Fun Time in Oklahoma

I love being on the road trip. I really, really do. There’s something liberating about the constantly changing scenery and the new challenges that come with each. It almost fulfills my childhood longing to be a gypsy but I wouldn’t know the first thing about dealing with horses. Besides, my car works just fine. HOWEVER, I must say that I have never appreciated sleeping in a bed more after this past week or two. *refusing to get out of bed until at least 10am*

I used the wonderfulness of the internet to scour the Appalachian region for Bed & Breakfasts that we might want to try. We managed to find a couple that sparked our interest. Then we reviewed our plan to attend the Blue Grass Festival in Missouri. After some contemplative contemplation, we revised our plans to skip the festival. Instead, we were to meander along until we reached Muskogee, OK where my aunt and uncle live.

Our time bonding with the queen size bed and awfully soft pillows soon came to an end. Floating on a cloud of bliss, I waited to pay the bill and check out…only to be ignored by the rudest guest services person ever! I finally, and politely, pointed out to her that she can’t get paid for our stay if she chooses to pretend that I don’t exist. Then she tried to refuse to give me a receipt!! *baffled and mentally shaking my fist at her for trying to ruin a pleasant morning*

There were more tornado warnings for western Oklahoma so we tried to skedaddle out of there with a quickness. We had a good time skimming along the highway just ahead of the thunder clouds. In addition, we played the best game ever! Do you know what it was? A little something called, “Guess that Roadkill.” It was fun!! *Pointing out another lump of something on the side of the road with an exclamation of “I SWEAR it’s an armadillo! I SWEAR!!”* Sometimes you have to make your own fun. *shrugs*

After a series of phone calls which didn’t help our slight problem of being lost, we did manage to make it to Emo and Uncle Hershel’s house. We soon came to realization that the house was full…TO THE MAX! My aunt and uncle had my cousin Brandon, his girlfriend (Ashley) and their son (Jaxon) living with them. To top it off, my other cousin Sonjia was temporarily staying there with her daughter (also Ashley, just to make it extra CONFUSING) while her newly purchased house was getting some work done. So we camped out on a futon in the upstairs TV room.

Before we had even managed to settle in, we were promptly informed by little Ashley that my aunt had gone to “See Attle” although she couldn’t figure out who Attle was or why the visit was in order. *about to bust out laughing at the earnestness of the child* She was a hoot and southern to boot! (I can rhyme, ya know.) Sonjia allowed herself to be dragged to Chili’s for dinner with us and little Ashley entertained us all by eating lots of sour cream and announcing things like “I’m fixin’ ta burp!” *finally realizing that perhaps Sonjia isn’t as amused as Matt and I were…*

When we got back to the house, Sonjia got called into work. So Matt and I asked Brandon for directions to the nearest Blockbuster so I could rent ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. I didn’t get a chance to see it in theatre and it had just come out on DVD. I was so excited! *happy dance* It didn’t occur to me that there wouldn’t be any copies left because IT HAD JUST COME OUT. But we went along our merry way until I stood before the huge wall o’ Pan’s Labyrinth, frantically turning over all the little display boxes, trying to see if maybe one teeny, tiny copy had been overlooked. Alas, no. *DOOM*

Luckily, a wonderful Blockbuster employee came wheeling up with his little cart and averted my complete and utter devastation by announcing that he had a few copies that had just been returned. YAY! YAY FOR BLOCKBUSTER MAN IN MUSKOGEE!! He dutifully informed us that he had heard it was a good movie before warning us about the subtitles. I was ecstatic as I raced to the checkout counter with a bemused Matt wandering behind me. (He’s a lot swifter than I am in the thought department but was kind enough not to mention that the movie might not be good if seven copies had already been returned…)

As we checked out the movie, the guy at the register raved about how good the movie was before stopping to remind us that there were subtitles since it is a foreign film. I looked at him like he had grown another head. Who cares? I love foreign films! *once again oblivious* Matt and I got back to the house in record time and invited Brandon to watch the movie with us.

Long story short, the movie started. In a dumbfounded voice, heavily laden with southern twangs and such, he yelped, “What the heyyyllll? It’s in SPANISH?” (Sorry. I have a hard time conveying a southern drawl in text.) We looked at him curiously to see where this would lead. Just then, his girlfriend Ashley bounded into the room and yelled with excitement that she had be looking forward to seeing this movie. Brandon whispered urgently to her, “Ashley, it’s in SPANISH!” After another round of “What the heyyylllll?”, they both furtively moved in the general direction of the door.

But the movie was GOOD! Lesson of the day: A majority of people in Muskogee greatly dislike subtitled movies. *sadly disappointed by the people of this town* Soon it was bedtime and our laundry was done! I wonder what tomorrow will bring…

Mileage: 398