.

Like one of our mentors said, “How can you know you don’t want to do something for the rest of your life, unless you’ve tried it?”  Don’t define your limitations by what others expect from you.  Know your own limitations…and push ‘em a little bit. You might be surprised by what you can do and where it can take you.

Of course, I know I don’t want to be an alligator wrestler…but that’s just me.  I’ll stick with the little lizards.

The group here planned an excursion to the state aquarium in Jenks, a little town on the edge of Tulsa.  We left about 11:30 and stopped at a diner/restaurant/bar/nightclub for a late breakfast.  Breakfast was delicious, service was lacking, but the coffee was just right.  After we left the restaurant, the real journey began.

Oklahoma is using their stimulus package to rebuild the highway system looping Tulsa – my tax dollars at work.  In North Carolina, and in most other states where I have encountered roadwork, closed roadways were marked with “DETOUR” signs which direct you to an alternative route.  Not in Tulsa!  They slash big orange “CLOSED” signs across the overhead highway signs…and that’s it!  So when my buddy, TomTom, directed me to one of those exits, I requested an alternative without that segment.  We made a couple more blocks, turned again, exited, and prepared to turn again to get onto the the highway at a different ramp.  “CLOSED” also.  After trying for 30 minutes to get onto a highway, I chose the option of avoiding highways, and we eventually arrived at our destination via city streets.

Getting back to Stillwater was a breeze…no construction on that route.  But I was still perturbed when I returned, so I sat down and wrote a scathing email to the Oklahoma DOT concerning their lack of concern for those of us not familiar with their cities.  I also sent it to the Governor.  And the Office for Tourism.  Maybe Monday I’ll send it to the newspaper, too.   I feel better now.

And BTW, Oklahoma has a lovely aquarium for a land-locked state.

The email to the DOT? just came back undelivered. Sheesh!

“There’s a full moon over Tulsa, I hope that it’s shining on you….” Well, Stillwater…but there’s not a song about a full buck moon and Stillwater, so I just had to stretch it.  The full moon in July is referred to as the Full Buck Moon because this is when antlers begin to bud on the bucks in preparation for the mating season.  It’s a beautiful night and the clouds are whisping across the face of the moon.  I just wish I had a better camera to really capture the scene.

And in honor of the Full Buck Moon, we dined tonight at a restaurant where every meal is under a buck…literally.  Bad Brad’s Barbeque Joint in Stillwater (yes, I finally braved the barbeque question) is full of taxidermy specimens ranging from goose to moose.  Overhead are deer heads, racks and racks of racks, and a bear guards the kitchen.  I failed to take my camera, but there are pictures of the interior at this website: http://www.badbrads.com/Bad_Brads_BBQ/Albums/Pages/Inside_Stillwater_Bad_Brads.html#grid Check it out!  As for the barbeque, I ordered the pull pork shoulder and it was pretty good…until you put the super-sweet sauce on it.  Then it was awesome!  It’s not Carolina style–Lexington or Eastern–but it will do in a pinch.  They slow smoke briskets, ribs, chicken, bologna, and all sorts of other meats using hickory wood and everyone was pleased with the results.  Tender, juicy entrees, delicious sides, and a very enjoyable atmosphere made the meal one of the best, if not the best, of our group dining experiences.

We have a field trip arranged for tomorrow…so I’m turning in.  Enjoy the Full Buck Moon.

We finally had some rain to fall Tuesday evening…about 18 inches in 15 minutes.  Okay…that might be a slight exaggeration, but it did come down hard.  Things cooled off and remained cool all day Wednesday…it barely reached 100°.  But the rain the previous day was just waiting for the opportunity to evaporate.  Breathing felt like sucking air through a hot, wet wash cloth and rivers of sweat (there’s nothing feminine about it) poured down my face and neck, washing sunscreen into my eyes, and making me feel right at home here in Oklahoma.  Today the humidity was back to a more normal range (20%), but the temp. was climbing back up again. Luckily, not to the 112° that registered Saturday…and that was not heat index–that was actual temperature reading.

Speaking of Saturday: this is a research experience opportunity, so I did a little experiment of my own.  I took an egg out to the parking lot to see if it would cook on the pavement.  I cracked the egg, poured it on the pavement, and after six minutes…my feet were cooked!  The egg was not, but it was showing some signs of not liking it there.  The albumen (the white for those of you who haven’t had Dr. Willis) was turning thinner and continuing to spread the entire time.  This could indicate protein degradation.  The edges were actually beginning to dry rather than cook.  And when I scraped the remains off of the pavement (conscientious researchers clean up after themselves…especially where there might be salmonella) , there was evident cloudiness.  So, I theorize that given sufficient time, the egg may have solidified/cooked.  Perhaps next time I should use some cooking oil or spray…that would make clean up easier, anyway…and I should wear thicker-soled shoes.

There has not been a single day in July (so far) that the temperature was below 100° or even a day in June when the temperature was below 91° and I am really grateful for the normally low humidity.  Everybody I’ve spoken with–that has lived here for a while–tells me that this is the hottest summer they have experienced…some even apologize for it like they have some control over the heat.  I know they don’t and they know they don’t, but it’s the thought that counts, and I appreciate it.

So enjoy your 80′s, North Carolina!  You may not have missed me, but at least the folks here in Oklahoma will remember the summer I came to Stillwater!  Granted, it won’t be me they remember…just the summer.

One of the adventures of spending the summer in a totally different place is the opportunity to try the local eating establishments.  While I could probably eat at the “national chain” restaurants and still eat at a different one every day here in Stillwater, I enjoy trying the places that are not available anywhere else…or at least in the area to which I will be returning in three weeks. So far I have had Greek, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Southern, and Indian cuisine (the subcontinent, not the Native American).

Today I opted for the Native American…bison!  There is a diner here called Curly’s that serves burgers (beef) fixed anyway you like them.  And they have real onion rings – the first real ones I’ve seen since Bob Petty’s Oakwood Drive-In on High Point Road in Greensboro closed thirty odd years ago.  On my first visit to Curly’s, I had a hamburger with chili and cheese and it was soooo good that I had to go back and try the buffalo burger, which comes with smokey barbeque sauce, pickles, and onions.  It was huge! and just as good as the regular hamburger. And of course, more onion rings.

If you’ve ever traveled outside of your birth village, you’ve encountered the locals who tell you that you really must eat at ___________ (fill in the blank).  As there are in every town across the country, there are places in Stillwater that these folks say must be included when it comes to dining.  Some I’ve been impressed by and some we must have encountered on a bad day.  I believe I mentioned Mom’s previously…that was a good choice…and I’ll probably take Rachel to Curly’s when she comes in.  And while Eskimo Joe’s was pretty good, I wasn’t that happy with Joseppi’s (an Italian themed spinoff of Eskimo Joe’s).  The House of Greek was okay, but the pizza at Mazzio’s is just plain addictive…the former being locally owned while the latter is actually part of a chain in the Midwest.  And for dessert, this place is crawling with frozen yogurt shoppes! But you better eat it fast ’cause it melts in this heat!

I haven’t gotten up the nerve to try the barbeque restaurants here…I doubt that they’re even cooking pork, much less doing it right.  And there are some pricey steakhouses that I’m not terribly interested in.  I probably should stop in at the original Sonic Drive-in while I’m in Stillwater…yep, this is where it started (so they say).

All in all, it’s been fun trying out new foods and getting a real “taste” of the area, but I look forward to returning to the land of the Waffle House, Biscuitville, and the Blue Mist Barbecue.

Yesterday I went down to the library lawn again to play with the puppies and socialize with some other dog lovers.  I really enjoy meeting these folks and sharing some dog stories with them.  When I approach someone, one of the first things they ask is “Which one is yours?”  I have been replying “Mine aren’t here…they’re in North Carolina [sad face]” but the more I get to know the regulars, maybe I should respond: “They’re all mine!”  Some of them recognize me on sight (thanks to the liver treats) and come running to greet me…or hit me up for some free food.  Either way, it really doesn’t matter…I just see the joy in their little faces and it makes my day!

While I was there yesterday, I began to experience some disturbances in my vision which alarmed me a little…a big floater in my right eye and some flashing “lights” in my peripheral vision when I moved my eyes quickly.  When I woke up this morning, these symptoms were still there, so I knew I needed to seek some medical advice.  I hate going to new doctors, and when you’re away from home, it’s just that much worse.  But I knew this could be serious, so I called an optometrist who was recommended by my mentor here at OSU.  The friendly voice that answered said they could see me Monday, but when she asked what my symptoms were and I told her, she said that they would work me in right away.  Scary, right?

I’ll let you know now that what was diagnosed–posterior vitreous detachment–is not necessarily serious in and of itself, but it could cause some problems if it involves a tear or detachment of the retina…nothing like that at this point.  Dr. Smith checked it all out and gave me a list of things to watch for in the coming weeks…and sent me out into the bright, sunlit Oklahoma summer with my pupils the size of dinner plates!  I hate having my pupils dilated! So I squinted my way back to campus and sequestered myself in my dark dorm room: lights off, blinds shut, pillow over my head.

All of that leads to this: as hard as I fight it and as much as my brain denies it, my body insists on coming up with these signs of aging! PVD happens to something like 85% of us by the time we reach 90, so it’s fairly common.  Sometimes it happens gradually and may not even be noticed; and sometimes it happens suddenly, like it did with me, and scares the crap out of us!  The whole aging process is like that. I think it was Erma Bombeck (I love Erma…she had it ALL right!) that said that one day she put her arm in her jacket sleeve and her mother’s hand came out the other end. I remember that day!  though my nails weren’t as pretty as my mother’s were.  We don’t notice these things because they sneak up on us when we’re sleeping.  So, from now on, I refuse to sleep!  No more aging…the end.