Hodgepodge

Joyce has our questions this week even after being away for a few days. Isn't she sweet?

1. Share one way you think the world has changed for the better since you were a kid?
Being able to get news any time we want and have it be current. Although that could be negative, I think it is great to find out what is happening all around the world. Makes the world seem less small.

2. How 'bout one way it's changed for the worse?
Traffic.

3. Starlight, starfish, starling, Starbucks...your favorite 'star'?
I guess starlight. Although I'm not much of a outside person when the sky is clear and full of stars it is a little magical.

4. Name a song that's overplayed, but you love it anyway.
Thriller by Michael Jackson. I still love to sing along with it.

5. When did you last have home made ice cream? Your latest favorite flavor?
It has been a long time. We have an ice cream maker but haven't made it in several years. I don't eat much ice cream anymore since it has a lot of sugar and fat and our whole family tries to limit those.

6. What do you think is the best way to inspire or motivate people?
It has to be individualized. You can't do the same thing for every person. Some people like praise, some people like money, some people just want you to tell them good job.

7. When was the last time you were without power?
We don't lose power too often at our house thanks to buried electric lines. So if we do lose it, it will be for a short period of time. I think the last time it was during the storms in May and for a couple of hours.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I decided to get new quotes for auto and home insurance. Boy we are all paying for the storms that seem to keep hitting Oklahoma. Not sure if anybody has better rates for the house. Yuck.

Weekend Trip to Tulsa

Dan and I took a day trip to Tulsa Saturday. We went to the Gilcrease Museum where they had a special exhibit on Thomas Moran and Yellowstone. Moran is one of Dan's favorite American artists and he is about to go to Yellowstone so this was a special exhibit for him. They don't allow photos inside the museum so all I could get was one outside of a statue by Alan Houser. Our university has a few of his statues so I know his work.

They also have some gardens there and while I was outside trying to warm up (the museum was really cold) I noticed this web on top of a bush. The water droplets looked like jewels so I had to take a picture.

We went to Back Alley Blues and BBQ for a late lunch. In all the BBQ shows, they talk about how the burnt ends are the prize part. This restaurant has them (as long as they last for the day) so I decided to go for it. I got the last order of the day. They were extra smokey and the dry rub they use has a kick to it. It came with two side so I got baked beans and a green apple slaw. The beans had a lot of pulled pork in it (in fact too much for me) and the slaw was vinegar based. Dan got pulled pork and the first batch he had was very dry. He mentioned it to the waitress and she said that wasn't right and brought him a new batch that had just been pulled and it was very moist.

They had neat wall art made out of bottle caps.

We went back to the museum so Dan could finish viewing all of the exhibits and we closed down the place at 5.

Friday Fragments

Joining up this week with Unknown Mami who has graciously accepted hosted duties while Mrs. 4444 takes a much needed summer break.




Stupid criminal this week is from West Virginia. During a home invasion the victim noticed that one of the criminals was wearing official West Virginia University sweatpants with their number on them. It didn't take long for the police to look up the football roster and figure out who the robber was. He has since been kicked off the team and is serving time for multiples offenses.
So much rain this morning and I slept through it. Guess we had more than an inch in 10 minutes. Woke up and the trash can had been swept down the street. Normally we put it in the yard next to the curb but Dan just mowed last night so he moved it into the street. Just glad it didn't go any further or it would have hit Whitney's car.

I'm just not into the dancers this year on So You Think You Can Dance. None of them are standing out to me and I'm really getting sick of some of the bias by the judges. And I never say that. Wonder what's up with that.
However I did enjoy Top Chef Masters. I love the sous chef challenge. A truly good chef is only as good as his sous. 
I've been busy working on a bunch of proposals this week. The good thing is that I know that they are all getting funded. So it is worth the work.
The temporary worker I hired for my filing has gotten three huge stacks filed and has been making all sorts of folders for me. We will be organized!
I have at least one more post about China that needs to be written but lacking motivation. Maybe because so many of my pictures look the same and maybe because they are all so smoggy. Hard to get excited about smog.

Hodgepodge Truly Hodgepodge

Joining up for another fun week's worth of questions from Joyce.

1. July 24th is Amelia Earhart Day. Earhart was the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. What's something you've recently accomplished solo?
Well I think travelling by myself in a foreign country counts, don't you? While it is true I had a guide with me at the tourist places, I was by myself. And I survived.

Self Portrait on the Great Wall of China

2. What's one product you use that never ever fails?
Diet Coke. Don't go giving me any of that other diet cola soda. Just doesn't cut it.

3. Have you found your place in the world? Where is it?
I didn't know I was lost. LOL

4. Worst movie you ever saw?
Hands down...Cujo. I saw it my freshman year of college as a free thing to do when we moved into the dorms. Yikes was it bad.

5. What's the last fun thing you did?
See number one above. I think going to China was pretty fun thing to do.

6. The month of July is named for Roman Emperor Julius Caesar...ever been to Rome? What's your favorite Italian dish?
I've never been to Rome or Italy but would like to go. Trying to name one favorite Italian dish is impossible. My favorite kind of food to cook.

7. What is one piece of advice you'd offer new mom Kate Middleton?
I assume she doesn't have to worry about housework or else I would suggest sleep when the baby sleeps and don't do housework. But since she doesn't have to worry about that, I still say sleep while the baby sleeps.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
In two weeks Whitney will be back at school. This year at least she doesn't have to buy much to move back since she will be in the same room as last year with the same roommate. 

Wine and Palette

Friday night Whitney and I went to Wine and Palette thanks to free tickets she won from the radio. It's one of those places that seem to be cropping up all over the place where they walk you through step by step the painting process and everyone ends up with a painting that looks somewhat the same. And of course there is wine involved.

The evening we went there seemed to be a couple of birthday parties with lots of women. In fact, there were only two men at the place. One was obviously the boyfriend of someone and the other was a new teacher who was seeing how he should teach his class next week. He sat next to me and his painting was so good. I just kept avoiding looking at it since I was quite inadequate next to him.

Whitney and her painting

Me and my painting

Side by side

We were doing pretty well until the teacher had us do the swirls for the branches. I didn't mix my color dark enough and then I ended up with a bunch of thick sticks.

It was a fun evening to spend with my girl before she goes back to college.

Friday Fragments

Joining up for another week of Fragments. During the summer we are brought together by Unknown Mami.



The stupid criminal of the week was sent to me by Whitney. And it happened right here in my home state of Oklahoma. Seems like a burglar accidentally dialed 911 from him cell phone while he and his accomplice were discussing what jewelry they were going to steal from the home they were in. While the burglars had left the home before police arrived, since they had a description of the jewelry they caught them at the pawn shop trying to sell it. Note to self...don't have 911 automatically programmed into your cell phone and then butt dial it while in the act of a committing a crime.
Tonight Whitney and I are going to a painting class. She won two tickets from the radio and is taking me. Since neither of us are particularly artistic I'll be surprised to see how the paintings turn out. You pick from their calendar which one you want to do and everyone in our class will be doing the same one. 
I also bought plane tickets to take Whitney to Las Vegas to celebrate her 21st birthday in a couple of months. I've been three times and I live going. Dan hates it. So Whitney wanted to go for her big birthday and I'm taking her over her fall break. Just have to decide on the hotel now. I know things have changed quite a bit since the last time I was there.
Work has not really slowed down yet after being gone and my assistant is going to be on vacation next week. I'm actually hiring a temporary employee to do my filing. I've got so many piles laying around that I can't find anything recent. For being a "paperless" office we sure generate a lot of it.
Anyone watching So You Think You Can Dance? I missed the first two weeks of the competition while in China so Whitney caught me up on it. Last week wasn't super impressive. I'm glad they changed back to announcing who was gone to the end of the show. That wasn't a smart move to announce it at the beginning and then make them dance. I'm just waiting somewhat patiently for the AllStars to come back on and dance with them.
Top Chef Masters starts next week. I watched an extended preview online and like what they are doing with an online challenge from the masters's sous chefs. The outcome of the sous chef challenge affects the main game. 
Have a great weekend. We had a few beautifully cool days (I honestly can't remember the last time it was that cool in July here) but now we are getting back up to normal temps. It was nice while it lasted.

The Great Wall of China

I think when most people hear that you are going to China they wonder about the Great Wall. After all, it is one of the seven wonders of the world.

The wall was originally made by the different provinces of China to keep the others out but in 221BC, Qin Shi Huang conquered all of the other states and made a united China. He unified the wall to keep other nations out rather than having the in-fighting that had plagued China for centuries. The current wall was most likely remade by the Ming dynasty in the 14th century.

You have to drive about an hour outside of Beijing to get to the closest portion of the wall that is accessible and walkable. The steps are uneven and worn. There are watch towers every so often and as soon as you climb past the first one the crowds thin out. It seems like people go and climb a little and say they have done it.

This is the relatively flat (compared to the rest) area that you can enter the wall. If you look up, yes that's what you climb. This is a country of hills and mountains. And that isn't fog...it is mostly smog.

A variety of warnings while climbing. The no climbing refers to the actual watch tower, not the wall. LOL

This is taken looking down from the first watch tower you get to.

While this is looking up from the same watch tower. As you can see it just keeps going up and up.

A good view of the stairs. A lot of them are super worn by the handrail because more people walk there.

At the base of this section where most people park they have a few traditional buildings.

I found the climb at the Great Wall to not be too bad, especially after the week before's climb up Laoshan Mountain. I went on a Sunday and while the first section was crowded, I didn't think it was unreasonable. I'm glad I went and did this.