Magic Anchor

One of our biggest issues when out on the Patti Wagon is getting our anchor set.  We've decided that Skiatook Lake has a muddy/sandy bottom, and our traditional anchor just wasn't getting the job done.  There is nothing more annoying then interrupting the party to pull up the anchor, reposition the boat, forward, reverse, forward, reverse... We couldn't have this kind of thing happen on 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND!  So after much googling and consultation with salespeople at Bass Pro and Academy, I decided to purchase a 20 lb mushroom anchor.  Dad told me, "A mushroom anchor?  That's a waste of money."  When we went to test it out, Nick told me not to get my hopes up.  "I don't want you to think this is some kind of magical anchor or something."

It IS magic!  Even Nick says so!  The only problem we had was when we got in water that was too deep... and really, you can't blame that on the anchor.  Blame it on our rope that was too short.  Apparently, those little holes cause some kind of suction.  The description says that this anchor is only good for canoes and smaller boats, but ours is a 21 foot wakeboarding boat, and it held like a champ!  Can't wait for the UNINTERRUPTED party this weekend!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Allergy testing SUCKS.

Visiting Joplin

On our way home from Kansas City yesterday, we got off the highway to pass through Joplin.  The devastation really is unbelievable.  I've seen lots of pictures and coverage on the news, but nothing prepared us for what we saw first hand.  Cross lived there during nursing school and did his rotations in the hospital that was hit.  He couldn't even identify some of the structures and had trouble orienting himself, even as we approached his old apartment complex.  Here's a few pics taken from the car as we drove through.

Pulling in to town.

 The white building  in the distance was an Academy.

Joplin High School

 Most of the buildings had been marked with spray paint, and many people used paint to let visitors know they were OK.

 An elementary school

 St. John's Hospital

The devastation goes on for miles.  I don't know how they will rebuild, but there were helpers everywhere.  Thoughts and prayers are with the city. God bless Joplin!

KC, MO

We decided that we weren't tired enough from Vegas for a week... we needed another weekend away!  Rick and Chance organized a super fun trip to Kansas City that involved a night out in the Power and Lights district (we may have been the oldest people there) and a day at Schlitterbaun, but the highlight was a night at a killer piano bar, Howl at the Moon!  We had awesome seats for the show, and Chance and I both met our soul mates.  I'd say that the piano bar was a success!

 This was a fun little game:  You could buy a phrase to go on the mirror behind the piano until someone out-bid you!  We had some serious fun with this... see below.

 Chance got chosen to dance for a free bucket of booze (like the blue one above... thank GOD she didn't win.  One was enough for this girl!), but we think there was a contestant that was legitimately a stripper. "How am I supposed to compete with THAT?!"

 The funniest part of this was the phone call we got from Rodine during lunch the next day...

 

All in all, it was  great weekend with great friends!  Ready for a good rest though...

Storm Damage

Snowpocolypse wasn't enough I guess.  Mother Nature cursed the middle US with crazy tornadoes this year too!  Tulsa has been very lucky, considering the devastation in the South and, more recently, in Joplin just right up the road.  We are counting our blessings around here.  When the storms of Tuesday night several weeks ago passed with no injuries or worse, we were relieved.  Even our old trees survived! ... or so we thought.  This is what Nick came home to the next afternoon.

 View from the guest bedroom window from the inside.  How lucky are we?

 Midway through the cleanup.  I think Nick thoroughly enjoyed using his chainsaw in midtown.

 Notice the scrap marks on the house.  These are on all sides of the window.  I don't know how we got so lucky...

 The missing limb

 The only casualty was Nick's Japanese Maple.  While it was heart breaking to see the little guy go, it sure is a lot cheaper to replace than a roof, a window, a bed and dressers, and/or the neighbor's car!

Seriously... how lucky ARE we?!

Summer vaycay

Welp, summer vacation is over.  :(  And the worst part?  I took like, NO good pictures!  Idiot...  I'll have to give you the run down... using mostly boring words.

Taryn and Matt came in from Houston for Memorial Day weekend!  We celebrated at the lake on Friday and Saturday.

I made sure we had PLENTY of lake dip.

 Broke in the new ski.  It took me three tries to get up.  At first, I thought it might be defective.

The wind forced us to the pool on Sunday.  We still had a good time.  Then, early Monday, Nick and I headed to VEGAS! (Nick had a PA conference, and I just went to play Black Jack.)

Conclusions made after our 6 day stay in Vegas:

• 6 days is too long to be in Vegas
• I should always drink beer in Vegas, especially if I plan to sit at a table for 6 hours straight.

(...unless I am at my favorite Beatles-themed bar at the Mirage.)

 

 Planet Hollywood currently has a stripper theme.  Nice.

• We will have dinner at Batista's Hole in the Wall during EVERY trip to Vegas from here on out. 

• I much more entertained playing cards than I am going to a club

At Voodoo Lounge

• The best gambling is downtown.

• The Golden Nugget has the coolest pool EVER, complete with shark tank and Black Jack tables!

We had SUCH a great time.  The Anderson's had never been to Vegas, so we did lots of exploring and gambling.  While 6 days sure was exhausting, I'm already looking forward to the next trip out west!

Besides... my hair does SO much better in dry climates.