Just visiting

Oklahoma used to be home, but now its just passing through. I've been running ragged for the last several months, and decided to take a block of vacation time and just relax through the Thanksgiving holiday. We headed out to Oklahoma in the CRV packed with Jill and myself, Cooper, Baloo, Molly, 3 bikes and a lot of luggage. This car's capacity continues to impress me.

We arrived in Oklahoma in time Thursday night to get to see the Pokes play versus CU, which was ugly but still a win. With MJ importing a kitty to the trailer, Jill and I were without a home but Georgia volunteered up her house for our base.

One of the reasons for heading to Oklahoma was to deliver a little project that I've been working on for the last couple months. After hearing the story about my buddy Tony Baustert building a ridiculously cool remote control dirt bike for a little boy who had become paralyzed after having a cancerous tumor removed from his brain, I decided I wanted to do something for Tony. The one thing I know is bikes, so I meticulously went about acquiring parts to get Tony a bike built up. The center piece was a lightly used Turner 5 Spot frame that I picked up.

So last Friday, I got to deliver the bike to Tony. He was shocked and a bit nervous about it all but very pleased. We wasted no time in heading straight to the trails, Tony's home turf Bluff Creek in north OKC.


Jill in her ninja garb, railing some OK red dirt

From OK / AR Trip

Tony wasted no time putting his bike to the test

From OK / AR Trip

Feels good to be on the bike

From OK / AR Trip

If it has wheels, Tony is going to air it out

From OK / AR Trip

The Turner posse

From OK / AR Trip

The next day, as luck would have it, OState was playing in Stillwater. MJ, Jill, Coop and I loaded up and headed up to Stillwater. A plate of cheese fries and an Elm Street Fowl Thing later I was a happy guy. Coop had a big time at the ballgame, his 2nd one so far.



A quick drive back from Stillwater, and I met up with Tony to go check out a private trail north of Yukon. A really cool trail that has been built up over the course of three years, had a ton of features and stunts. Unfortunately, I fell off one of them and bunged up my shoulder again right before my big week of riding. Oops.


Got to check out my remote flash setup. Tony nails the double teeter toter that I fell off of.

From OK / AR Trip

Tony launches his new steed

From OK / AR Trip

The next day the weather (and my banged up shoulder) kept us from riding bikes, so we headed out west to hang with the family. Cooper got to be a cowboy and ride his first horse, and then we checked out MJ & Yack's newly renovated house.


Cooper loved riding the horse

From OK / AR Trip

Then he got to ride a slightly smaller beast

From OK / AR Trip

After several more good lunches/dinners, our Oklahoma time was coming to an end and we moved east to Arkansas, new home of Jim and Judy. More to come from the Natural State soon.