Weird Wednesday

I grew up in the great state of Oklahoma. If you aren't from Oklahoma, there are some things you must know:

• 'round here we might have an accent. None of us believe it, and don't understand why some people think "y'all" is a funny saying. 
• Yes, we are an obese state. But when you have places like Eischen's that specializes in selling whole fried chickens, how can you blame us? We know good food.
• We are friendly. When I drive around 71st and Memorial on a Saturday, I'll probably beg to differ. However, if there is one thing I have learned in my travels--- it is that we are one of the few areas of the U.S. where people are nice or considerate to strangers. I don't know how many times I've told a stranger how may day is going, or waved and smiled at them as we walk past each other.

So why does this matter? Well, it is what makes this Weird Wednesday topic tick:

When you and one other person are alone on an elevator and don't speak to each other.

There is about a two second period of time where you can establish communication. If that two seconds passes and the only communication was an awkward eye glance followed by an intense interest in your watch, then you are doomed for 30 seconds of awkward silence. And it feels just like this:

 

I must admit, I am guilty of this myself. Sometimes, I freeze and don't know what to do. I'm trapped in a metal box. I hope and pray that the person next to me will save the day with a great piece of small-talk. Anything. The weather, the day of the week, sports, heck I'd even accept breaking out into song High School Musical style (though I must admit, I've always secretly wished for my life to be a musical). Being from Oklahoma, I just expect communication with strangers. This silence throws me completely off my game.

Sometimes there just isn't any avoiding it. And apparently there will never be a solution...

Darn.

Stimulating the Economy

So this weekend is OU's Mom's Day weekend. I am the photographer for our Campus Activities Council, so I have been running about getting pictures of all the shenanigans and happenings on campus. Well, I was waiting on the camera last night and so I stayed in all night reading. I finished the Hunger Games and CRASHED. The book was so so good. I want to start on the second, but have two tests coming up and won't let myself.

Today we had a brunch at the house, in which I was an "orphan" with my friends Kaitlin and Colleen. We always tend to be orphans together on these weekends- it is fun. We wanted to get away, so we decided to go shopping. And boy did we shop. Well, at least me. I have been in a funky mood the past two days, but by the end of our shopping I was much happier. I even got a jacket for 97 cents! All in all, I didn't spend too much. It was leftover money from Spring Break though, and I found some really good things (including a 27 cent fake arm sleeve tattoo). After that, Kaitlin and I headed to Whataburger and then to the Talent Show so that I could take more pictures. I won a 25 gift certificate to a Campus Corner store, so that was really great! There was an asian "glowstick-er" (think rave) and two boys who played Disney songs on violin and piano. It was fabulous, and Kaitlin is in love with one of the boys. One girl sung a song about Starbucks and the latte boy, so then I wanted a Chai Latte more than anything. I think this was also thanks to the cold front we got in last night.

After Starbucks, we went to dinner at a small amazing Italian Restaurant with some friends. Followed up by Gelato. Now I am finishing off the night watching The Ugly Truth. I truly love this movie!

So, I think I helped the economy was have a good day today. It really should thank me.

:)

Why I love Oklahoma...

There is one thing that will never change about me- I am a true Okie at heart. I might travel the world and do some crazy activities (I watched Step-Brothers recently if you couldn't tell), but there is nothing that can ever compete with Oklahoma in my mind. While there are a million and one reasons that I love it, here is why I was inspired to write this post:

One day recently I had to go Kinko's (now Fed Ex but I refuse to call it so) to send something through Fed Ex. I haven't ever done this before and there are all sorts of envelopes and packing slips and what not. I picked the envelope out that fit my items, and then I narrowed down my options of sending forms to the one that looked like I might be able to use. I filled out what I knew, and the rest of the form was jibberish to me and I wasn't sure if it was one of those "official use only" areas. So, I attempt sealing the envelope and succeeded, then took my uncompleted things to the counter. The woman looked like she hated her job, and I had better know what I am doing. Oops. I told her, "I haven't used Fed Ex before so I don't know if I did it right." She then proceeds to half me a bunch of questions to finish filling out my form-- apparently it wasn't "official use only" and I fail. Half of her questions I didn't really know the answer to and just guessed. I probably grabbed the wrong form. Oops again.

I finally have everything completed and I want to pay. Then she walks away with my envelope to do secret official Fed Ex things, I suppose. Maybe she just had to answer a phone call. Who knows. To her, I could wait. I was just the stupid college kid in front of her who doesn't know how to use Fed Ex. As I am waiting, an old man enters the store. We exchange smiles, and then my woman is back and I pay. As I am leaving, the old man says, "It's unbelievable isn't it?" I say, "Huh?" thinking he is talking about the prices of mailing things or something. Then he says, "The weather." Now, this was in February when it should be 2 degrees outside. However, it was a gorgeous 65 degrees. Thanks Oklahoma! I say, "yeah- it is really great outside though! I love it!" He follows up in that cute old man silly humor voice, "This morning my wife made me put on this sweater, and now there is no need for it." He was wearing the stereotypical old-man sweater with the diamonds all across. We continued talking and he asked me all about what I am doing in school, and apparently his granddaughter goes to OU too. We chatted like we knew each other for a good 5 minutes before I left. He could have easily been one of the old men at my church who pass out the fliers as you walk in. However, we had never met before.

In Oklahoma, this kind of things happens all the time. Everyone here is very friendly for the most part. We hold doors behind us, we wave when cars let us pass, and we smile at complete strangers and ask them how they are. It is just our culture. Other places just aren't as friendly and kind. Sure, we have some jerks out there. But they definitely do not ruin it for the whole bunch.

And that is one of the many reasons I will always be an Okie.

:)