Showing posts with label oklahoma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oklahoma. Show all posts
Monday, July 14, 2008
Kid swap
Since I took Rach's kids to the pool this morning so she could blog, I mean watch Tony during his nap, I didn't have the luxury of blogging about our adventures yesterday. But it was a fun and interesting day, and she writes better than me anyway, so if you want to read about it, head over to her blog.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
I threw a fit that would make my mother and sister Francie proud and embarrass just about everyone else I know.
So yesterday we, meaning my sister Rachael, her 4 kids, my 1 kid and myself, started our road trip to OK before the sun came up. Our goal was to leave by 5 and we were on the road by 5:45 which is very good for us to only be starting off 45 minutes behind schedule. The drive went pretty smoothly most of the way, we made several stops for food, bathroom and gas, but overall was much smoother, quieter, and pleasant than we expected it to be and our 12 hour drive only took us 14 1/2 hours. We were quite pleased with our time.
About 2 hours before we were to arrive at our hotel, I received a phone call from the Crown Plaza hotel saying that they were having a problem with the A/C and they were not going to be able to accommodate us. They would be moving us down the street to the Country inn and suites, and to make it up to us they would be paying the first night on both of our rooms for us. Sounds pretty good right? Wrong! The Crown Plaza is a 4 star hotel and the Country inn and suites is a 2 star hotel. So needless to say I was not at all happy that they were not holding up their end of the agreement and we were being moved to a hotel that would not have adjoining rooms nor would they have poolside rooms as we had reserved at the Crown Plaza. Shouldn't they move us to an equal or greater hotel? You would think so right?
So I started calling around to some different hotels, because even if it meant paying a little more or not getting the first night free, I wanted what I reserved or something at least similar. I mean really how many places can you go on vacation and stay in a 4 star hotel for under $100? (Because I booked 3 weeks ago, I received an advanced reservation locked in low rate of $93 per night (regular price is $169 per night) with the understanding that it was non refundable, should we cancel our reservation we would be paying for the entire stay. I guess because it was such a good deal).
I found a Marriott on the same street as the Crown Plaza and gave them a call. They were indeed a 4 star hotel, had an outdoor pool, and adjoining rooms available for the 4 nights. They were $169 a night though. I told the girl at the Marriott what happened and she said she couldn't believe they moved us to the Country inn and suites, and that the Marriott and Crown Plaza often swap clients when they overbook their hotel. She said I should call the Crown Plaza back and get mean if I had to. So that is what I did and the conversation went like this.
me: I do not think it is right for you to move us to a 2 star hotel when we booked a room at your 4 star hotel. I would like you to move us to the Marriott because they are more equivalent in quality to your hotel.
CP: If you want to move to the Marriott we could do that for you but they are full and don't have any availability.
me: Yes they do, I just spoke with them, but here's the problem, they are $169 a night and we want you to pick up the difference in price because we did not have the luxury of booking an advanced low rate with them because we were locked into paying at your hotel. So I think your hotel should pick up the amount over $93.
CP: We can't do that, you will have to negotiate the price with them, all we can do is pay for the first night, after that it is your responsibility. If you don't like what we are offering you than you should find reservations elsewhere.
me: Then I need to speak with your supervisor.
CP: I am the manager.
me: I need to speak with your manager, maybe you need to call him on the phone if he is not there, but I need to speak with him right away.
CP: There is no one else here, I am the manager, there is no one else you can talk to.
me: Crown Plaza is a very large hotel chain and I am quite certain that there is someone higher than you and I want to talk to him.
CP: I will call my boss at home and have him call you on your cellphone.
me: Okay, if I don't hear from him very soon I will be at your front counter in 1 hour and will not be happy.
Rachael was pretty sure I had crossed the line and were would likely end up with nothing now. But 10 minutes later my phone rings and Avenis (the managers boss) from the CP calls me and says that he is very sorry for the problem we have encountered and he is going to book us at the Marriott as I requested and he is going to pay for both rooms for all 4 nights. He apologized profusely and all was good. We were super excited about having the whole thing for free, we never even asked for the first night free, we just wanted what we booked or something equivalent for the same price.
Another 20 minutes later Avenis calls back again and says we will be staying a the Courtyard by Marriott which is a nice hotel right next to a mall and has a pool. He assured us that we would be very happy there. (We have malls at home too, sorry that does not entice us in the least!)
me: Um, no, you said you were putting us at the Marriott, why are you changing it now?
Avenis: They can only accommodate you for 2 nights.
me: No, I spoke with them already and they have availability all 4 nights.
Avenis: Okay I will double check that and get back with you.
5 minutes later all is good and we are back at the Marriott.
I really hated throwing such a fit, but I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to having poolside rooms so that when Tony was napping I could sit at the pool. When I booked the reservation they made it clear that they would charge my card if I cancelled because they were giving me such a good deal. I found the rate on Orbitz and Crown Plaza has a disclaimer that they guarantee the lowest published fare, so they were not excited about giving it to us for that price but a guarantee is a guarantee.
Anyway it was a pretty dramatic last 2 hours of our drive and the kids that had been so good for the entire trip were falling apart rapidly. Once we arrived at the hotel we all changed into our swimsuits and went for a swim at the pool and ordered pizza. And I think we are staying at a better hotel than the Crown Plaza. This pool is half indoor half outdoor so we get the best of both. We were really torn as to what kind of pool we wanted, it's so hot in OKC that most hotels have indoor pools, but we really thought we would want to get some sun so we opted for the outdoor. Now we have both. The only drawback is that the rooms aren't poolside, so I am here in the room while Tony is napping. The room is free though, so I'm not complaining anymore.
About 2 hours before we were to arrive at our hotel, I received a phone call from the Crown Plaza hotel saying that they were having a problem with the A/C and they were not going to be able to accommodate us. They would be moving us down the street to the Country inn and suites, and to make it up to us they would be paying the first night on both of our rooms for us. Sounds pretty good right? Wrong! The Crown Plaza is a 4 star hotel and the Country inn and suites is a 2 star hotel. So needless to say I was not at all happy that they were not holding up their end of the agreement and we were being moved to a hotel that would not have adjoining rooms nor would they have poolside rooms as we had reserved at the Crown Plaza. Shouldn't they move us to an equal or greater hotel? You would think so right?
So I started calling around to some different hotels, because even if it meant paying a little more or not getting the first night free, I wanted what I reserved or something at least similar. I mean really how many places can you go on vacation and stay in a 4 star hotel for under $100? (Because I booked 3 weeks ago, I received an advanced reservation locked in low rate of $93 per night (regular price is $169 per night) with the understanding that it was non refundable, should we cancel our reservation we would be paying for the entire stay. I guess because it was such a good deal).
I found a Marriott on the same street as the Crown Plaza and gave them a call. They were indeed a 4 star hotel, had an outdoor pool, and adjoining rooms available for the 4 nights. They were $169 a night though. I told the girl at the Marriott what happened and she said she couldn't believe they moved us to the Country inn and suites, and that the Marriott and Crown Plaza often swap clients when they overbook their hotel. She said I should call the Crown Plaza back and get mean if I had to. So that is what I did and the conversation went like this.
me: I do not think it is right for you to move us to a 2 star hotel when we booked a room at your 4 star hotel. I would like you to move us to the Marriott because they are more equivalent in quality to your hotel.
CP: If you want to move to the Marriott we could do that for you but they are full and don't have any availability.
me: Yes they do, I just spoke with them, but here's the problem, they are $169 a night and we want you to pick up the difference in price because we did not have the luxury of booking an advanced low rate with them because we were locked into paying at your hotel. So I think your hotel should pick up the amount over $93.
CP: We can't do that, you will have to negotiate the price with them, all we can do is pay for the first night, after that it is your responsibility. If you don't like what we are offering you than you should find reservations elsewhere.
me: Then I need to speak with your supervisor.
CP: I am the manager.
me: I need to speak with your manager, maybe you need to call him on the phone if he is not there, but I need to speak with him right away.
CP: There is no one else here, I am the manager, there is no one else you can talk to.
me: Crown Plaza is a very large hotel chain and I am quite certain that there is someone higher than you and I want to talk to him.
CP: I will call my boss at home and have him call you on your cellphone.
me: Okay, if I don't hear from him very soon I will be at your front counter in 1 hour and will not be happy.
Rachael was pretty sure I had crossed the line and were would likely end up with nothing now. But 10 minutes later my phone rings and Avenis (the managers boss) from the CP calls me and says that he is very sorry for the problem we have encountered and he is going to book us at the Marriott as I requested and he is going to pay for both rooms for all 4 nights. He apologized profusely and all was good. We were super excited about having the whole thing for free, we never even asked for the first night free, we just wanted what we booked or something equivalent for the same price.
Another 20 minutes later Avenis calls back again and says we will be staying a the Courtyard by Marriott which is a nice hotel right next to a mall and has a pool. He assured us that we would be very happy there. (We have malls at home too, sorry that does not entice us in the least!)
me: Um, no, you said you were putting us at the Marriott, why are you changing it now?
Avenis: They can only accommodate you for 2 nights.
me: No, I spoke with them already and they have availability all 4 nights.
Avenis: Okay I will double check that and get back with you.
5 minutes later all is good and we are back at the Marriott.
I really hated throwing such a fit, but I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to having poolside rooms so that when Tony was napping I could sit at the pool. When I booked the reservation they made it clear that they would charge my card if I cancelled because they were giving me such a good deal. I found the rate on Orbitz and Crown Plaza has a disclaimer that they guarantee the lowest published fare, so they were not excited about giving it to us for that price but a guarantee is a guarantee.
Anyway it was a pretty dramatic last 2 hours of our drive and the kids that had been so good for the entire trip were falling apart rapidly. Once we arrived at the hotel we all changed into our swimsuits and went for a swim at the pool and ordered pizza. And I think we are staying at a better hotel than the Crown Plaza. This pool is half indoor half outdoor so we get the best of both. We were really torn as to what kind of pool we wanted, it's so hot in OKC that most hotels have indoor pools, but we really thought we would want to get some sun so we opted for the outdoor. Now we have both. The only drawback is that the rooms aren't poolside, so I am here in the room while Tony is napping. The room is free though, so I'm not complaining anymore.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Our trip to Oklahoma
Family:
It was great seeing all the family, the first day we got there we went to Dad and Barbara's house, it hasn't changed a bit. Well except that dad almost has the fireplace finished he started building 8 years ago. The last time I was there Barbara told me if it wasn't finished in a year she would divorce him, 8 years later they are still married and the fireplace is still not finished. I guess some things never change. My dad has always been a bit pokey about getting things done. When I asked him about it he said, I either don't have the time or I don't have the money to work on it. Maybe he will get it done by this summer.
Then we went over to my aunt Mone's house and visited for a while. Her house is just the same too, she still had the beads hanging from the bedroom door jams that you have to part to walk through. Her grandson BJ lives with her now. Brandy her other granddaughter was there visiting coincidentally (not because of the funeral) and she has a 1 year old with another on the way. Her little guy is a hefty 30 pounds. He makes Rachael's boys look skinny. Aunt Bugs apparently comes over there daily with her two dogs. If it storms she spends the night. She is still wrinkly as ever and just as skinny. She said she weighs a whopping 85 pounds. I think her 2 little chiwawa's eat all her food because they are the fattest little dogs I've ever seen.
Ryan and Lisa and their kids got in late that night and we went to Denny's for dinner. Then early that morning Ryan and Dad went to Oklahoma City to pick up Grandma Annie and bring her to Muskogee for the funeral. She is pretty much the same, still dishin it out, and telling jokes. I think she is quite a bit shorter though, she is starting to look like great grandma did. She was hard to drag away for the night but we finally convinced her to stay in the hotel and we'd take her back the next day. She was worried to death about her dogs being away from her for so long. She wouldn't tell me exactly how many animals she has, apparently it is top secret. Veli assured her they would be just fine. She liked my eggplant shirt (the farm logo one) so before we left I opened her suitcase to sneak it in there for her to find when she gets home and I saw she had snatched all the cups and toiletry samples from the hotel. Again some things never change.
The funeral was later that day, and we got to see a lot more of the family. Kim brought her 5 kids. But surprisingly she was very normal and the only thing countrified about her was her 5 kids. (sorry mom) She told me everyone always asks her if she knows why she keeps getting kids, she got tired of that question so she started tell people "yes, that's my favorite part!" I love that answer. She says it shuts them up pretty quick.
Charlies wife and daughter flew in from Spain for the funeral. They were very friendly but the language barrier made it difficult to talk much. The daughter Arrianna is definitely Charlies daughter, with her blue eyes and blond hair she looks a lot like him I think. I heard she wants to come to school in America next year to learn English better. I have her email address and I hope to get to know her better. I also think it would be a great opportunity for her to come to America and learn English. I would like to offer to let her live with Todd and I. Todd seems open to the idea, so we will see what happens. He also likes that we have family in Spain. He sees that as a vacation opportunity and wants to go visit them there.
The funeral was sad, he had a large church family that came to the funeral and many of them had tears in their eyes, I truly felt they all knew and loved Charlie. He was hard not to like, even with all of his flaws. Here is a funny story about Charlie that if you knew him will make you smile. Apparently his neighbors were complaining that charlie had a lot of stuff around the yard that made it look sloppy, so one of them kindly asked him if he would clean it up. He very nicely said he would, and that day he made a pile in his front yard of all his junk and set it on fire. He was as ornery as they come. Here is his obituary if you want to read it.
The next day we went to Oklahoma city to take my grandma home and out to lunch with Veli and Robert (my Aunt and cousin) before we left. We let them pick the restaurant and they picked Cici's pizza. They love that place, I can't for the life of me figure out why. Veli also made me some vegetarian egg rolls to take home with me. They are so good. After pizza we took them all home and headed for the airport.
Food:
This is what we ate the entire time we were in OK. Popeye's chicken, Quizno's, Denny's, Golden Corral, Cici's pizza. The best meal we ate the whole time we were there was the free continental breakfast at the hotel. I think if I ate at one more greasy food joint I was going to puke. I pretty much felt nauseated the whole time we were there.
I guess they like cheap food in Oklahoma, and buffets seem to be popular as well.
I told Todd that we hardly spent any money on food while we were there. He said, he would have gladly spent more money on food for a descent meal.
And that was our trip in a nutshell.
Also in case you didn't pick up on it, my family in OK is very country and simple. Aunt Bugs says everyone makes fun of Oklahoma, that were just a bunch of rednecks but she claims OK has more astronauts than any other state. I don't know if that's true or not, be she swears it is. I think what she was getting at was that just because your country doesn't mean your stupid.
I do know that Carrie Underwood (American Idol winner from season 4) is from Checotah, OK (the town my uncle Charlie lived it)
I also got a hold of some of my grandpa Chucks old pictures while I was there from when we were kids, I hope to post them soon. I need to find a scanner first.
It was great seeing all the family, the first day we got there we went to Dad and Barbara's house, it hasn't changed a bit. Well except that dad almost has the fireplace finished he started building 8 years ago. The last time I was there Barbara told me if it wasn't finished in a year she would divorce him, 8 years later they are still married and the fireplace is still not finished. I guess some things never change. My dad has always been a bit pokey about getting things done. When I asked him about it he said, I either don't have the time or I don't have the money to work on it. Maybe he will get it done by this summer.
Then we went over to my aunt Mone's house and visited for a while. Her house is just the same too, she still had the beads hanging from the bedroom door jams that you have to part to walk through. Her grandson BJ lives with her now. Brandy her other granddaughter was there visiting coincidentally (not because of the funeral) and she has a 1 year old with another on the way. Her little guy is a hefty 30 pounds. He makes Rachael's boys look skinny. Aunt Bugs apparently comes over there daily with her two dogs. If it storms she spends the night. She is still wrinkly as ever and just as skinny. She said she weighs a whopping 85 pounds. I think her 2 little chiwawa's eat all her food because they are the fattest little dogs I've ever seen.
Ryan and Lisa and their kids got in late that night and we went to Denny's for dinner. Then early that morning Ryan and Dad went to Oklahoma City to pick up Grandma Annie and bring her to Muskogee for the funeral. She is pretty much the same, still dishin it out, and telling jokes. I think she is quite a bit shorter though, she is starting to look like great grandma did. She was hard to drag away for the night but we finally convinced her to stay in the hotel and we'd take her back the next day. She was worried to death about her dogs being away from her for so long. She wouldn't tell me exactly how many animals she has, apparently it is top secret. Veli assured her they would be just fine. She liked my eggplant shirt (the farm logo one) so before we left I opened her suitcase to sneak it in there for her to find when she gets home and I saw she had snatched all the cups and toiletry samples from the hotel. Again some things never change.
The funeral was later that day, and we got to see a lot more of the family. Kim brought her 5 kids. But surprisingly she was very normal and the only thing countrified about her was her 5 kids. (sorry mom) She told me everyone always asks her if she knows why she keeps getting kids, she got tired of that question so she started tell people "yes, that's my favorite part!" I love that answer. She says it shuts them up pretty quick.
Charlies wife and daughter flew in from Spain for the funeral. They were very friendly but the language barrier made it difficult to talk much. The daughter Arrianna is definitely Charlies daughter, with her blue eyes and blond hair she looks a lot like him I think. I heard she wants to come to school in America next year to learn English better. I have her email address and I hope to get to know her better. I also think it would be a great opportunity for her to come to America and learn English. I would like to offer to let her live with Todd and I. Todd seems open to the idea, so we will see what happens. He also likes that we have family in Spain. He sees that as a vacation opportunity and wants to go visit them there.
The funeral was sad, he had a large church family that came to the funeral and many of them had tears in their eyes, I truly felt they all knew and loved Charlie. He was hard not to like, even with all of his flaws. Here is a funny story about Charlie that if you knew him will make you smile. Apparently his neighbors were complaining that charlie had a lot of stuff around the yard that made it look sloppy, so one of them kindly asked him if he would clean it up. He very nicely said he would, and that day he made a pile in his front yard of all his junk and set it on fire. He was as ornery as they come. Here is his obituary if you want to read it.
The next day we went to Oklahoma city to take my grandma home and out to lunch with Veli and Robert (my Aunt and cousin) before we left. We let them pick the restaurant and they picked Cici's pizza. They love that place, I can't for the life of me figure out why. Veli also made me some vegetarian egg rolls to take home with me. They are so good. After pizza we took them all home and headed for the airport.
Food:
This is what we ate the entire time we were in OK. Popeye's chicken, Quizno's, Denny's, Golden Corral, Cici's pizza. The best meal we ate the whole time we were there was the free continental breakfast at the hotel. I think if I ate at one more greasy food joint I was going to puke. I pretty much felt nauseated the whole time we were there.
I guess they like cheap food in Oklahoma, and buffets seem to be popular as well.
I told Todd that we hardly spent any money on food while we were there. He said, he would have gladly spent more money on food for a descent meal.
And that was our trip in a nutshell.
Also in case you didn't pick up on it, my family in OK is very country and simple. Aunt Bugs says everyone makes fun of Oklahoma, that were just a bunch of rednecks but she claims OK has more astronauts than any other state. I don't know if that's true or not, be she swears it is. I think what she was getting at was that just because your country doesn't mean your stupid.
I do know that Carrie Underwood (American Idol winner from season 4) is from Checotah, OK (the town my uncle Charlie lived it)
I also got a hold of some of my grandpa Chucks old pictures while I was there from when we were kids, I hope to post them soon. I need to find a scanner first.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Oklahoma Slideshow
To be continued... (I'm tired and going to bed, will finish this post tomorrow, but I want to publish it now so you guys can at least see the pictures)
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