September 2, 2008

• We’re All OK, Now

  We have finally gotten used to the fact we are without JoAnn and Aolani. 

  We are also having to make a decision of what to do with the stray dog.  Jesse thinks the family might have moved into our neighborhood and the dog got out.  The address on the dog’s tag is a similar neighborhood (house-wise) as ours, and it IS the first of the month – many people move.  They aren’t answering the number on the dog’s tag.  So, the dog could have been brought to this neighborhood to be watched by a family member or friend.  My last desperate attempt will be to call the phone company to see if that old number has an additional new number in our area.  After that, she will have to be taken somewhere TODAY.  The storms from Gustav are supposed to start this afternoon or tonight and be horrible all through tomorrow.  She just can’t stay in our yard without a shelter.  I have tried to contact the lady who sold us Chirper.  She had lots of dogs in her yard and I’m wondering if she’ll take this dog.  I’ll write a note to the name and address on the dog’s tag telling the family where the dog can be found and hope they receive my note.  The idea of taking any animal to the pound kills me.  The only other option is to let her loose in our neighborhood to see if, in fact, she finds her way “home” to a new house in our neighborhood.  I’m uncomfortable with that, too.  Lots of calls being made this morning.

  ——————————

  Sooooooooooooo . . . change of subject to something less depressing.

  The day before JoAnn and Aolani left, JoAnn wanted Mexican food one last time and to do some more sight seeing.  We had already shown her how our downtown area has changed, but she wanted to see where she lived for fifteen years while married and THAT part of town.   Lots in her old home area has changed.

  Despite the ominous clouds and a slight threat of rain, we decided to go to a restaurant Jesse’s friends own and is always guaranteed to serve excellent food.  In fact, our last three foster care classes are at the Midwest City Library – the same city as Los Vaqueros, so guess where we’ll be going on our lunch breaks???!!!
  

  We live close to a beautiful lake, our water supply, and showed that lake to JoAnn.  The first picture is what you see as you come down my friend’s (Tangi’s) street.  Beautiful on a nice day – cold, choppy, and scary looking on a windy day!
  

  The first picture is of the dam on the lake side, and the second picture is of the dam on the spillover side.  By tomorrow, with all the rain that’s expected, that spillover side will be gushing water and you won’t be able to stand down there and fish.  It will be deep, rushing water.
  

  Midwest City also has Tinker Air Force Base.  I managed to “kind of” get two pictures of some old planes that are anchored down in front of the base as we whizzed by on the highway.
  

  This is the house where JoAnn lived while married for 15 years.  She took care of her dear mother-in-law until she died from lung cancer.  After that, her husband basically kicked her and Jennifer out on the street with only their clothes and filed for a divorce.  A year after that, JoAnn & Jennifer moved into my house (which is how I got to know Jesse so well, which is a whole different story . . . .).  The old house is now overgrown and not kept up well.  I also took a picture of an interesting sign I found, on a nearby street corner, when we had to stop at a light.  I LOVE interesting signs (can you tell?)!!!
  

  The closest we could come to the OKC Zoo was the lake where they had paddle boat rides in boats shaped like swans.  The speed limit was 45, thus the blurred picture as we sped by the lake.  All of these following pictures of museums, etc. are in the area where JoAnn used to live.
  

  In that same area, is the Softball Museum and the Fire Fighter’s Museum.
  

  I’m embarrassed to say that horse racing is huge in Oklahoma (and the nicest race track is located IN Oklahoma City); also, they have legalized gambling casinos in Oklahoma and he lottery.  This casino is attached to the race track building – a huge campus ready to take your money and your whole pay check!!!  Driving into, or out of, our state shows casino after casino with huge major name hotels and restaurants nearby in areas that were once large fields of wheat, etc.  The legalization of gambling at casinos was supposed to help fund our schools and raise teacher’s pay.  Not much of that has happened.  And, I have to wonder, did anyone really believe it would helop if the lottery and casinos were leagalized????
  

  One thing that caught my eye was the lawn jockies outside of the horse racing stadium.  I remember restaurants that had them in California (when I was a little girl), until sometime in the late 1960′s.  It was decided to be uncooth and in poor taste.  Of course, in those days, the lawn jockies were all black men in red waistcoats.  Anyway, California deemed it to be a gross display of prejudice and had them removed.  Apparently, Oklahoma is a little behind the times.  At least these jockies had different “colors of skin” and also some women jockies were shown.
  

  My handsome husband, Jesse, with JoAnn.  Can you “feel the love” and their close bond?  She raised Jesse and those are the only tender moments he has from his childhood.  Their mom was always at work and not so patient when she was home.  I could tell you stories that all of the brothers and sisters have told me – but, I won’t.
  

  We had a wonderfully, delicious meal (as always) at Los Vaqueros and one of the owners picked up our tab!  One of the men that used to be a co-owner, Reuben, helped Jesse out after his horrible accident where he ended up with a plate in his ankle (right before I met him).  Nikki had to make her dad cereal for breakfast and then a sandwich for lunch before she went to school.  She came home and made more sandwiches for dinner.  They were on food stamps and had welfare assistance due to his disability.  They lived in some condos owned by the church, and were allowed to stay there for free.  His wife had just left him and wouldn’t even come by to help fix some food.  He was on crutches and had to crawl to the batrroom and then back to bed.  He says he remembers sobbing some nights because he was so helpless.  Nikki told me she remembers hearing her dad cry and felt so sorry for him.  The friend from the restaurant, Reuben, came once a week to take Jesse somewhere – ANYWHERE to get him out of the house.  He would take him out to dinner, etc.  He called all the time to check on him.  The men who own the restaurants are part of Reuben’s family and every bit as nice as Reuben.  The bonus is, we’ve never had a bad meal!!!!  I’m so grateful that this family helped Jesse when no one else was able.

  Now for the mystery pictures . . .  Why are the girls clinging to this large cage?????
  

  Because someone installed a huge (tall) chain link fence with a roof to house parrots!  I was only able to view one beautiful red parrot (who continued to talk to us, nonstop) and the 3 other blue parrots (equally as pretty) were too high up to see and not feeling as socialable as the red parrot!  There is a table with food and water for the birds and often sparrows and grackles make their way into the cage.  Many birds flock around the outside of the cage, wishing and wondering how to get in!  It must look like a haven to those wild birds!!!
  

  The girls were infatuated with the talkative red parrot and egged (no pun intended!!!) the bird on with “hellos” and whistles, etc., all the time enjoying the friendly bird’s responses!
  

  Luci, Annamarie, Rissy, and Aolani.
  

  We ate our fill of Mexican food and I guess it not only increased our waist sizes – but, also Jesse’s head.  He took his “goin’ out hat” off on the way home and it sat on the top of the dashboard until we got home!!!
  

  Well, while writing this post, I called the phone company and the dog’s owner is one of their customers and they don’t show that the people have moved.  And, I haven’t heard back from the lady where we got Chirper.  The address is so close to where the girl’s therapist is and where Stephanie lives, but I don’t know that it would be profitable to drive that far and leave a note on their door.  I’ll have to make a decision about this soon.

  Yesterday, I decided to stay home and do all of the laundry (10 loads!!!) and will go today to the post office, Wal-Mart, and do whatever other errands need to be done.  I sure don’t want to be out in the storm these next two days.

  I hope you enjoyed the last of my “JoAnn’s Visit” pictures!  And, I hope everyone enjoyed their long week-end!

  • 12:33 pm
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