Monday, July 29, 2019

Welcome Home

3767.8.  That’s the number of miles I traveled in an eight day span.

After a lot of long talks, careful consideration, and lots and lots of math, I made the decision to travel the country with the love of my life.  Neither of us wanted to pass up the opportunity to learn and grow both as individuals and as a couple on this wild, incredible journey. But, contrary to popular opinion, this wasn’t an easy thing to do.  I had to end my life in Tulsa (we both did, but this is my blog). So, I ended my three decade-long Tulsa tenure the only way I knew how: with a farewell tour.

My good friend/mentor/father figure Dennis and I have several Tulsa traditions that we’ve enjoyed together, which were honestly the highlight of the end of my time in Oklahoma.  Coney I-Lander and a couple of Driller’s games the week before I left town helped ease my mind regarding this life-changing move. Dennis has always been one of my biggest supporters, so having someone not only reassure me that I was making the right decision, but also help me make this move was more needed than I realized at the time.


Not a lot of people know that I’m a part-time bartender.  I started working at Johnny Carino’s like… twelve years ago, but when I got a big boy job, I left the restaurant industry behind.  About four years ago, I went back to bartend on weekends (because we all know Oklahoma educators are paid SO well). Those of you who have worked in the industry know that the word “family” gets thrown around a lot by restaurant owners, managers, etc., but at Carino’s on 41st & Sheridan in Tulsa, OK, that is the God’s honest truth.  Those who have worked there can attest, it’s a different kind of place. I worked there through some of the best times of my life and some of the worst. I will always feel a special connection to that place. Also, those of you who have worked there know exactly what’s going on in the picture below.

The Carino's Farewell

The process of making a move like this is different than just moving from one house to another or even, I would imagine, moving from one city to another.  Ali and I are going to be traveling so much for the foreseeable future that we both had to downsize our lives quite a bit. I donated a lot of clothes, personal items, and random household junk.  I don’t know how many times I used the words and phrases “get rid of it”, “toss it”, “trash”, or “donation” in the last month or so. Only the most important and personal of things were packed in boxes to be stored and only the things I couldn’t live without came with me.

Zayne, was wrecked from a day of helping Uncle Josh pack
Amazing how your entire life can fit in your trunk, isn't it?

I left Tulsa on the morning of July 18th.  The drive was actually pretty enjoyable. Unlike the previous drive (recounted in my last post), I did NOT drive straight-through.  I stayed the night in Atlanta and got up the next morning to see some of the sights (and took no pictures, somehow) before hitting the road.  A couple of rainstorms rolled in on the drive down the Gulf Coast that hindered my travel for some of the day, so the drive that should have taken about seven hours, took closer to ten.  But I made it. I might actually get killed for including this, but Ali had a little bit of a present waiting for me on our dining room table.

A warm welcome, indeed

Once she got home from work, we headed out for a victory dinner.  We hit the beach the next day and had the best time (as per usual, beach life can’t be beaten).

An actual mermaid



But I wasn’t done with travel.  I had a prearranged trip to visit my best friend, Amanda, in Pennsylvania.  Being the amazing friend she is, she got us tickets to see John Mayer as a birthday gift.  It was my third (or fourth) time to see him and her first. I’m not sure if he’s just evolved as a performer that much or if it had just been too long since I’d seen him live, but I have to say, it was a hell of a concert.  No opener, two sets that were tailored a little different from each other - it was such an experience. If this tour comes anywhere near you, it’s worth the price of admission.

"But if you give me just one night, you're gonna see me in a New Light"

Amanda and I have settled into this bi-annual visit routine since she moved with her husband, Jeremy, to Pennsylvania a few years ago.  Our visits, by nature, are forced to be quality time. Knowing that I only get to see her in person maybe twice a year really helps put emphasis on enjoying that time.  We take care in maintaining our friendship from afar, but those trips really are the best. Especially since I get to bond with her little princess. Now if I could just get them to come visit Florida…  

We're the worst at remembering to take pictures together

I think she was trying to show off her Cheeto fingers

A full day of travel later, I was back home.  I know it hasn’t been long at all, but I already feel at home here.  I love the life we’re building together and am exhilarated for the future.

Rare sight: a Florida sunRISE

Thanks for reading,

-Josh

P.S. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank all of the people who’ve helped, supported, and just overall made this process so easy.  Namely my mom and Aunt Misty. I literally could not have done this without them. So, thank you both.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

“Get me the f*** out of Louisiana.”

Those seven words epitomize the 24-hour drive from Tulsa, OK to Bradenton, Florida I made with my girlfriend a few weeks ago.  But, we’ll get to that later.  First, I want to broach the topic at the forefront of everyone’s mind: why I'm packing my shit and moving to Florida fortune cookies. 

No one actually reads into fortune cookies, do they?  I mean, not really.  Most people don’t even eat them (but if you do, you know that you have to eat the cookie before you read the fortune).  I’d wager that most people crack them open, glance over the platitude written on the slip of paper, and chuck it in the trash.  I typically read it, utter the words “that’s dumb”, then chuck it in the trash.  However, there have been two times in my life, I’ve gotten a fortune cookie that stuck with me.  The first was the day I bought my first guitar.  The fortune read something like “you will make a musical decision today” or some such.  As it happened, I had planned to buy the guitar that day.  I always thought that was neat.  I feel that, sometimes, the universe does give us little hints that we’re going in the right direction. 
 
No, we did NOT look this good during the drive itself

So, back to that drive I mentioned.  Ali and I made this trip to Florida to get her settled in for her new job.  The plan for this “little” road trip was to leave town around 8:00 AM and stay the night in New Orleans.  When we hit the road at 3:00 PM, we had to make some… adjustments to the plan.  These adjustments included driving straight-through (24 hours total) and making the sketchiest stop for gas in Shreveport which prompted me to re-enter the car and utter those words: “get me the fuck out of Louisiana.”  I think it was about 2:00 in the morning when delirium began to set in and we belted "My Heart Will Go On" complete with interpretive dance.  Why take drugs when you can deprive yourself of sleep and have just as mind-bending a time?
 
The boys, Koda and his little brother Cooper, took the road trip in stride

They say that a massive road trip like this is a good test of a relationship.  I gotta tell you, I didn’t really feel tested at all.  Other than pushing the limits of how long I can drive without stopping (spoiler alert, it’s a while).  Once we made it to Florida, the drive was well worth it.  I’d never been to the state before and, while I’d seen the Atlantic from the northern part of the country, nothing could have prepared me for how beautiful the Gulf Coast is.


We spent several days at the beach, found a cool restaurant or two, and took some obligatory beach photos.  Other than sunburns, a couple of bouts of sun poisoning (which is a thing, apparently), and one near drowning experience, I can honestly say I spent a week in a slice of paradise.
She loves when I take pictures when she isn't ready as you can tell by her expression


We couldn't resist

We took a couple of trips into Sarasota (the nearest actual city anyone has heard of) to see what Florida has to offer.  Time kind of escaped us (as it does when you're having fun) one Sunday night.  Everything in town was beginning to close, including the aquarium we planned to visit.  But we were determined to find something to do in this new, exciting city.  So where does one turn when they have no hope?  Google.  "things to do in Sarasota".  The list was extensive, but I knew what we were doing next.  "Baby, let's do an escape room."  Neither of us had done one before, so we went online and reserved a room and made the 20 minute drive after grabbing some coffee.  (NOTE: Did you know that anytime there's a Chili's, Kohl's, and Best Buy in proximity, there will be a Starbucks also?  It's science.)
Pre-escape room cold brew

At the escape room, we met the two couples we'd be in the room with.  At the risk of sounding judgmental, one of the guys was a dope and his significant other was, um, not the sharpest, either.  The second couple was seemed more our speed, but the young lady kept mentioning how she had done escape rooms before.  "Did you make it out?"  "No."  Great.  I'm not sure if you're familiar with the premise of an escape room, but basically there are a series of puzzles that give you combinations or keys to locks that lead to more clues for the next lock.  This continues until you get the final code to open the door and escape.  The time limit was an hour and there were six or seven locks before the final door.  We managed to open all but two of the locks on our own.  So, I guess we make a pretty good team.
 
Random picture of a veggie burger I spent way too much money on that I'm using only to break up text on the page, you're welcome

While there, I did manage to hit a few comic book shops.  And, honestly, all but one of them suck.  I’ve said it before and I’m saying it now: I’ve been in comic book shops on both coasts and many states in between.  Nothing compares to Mammoth Comics in Tulsa.  But one shop was pretty cool.  It was actually half-comic shop, half-tattoo parlor, which I thought was a perfect pairing.  I browsed around and found quite a selection of Silver and Bronze age key issues.  One of which caught my eye.
 
Detective Comics #566
I’ve wanted a copy of this book for a long time.  It’s nothing special and wasn’t expensive, but I’ve had a poster of this in my living room for years and always said I’d buy it if I ever saw it in person.  And here, in a comic shop in Florida, where I otherwise probably never would have visited had I not met Ali, I found this book I’ve always wanted.  Sometimes, the universe does give us little hints that we’re going in the right direction.


The sunsets and nighttime are pretty cool in this waterfront town.  Not literally of course.  It’s hot.  And one thing that gets mentioned a lot about Florida is the humidity.  I actually didn’t think it was that bad (ask Ali now, though, she’ll tell you a much different story).  What I did enjoy was the out-of-nowhere rainstorms.  Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” was something of a summer anthem in 1961.  Hearing that song while sitting on the porch in the summer rain and playing cards with the most beautiful girl I know almost transported me to a different time entirely.  In reality, moments like those are timeless.


Once I returned to Tulsa, I began the process of packing and preparing my office for the move to a new location.  I’ve been at this school for eight years now (and actually was involved since it’s opening almost 12 years ago), so it’s somewhat apropos that I’m ending my time there at the same time the school moves physical locations.  There’s a bit of symmetry there.  
 
My "home away from home" for the past eight years
This is definitely a season of change for me personally and professionally.  And I welcome it.  While this has been a comic book blog since it began, I’m going to make a little bit of a shift and document more of just… life.  Forest Gump’s mama always said that life is like a box of chocolates, but I tend to think it’s more like a fortune cookie.  Things happen in life that can be interpreted as a sign.  And these signs are sometimes complete bullshit.  Sometimes they’re not.  Sometimes, the universe does give us little hints that we’re going in the right direction.

My fortune cookie two days after meeting Ali

Thanks for reading.

-Josh