Well, she's actually in Arkansas at the moment, but will be here in the Sooner State tomorrow. Then the fun begins! ...Not.
My mother and I get along amicably enough. She calls me weekly (down from twice weekly when I lived in Wichita) and we have a conversation about work, cats, and mutual acquaintances. I tell her what Johnny and I are up to, she tells me what various family members are up to. As her only child, I recognize the importance these phone calls have to her, and therefore, I always answer them. While this isn't my ideal relationship, it works well enough. (For reference, my ideal parental relationship is the one I share with my father: we talk on the phone once every few months, he feeds Moe for me, and sometimes he remembers when my birthday is.)
Since I moved to Oklahoma (600 miles away from my family), my mother has doggedly disparaged the state (and all prairie states in general). She seems to think it's a tumbleweed-filled landscape populated by rednecks and rough characters. She isn't entirely wrong (and I'll be the first to admit I dislike Claremore immensely), but I'm determined to show her all that vibrant, beautiful Tulsa has to offer. (Plus, I'm pretty sure if I keep her busy, she'll be too tired to bug me about going to a casino every night. SUCCESS.)
Here's what I'm looking at:
Monday
- Tulsa classics: Crazy ORU campus (praying hands, prayer tower), Golden Driller statue, Blue Whale on Route 66
- Lunch @ Dilly Deli
- Shopping in Brookside
- Dinner @ Hideaway Pizza
Tuesday
- Morning at the barn (RSU Equestrian Center): riding lesson on The G with Anne, teaching Roscoe to jump, clipping/bathing program horses (weather permitting)
- Lunch @ The Pink House
- Horse racing @ Will Rogers Downs
- Dinner @ house (I'll be sure to share the menu & recipes soon, provided they're well-received!)
- Night @ Hard Rock Casino
Wednesday
- Tour of Bluebell Ice Cream factory
- Lunch @ Billy Sims BBQ
- Shopping @ Utica Square
- Dinner @ The Wild Fork
Thursday
- Tour of Price Tower (Frank Lloyd Wright's only skyscraper)
- Lunch @ Goldie's Patio Grill
- Tour of Oak Hills Winery
- Dinner @ TBD
- Attend final dress rehearsal of Tulsa Opera's performance of Norma. (Thanks for the tickets, Anne! You're the best!!)
I think I've planned a pretty excellent itinerary if I do say so myself. I hope my mom enjoys her trip. Mostly, though, I hope she stops hating on Oklahoma!
(If you're wondering where Johnny is through all of this, he's meeting us for dinner on Monday and Thursday, grilling for us on Tuesday, and chilling with Buttons the rest of the time. Hooray, Johnny!)
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