Thursday, May 8, 2008 | by nathan

Damage

Last night as I was packing my stuff up to leave the office the tornado sirens went off. We all piled into a room downstairs and turned on the television there. Immediately I was struck with a bolt of fear - Brian had left work a few minutes earlier and there was a very actively tornadic thunderstorm headed directly across his route from work to home. The scariest part was that the meterologists were saying that any tornadoes that would come from the storm would most likely be wrapped in rain and fog, and therefore invisible. There was no cell phone signal in the room we were in, and so for several minutes I felt my heart stop in my chest, hoping to God Brian knew what was going on. There is nothing worse than not knowing if someone you love is okay. Nothing worse.

Finally I got him on the phone and he was fine. The storm was nowhere near me - or so I thought - and since I only live a half-mile from my office I declared I’d take my chances and try to get home, which I did with no problem. Later in the evening I went to the gym like I always do, and everything seemed fine.

Little did I know that, half a mile from my house, the straight-line winds had knocked the steeple off the chapel at Oklahoma City University and caused structural damage to the building. Check it out:

Monday, May 5, 2008 | by nathan

Four Days’ Wedded Bliss

Brian and I decided, for our third anniversary, that we would take a break from life entirely. The date was Wednesday, April 30, and we booked ourselves into a room at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City. We had done this last year as well, but had forgotten to take the next day off work, and so we found ourselves, on a Tuesday morning, scrambling around in a posh hotel room at 7 a.m. trying to get to work on time.

This year, we were smarter. Anniversary was on a Wednesday; we took Thursday and Friday off work. We arranged for late check-out from the hotel, enabling us to sit around in complimentary bath robes and watch The Price is Right.

First, of course, was our anniversary dinner on Wednesday night. We started off the night with drinks in the Red Piano Bar in the Skirvin. Brian was Talisker on the rocks, I was Brittan martinis (Chopin, dry vermouth, bleu-cheese olives).

Afterward we went to the new Redprime Steak in downtown Oklahoma City, across the street from the apartment we lived in when we first got together. Dinner and the accompanying drinks were amazing, and afterward we went up on the roof of our old apartment building and reminisced. We took some time to be glad we no longer lived downtown, that I no longer worked 7 days a week at 3 jobs while also going to graduate school. We talked a lot about the future and where and how we see ourselves going forward.

The next morning, hung over, we ordered room service and watched gotzy morning television and generally just lazed around for quite some time. We perused an Oklahoma Travel Guide to give ourselves ideas for the Great Oklahoma Road Trip 2008, and checked ourselves out about noon. We spent a fair bit of the rest of the afternoon at home, working in the yard. A trip to Home Depot found me with four wonderful grape tomato plants - my favorite kind of tomato - and a whole bunch of sacks of cow manure and mushroom compost. Brian got some flowers to put down in our backyard bed.

I also decided, in a fit of gardening glee, to plant a blackberry bush:

It all sounds like the least-romantic thing that two people kicking off four days of marital bliss could be doing, but it was so great being out there with him, both of us getting sunburned, both of us working this tiny little plot of earth that we call home, together.

In our significant downtime we played a lot of Mario Kart Wii - I get frustrated when I lose, which is often - and had some friends over for a cookout on Friday night. Saturday we managed to get rid of almost all our extraneous junk in the neighborhood garage sale, and we even had a few offers on Sam, who got something new that you’ll see here on Friday.

The garage sale, unfortunately, took almost all day, and by the time it was over we were sunburnt and tired and we retired back to the Wii. Yesterday I dropped the rototiller on my foot - it wasn’t running, luckily - but overall I’m rested and ready for what’s next, which is summer on the short term, and on the long term, at least 50 more years with this awesome guy and this life I so, so love.

This morning, when I went out to my car to go to work, this was on the steering wheel:

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 | by nathan

The Great Oklahoma Road Trip 2008 (in at least 5 parts)

Image courtesy Flickr user Rod Murrow.

When you work in education you have a sort of skewed view of summer. While we’ve only just seen the final threats of frost, the academic year is almost over, and with that annual transition comes a bit more freedom and relaxation. True, I will continue to work 40 hours a week through the summer, but things will be relaxed and free for the immediately forseeable future, and I’m beginning to make summer plans. These include a week at a cabin in Dillon, Colorado with my family, a couple days off after Oklahoma City Pride in which I’m going to see the B-52’s, Cyndi Lauper, Margaret Cho and Joan Jett on the True Colors Tour in Oklahoma City, and, this next project.

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the Great Oklahoma Road Trip 2008.

I was thinking last week about setting some new goals for myself for the summer, and the very first thing I came up with was to go see at least 5 places in Oklahoma that I’ve never seen. The image above, for example, is in Major County’s Glass Mountain area, a place I’ve only heard about in passing, but - look how beautiful it is! As much as I love my state, there are a ton of places in it I haven’t seen - some I’m sure that I don’t even know exist.

So, this summer I’m going to take 5 trips around the state to places I have yet to go. The old holdouts - Meers, the Wichita Mountains, Red Rock Canyon - they’re all great, and I’d love to see them, but I want to find some new places, some new day trips. I WISH I could go ahead and get a one of these:

But I can’t afford it as yet, and anyway, Calvin can ponk around the state for a summer, his moon roof open and the speakers blaring. (Unless some lovely benefactor wants to buy it for me, or if I get a wild hair, sell Calvin, and buy the Vespa anyway).

Anyway, here’s the challenge for you guys: I need suggestions. I have an Oklahoma travel guide, an agritourism map and some friends who know this state more intricately than me, but still. Suggest away! I’m eager to explore Oklahoma, and I’m eager to bring you guys along with me, even if it’s just in blog form.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008 | by nathan

The Crazy Lady Isn’t One Of Us

People are constantly asking me what I must be smoking that I, as a gay man, live in Oklahoma. Similarly, most of the gays I know endlessly bitch about how awful and repressive and stupid Oklahoma is, what with its megachurches and Hummers and lack of decent public transportation and endless suburban sprawl and with neighborhood after neighborhood of identical houses with GOP signs in their yards. Most of these people then move to Dallas, with its megachurches and Hummers and lack of decent public transportation and endless suburban sprawl with neighborhood after neighborhood of identical houses with GOP signs in their yards.

This week one of our state legislators, a lovely, crazy woman named Sally Kern, went on a tirade. You’ve probably heard - she said that homosexuals pose a greater threat to America than terrorists or Islam and that they’re busy in the schools recruiting two year olds. Though to be fair, that’s only so we can eat them. BECAUSE NOTHING GETS YOU READY FOR A NICE BOUT OF SATAN-WORSHIPING, WESTERN-CULTURE DESTROYING GAY SEX THAN THE TASTE OF A TWO YEAR OLD SMOTHERED IN BARBECUE SAUCE.

Anyway, here. Have a look:

As I get older I find myself less and less angered by things like this. If Sally Kern wants to let something that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with her life get her that much in a frenzy, fine. I hate what she says, but she does, in America, have a right to say it, and if someone hears this and can come up with no better response than to send the woman a death threat, then, well, that’s where we part ways.

I think what makes me the most irritable about this is that it makes Oklahoma look like some backwater place where homos are hunted down and lynched, where creativity is stifled and we don’t want anyone in our midst who is even the slightest bit different than us. Oklahoma’s not like that at all - it’s not gay hell, it’s not bereft of artistic or creative people and it’s certainly nowhere near as boring as, say, Connecticut. But to the degree that it is unable to attract a higher caliber of creative and productive people, businesses and industries, it is because of people like Sally Kern, who are constantly going out of their way to make people feel as unwelcome, unwanted and unloved as she possibly can. You know. Just like Jesus wants.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008 | by nathan

OKC and the NBA - Vote Today

Once, in my job as a men’s clothier at the world’s worst job - seriously, I’d rather have been fixing sewer pipes - I had to help Mick Cornett, who had just been elected mayor of Oklahoma City, pick out a suit. He was a gigantic asshole to me, and I was hung over, because it was 2004, and I was always hung over in 2004.

So I always just kinda wrote Mick Cornett off. Then he helped us get the Hornets while New Orleans was unable to host them, and then he lost like 200 pounds and told the city to go on a damn diet, the fatass that it is, and I guess I decided I didn’t hate him.

Still, I’ve been wrestling with myself over this whole "Big League City" thing. For the Nokies in my readership, the deal is that a group of Oklahoma City businessmen bought the Seattle Supersonics two years ago once they saw the enthusiasm the city showed for the Hornets while they were here. The NBA took notice of how well the New Orleans team was doing here and dropped large hints that if, say, these Oklahoma City guys wanted to have the team they owned a little closer to home, say, well, the NBA wouldn’t necessarily stand in their way.

The voters of Seattle decided they didn’t want their tax dollars going to professional sports teams, and now the team has applied to relocate to Oklahoma City in fall of 2008. There are all kinds of thorny legal issues - the Sonics’ lease at Key Arena doesn’t expire until 2010 - so it may be awhile before the team shows up. It may be later this year. But in the wake of Seattle’s vote, Oklahoma City decided to let its voters show the NBA just how welcome they are here.

That vote is today. I’ve wrestled with how to vote on this measure. On one hand, it’s corporate welfare - we’re handing these billionaire owners (these guys have huge stakes in local oil companies) a whole bunch of money so they can make more money. Ideally this should’ve been a loan, not a handout; let the people who are going to benefit pay it back, while still allowing the voters to have a say. But they didn’t ask me, and that’s not what it is.

On the other hand, I do think that things like professional franchises can be important and helpful symbolically by showing the nation and the world that we’re ready and able to compete on a larger scale, that we care about growing our economy. We did that before with MAPS and MAPS for Kids. While I do think this city is going to have to seriously consider things like public transit, light rail, and major environmental initiatives in the next decade - and I hope to God that we don’t get fatigued with all this stuff before MAPS3 comes around - I decided to vote yes.

It’s a question of timing. Now is when we have a chance to get the Sonics here, to make this symbolic gesture to the NBA, and while we probably have more important things to worry about as a city, it can’t hurt to have a franchise here. I just hope that the Crosstown Bridge doesn’t collapse on the roof of the Ford Center before they get it replaced.

Polls are open until 7 p.m. today. Oklahoma City residents, go vote.

UPDATE: The measure passed.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008 | by nathan

Oklahoma Sunset

From the parking lot of Brian’s dad’s gas station in southwestern Oklahoma. Only messed with in photoshop a teeny, tiny little bit; this is actually what our sunsets look like most of the time.

Thursday, February 7, 2008 | by nathan

Sunday Brunch

Brian and I have taken to walking to Ingrid’s Kitchen on Sunday mornings for brunch. We live only about a half-mile away, so our rule is that if we go, we have to walk. No walking, no delicious German brunch. No biscuits and gravy, no bacon, no eggs benedict, no German sausage or soothing German coffee, no kind gay waiters (not German), and certainly no handmade bread pudding with lemon drizzle.

It’s a beautiful walk through our neighborhood and Venice, and each time we take a bit of a different route. We’ve seen some amazing houses and learned neat things about where we live, like that the guy who owns our favorite liquor store? Totally lives just two streets away. I dream of one day moving to the country, it’s true, but in the meantime it’s nice to be part of an urban community.

Thursday, January 31, 2008 | by nathan

What Are You Doing This Saturday If You Live in Oklahoma City?

Why, you’re coming to see my friend K.C. Clifford record her live album. At the Blue Door. If money is an issue, I’ll totally buy your ticket (though if you’d let me know ahead of time if you need me to, that would help me budget). Also, you may go to this page to hear  K.C.’s currently published catalog, which also is available on iTunes. Have a listen and I hope to see you on Saturday!

Saturday, January 19, 2008 | by nathan

Ice Storm Cleanup

Last night they finally came and picked up all the fallen branches on our street from the ice storm. You remember; the one that happened a month ago? They’re doing the rest of the neighborhood today and, I assume, into next week.

Sunday, January 13, 2008 | by nathan

Food, German and Grown

Today was the kind of day you just live for. Brian and I got up early and played with Sam for awhile, then decided that we’d walk to Ingrid’s Kitchen for their Sunday brunch buffet. We’d never walked up there, but it was easy, and fun, and it was a beautiful day, complete with my favorite weather combination, cold and sunny.

Ingrid’s is hands-down one of the best places in the city. If you EVER, EVER, EVER want to go there, you may let me know, and I’ll ALWAYS go with you. Especially for brunch on Saturday or Sunday. And if you ever come to Oklahoma to visit me, all you Nokies, it will be on the List of Things We’ll Do, non-negotiable. This morning’s brunch consisted of eggs benedict, saurkraut with authentic German sausage, handmade biscuits and bread, casserole, and bread pudding for dessert. I mean - I ask you.

After brunch we walked home, winding through our neighborhood and the one adjacent, admiring the lovely little nook of Oklahoma City in which we live. When we got home I went to water the plants I’d started last week, and discovered SPROUTS! "HOLY GOD I MADE SOMETHING GROW!" I cried. Check it out:

See, I had ordered a bunch of seeds from Organica Seed Co., a wonderful little place I highly recommend. Last weekend we went to Lowe’s and I bought seed starter kits and a bunch of soil, and I put a bunch of seeds in my neat little pots, which, when the soil outside is ready, I can just drop into holes and watch it all go to town. I planted cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, Bolivian rainbow peppers, asparagus, yellow strawberries (I didn’t even know that was a thing!), plus some purple basil and some dill.

Anyway, I was sure it would all be for naught, but I faithfully watered it all and tried to keep it warm and happy.

And holy cow. We have sprouts. The tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and dill have started to come up. We’re still waiting on the peppers, strawberries and asparagus. BUT HOLY COW!

Here’s the deal: when it all gets going, I’ll have to start gently pulling up the tiny little plants and re-potting them so they don’t crowd each other out. If this all goes as well as it could, this whole experiment has the potential to get WAY out of hand, so I’m prepared to give some of these neat little plants away to loving growers. So, give it some thought - you don’t have to answer now. But consider the following: in March sometime, you may be required to come to my house, help me till up the plot in which all this wonderful food will grow, and as a reward, you’ll get to take home your VERY OWN PLANT! YAHOO!

I was digging up my plot today, thinking about how much I hated it when my dad enlisted my help in tilling his garden, and how much I wish I’d listened and watched more closely while he’d done it all, because HOLY CRAP, I have sprouts, and I need to call him to ask what the hell to do next. If I ever have kids - or if I ever babysit YOUR kids - they’re totally helping me with MY garden, and they’re totally going to hate it, too, but at the age of 27 they’ll look back and wish they’d paid closer attention.