OKC Trip - Wednesday Travels

Even though we'd just had all the kids together in Livermore, Father's Day weekend mid-June (see June 26, 2014 post), I lamented to Frank that at their young age, our two granddaughters were changing so quickly that we really needed to see them pretty often. Carrie and then four-month-old Vivian had visited in late July (see August 6, 2014 post) and we'd be seeing them again in October. I wanted to squeeze in a trip to Oklahoma to see Autumn, who would be turning two in October.  So the following photo illustrates the main reason for our trip to Oklahoma this past week, even though it is typically sweltering hot out there this time of year. Frank and I visited over Labor Day weekend.

Autumn knows the best place to be in hot weather is
under her daddy's spray hose when he waters the plants.

Wednesday, August 27th, we flew out from Oakland, through Denver, to OKC. We had about a 90 minute layover in Denver. This was adequate time to walk from the farthest out arrival gate in Terminal B to the almost farthest out departure gate in Terminal C. At least there were some engaging sights along the way. As we were walking to the gate for our connecting flight we saw at least four, maybe more, little birds hopping about in the terminal amongst, between, and under the seats. I doubt that they had boarding passes and I did not see them going through security. Perhaps they got in when a jetway was left open. They were cute, energetic, and chirpy and cheered up those who paused to watch them.

Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little,
Cheep, cheep, cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more...
Remember the song the ladies sang in the musical The Music Man?

A bit farther along, a mobile walkway was out of service and we actually got to see it in the process of repair. The hand rail comes in one long length on a spool and is joined as a loop and then welded. I spoke to the repair personnel and they said every five years the walkway is up for maintenance. We got to watch one of the welded joints being polished smooth. When I commented to one of the men "I have never seen this before," he quipped back, " I guess you have never been to DIA. We do this all the time here."

Denver is a large enough airport that I guess its walkways are like the Golden Gate Bridge.
Once you've finished painting the span, it's time to start repainting at the other end.
Mobile walkway maintenance is continuous.

In navigating through the areas between the two terminals we also passed the Tattered Cover Book Store. I took a photo just because I found the name to be quite sentimental. I could not think of a clever counterpart for e-books – Dilapidated Downloads Book Store, or possibly Phantom Photons Book Store – but neither of those convey a connotation of being loved and worn out from repeated use.

A book with a tattered cover is like the Velveteen Rabbit that was worn and dilapidated from love.

Digital seems to indicate a cold, machine-like aura, and not warmth. Although I must admit there has been a real effort to change that image what with Apple's iPhoto and FaceTime and the various social media out there. A 2013 movie that Frank and I watched deals with this very subject, and maybe that is why I am digressing this way. I recommend seeing the movie her. It is really stirs up your emotions in a way you would not expect a computer-centric movie to do. Frank and I really liked it.

A lonely write develops an unlikely relationship
with his newly purchased operating system
 that's designed to meet his every need.

Our flight from Denver to Oklahoma City took a much more direct route than I appear to be taking with the ramblings of this post. We departed on time, arrived closed to our appointed 6:00 pm, and went to pick up our rental car. Since Jeremy and Robin would both be working Thursday, Frank and I had planned a day trip, just the two of us, and needed a car for the day. The clerk at the Advantage Car counter looked at Frank's height and tried to talk us into an upgrade from economy. We stayed with the small size and it was fine. In fact Frank really liked the car. It was a Kia Forte and Frank had about four inches of head room, which is very unusual for him to have in most cars. It piqued his interest enough that he may look into it as a successor to his 1997 Chevy Cavalier.

Although economy class for rental, this Kia Forte was roomy inside.

By the time we arrived at Robin's house, she had picked Autumn up from daycare and was home. Jeremy was still away in Texas on work travel. Robin cooked a dinner of fish, Mac & Cheese, and broccoli that really hit the spot. The Mac & Cheese recipe was from Panera Bread. Did you know that their web site has links to some of their recipes?

Autumn absolutely loves Panera Bread's Mac & Cheese and scarfs it down.

By the time we had eaten it was bedtime for Autumn. She had been very happy to be with Grandma and Grandpa and showed no signs of wariness or timidity. She talked a blue streak! We would see more of her over the upcoming four days. Even though it was two hours earlier by our California body clocks, Frank and I went to bed also, tired from our travels. We came downstairs the next morning to see others had slept well, too.

Elliot has determined that the Princesses are the perfect companions for his cat naps.
The chair had been purchased at the insistance of a certain toddler, who,
though she could not yet speak at the time of its purchase,
had made her wishes clear. Disney marketing!