Amarillo by Morning

*Note: I promised that I would try to post on a regular basis...I have been thinking about it on a regular basis, but just haven't had the time to sit down and write something. I technically should be studying right now...well anyway...



This weekend I was able to see a certain someone :) and it made me very happy! Ty got tickets to World Champion Ranch Rodeo back over the summer, before my ND deal was settled, so I wasn't sure if I would get to go, but by golly I went. I flew into OKC on Friday where Ty and a friend of his picked me up and we headed towards Amarillo where the rodeo is held.

My view from OKC to Amarillo :)

The boys were almost more excited for the trade show than the rodeo, so that's exactly where we went as soon as we got to town. We met up with a few more friends and made our way through the many booths of saddles, stirrups, and spurs.

Before the end of the weekend, we walked through the booths more times than I can count. They have a system:
Friday: you do a quick walk through to skim the booths and see whats there. Ty is efficient as possible, you walk the outer border first, then weave through the isles.
Saturday: a more thorough walk through to compare prices and scope out the best deals on what you want. You purchase the items that you really want on this day before they are gone.
Sunday: This is the last day so you can barter a bit with the exhibitors on things. The less stuff they have to pack up and haul home, the better. All the little things that you noticed the previous two days you go back to check if they are still there and how good of a deal you can get on them. The day is not efficient at all "Oh, lets go look at that one saddle pad," "Oooh, did you see that saddle? Let's go look at it," "Lets go talk to that guy about those boots," "Oh theres a butterfly!"

Okay, just kidding on that last one, but you get the picture, Sunday is very sporadic with lots of walking around sifting through SO MANY people. Those of you who know how much I love (read: hate) shopping can imagine how much I enjoyed (read: didn't enjoy) this. But as much as I wanted to sit down, I was happy to be spending time with Ty and other friends who I hadn't got to see in way too long.

The rodeo each night was really good, the ranches put on a good show for everyone! Of course there were the teams from KS, TX, OK, and NM, but there were a few others from different states including one from ND so I had to root for them a bit.

"Halftime" entertainment. The Escamilla Brothers 

Hard to see, but he has a big loop circling the whole horse while loping around the arena

Jump roping while also juming back and forth through his loop

Along with the rodeo and trade show, we were able to go out one night and Ty even got to push me around the dance floor for the first time since May (way overdue). I can't even explain how nice it was to sit down and relax and not think about school for a weekend. I love going to these kinds of events, it reminds me that there is still good in the world. The smell of dirt, horses, and cows, the sound of clinking spurs, the way men tip their hats when introduced to a lady and there is no such thing as a stranger. I see all the little boys in their tiny wranglers and boots and spurs and hats, inducing a slight mode of baby fever. And there is something about cowboy with rough, stained hands holding their sweet babies or pushing strollers as their wives shop that just makes me smile.

Texas sunset

After the amazing weekend, we headed home on Monday, the boys dropped me off at OKC airport on Monday for my flight at 2:30ish. I was supposed to be flying to Chicago then on to Fargo. Well apparently there was some weather (snow/rain mix) going through Chigago, so my flight out of OKC kept getting delayed. I tried to get put on another flight to avoid Chicago, but there were none available. We finally got out of OKC around 5 and since I originally had like a 3 hour lay over in Chicago, I wasn't going to miss my connecting flight. But... when we landed in Chicago, I had an email with an updated itinerary. My flight for that night from Chicago to Fargo had been cancelled and I was on a flight the next Morning (Tuesday). The airport was a mess...as expected. I waited in the customer service line forever before finding out that there were no flights into Fargo for the rest of the night...all the airlines had been cancelled their flights into Fargo. The next available one was at 8:16am the next morning. Needless to say I can mark 'spending the night in an airport' off my bucket list. Not that I wanted that on my list in the first place. I got into Fargo shortly after 10:00am just in time for my stats test at 11:00am (Thanks Justin for picking me up!!)


Love and miss you all!
DB

"For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love." Psalm 33:4-5