Repentance

Tomorrow is September 23^rd which is the 10^th of Tishri, Yom Kippur, or the ”Day of Atonement”, which is the holiest day of the Jewish year.  Yom Kippur is about purification, when the High Priest of old would enter the Holy-of-Holies of the Temple, and on behalf the nation of Israel, offer a blood sacrifice for the sins of the people.

I heard a good teaching today about how many of us judge others, have philosophies and opinions about how others should be living, and what politicians and nations should be doing to make things right.

The speaker’s conclusion was that rather than being worried about others’ sins, we need to focus on our own sin, repent to God the Father and engage with Jesus to walk out our own personal recovery.  We need to individually, honestly confront our denials, and rationalizations, owning our sin, and struggles, and repent to the Father, and share our struggle with a Christ following brother or sister.

Would you consider doing this today my friend?  The time is now.   Bro. Rob

Top of the Town, Tulsa Style

Beautiful nights in T-town, in any season, when it's not storming or enveloped in a 'temperature extreme', can be magical if you just know where to look.  And when we purchased our tickets to Top of the Town, a fundraiser benefitting the Child Care Resource Center, last January, we were taking our chances.  So how sweet it was that last Thursday night was such a beautiful backdrop to such a fun evening!  For that, and so much more, we are very thankful!

The recommendation that we study the map/routes carefully and plan our evening, selecting the venues we wanted to visit, was the best advice ever.  As it was, our Fitbits had 18,000 steps on them by the night's end and there were 12  venues we skipped.  We filled up the four hour event time just perfectly!

We got great on-street parking in a central location and headed toward our first stop, Aloft, at 200 Civic Center Plaza, while the early evening sun was still high in the sky. From the outside, Aloft looks a lot like the former City Hall.  It was built in 1969 and has historic preservation status.  From the inside it has the appearance of Mid-Century Modern and high-tech convenience with touches of industrial style.  Out on their patio we enjoyed chips, salsa, queso and frozen Jack & Coke shots while we listened to some good acoustic guitar stylings.  From there we headed across Civic Center Plaza up Fourth Street, with our next destination being The Vault at Seventh and Cincinnati, 7 blocks to our southeast.

The Vault Restaurant resides in the iconic mid-century building that was originally built to house the First National Auto Bank built from 1958-1959.  At the time it was the world's largest auto bank with 6 drive through lanes.  The bank had a private conference room named the Tom Tom room that was said to have hosted over 350 meetings a year.  The Tom Tom Room patio is where we enjoyed crab and caper canapes, bruschetta, and refreshing lemon water.

Rob fondly remembers accompanying his dad to take care of banking business there in the late '50s-early '60s.

Our next stop was 2 blocks north at the Courtyard Marriot in the Atlas Life building.  This historic 12-story office building, completed in 1922, is sandwiched between the Philtower and the Mid-Continent Tower.  At the top is an ornate cornice surmounted by a crouching statue of Atlas.  The building is seven bays wide at the base, narrowing to three above the second floor to allow some separation from the taller buildings on either side.  It was designed as an inverted 'T' to represent Tulsa.  In 2010 it was converted to a hotel.

We enjoyed a glass of wine in the second floor lobby......

......and sampled tequila-injected strawberries on the seventh floor!

We headed west toward our next stop, the Mayo Hotel, and along the way, passing the old Vandever Building, I recalled some lunches at the Vandever Tea Room with my great aunt, Ola Upson, in the early '60s.  These were 'white glove affairs' where 'proper ladies' (as she called them) extended their 'pinkies' when they drank their tea.  We ate cream cheese & watercress sandwiches (sans gloves) and drank tea from china cups.  I have no memory of where my younger brother, Stan, was during these outtings, but I recall it being a 'ladies only' event.

At a height of 19 stories when it opened in 1925, the Mayo Hotel was the tallest building in Oklahoma.  Built to exceed the expectations of the most discriminating travelers, it boasted modern amenities of its time, including 600 rooms each with ceiling fans and Tulsa's first running ice water!  Architect George Winkler designed the building in the Sullivanesque style of the Chicago School.  The hotel was home to famous oilmen J. Paul Getty and Waite Phillips.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, it sat vacant for nearly 30 years.  The Snyder Family of Tulsa purchased the building in 2001, renovated the lobby and hosted events there until 2008.  The Mayo Hotel re-opened its doors in late 2009 after a historic renovation restored the hotel to its original luster, with 102 hotel rooms, 76 luxury residences and event spaces.

On the rooftop of the Mayo we enjoyed chipotle
turkey sliders and a magnificant view!

Looking south.......

Looking west (at a very full Arkansas River!)

Looking southwest from the Mayo Hotel rooftop and then ......

north to the BOK Tower and the spire of 320 S. Boston

When we read that Nothing Bundt Cakes was hosting atop the 420 Mayo Building, we made short work of getting ourselves up there!!   (Keeping our fingers crossed that lemon and white chocolate raspberry were to be among the offerings!  Oh yeah!)
Originally five stories tall, this building was erected to house the Mayo Furniture business.  During the Oil Boom, the building was expanded to 10 stories, to be used as offices for oil barons.  (Bet they never had moist little bundt cakes on the rooftop, though!)  Today it has been re-purposed, yet again, offering luxury living in the heart of downtown Tulsa.  Part of the tour of this building (before we got to the bundt cake part....oh, yeah, and the beautiful view) was touring  a fourth floor, two bedroom apartment that rents for $1995/month.  Yikes!  Love our 'home sweet home'......now where are those little bundts?  Oh yeah, the rooftop......and yes, they had plenty of lemon and white chocolate raspberry!

After all that deliciousness, it's a good thing that our next stop was the new YMCA, right next door.  With plenty of cold fruit and lemon water set out......a perfect treat in such a beautiful facility.  And a wonderful bit of news we heard from the staff there: Neal Bhow arrived in Tulsa from India in 1969 to attend the University of Tulsa.  He had $10 in his pocket and nowhere to stay so he lived, for a while, in the old YMCA building  at 6th and Denver.  He's now part of a partnership that has purchased the old YMCA and is going to renovate it and offer it as affordable downtown housing.

They'd already exhausted their supply of bruschetta
flatbread and accompanying libations, but the 70's
music the duo was belting out made our stop on the
12th floor balcony quite enjoyable.

Our next stop was the Philtower building at 427 S. Boston

Our stop at 320 S. Boston was one full of
memories for Rob, as his dad officed in that building in the '50s.  He remembers that lobby well and did a commemorative 'weigh in' on the same scale in the lobby where he used to go with his dad.  During Rob's years at TU he had a walking UPS mail route in the downtown area and this building was on his route. This beloved
landmark was designed to be a bank--and a mooring station for the most innovative form of travel in its day, the dirigible.  The tower was also a beacon for weather alerts.  During the 1960s wither red or green lights would be beamed on the tower to indicate various weather conditions.  The building was originally home to the Exchange National Bank and was completed in 1928.  It stood 10 stories tall and was the largest bank in Oklahoma.  It was designed by George Winkler, who also designed the Mayo Hotel.  In 1929, the building was expanded to its current height of 22 stories.  The 320 Building is in the Neo-Classical style and is connected to the Kennedy Building by a tunnel under Boston Avenue.  A law firm on the 21st floor was hosting this stop with wine and an apple crumb cobbler from Ludger's.  We got some of the prettiest post-sunset shots from that vantage point.

From our vantage point we could see the excitement over at ONEOK Stadium as the Drillers were playing the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.  For the first time in ONEOK Field history, a Tulsa Drillers game was featured on national television.  It was the CBS Sports Network Game of the Week before a a near sellout crowd of 7,565.  The Naturals went home with a 7-3 victory over the home boys.

This sunset pic of the Mid-Continent building, taken from the 21st floor of 320 S. Boston captures the eerie glow of the lights of the room which we were in......or was it a UFO?  Mmmmmm, guess we'll never really know, huh?

We crossed the street to our next stop, the 40th floor of the BOK Building, where champagne and chocolates from Glacier Confections were on the menu.  This tower is said to be the crown jewel of Tulsa's skyline.  The 52-story tower was built in 1975 as headquarters for the Williams Companies.  At a height of 677 feet, it was the tallest building in any of the five Plains states-Oklahoma, Kasas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota-- as well as the surrounding states of Missouri, Arkansas and New Mexico, until surpassed by Oklahoma City's Devon Tower in 2011.  Designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the BOK Tower is similar in appearance and construction to New York City's WTC Towers, destroyed in the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, which Yamasaki also designed.  The BOK Tower has a quarter the footprint and stands at almost half the height of the original WTC Towers.  The BOK Tower structure comprises 14,750 tons of steel and 41,588 cubic yards of concrete.

From our vantage point on the 40th floor we could see the busy Brady District and imagined all the fun folks were having at Movie Night on the Guthrie Green........Toy Story was on the big screen!!    Party hardy, Tulsa!

 More views from the 40th floor of the BOK and a look south on Boston Avenue as we were leaving the building on this beautiful night.

Our last two stops, The Summit Club and 110 W. 7th, were a good walk six and eight blocks south, so by the time we reached the 31st floor of the Bank of America Tower, we were ready for a 'taste of Italy' at the Summit Club.  And it did not disappoint!  The views, the food, the hospitality!

Nitey,nite, T-town, we're so thankful to call you 'home'!

Opening emails can result in.......fun!

You can never tell what adventure awaits when you open up a Living Social email that promises an $85/night stay in a 'boutique hotel' in Kansas City and includes free breakfasts (with made-to-order omelets), complimentary nightly cocktail hour, $20 dining credit at a nearby restaurant, passes to Gold's Gym, and complimentary shuttle service to anywhere within a five mile radius!  But that was one email we're glad we didn't delete!

After a bit of research, we discovered that the 816 Hotel 

is a remodeled/repurposed Holiday Inn in the Westport area about halfway between The Country Club Plaza and downtown.  Each room is decorated uniquely and we had to chuckle when we learned that ours was the KC Barbeque Room!! Couldn't have been more 'right on'!

After a warmish drive up there (our Honda's
AC conked out about halfway) the shower beckoned....

...and so did the crisp, cool sheets 'neath a unique headboard!

The entertaining wallpaper was an historical
and cultural collage of KC bbq events/memoribilia,
including pics of Julia Child, Bobby Flay, and Guy Fieri.

And a genuine smoker added to the ambiance!

Other very inventive artwork pieces that adorned the room were the the work of Charlie Podrebarac, a local artist who has chronicle KC culture and happenings for over 30 years.  Not only a standout with a pen and a brush .....but a pretty fine sense of humor, to boot!

So we set out for walk into the Westport area, where there were many unique shops, bars and restaurants.  Trip Advisor had given the CharBar a stellar recommendation so we settled in for some brisket, over-the-top cheesy grit hushpuppies (can you say, "Melt in your mouth"?), and loster-deviled eggs.  We'd really hoped for burnt ends, but they'd run out of those earlier in the day.  Maybe tomorrow, right?

The next morning we took the shuttle to The Country Club Plaza, where we'd enjoyed a lovely, although chilly and rainy, day just before Christmas last year.  Today would be sunny and warm, a definitely different way to enjoy this KC icon.  We browsed and shopped a bit, spent about an hour reading in a cozy nook in the 4 story Barnes and Noble, and, on Ally's recommendation, dined on the patio at Gram and Dunn.  My.Oh.My!  Burnt ends mac'n chesse and two amazing salad dishes!
And, although, we've never owned a red car, Rob always admires them when we see one.  So he finally got his 'red car'......sans the sticker shock!

The next day we visited Union Station because, well, we love the whole 'train thing'.....and, of course, it's time to pick up the AMTRAK schedule and start planning a trip, right?  But, also, the ceilings are worth the visit!

While at Union Station we noticed the familiar artwork of Charlie Podrebarac, the creator of the images in our hotel room.  He did this piano art as part of Pianos on Parade, an community movement that's placing 'artistically transformed' pianos around Kansas City in various locations to celebrate 100 years of excellence for the Kansas City Music Teachers Association.

Also worth the visit was the sights and tastes at Pierpont's In Union Station.  Our meal there and just having a look around was so fun!

We didn't know that Kansas City is known for its over 200 foutains.  From the looks of the two we saw near Crown Center, we need to make a trip back to visit the rest!

 

While at Crown Center we enjoyed the Crayola Cafe (and got some good ideas, too!)  There is also a cool looking science museum, but what really caught our eye was all of the 'Big Bang Theory' paraphernalia!!!

And the life size 'greeters' at the Lego Museum bid
 us a found farewell until next time!

Spontaneity is alive and well.......

For planners, such as we, vacation planning usually begins months before departure.  Lots of research, calculations and deliberations take place, as well as documentation.  That's just 'how we roll'......but wait, there's more.....

Five days before Rob/your dad was to leave on his annual mission trip to Port au Prince, Haiti with his bible study buddies we were watching a favorite movie, Mama Mia.  The temperature here in Tulsa that evening was in the 20's and during a particularly inviting 'beach scene' in the movie, he said, "I wonder what it would cost to change my ticket, leaving out of Port au Prince, to get me to an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic and you could meet me there."

At first, I didn't know whether or not to take him seriously.  Then, as he left the movie during one of his favorite scenes to begin looking up flights and eventually calling American Airlines, I thought better of my initial inclination to introduce rational reason/frugality into our discussion.  He was serious!  And who was I to get in the way of his exercise in 'spontaneity'?

So, within 10 hours we had flights changed/booked, a week at Gran Bahia Principe in Punta Cana, DR secured and were in the process of getting shots at Public Health and beginning a malaria preventative.

Early on the morning of Sunday, Jan. 18 I flew out of Tulsa for Miami.  He'd arrived in Miami the day before & said good-bye to his bible study buddies at the conclusion of their week in Port au Prince.

We connected in the Miami Airport & began our 'spontaneous' adventure together to Punta Cana.





The process of arrival & processing was 'a breeze'...similar to the one we were
experiencing when we stepped off the plane in Punta Cana.  The humidity in the air was
a welcome change from the dryness of the Oklahoma winter and we soon remarked that our skin had never felt healthier.  From the musicians serenading us in the airport to the ease with which we picked up our bags and met our Island Sun transport to the resort, this experience was off to a great start.  The look of the water, sky, and sand, no matter what time of day, is a memory we'll forever hold.

We freshened up, unpacked & settled in to our third floor suite before enjoying an early dinner at the Geranimous Buffett (where we overwhelmed-in a good way- by the selection and the possibilities, but mindful that 'moderation in all things' would have to rule).  Then we stepped out onto the beautiful beach for awhile before spending the rest of the evening poolside enjoying our first 'coco loco' (a coconut/rum drink) and the music of a roaming 'Dominican Kenny G'.



Monday morning was primarily spent navigating the 'learning curve' of an all-inclusive resort, since this was our first experience (what to do-where and when, booking two excursions, dinner reservations, and establishing internet access).  The rest of the day and evening we 'camped out' at a perfect spot on the beach, made some excursions into the water, and we really never stopped marveling at the amazing colors of the water and the sky.




Tuesday morning we met our Bavaro Runners guide, Rene, & driver, Renaldo & 18 other passengers for an all day excursion into the culture in an all-terrain 'extended jeep' type vehicle.  Not long after we left the city we were at our first stop: horseback riding.  The last time we were horseback riding was 25 years ago with Laura, Allyson, and Brian on Padre Island......but found it was kind of like riding a bike......just get on and 'giddyap' & there you go!  I'd have taken more pictures but was concerned about dropping my phone and that Fabio (my ride) wouldn't recognize it for the delicate piece of technology that it is.

Rene and Renaldo, ever concerned that we stay hydrated during the day were quick to pull out the 'Dominican Champagne', as they called it (equal parts Sprite and Rum....even at 10 am?) after every activity!  There was a hilarious group (4 couples) from Connecticut with us and we're pretty sure they availed themselves of  'seconds' at every opportunity, as they kept things pretty 'lively';)




Our next stop was an 'old school' sugar cane processing area where two oxen turned heavy wooden wheels as a young man fed long pieces of cane in between the wheels, causing cane to be crushed & the liquid extracted.  Got a sweet taste of the cane, too!






After that we stopped to watch cigars being assembled in the traditional fashion.  Rene gave us the obligatory caution with a humorous twist: "Smoking is not good for you," he said, "Remember, those who don't smoke die healthier!"




Our next stop was a traditional Dominican home.  We saw both an indoor & outdoor kitchen, an amazing, aromatic herb garden and got to sample the results of both coffee & cacao (cocoa) beans having been roasted.  YUM!




There were bananas (not yet ready for the picking) growing in the backyard and nearby we passed a school.





Wednesday morning we went on a short shopping outing, but were able to spend the rest of this glorious day at the beach & walking the many interesting paths at the Gran Bahia.  The resort measures 1 mile from the beach area (Playa de Arena Gorda in the upper right hand portion of the picture) to the 'traffic circle' type entrance (in the lower left hand portion of the picture).  It's about 1/3 mile wide.  Although there's ready shuttle transport anywhere you want to go, one thing we loved was the variety and beauty of places to walk, all within the resort perimeter. Gotta get those FitBit steps, right?




Thursday was another wonderful beach & pool day.  Did the obligatory 'swim up' bar experience in the pool, cause that's just too much fun, right?



 



Thursday night we enjoyed great music out by the pool & good conversation with a couple from Boston.  We've thought about them, during these past few days, leaving this paradise and returning home to a blizzard!



 



Friday morning, we met our SolTour bus and guide at 6:30 am for an all day excursion to the capital city, Santo Domingo, the oldest European-established city in the western hemisphere.  We had a two hour comfy bus ride with a stop, halfway, at a typical tourist market.



 



Our first stop, once we'd arrived in Santo Domingo was Los Tres Ojos Caverns, a series of deep, beautiful porous limestone caverns fed by an underground river.



 



Our gregarious guide, Daniel Munoz, was lively & energetic for most of the 13 hour day.  But most of his 'energy' (and explanation of sites, humor, etc.) was delivered in Spanish, only translating 10-15% of his narrative.  We felt sorry for a couple in front of us on the bus who were Dutch speakers.  We caught on to maybe 10% of his Spanish, but unfortunately that didn't include his thorough explanation of the workings of the lower bridge in the picture, above.  It is a 'drawbridge' of sorts, but rather than raising to accommodate passing barges, its two sections 'swivel' and it stays low to the water.  At least we THINK that's what happens.



 



Our first extended stop in Colonial Santo Domingo was the home of Diego Columbus, Christopher's son, & his family.  Our group was divided into language groups so we had an English-speaking guide for our tour of this structure, built in 1510.



 



(Left) Diego's shaving bowl mounted on wall (notice the cut-out for his neck). (Center) a bedroom with its original mahogany furniture.  Mahogany is the national wood of the Dominican Republic. (Right) Rob/your dad by one of the many barely six-foot doorways through which we passed.



 




(Left) Elaborate music room (center) Diego's 'lock-box' with nine locks in the lid (Right) A portion of the kitchen area.




(Left) Me & my traveling buddy on the veranda of the home, overlooking the Ozama River in the Colonial section of the city. (Right) partial courtyard view of the Columbus home.




Across from the Columbus home we at lunch at an outdoor café.  The 7 course meal consisted of a series of 'sampler plates' so that we had a bite or two of almost 17 different traditional dishes, most of which we very good.  And, as I remember, dinner that night was not even necessary!  The colonial district streets all appeared to be one-way and only one lane wide.




After lunch we walked to and toured the National Pantheon, originally a Jesuit Church, built between 1714-1746.  Since that time it has served as a tobacco warehouse and theater.  In 1956, Dictator Rafael Trujillo ordered that it be reclaimed as a national pantheon where he envisioned being interred (as a national hero).  Ironically, it now serves as a place of honor and interment for the country's most honored heroes.......Trujillo is not among them......but his assassins are.







Another walk through narrow streets brought us to the Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor, built in 1512.  It is the oldest cathedral in the Americas.  We wore headsets during our walk-through, which delivered a great narrative for the tour. 

We were more happy to 'take a load off' at the end of this day as we boarded the bus for our two hour trip back to Punta Cana, as the sun was setting.

That evening, after a bite to eat at our favorite of all the snack buffets (Las Olas), we made one last visit to the beach after dark, to put our toes in the silky sand for a final time.

Saturday morning, after our last breakfast there, we reluctantly finished our packing & headed to the airport around noon, taking with us more than a suitcase full of wonderful memories.....and before the plane ever left the tarmac, we were contemplating 'next time.'

One memory, which we will hold dear, didn't even happen until processing through customs/immigration at the Miami Airport.  After a prolonged wait in an apparently uncharacteristically long line (500+ people) for the immigration kiosks, I got away from the kiosk WITHOUT a very important slip of paper, without which I could proceed no further.  As Rob re-entered this huge crowd to attempt to find it, I waited near an exit, not breathing 'easy' at this point, as time to 'make' our next flight was slipping away.

Out of the crowd stepped a man, walking toward me holding (YEP, YOU GUESSED IT!) a slip of paper.  THE slip of paper, which the kiosk had 'spit out' after Rob and I had left it.  He simply said, "I think this is yours."  I didn't know what to say......I remember repeating, "Thank you!!" over and over again and "Bless you!" as I hurried toward where Rob was still searching.  This is one we're not gonna try to figure out.....definitely a miracle!