OKC

I'm back in OKC right now. 

This trip was made possible by the generosity of a number of friends, family and colleagues who, in the span of about a workday, managed to cover the cost of a short-notice, intercontinental flight.

It's been five years and so many things have changed (I mean, even aside from the obvious fact that both of my parents are now deceased). The city where I grew up and spent about the first 20 years of my life (and, intermittently, my early 20s) is only vaguely familiar. I remember the basic layout and major landmarks, etc. But overall, the place just looks different. I'm staying at my sister's place, which is on a side of town where I never spent much time anyway...so that probably also adds to the peculiar foreign feeling.

It's not bad, just different. Less like a feeling of being "home" and more like "being in the city where I'm from" -- if that makes any sense.

I got to see all of my siblings the evening that I arrived and that's quite a feat on its own. For my mom's memorial service, we discovered that there are no pictures of the eight of us together. So we made up for that. Also, in the time that I've been away, I have gained five new nieces and nephews -- two of those little people call my younger brother "Daddy" -- and my oldest brother's MS has progressed to the point where he either gets around by walker or wheelchair and has some pretty obvious speech issues.

Mind explosions all around:

I've been away so long...that I'd have to re-take both the written and practical driving tests to get a new driver's license. And I kinda don't feel like doing either of those things this week. So, I'll probably just make it a long term goal to just take the test over again in Germany. I was thinking like as a present to myself for my 34th birthday. At least, then I'll finally learn how to properly drive a stick shift. And, I don't have to worry or bother with being a designated driver this week.

Anyway, this is just a quick update. I'm fixin to go out and have some awesome Mexican food for lunch. Or maybe go to a Chinese super buffet...or whatever...I'm going put any of the million kinds of foods that I can't get in Hamburg into my face.