So, apparently, unemployment is good for my adventuring life. In the past 3 weeks, I have made time for several small adventures. Each of them deserve their own post, but in an effort to streamline, I’ll just recap each in their own wee paragraph:
1. Buying plants at SpringFest
First, the Friday before last, so what? the 9th? I met up with a new friend from church, Melissa, to attend Tulsa’s annual SpringFest, which is a plant/garden/craft sale thing, held at the rather fancy Tulsa Garden Center. She brought her toddler; and I brought my Boston Terrier. Guess who was better behaved? We tag teamed: I picked out my herbs/tomato/mini-rose bushes while she held then leash/stoller, and after an al fresco lunch on the Garden Center porch, I did the same for her. It was very efficient. Our adventure ended when Lola decided to take a quick dip in the Garden Center’s lovely fountain, while I was talking to a friend of my mothers. Nice. But the plants were potted a few days later and I even have new blooms on the rose bush, so I’m pleased.
2. Hiking on Turkey Mountain
Oklahoma is not typically known for its mountains. In fact, I think there’s *one* in the whole state, and its up in the Panhandle by Colorado. The rest of the state is actually pretty diverse in terms of landscape and over here on the northeast side of the state, we like to think we have a mountain too. It’s called “Turkey Mountain” and its a largish hill that is literally about 3 miles long. It sits between 41st and 71st street on the west side of the Arkansas River. There’s this neat hiking and biking thing they’ve got set up on the ‘mountain’ which is called the Turkey Mountain Wilderness Preserve. I had never been, but thought maybe I’d like to. You know, someday. When I take up mountain biking. Nevertheless, two Wednesdays ago, the dog and I found ourselves in the (very nice) parking lot of the Wilderness Preserve, ready to head out on a nice, sedate nature walk. 2 hours and 5 miles later, we had thoroughly explored the mountain. Lola LOVED it! especially the part where I took her off her leash so she wouldn’t pull me down the mountain and could pee in the leaves as much as she liked. And I felt like my body was active and useful. It was glorious; we went back the next Thursday. I seriously think that I will be incorporating outdoor ‘hiking’ into my weekly workout routine. Which, to be frank, could use some revitalization.
3. Concert at The Cains
More recently, this past Thursday I took myself to a last minute concert at the famous Cains’ Ballroom. I’d never been to a concert by myself and was a wee bit nervo
us about it. I met up with my friend, Spring of Progress on the Prairie, to have a drink beforehand, to steady the nerves shall we say. Liquid courage right? So I waltz over the Cains to find that the concert was in the SIDE venue to the Cains, called “Bobs” which was set up with a smaller stage and about 30 chairs. M uch better. Unfortunately there were as many people standing as were sitting, so that wasn’t real awesome planning on their part, but it made it easier to move around and see the stage. I ended up sitting front and center by the time the main act came to the stage, so that was cool.
The concert was really well done: small, intimate and personal. And meaningful to me, since this was a favorite artist of mine who’d been off the music scene for 7 years, and is now touring again.
4. Applying for the Census
As a result of beers with Spring, and a phone call the next morning, I ended up at the Martin Regional Library the next day at 1pm to take an ‘employment test’ for the 2010 Census. And because I rock at standardized tests, I may get to be an ‘enumerator’ for the Census! An enumerator? What’s that you say? Well, an enumerator is simply someone who collects census data from people who neglected to mail in their Census forms. National average rate of return is roughly 50%; Oklahoma has a stellar rate of 43%. So, yeah we need some help. And Lord knows, we could use the Federal benefits that will get portioned out as a result of the Census; the Census is pretty nifty actually. You can check out more information about it here: www.2010census.gov.
It was a pretty diverse group of people that showed up for the employment test- because yes you get paid to be an enumerator (or work in the office, or whatever) and no, not everyone qualifies. There was literally everyone there from retirees to young mothers there. I would have loved to know each of their stories, especially the people close to my age- were they students? unemployed like me? on disability? employed but just really civic minded? So fascinating.
5. Celebrating a double Birthday Weekend
Lastly, to get me caught up, I spent Friday night and all day on Saturday in Arkansas with my family to celebrate my younger sister and mother’s birthdays (happy birthday, you lovely ladies!). We shopped till we dropped on Saturday and I was able to mark several things off of my Spring shopping list, which yes I do keep on my iPhone in a task manager so that I’m never without it. Because I’m a nerd like that. But anyway, good food was had, few fights political discussions were had and my sister finally entered the 21st century by purchasing a new laptop, downloading iTunes and ripping my entire CD collection. Woo! Good times.
And that my pretties, are my adventures to date. A new week begins, and with it: new adventures await!