Gary's in Lebanon

Just a quicky about BBQ. We rolled into Lebanon, MO, where we have now stopped over 3 times in our 2 trips to Oklahoma State University. It has rained off and on all day. Saw one short and wide rainbow, trees starting to bud and fruit trees starting to bloom with daffodils popping up. A great patch of forsythia in bloom reminded us that after what, 12 or 13 years? We still don't have any forsythia in our bloom collection at home. We were getting more hungry, the closer we got to Lebanon, but I wasn't concerned because I remembered going to the Olive Garden for take out when we were here before and knew just where there was a nest of eating establishments nearby... Georgia was sceptical about my memory. As we approached Lebanon, she could see my anxiety grow, and she was correct. In the past 3 years, we have stayed in so many places that I apparently got Lebanon, MO mixed up with something else. We checked in and ask about eating places. Just across the street (and up a little) was Gary's Catfish and BBQ. http://www.dowdscatfishandbbq.com OMG was it good? It reminds us of Hickory River Smokehouse in Urbana, IL, http://www.hickoryriver.com/ but better and with a lot more choices. In fact it was difficult to make a decision, but they had that covered with different combo dinners. Everything we had was just awesome. I ate more than I should, but just couldn't decide what to leave on my plate. They have 3 barbeque sauces; mild, spicy, and fire but the fire wasn't as hot as hot at Lil Porgy's in Urbana and Champaign. http://www.lilporgysbbq.com By the way these links are worth clicking on, just to hear their songs. I think for BBQ flavor, I still prefer Lil Porgy's, but Gary has so many choices of good stuff and the sides were also plentiful. The fried Okra rivaled the Seaboat in Champaign, http://www.theseaboat.com but I think Seaboat's is slightly more flavorful. Gary's baked beans however are probably the best we've tasted, except for Georgia's. So if you're traveling east/west through Missouri and bypass Branson as we did on this trip, you will probably miss the Missouri eating place we have heard so much about; Lamberts in Ozark (and Sikeston). http://www.throwedrolls.com Give Gary Dowd's Catfish and BBQ a try. You won't regret it.

WORDS

Get ready for an old man's rant on today's society. Sorry, no pictures, but I believe you'll find the read worthwhile. Although I don't subscribe to everything Rush Limbaugh spouts, he does make one statement that I use nearly every day; "Words have meanings"! If you have read much of my blog you will probably catch yourself saying, "why is he using that $1000 word"? You are about to find out. Most of the time it's because I believe it is the best word to describe the situation, but there are times when I purposely use a "big" word that I expect many of my readers will not know. I have been an educator since 1969 and don't expect that I will give that up while here on earth. It's not that I think I am so smart, but it is my belief that we all need to help each other and if I can help others interface better, easier, and more effectively, I believe I have in some small part contributed to the "betterment" of society. The beauty of this mode of communication is that I assume folks who read my blog have access to the internet. I hope to foster some kind of hunger for the meanings of words. What do I do when I don't know how to spell a word (and recognize that I don't know how to spell it)? I look it up and Google saves my butt. The same goes for meanings. I trust I don't have to warn you than wikipedia isn't all that reliable. So please, if you run across a word here or elsewhere that you don't understand, look it up. This all came to mind when I used the word "ubiquitous" to describe Canadian geese in my last post. Those suckers are everywhere. You may remember the folks at Eagle Rock Lodge on the McKenzie River in Oregon who often host weddings on their property along that beautiful river... but before a wedding they have to go on "goose poop patrol" to clean up after these winged rats who have chosen that spot for congregating. The urban "lakes" that have sprung up in housing editions all over the country also seem to be favorite "dumping grounds" for Canadian geese. (or is it Canada geese?) For some reason that word (ubiquitous) stuck in my mind overnight as this post started to "gel".

Let me give you an example from my work with veterinary students this week. There was a bad radiograph (x-ray to non-medical people). As we discussed why it was bad and what was done to correct it, I was told that the tube wasn't lined up with the bucky. Sensing some anxiety in using the word bucky, I (of course) had to ask, "what is a bucky?" After a few misguesses, (is that a word?) we came up with the fact that it was a name given to the tray that the cassette (which holds the film or digital capture plate). So the cassette holds the thing that captures the image produced by the x-rays coming from the x-ray tube and it was put in the "bucky tray". This brings us to the acknowledgement that a radiograph is either made with a bucky or tabletop. Then comes the question, "why?".. They figured out that when you put the cassette in the bucky there is a thing in the table called a grid. I'll shorten this by saying that a grid is a device interposed between the patient and the cassette to absorb radiation produced in the body of the patient when the x-ray exposure occurs. This point leads me to clarify something else for non-medical people. Have you ever wondered why, when you get x-rayed, that you are the only person in the room or that everyone but you is wearing protective aprons and other equipment? Does that scare you that these people don't want anything to do with the x-rays, but there you are in all your glory, like a shrimp on the barby??? Not to fear. First, remember that this is a rare thing in your life and these people go through this maybe 50 -70 times each day for all of their worklife. You should also know that they aren't protecting themselves from the x-rays that are being "shot" at you to make the image. Those are "strong" x-rays, most of which pass on through with no problem. However some of those x-rays are absorbed by your body and produce more, weaker x-rays. These are the dangerous ones because they are not strong enough to penetrate through, but are absorbed. Did I get off the track? Not really. Not only are those weak x-rays dangerous to workers who do it every day, but they also make the image "cloudy" and difficult to read because they "fog" the image. So the grid was developed to prevent this radiation from reaching the film or digital plate. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/grid If you did click on this link, you will see the word "bucky" as part of the name of the Potter-Bucky diaphragm. We're getting closer. Here's the story. In the "dark ages of radiology", the grid was introduced to reduce the effect of scatter radiation on a radiograph, but the "grid lines" were large enough that they covered some structures and introduced their own problem with radiographic interpretation. Dr. Potter and Dr. Bucky figured out that if the grid was moving during the exposure, it would still absorb the scatter radiation, but the grid lines wouldn't be seen. They developed the Potter-Bucky diaphragm which was mounted just above the cassette tray (So it really isn't a bucky tray, now is it?) The device would essentially shake the grid back and forth during the exposure. If you have a radiograph made in which you are lying on the table, you may feel a mild vibration instantaneously before and during the exposure. That isn't the sound and feeling of the x-rays frying your inards, it's just the bucky moving to get rid of the grid lines which are there to absorb the scatter radiation being produced. Did you catch the slip from the Potter-Bucky diaphragm to the bucky?? As typical in our society, we're too lazy to give Dr. Potter his due. I don't know why our predecessors chose to keep bucky and drop Potter. I guess it might sound a little strange to say you are taking a potter shot rather than a bucky shot????? Oh, when there is less that 10 cm of tissue being exposed, there isn't enough scatter produced to need a grid, so those images, like people hands and cat bodies are often radiographed "table top" where the cassette is on the table directly under the body part.

Now don't you feel better? Because this group of vet students (and I think I could make this story fit about any veterinary or medical school in the country) didn't understand the rich heritage of the word "bucky".. now you do, right? If you don't understand, please look it up. This may be a long way around to make my point, but the word bucky is only one small word used in our society daily where the meaning is meaningless. I have to say that when I asked "what is a bucky?", most said "I don't know", but the faces of many said "and I don't care". Here is my plea; Please care about the words you use and know what they mean before you use them. Challenge each other to communicate better by doing this. Your life will be so much richer, your conversations will be so much more meaningful as you pay attention to the words being used and have the guts to stop the speaker when you don't understand what they are saying. Otherwise you are wasting time for both of you. We tend to not want people to think we are "dumb", so we shrink from clear communication. The only way you will get out of that mode is to increase your vocabulary. And it's so easy. Don't blame it on your grade-school english teacher, some of the people I know who are the most effective communicators never made it past the 6th grade in school, but made a point of looking up words they didn't know. Nothing can stop you from knowing the meanings of words if you take the initiative. The answers are literally at your fingertips. One of the "new" words that I detest in the medical world, which has made it's way into society at large is "worsened".... damn it, it has become more severe. I hear it daily when working and last week heard in on a news cast. So if you hear me say "worser", you know that is my quiet protest against "worsened". I am stopping myself from launching an attack on the unnecessary "new" words that really don't mean anything. I will close with the revelation that another of my pet peeves is irregardless. I found out from Dr. Bahr, that the origin of that "word" was Al Capp's cartoon Lil Abner, which I devoured as a child. Take that Mr. President! If I've confused you, look up irregardless and the real word regardless! Oh well one picture of the effect of fog on seeing clearly. This is a scene from Lake Shelbyville, IL on a foggy and a clear morning. If you want to see the power of words go to: http://www.theworddoctors.com

The next day and more

We woke up in our "cowgirl room with lots of birds chirping outside. There were several goldfinches and of course the ubiquitous Canadian geese. I am beginning to believe these are the most populous birds in America. We took a couple of pictures at the Stardust in, then headed out on our adventure. Our second day of our second visit to the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge and Medicine Park, Oklahoma was sunny but windy. On the last trip here, I breezed by the "holy city of the Wichitas", but this time because the road up Mount Scott was closed and Georgia was with me, we took a closer look at this place. http/www.theholycitylawton.com It is a life-size replica of various sites in Jerusalem at the time. This came about because the terrain here is pretty much like Israel. This is the site of America's longest running passion play. Apparently Teddy Roosevelt gave a grant to start it, but they have had to fund themselves through donations, etc. since. The amazing thing to me is that this Christian Icon still exists in a Federal facility. Surely prayers for protection are at work here. The passion play will be presented this coming weekend and Easter weekend. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea, but go to the website I listed above to experience more. Dr. Bahr, my host at this OSU made me aware of a holy land in the Orlando, FL area also. Their site is: http/www.holyland-orlando.com I didn't know this place existed. Maybe on one of the trips to the condo in Florida, we can check this out too. Back to our Our Oklahoma experience. We took a few more longhorn pics, visited "town", but didn't go into any stores because it was so windy. These people apparently resurrected the town from the dead (no pun on Easter and the Holy City) Here's their site: http://www.medicine-park.com/ Then we headed "home" to get ready for another week. Wednesday evening, I drove down to Edmond (about an hour from Stillwater) to visit my cousin Monica Rosencrans, her husband Richard and their 2 boys. (2 girls are away at college). Had a great visit, I think. Georgia was unable to make the trip, which wa a bit of a bummer. We have now finished another locum and learned a little more about central Oklahoma. I had mentioned my good breakfast experience at "Shortcakes" last Saturday. Today, I hit the jackpot.. I found "Mom's Place" a little diner on the outskirts of town. I knew when I drove up and saw all the pickup trucks in front of the place that I had hit gold. I walked in and found it was a little less formal than the Lantern in Silver Lake, Indiana or the B&B in Gas City, Indiana, Sammy's in Champaign, Illinois, or Sharon's Cafe in Corvallis, Oregon, but the food was on par (except that just like Shortcakes, their potatoes were hash browns). There were a few guys sitting at the counter and some scattered around at small tables. There was no empty table, but there was a large table near the center occupied by a gentleman a bit older than myself. I asked if he minded if I sat at the table and he welcomed me. He introduced himself as Morton, then after I ordered, asked if I was passing through and I told him why we were in Stillwater, etc. Then he told me that he was originally from the Chicago area, was an MD (pulmonary medicine) who was retired and cared for his double amputee wife. I never got a clear answer as to how he got to central Oklahoma, but he was more than ready to inform me of his present passion which is global warming. He also claimed that he was probably the only socialist in the room. The intersting thing was that he wasn't Gorophillic or a T Boone Pickens follower. He felt those folks were only into it for the power and money. His whole take on global warming is that we simply need to cut the release of energy in the form of heat as much as we can, without making it a political issue to be carrion for the politicians to feast on. I'm guessing he would have laid it all out in detail, but I had to get to work. He left me his card and several of his websites. I'll post them here, but remember that I haven't looked at them yet. If it elightens you, let me know... if not, I guess I can remove them if necessary... let me know. http://www.globalresearch.ca/ http://axisoflogic.com/ http://oklahoma%20citizen.org/ This started my last day at work for this trip. Georgia got to see her local stylist at La Ritz. The highlight of my last work day was John (one of the radiology technologists) who made his second batch of home made ice cream on subsequent "food Fridays". This time he promised Strawberry; and he delivered. He also is allowing me to "publish" his recipe. Catch this for simple. 2liter bottle of Strawberry "soda", a can of condensed milk and strawberries... So can you figure out how he makes orange pineapple??? Yup. 2liters of orange drink, a can of condensed milk and crushed pinapple. You can take it from there to make whatever flavor you like. It's kind of sherbetty, but delicious. I said my goodbyes again to some really fun people to work with and we head for home again. Today, we saw several spring trees in bloom, wondering if the our tulips at home are peaking through beckoning those pesky wabbits. I have to say that if our tulips are destroyed this year, some bunnies are going to regret it.

Revisit within a revisit

First, I'll explain the title. From the last post, you know that we are back at Oklahoma State. (OOPS, the Cowboys bit it against Georgia Tech but at least the were in the "Big Dance". ) You also know that Georgia couldn't make the trip to Medicine Park last weekend. In deciding what to do this weekend, we decided to "come back" so we could see and experience the things I did last weekend together. And I can never get enough of Texas Longhorn Cattle. I think I am more impressed with them than with Bison, having see so many of them on former trips; and honestly, they all look alike and I haven't seen to longhorns that look the same. So that's the explanation, but we need to go back a couple of days to begin.

Most if not all folks who read my dribble know that this day is a commemoration of the day my mom and dad added their little boy to the throng of earth dwellers. Somehow the OSU students on Radiology this block got wind of that. Friday being a "food day", they brought in goodies to munch on including this cake that Jen, one of the students (actually one of the 2 Jens on the rotation) made. If you understand my profession the cake makes perfect sense. Talent and ingenuity!!!. Oh, for the "uninformed" it's an x-ray of a dog's chest.

We had to debate Saturday morning about out trip because of the freak storm that had come into the area overnight. Here is the first glimpse out the window at our car. And these little birds were flitting around as if to say, "What the heck happened?".

I had been such a good boy with my breakfast since coming here that I decided to give myself an early birthday present and see if I could find my "standard" breakfast. I found "Ronnie Eats" See Ronnie's site in my blogs to watch. Ronnie said to try this little diner. It apparently is a favorite for people who like to eat breakfast in the wee hours of the morning before going to bed (or in leau of). Except for the fact that the only potatoes they have are hash browns, it would have been the perfect breakfast, challenging for a place in my top 3 breakfast places... I'm still debating, but for now it should receive honorable mention. Did get the onions in the potatoes. Another place you wouln't feel to sure about when driving by, but when I pulled up, the lot was full of cars, which is always a good sign. It was GOOD!

We got on the road and saw lots of people facing the wrong way on the highway with krinkled bumpers, etc. The road was a bit scary, but nothing we hadn't seen before. If you drive carefully and stay away from other cars, you can drive in most any weather; right? Although a little late, we got to the Stardust Inn in Medicine Park to check in, then made a trip through the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. Saw more and different longhorns and only one Bison. Went to the Black-tailed Prairie Dog town, but those little guys must have been hunkered down in their burrows because of the weather. You can see the snow on the backs of some of the cattle. We'll go back today before leaving and spend more time in the great visitor's center. We revisited the Master's Kitchen and each had wonderful meals (and an a ridiculously low price). Got to meet the chef. I think his name is Toby. Apparently he came here to retire and do what he loves to do; create great meals and sell them at prices people can afford. He is reported to have been the head chef at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Believe me, the food was comparable. Although we like to try new things and places, when you find something really good, you want to go back. (But I did have a different meal (Beef Stroganoff instead of the Steak Del Monico. Georgia had fantastic spagetti. Oh, then the apple walnut cake with cream cheese frosting which we split. We stepped out of the restaurant to a gorgeous sunset, then we made a quick trip through Medicine Park which was beautiful with the lights shining on the stream (I think it is Medicine Creek). So far it was worth the trip back again for Georgia to oohh and aahh ov the things I thought she would like. This morning, she couldn't make it to breakfast, but I did. When I got there, Clark was photographing a red-tailed hawk in a tree by the water. You need to see his gallery of birds on their website. http://www.stardustinn.com/ Met a lady from California who grew up in the plains of Washington State who was there with her daughter from near Redding, CA. While we ate and talked, the goldfinches where fluttering about all over the "back" yard in the trees. Saw an osprey that they apparently see often. Today, we'll spend some more time in the refuge, check out the shops downtown (No I didn't do that when here without Georgia.... hmm.) and head back to Stillwater. Today the sun is shining in Medicine Park without a cloud in the sky. Another beautiful day! (Right Aidan?) (To others: I think this is the first song I remember Aidan singing.)

Another great place I've never heard of.

This weekend we planned to go to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge on the suggestion of my cousin Monica who lives in Edmond, Oklahoma. It's only about two and a half hours from Stillwater. Georgia woke up in severe pain, but urged me to go ahead and keep our reservations at the Stardust Inn in Medicine Park (and bring back pictures) My facebook friends can see more pictures there, but here are a few. On the way, the LPM factor (livestock per mile) mentioned in the last post was still high. Also I was reminded about something that I had forgotten in my last post. Roadkill is a given when you travel the interstate highways. I was struck on this trip however in that there is a significant difference in the species in the southwest Missouri and central Oklahoma flattened delicacies. Here's a hint: http://s0.ilike.com/play#Loudon+Wainwright+III:Dead+Skunk:146609:s1569142.8166541.3708942.0.1.75%2Cstd_79bd1a31f4b2c7dfd717c298be731c4f

Yup, lots of them. I had forgotten the detailed directions that we received when we made our reservations, but went on a bit of memory. Unfortunately that was in bits and pieces. As it turned out, I came within about a quarter mile of driving directly to it, then decided I was pursuing a loss leader and turned around.. After driving into and out of town and asking 2 different people, I looked across the water and recognized it. I asked the lady who had taken me to the wrong side of the water how to get over there.. She told me and It was a piece of cake from there. I stumbled onto this couple as they were leaving the senior center. Medicine Park was "reborn" about 14 years ago. Cool little place. Once I got my room key, I headed off for the refuge and saw more Longhorn cattle than I had ever seen along with several Bison and lots of Black Tailed Prairie Dogs. There are supposedly Elk at the refuge, but I didn't see any. I asked Peggy, the innkeeper where to eat dinner. One of the places she mentioned was the Master's Kitchen, a little hole in the wall place.... Not much to look at, but the food was yummy. I had Taco Soup and Delmonico Steak. This morning after a great breakfast with 3 couples who were staying at the Inn, I went up Mount Scott. I didn't expect mountains here; guess I'm not as good at geography as I thought. When I got up there, I found there are lots of lakes around the mountain. The mountain is in the refuge. Another unexpected, but great adventure.

Another Revisit

Oklahoma State University got an emotional rollercoaster this week as the Cowboys triumphed over rival Oklahoma in the Big 12 tourney, then failed miserably against Kansas State tonight. I write this the day before the Illini face the Wisconsin Badgers for the 3rd time in the Big 10 tourney. Why the interest in the OSU Cowboys? Cause for right now, I am a visiting faculty member in Stillwater. When we last visited here, I titled that post "a little less west" (November, 2009). Between then and now, we were at the other Orange and Black OSU; the home of the Oregon State Beavers, which was by the map more west than here, so I titled the Oklahoma post "a little less west". Thinking about it, The degree of west can be geographic or cultural. Thinking about it culturally, I can't really call Oklahoma " less west". While driving here, between Springfield, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma we saw more cattle and horses per mile than we did on 2 round trips via 4 different interstates from Illinois to Oregon and Washington. Beyond that, and the fact that the sports teams here are the Cowboys and Cowgirls, I am struck more this time that we really are among real "cowboys and cowgirls". I must make it clear that these are terms of endearment to us. We both still would like to think of our selves as a cowboy and cowgirl, but the best we can do is wear the boots and dress up our Explorer in "Cowgirl Up" stuff. As I went to work I was greeted by the guy in the first picture who is the State Bird of Illinois (and 6 other states). He was singing his heart out after the storm that passed through last night. When I last blogged about visiting Oklahoma State, I posted pictures of the Radiology Staff at the Veterinary College, but John, one of the technologists was off the day I took my camera, so here he is, acting like he is working... hmmm. While I had my camera at work, I took a picture of the workstation where I have spent most of my time this week when not working with students. Here is a little quiz for my family. What 2 items in this picture tell you that I actually have been working at this station???? I'm expecting Blaine to do the best on this quiz, but the challenge is on for all of you. It was fortunate that I had my camera with me today. When I walked in, I saw that my Host, Dr. Bob Bahr was wearing a similar shirt to me. Check this out, 2 guys who have made a career from looking at white images on black background are wearing black shirts with white markings. So here we are not as far west geographically, but truly in the heart of the west where rodeo is as common as standardbred racing in Illinois.