The short version

Tuesday I flew to MS drove to LA to pick up some equipment, drove back to MS, north north ever northwards, through a tornado alley where only 3 days before a tornado had crossed the highway, sweeping cars out of it's way

Trust me, it's very dramatic in person. Just hard to get while beebopping, talking on the phone and cruising in my sweet minivan (which DID turn out to be mad comfy for the long haul. I love captain's chairs!)

Weds, do my business then onto OKC at night where I had wrangled a decent room, although I spent only 10 hours in it so I didn't get to enjoy the way I might have. I did however sit in every sweet chair and play with all the buttons on the fancy shower nozzle just so I could say I had.

It's not the Ritz, but there was no blood that I could see!

Near the office where I was working, there was a development named Gaillardia. Houses like castles!

And when I was done working for the day I had some time before my flight, so I went and kicked around this nature preserve I found. I decided getting some walking in took precedence over exploring downtown OKC.

Hello from the wilds of Oklahoma!

A little moment of serenity before the clusterf*ck that was my travel home

Friday consisted of doing some work (gross! and tired!) and SIGNING THE CONTRACT ON THE HOUSE! Yay!

and then Saturday. Well since this is the quick version, I'll summarize with a couple of pictures.

Saturday featured...

A behatted 4,000 lb Platypus full of drums and didgeridoos


A large scary fish (with schoolbus for scale)



Who made not so veiled threats at an AVAM bigshot


A day of the dead couple of newlyweds


And their bad ass Day of the Dead horse drawn carriage



a Hookah smoking caterpillar


A big lie and a 50 lb trunk attached to the front of a vehicle I shouldn't have been pedaling

A smooth water entry and paddle and a not so smooth exit:

The view from the top. Of the Platypus, that is. Where I belong!

a real live pagoda:

more pedaling I shouldn't have been doing, this time on the Platypus and also inexplicably, fried chicken urgently delivered by an elderly woman who so believed in her duties that she ran in front of us while we were doing about 25mph downhill:

Other than the part where we almost killed her, because really it's kind of hard to stop a 2ton monotreme when he gets his momentum up, HN was psyched to see her. He loves his fried chicken!

and a sunset as pretty as any I can remember


Followed by a night's sleep that was for reals the highlight of my week. I slept the sleep of the physically beaten and righteously exhausted. and I loved it! Sitting down on Sunday, not so fun owing to the BIG LIE and the associated lack of cycling shorts.