Write Anywhere #58

by Kristin Nador/@KristinNador

Wow. It’s been a strange beginning to the new year. I spent the last 2+ weeks doing things I didn’t expect to be doing this year. I’ve been going to physical therapy three times a week to help treat a chronic medical condition. It’s hard work but slowly helping.

In the midst of all my appointments, one evening I heard a giant boom in my garage. Ends up the garage door spring split. Metal expanding and contracting in all the weather extremes is not good for garage door springs, it seems. My garage door stopped working. With my car inside. I couldn’t get it out for three days!

When I finally got the garage door repaired, I started feeling weird. By the next day, I knew I had the strep throat dear Keeper Hubby had two weeks before. Then it was off to the doctor for a diagnosis and antibiotics. The waiting room was filled with definite and probable flu cases. I was glad I had a flu shot but wishing I had a surgical mask, a necklace of garlic, and whatever else it takes to keep flu away. Fortunately my illness stopped at strep throat. I took care of Keeper Hubby while he was down for the count, and when he recovered he went to work out of town. I had to take care of myself for my bout with the sickness. That made the week seem more lonely. Don’t you just want somebody there when you’re sick, if not to take care of you, at least to feel sorry for you?

During that week spent in bed with juice and kleenex as well as the next, I wrote. A lot. I’m now the vice-president of my local writers’ group, which puts me in charge of acquiring speakers for our meetings. I want to do the best job so it’s been a whirlwind of meetings, phone calls, and emails networking with people to find great speakers. Lots of emails. Did I say a lot of emails?

Add to that a deadline to complete all the writing I wanted to submit to the state writing organization’s annual writing contest. This was my first year entering, and I entered eight categories. That meant eight separate pieces of work. I got behind because of the previously mentioned sickness, but I made it before the deadline. It was a lot of writing, revising, writing, and more revising crammed into just a few days. Total word count:14490.

Why give you my sob story report? Because sometimes when you’ve had a few weeks like this, you need a break to clear your mind. So for this week’s Write Anywhere, I didn’t do any writing at all. But it helped tremendously with my writing. Strange, huh?

Write Anywhere #58: Downtown

Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma

The weather has also been strange (nothing new about that) and mid-week the January temps decided to tease us with a little spring by rising to the 60′s. I rang up Artist Daughter and told her to grab her camera, because we were going downtown. I grabbed mine as well, and we spent the day snapping photos of the wonderful architecture.

 

Tulsa has a wonderful collection of Art Deco architecture from the oil boom of the early 20′s, and a sunny day and a good pair of walking shoes is all you need to enjoy it.

door of the Boston Building

320 South Boston Building, designed by architect George Winkler, completed in 1929. The top of the building was designed as a zeppelin mooring, and used for that purpose at least once.

on an abandoned building

The Pythian Building, Tulsa, Oklahoma, on National Register of Historical Places

The Atlas Life Building, Tulsa, Oklahoma, built in 1922

Can you spot the white marble Atlas at the top of the building?

Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma, completed 1929

Art Deco influenced details of Boston Avenue U.M.C.

We walked block after block, spotting the Art Deco influences, and discovering treasures inside as well.

Lobby of the Philtower Building, designed by architect Edward Delk for oil tycoon Waite Phillips in 1928. An example of Neo-Gothic and Art Deco influenced design. Also an example of photo bombing by old guy.

Original lobby marble and painted fresco of the Boston Building

Detail of 320 South Boston Building lobby, construction completed 1929

Some of the security guards were very accommodating, others didn’t appreciate our admiration and asked us to leave. Our final stop shot us full of adrenaline: we were told cameras and strangers are considered terrorist threats since 9/11 and fairly escorted out the door, a platoon of security guards scowling after us.

After an experience like that, one needs good food, and we walked over to the Blue Dome District to find some. And we did.

If you’re ever in Tulsa, have lunch at the Dilly Deli in the Blue Dome District. It’s yum!

 

Artist Daughter and I talked about our experience, the buildings, and our photos over lunch. I got a bit of inspiration for a story idea I came up with last year but never did anything with. The story is set in the 1930′s, and I could see using some of these beautiful buildings as a backdrop to the plot. Oh, well, I tried to not write, but that’s what writers do.

Where did you write this week?

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