What is "Hanging Out?"

One of the hardest things for me to get used to in the city is the difference in "hanging out."   No, I am not talking about anything sexual, and I'm not referring to body parts of any kind.  I am talking about spending good quality time with friends of your choice.

Urban Dictionary says the term usually refers to some type of fun with friends, but the way country kids describe fun and the way city kids describe fun is completely different.

In the small town I call home, my friends and I spent our high school days getting into every kind of fun available, (which obviously forced us to come up with creative alternatives to the ideal.)  Although most nights in my town consisted of sittin' on tailgates in front of the Farmer's Coop gas station, there were the occasional full-moon nights like described in my posts, The Grain Bins, and Taggin' Up the Ag Barns, and Climbin' the Water Tower.  


Every time I visit home my friends are constantly walking in and out of the house, just dropping in to "hang out."  When I say hang out, I mean literally hang out.  Most normally we all sit around the bar in the kitchen and watch my mother cook, while talking about whatever the latest gossip might be.  These chat sessions usually last 2-4 hours, sometimes longer.  The great part is, we can do this any part of the day, any day of the week.  There are no operating hours, rules, or regulations, just good folk sittin' around swappin' stories and reminscin' on the good times past, present, and future.

This type of leisure time was all I had ever known when I moved to the big city.  I had more talking hours with my friends that I could even count, and this for one thing, is what I contribute to making us so close.  My first semester in college proved to be a shock when I asked my new acquaintances if they wanted to hang out.  


"Yeah sure!" they'd reply, "I'm available from 1-2 on Thursday, or 3-5 on Mondays and Wednesdays, which works best for you?"


Looking back with a blank stare I would reply with a broad answer like, "anytime."  Who knew you had to be fit into the schedule of these city slickin' folk!  Who did they think they were anyhow, the president??


"Great! You want to meet me at McAlister's downtown or at the Union on campus?" they would say next.

Good grief, I would think.  Why can't you just come over unannounced and watch Everybody Loves Raymond reruns with me, I wanted to reply.  At first I took this highly scheduled alternative to hanging out as a slap in the face.  Why didn't people like me here?  I had always been the life of the party before, perhaps it was my look, my personality, or my sense of humor.  Is there something I say that offends them?  Why don't they want to spend time with me for longer than an hour?

Before too long I soon found the answer to these disturbing questions.  

It's the city.  Everyone's on a schedule.  

This came through loud and clear as I began juggling harder classes, internships, meetings, and fun.  Yes, I gave in and started scheduling "fun" in my planner.  As ridiculous as I still think this all is, I now understand that this is not a slap in the face, a rude suggestion, or a stuck-up habbit.  It is the way things must be handled on busy schedules with busy people.

Although I have come to cherish the 30 minute-to-an-hour lunches with my friends, I still feel most relieved when I'm back home with friends who have no schedule, no responsibilities, and no need to rush off.  Now that's how your soul gets fed.

Restaurant Review: Louie's Bar and Grill

On Campus Corner in Norman, Oklahoma, there are hundreds of people going in and out of dozens and dozens of the cutest little shops you’ve ever seen.  Starbucks, Pita Pit, Chipotle, Subway, Tea Café: there are tons of restaurants to pick from, but how in the world do you pick which one?  How about a good ol’ American sports bar and grill?   Louie’s Grill and Bar at 301 West Boyd is always a classic choice for locals, college students, and sports fans.

            Most people love the atmosphere Louie’s brings to their local neighborhood.  The mood is very leisurely, it says, “come in and have a bite while you relax with your friends and family.”  Flat screen TVs are strategically placed around the restaurant, always tuned to the best sports games of course.  And for the adults over 21, the restaurant has a wonderful list of wines, beers, and mixed drinks, all for a great price.  Louie’s prides itself in having an all-American menu.  Burgers, pizza, salads, soups, sandwiches, and chicken strips. Whatever you’re in the mood for, Louie’s got it! 

Some Louie’s restaurants even feature concerts by local artists on the weekends.  Louie’s of Oklahoma City has won many awards for its great food and atmosphere.  Originally started in Oklahoma, the chain has restaurants all over the Oklahoma City metro area, and a few scattered around other parts of the state.  Recently the chain has also expanded into two Border States.  Wichita, Kansas, and two major cities in Arkansas now hold their very own Louie’s Bar and Grill. 

Most people find their meal at Louie’s to be satisfying for both their appetite and their wallet.  Everything on the menu at Louie’s is under ten dollars, and the portion sizes are enough to fill even the hungriest of customers.  For instance, a starving college student could get a great-sized meal (possibly two-days worth) for less than ten bucks.  This gives Louie’s a major lead on competitors in the area.  Normally you can either find a cheap meal or a great-tasting meal, not both.  Louie’s fortunately breaks that stereotype and provides everyone with a great experience.

Although the official Louie’s website shows an appetizing picture of a burger and fries, the original location in Norman on Campus Corner does not offer fries.  When asked about the hold out on the French fries an employee replied, “Because of the older building, our kitchen is very small and does not have enough room to make fries.”  This is a major upset, especially for customers expecting a complete American meal at the door.  All great Americans know that a burger isn’t complete without French fries.  The service is very nice and friendly, but a tad slow for the fast-paced college student or businessman.  Perhaps a friendly suggestion to the waitresses would fix this small mishap.

Overall Louie’s Bar and Grill is an excellent choice for that greasy burger you crave at the end of a long work day, or that splendid salad you oh-so desire at lunch time with the gals.  With a wide variety of both food and drinks, Louie’s caters to anyone’s dining needs. 

Article first published as <a href='http://blogcritics.org/tastes/article/restaurant-review-norman-oklahoma-louies-bar/'>Restaurant Review (Norman, Oklahoma): <i>Louie's Bar and Grill</i></a> on Blogcritics.

Meeting my 700 new Best Friends!

Well, if I’m going to do this country girl blog I figured I ought to start it off right; by sharing my first experience in the BIG city.  Before transferring to the University of Oklahoma, I attended a small junior college with a total of about 2,000 students.  In junior-college I was highly involved with the Baptist Student Ministry; in fact I was one of ten on the leadership team.   We would plan events and maintain the happiness of the entire group (which consisted of 30 at the very, very most.)

            So the first week at OU I had planned to go to the first BSU meeting, which was the week before school started.  After googling the address and typing it in my GPS, I was on my way.  As I drove the full three miles it took to get there, I began calculating in my head how many people I was soon to meet.  I figured if my ju-co had 30 on the best of days, OU surely had more than twice that many.  So I figured there would be about 70 people at this “Pizza Bash” of theirs, and my goal was to know almost all of their names and most of their background stories by the end of the night.

            This seemed very rational to me because, coming from a small town—everyone I knew was my best friend.  I knew the entire life-story of all 200 kids in my high school, and I didn’t see how this would be any different. 

            Oblivious, I pulled up to the BSU building, and my jaw dropped a whole twelve inches.  There were over 700 kids piled into one parking lot, a live band, and hundreds of pizza boxes!  Being the extreme extrovert I am, I felt overwhelmed for the first time in my life.  Up until this point in my life, my goal had been to know the life story of as many people as possible (a small town mentality.)  As I got out of my car, I took a deep breath and assured myself I could meet at least half of all the students tonight.  (I’d tackle the other half tomorrow night.)

            Instantly I started talking to a group of girls, the first thing I heard them say when I walked up was, “Norman is just so small!”  I think I nearly fainted.  The look on my face had to be a mix between dumbfounded and amazement.  What in the world was this girl thinking?  This was the biggest city I had ever been in!  My family and I took trips here to go shopping for crying out loud.  The interstate is a mere 5 minutes away, and you think this city is small?!  Oh boy, more feelings of overwhelment.  I don’t like this feeling.

            Luckily an older girl named Lindsay took me under her wing pretty quick and allowed me to follow her to and fro as she mingled with my 700 new closest friends.  And after the night was over I had about 3 people I knew fairly well.  This was just the first of my many experiences in the big city of Norman, but oh how I will never forget!