Still here...

For those wondering; we are still here. The recent trip home was a blast, as evidenced through the apple pictures. The family completely spoiled us during our Christmas in October with many lavish gifts. It is better to give than to receive, so I can't imagine how much they enjoyed it, I'm just glad we were able to be a blessing :-)

Watching God slowly increase demands on our time and responsibilities has been awesome. It is so assuring to see how He leads if we will take a back seat and concentrate on seeking Him. We are now deeply involved in Couples Class, Deaf Ministry, and Bus at Southwest and are finding it healthily challenging. I believe my greatest struggle comes from trying to cope with the "pressure"; after mucking around God lovingly reminds me that I am not called to cope with it, but to know Him. Isn't He.

We are enjoying Oklahoma's autumnal November and even sweeping old roof shingles off our porch is pallatable in the coolness. There is a cat in our no pet building and I have a mighty suspicion that I know who. The apartment is going to do a search of our building and I am typically grateful of the lack of rights renters possess. In other random news I thought up a way to feel okay about the social security money that comes out of our paychecks, it is the tax I pay to live in America (not the one that funds the government, it's like the price you pay to be able to shop at Sam's Club).

Recently we won third place in a cornbread contest with a green chilevariation that we threw together in less time than the reccomended cook time on the jiffy box (lost all our winnings to forgetfullness). This took place at the hayride in the above picture, of which Whitney and I could barely stand to look at ourselves in the mirror. Borrowed the entire gettup and confirmed our city slickerness by literally having to ask which way the cowboy hats faced.

Life is beautiful, so are you. From us to you for life we say these things out loud with our voices.

And With the Cool Weather Comes Adventure

This evening finds us in much more of a relaxing setting than did three days ago. House-sitting is becoming quite a regular pleasure. Our house is once again equipped with giant tv, cute dog, and an invitation to eat whatever we find. Ravioli and Capri Sun for dinner, myself in a mini recliner and Whit making our wedding book online. Let’s see, about this time on Saturday we were staggering down the Wichita Mountains dripping and grateful to be alive. I’ll get to that later; let me get you up to speed since Labor Day.

Praise the Lord! A cool front finally came in, We Love September! We Love Fall! I Love Climbing into my Car and not Feeling my Receding Crown Instantly Breaking a Sweat! Multiple pleasant evenings have been spent sitting in our porch glider drinking tea and reading. I made a mad chili last week, and we can’t wait to bike ride around Lake Hefner. This month also brings advancement to job situations. Whitney went full time at Crown Plaza, as we’ve been hoping she would, and I got promoted (and received a raise).

Labor Day was probably the most memorable of our lives. To (pronounced toe), my Vietnamese mother/co-worker, made good on her promise to teach us how to make fried rice (oh yeah!). We arrived at her house Saturday afternoon (after numerous failed attempts to give us directions over the phone resulting in her Americanized daughter saving us), and walked into a house chalk full of Vietnamese. The only white guy quickly came up, introduced himself as Paul, and made us feel a little less awkward. We had a blast! Whitney hit it off with To’s daughter, we stayed later than most everyone and they conversed about wedding plans past and present. Plus we can now make killer fried rice.

Urban Exploration has quieted down a bit, though this past Friday brought us a true hole in the wall joint (from the outside made a re-run of nigh rider look professional). Bobo’s Chicken… that’s right, Bobo’s Chicken, except I’m pretty sure that there was no apostrophe on the sign. A chicken stand in the ghetto of OKC where the chicken is smoked, fried, then doused with honey. Also included in the wings and thighs as your only option, and also doused with honey, are biscuits and fries. Found out the hard way, they regularly open up two hours later than the listed time (5 pm), but I’m sure they always stay open until their listed 3am. It was quite an experience, which paled in comparison to Saturday, a day that was as I like to say, the stuff life is made of.

The Heartland Couples Class took a trip to the Wichita Mountains in southern Oklahoma. Whitney and I signed up to go on a picnic, once the activity had begun we found out that a hike up the mountain was part of the program (we thought it was a bad day for jean skirt and converse, we had no idea). The weather was beautiful and the hike up the mountain was rigorous but extremely enjoyable. Looking over the landscape from the peak was incredible, wind blowing over us, the sound of thunder in the distance. A second peak of the mountain was our second destination and then back to the bus before rain. Somewhere in between peaks we split off from the group and got completely lost, disturbingly separated from the trail, utterly out of ear shot. We attempted going down the mountain and encountered a drop off then backtracked. We attempted going down the mountain came to a drop off and then backtracked. We attempted going down the mountain came to a drop off and then backtracked. No, your eyes don’t deceive you, I did just repeat that three times, unfortunately we did not…only repeat that three times. Poor Whitney was exhausted while we were still looking for the trail on top of the mountain. Thankfully though she was wearing a straight jean skirt, so clambering over the waist to shoulder high boulders was a breeze, considering that it started to downpour on us. Finally the trail was located (now rather flooded) and we followed it down the mountain until we ran into forest/brush on every side of us (suspiciously non-trail looking). Ernest Hemingway described these parts of the mountain as the cast-iron forest, so we naturally tried to blaze our own trail, till Whitney got a cactus in her leg. It was about this time we heard voices (the search party sent out for us only right before they accidentally almost left us). The trail was once again located and we slip and slid down the mountain into the arms of much love and graciousness, the exact opposite words I would use to describe the soaked, two hour freezing bus ride home.

You’ll have to forgive the extended nature of this post, I know of no other way to convey the above story with fewer words. Here are a few more, we love you all. Can’t wait to see those of you north in a couple of weeks!

Good Literature + Good Food + Great Marriage = Our Life

It is a happy state of existence to realize that your life is more ideal than you could have imagined. I used to dream of being an English professor and living alone, walking home on foggy evenings to a cappuccino and Oscar Wilde. A recent and glorious shot of reality made that idealistic fantasy look feeble. Whitney and I sat sipping tea and listening to a summer thunder-storm, it was so picturesque that I grabbed a volume of James Whitcomb Riley and proceeded to read poetry aloud as she knit. Life isn't about waiting for the next exciting event, it's about treasuring every moment in stride. So here follows some of the recent moments we've found wonderful.

Waiting at the mechanic holding hands and watching French cooking shows. Cooking dinner for my wife as she rocks in a comfy chair reading to me. Tucking ourselves into bed with steaming cups of peppermint cocoa and whip cream to be entertained by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Going for early morning walks at Dolese Park. Arriving home to the aroma of British cheese and onion bread. Watching the sun set over Lake Hefner. Pointing out and agreeing on care-a-bear and dragon shaped clouds. Sitting on a grassy hill next to old rail-road tracks eating Italian style pizza. Sketching at a locally roasted coffee shop downtown. Asking for one more kiss goodnight and really meaning one more kissing session. Reading 101 Dalmatians in a quiet public park until it was so dark that we had to squint to finish. Praying together over England, our bus route, and families. Pausing in the middle of a blog post to listen to La Vi En Rose with Whitney's head on my shoulder. Listening to the unabridged Jane Eyre and spazzing out over whether or not she will end up with Mr. Rochester. All of them beautiful memories, very few of them planned.

The Lord is good, much better than we deserve. To those of you married, enjoy it. To those of you single, enjoy it. To those of you we love, goodnight.

p.s. you might have realized that almost all of those ideal settings involve food and or reading, 155lb and holding.

p.p.s. the pic is the brilliant British bread, Whitney speaketh below in the wedge of potatoe recipe, heed her, for she cooketh well.

Wedge of Potatoe

Yes, yes for a bit of potato yumminess now...

Ingredients needed:

1 to 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Onion Powder

1 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder

1 Tablespoon of Basil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Potatoes (its supposed to be 2 or 3 if you want more just add more of everything else)

Cheese of your choice whatever kind you have on hand (with the exception of American) will be fine. And just add as much as you like but you'll definitely need more than 1/2 a cup.

Honestly everything to taste I'm sure I added more of it than a tablespoon each

Before the first step make sure to pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.

First I cut the glorious potatoes into wedges probably just in 8ths or something.

Then I got out a gallon zip lock bag and put the Olive Oil and spices in it... If other spices strike your fancy add those too, I'm sure I would. For Example, Paprika for spice, or Rosemary, Oh Rosemary is yummy on potatoes and so are Chives. I like Oregano on it as well. Actually Rosemary is just good in general. Just add what you are in the mood for.

Make sure you kind of mix them all in there before you put the potatoes in.

Then put the potatoes in and dance around the kitchen shaking the bag vigorously. This is not essential but adds an element of fun and exercise to the making of the potatoes.

Then put your seasoned potato wedges on a cookie sheet (you may need to lightly grease it)

Cook them for anywhere between 25 to 35 mins or however long it takes for them to get cooked all the way through and maybe a little crunchy on the edges.

Put the cheese on top and pop it back in the oven for 5 to 10 mins or until the cheese is melty.

Take them out and enjoy some Oven Baked Potato Wedges of Truth and Justice.

So very much craziness... so very much fun

We live in an ever eventful world, where events ever happen to persons such as ourselves. These events, ever happening as they are, have happened in an especially ever-eventful way since last I updated such dignified personages as yourselves. In short, I have much to say; in long, re-read the first two sentences five times.The series of events that have made up the last 13 days are these (pictures included to increase your visualization).

Two Sundays ago, my car finally began to look its age. This was not due to my driving, but rather my parking. As notoriously bad as my parking is, this is probably the worst parking job in my infamous history (yes even worse than the five tries during my driving test). I parked in front of barn, harmless enough, or so it was until the barn burnt down. The front of my car is now melted, looking much like an old man with his dentures out. Ironically it still drives the same, even the headlight bulbs work. However, now that my car looks elderly, it decided to act that way and cripple itself the following Saturday by blowing a tire. Alas and forsooth, the wonders of a 13 year old Saturn.

Honestly though, I would almost prefer this happenstance if in some way it allowed Whitney and I to find ourselves where currently we are. House sitting, for pay, at a spanking nice house with netflix, a huge tv, remodeled kitchen, and crazy cute yorky named (don't hold your breath), "Princess Jasmine Topaz" (who i fondly call jazzy, or jozadech). We have made much use of the tv and little of the kitchen as both of us worked five days this week and were sick for each of them. You win some, you lose some, and some you scrape off the floor with a putty knife.

Other notable events this week include: Making home-made salsa (the art is now a pic), finding the absolute best pizza place in all of oklahoma (yes!), going on a Dr. Who binge, and saying goodbye to a dear friend on his way to China. We love and miss each of you regardless of your relation to China, and or putty knives.

The Goings On

My Haiku for the past week reads:

Heat unbearable
Consecutive days lasting
Why must I pull more?

With over 25 days of 100 degree weather this summer, 90 is looking like Shangri-La. The Mardel warehouse has no a/c and I won't bore you with the sweaty details, but the week has been merciless as Mr. T taking Proverbs literally. Sitting in our apartment, listening to the Gladiator soundtrack, and sipping green tea with my babe knitting next to me is wondrous. Last night found us playing hostess to 2 other Heartland couples and was an immense pleasure. Having people over for dinner, frolicksomeness, conversation, and tea makes me feel like Lord Barrett on his estate. The lovely wife's menu consisted of chiminichangas with cream sauce (yes chiminichanga, as in chimney sweep), my ever-evolving home-made salsa and chips, and smashingly successful, delectable, cheesecake bites covered in chocolate (and believe me, i don't throw out adjectives lightly). Fortune was liberally dolled to all present, with the exception of my failed guess at the definition of Oxbow, which subsequently cost us a win at cranium. I am so proud of my girl's culinary and decorative ability, both received high praise from our company. I hope that one day we can host each and every one of you, we love you all. Give your Sunday to God.

Apt. 819 - Your Update on All Things Barrett

Because we love all of you, miss most of you, and wish to stay in better contact with the vast sentient populace of those we know, Apt. 819 cometh down the pipeline. Married life is the bomb! All right talk to you all later... has been the majority of our interaction with many of you. I hear that this is natural, a newly married couple is supposed to fall off the earth for the first year of marriage. I understand that better now. A new life, filled with new priorities, has a way of swallowing two people up. This blog will hopefully answer questions about how we're keeping ourselves busy these days and hopefully madly entertain you (while also giving me a creative outlet). Thanks for reading, and in regards to how we're doing...

We're happier than an egyptian in a sea of hummus.