We made it to Oklahoma. It’s nice here. Norman OK is a college town and not what you would think of Oklahoma at all (think Austin compared to the whole of Texas). We’re staying at a weekly hotel that embarrassingly, we are in love with. It’s brand new, $200 a week and perfect. I went grocery shopping today and our plain studio is feeling more homey than I’ve felt in a long while. It’s really sparse and utilitarian but in a good way. Does that sound weird?

We’re a little off the highway butted up against trees, fields and houses on large, country plots of land. It’s close to railroad tracks. At night we can hear the muted sound of freight train whistles. It’s been a while since we could routinely smell cut grass and walk through neighborhoods with trees. We went for a walk today down the railroad tracks, through a woodsy subdivision and back by a horse pasture. I’m going to buy some carrots to feed to them on our next walk. This place is like the anti Vegas. I don’t think either of us realized just how long we’ve gone without having a place of our own.

Andy has been programming and testing “Project X” and it’s looking really good. Even if it turns out a bust, it will be nice to hang out here for a while to camp and hike. I bought a new backpack (because my current one sucks) and sleeping bag (because it blew out of the roof top carrier) at an REI in Albuqurque. I’m antsy to try it out. I’m almost done reading Call of the Wild by Jack London (you can download it for free, along with many other books, at The Gutenberg Project. It’s about a sled dog during the Alaskian gold rush. When I put on that backpack in the REI I felt like one of those dogs being put into a sliegh harness. I almost couldn’t contain myself from bursting out the front door and running down a trail head.

We went into Norman proper yesterday to eat dinner and walk around the campus and surrounding area of Oklahoma University. We walked by a pizza place with a glass window that allowed passer bys to see into the kitchen and watch the food being made. As we passed by I saw a guy making what was obviously a boob out of pizza dough. He was tweaking the “nipple” and I could see that he was telling his friend to look. Just at that moment, he turned his head and caught my eye. We both knew he had been caught being naughty. He smiled sheepishly as I laughingly gave him a thumbs up. The interaction made me giggle all night.

On a completely unrelated note: these are the two best resources I’ve found to explain what happened to the economy in regards to the housing bubble burst and the bail out. It explains things clearly, interestingly and with humor. If you want to listen, click on the link, scroll down and then click on “full episode” on the left of the page.

The Giant Pool of Money
Another Frightening Show About the Economy