First time back in Oklahoma in about 6 years

[DenverSooner751]

I'm in Ardmore today for my Grandmother's funeral. Stayed the night last night in OKC and drove down this morning. I have a few questions/observations....

1) when did so many casinos open up in and around the Norman area?!?
2) are any of them worth playing at (I guess that's a stupid question lol)
3) why the hell are the public schools closed today? The roads have snow on them...yes....but not THAT much. Maybe I'm just numb to it because Colorado road crews are more prepared for this kind of stuff but still, this crap ain't that bad.

[texaspokieokie]

you answered all of your own questions.

[Shakadoodoo]

I'm in Ardmore today for my Grandmother's funeral. Stayed the night last night in OKC and drove down this morning. I have a few questions/observations....

1) when did so many casinos open up in and around the Norman area?!?
2) are any of them worth playing at (I guess that's a stupid question lol)
3) why the hell are the public schools closed today? The roads have snow on them...yes....but not THAT much. Maybe I'm just numb to it because Colorado road crews are more prepared for this kind of stuff but still, this crap ain't that bad.

1. Casinos have exploded in the past 10 years - I think Norman may have a lot because you can not have Casinos in OKC proper since it is not "Indian Territory" - But I could be wrong. The Casinos have taken over everywhere in the Tulsa area though.

2. If you like loosing money!

3. You answered that yourself. We Oklahomans are not the best drivers anyway!

[MrJimBeam]

I'm in Ardmore today for my Grandmother's funeral. Stayed the night last night in OKC and drove down this morning. I have a few questions/observations....

1) when did so many casinos open up in and around the Norman area?!?
2) are any of them worth playing at (I guess that's a stupid question lol)
3) why the hell are the public schools closed today? The roads have snow on them...yes....but not THAT much. Maybe I'm just numb to it because Colorado road crews are more prepared for this kind of stuff but still, this crap ain't that bad.

All of these question are dumb.

[StoopTroup]

Sorry to hear about your Grandmother.

[sooner518]

i dunno about up in OKc, but here in DFW, we had about 2 inches of pure ice on the roads. i lived in Denver for 4 years and the last 3 or 4 days here have been harder to drive on than anything I ever experienced in Denver. the snow we got last night is actually much easier to drive on than the pure ice we have had all this week.

the fact that down in OK and TX, there are few to no plows and they are not equipped to deal with the snow at all.

[jumperstop]

If you are pissed about the schools being open today you should have been here about two weeks ago. They closed them down for basically nothing. Couldn't have been but 1/4 inch of snow and not all of it stuck. Oklahoma school administrators have probably just been watching too much news instead of acctually getting out on the roads themselves. Some of the neighborhoods are bad, and I understand they have to get the busses through, but my neighborhood could have had a bus come through just fine since Wednesday.

[Sooner_Bob]

3. You answered that yourself. We Oklahomans are not the best drivers anyway!

Speak for yourself mister . . . I'm a freaking king of the road. :texan:

[Sooner_Bob]

3) why the hell are the public schools closed today? The roads have snow on them...yes....but not THAT much. Maybe I'm just numb to it because Colorado road crews are more prepared for this kind of stuff but still, this crap ain't that bad.

First off . . . sorry to hear about your grandma. :(

Second . . . some of the dirt roads out in the rural areas aren't all that great. All it would take is one bus to slide off in a ditch and some parent would flip out.

[SoonerPr8r]

OKC proper has only about 25 plows and a lot of area to cover. After about day 2 most of the guys on the plows and sand trucks had been on alert/plowing for 40hrs. The biggest problem is that ODOT is never prepared for this kind of snow even after having it for the past 4 years. The plan seems to be "cross your fingers and hope it's not that bad this year."

The schools are closed mostly because the side roads and neighborhoods haven't been touched and they don't want to get a bus load of kids stuck. They are also not wanting little kids have to stand outside to catch the bus in single digit temps. Not all buses come right to the house some kids have to walk a ways. They have make up days so not like they are missing too much.

[Sooner_Bob]

They are also not wanting little kids have to stand outside to catch the bus in single digit temps. Not all buses come right to the house some kids have to walk a ways. They have make up days so not like they are missing too much.

Yep . . . my wife is a teacher and said that regardless of whether we get snow or not, some schools will close if it gets too cold.

[1890MilesToNorman]

Every time the plane approaches Will Rogers Air Port I get that feeling of being home! I haven't experienced that since 2002. What a feeling.

[Sooner_Tuf]

I'm in Ardmore today for my Grandmother's funeral. Stayed the night last night in OKC and drove down this morning. I have a few questions/observations....

1) when did so many casinos open up in and around the Norman area?!?
2) are any of them worth playing at (I guess that's a stupid question lol)
3) why the hell are the public schools closed today? The roads have snow on them...yes....but not THAT much. Maybe I'm just numb to it because Colorado road crews are more prepared for this kind of stuff but still, this crap ain't that bad.

Sorry to hear about your grandmother.
1) I guess in the last six years. Seems longer though.
2) Not to me.
3) Get off the Interstate and check out the roads. I suspect you will find your answer. Colorado is no different. I grew up there and they cancel school there too when they think travel is hazardous. Seems like the prudent thing to do.

[KantoSooner]

It's economic rationality: we really don't get enough snow to justify the kind of prep that, say, Minnesota puts together.

[1890MilesToNorman]

It's economic rationality: we really don't get enough snow to justify the kind of prep that, say, Minnesota puts together.

During our storm 2 days ago we had 90 plows on the Interstate alone, If you don't have the equipment you are screwed.

[SoonerNate]

Those casinos are bad news. They only serve to rob those of the very little money they already have and create addicts not to mention the corruption by those that run them.

[C&CDean]

Every time the plane approaches Will Rogers Air Port I get that feeling of being home! I haven't experienced that since 2002. What a feeling.

I've travelled fairly extensively for the past 20+ years. And you're right, every time I see us going by Norman/Lake Thunderbird, or OKC/Lake Hefner on the way into Will Rogers I get wood. Every time I step into the terminal I go "aaahhhhhhh."

Also, flying out of OKC is a breeze compared to most airports. Rarely a big line at security. Another thing, my brother comes out to hunt every year and this year is the first one he didn't bring his own rifle. Why? Because last year in Denver (where he lives) he had to do all sorts of paperwork, then take the rifle to a whole other terminal in the airport, have it inspected 3-4 different times, do more paperwork, and then carry it to some other terminal, then go to the terminal he flew out of. Damn near missed his flight.

When he left OKC, they had him open the case, show them it was unloaded, put it back in the case, lock it, and they put it into luggage. Took about 30 seconds. OKC>Denver.

[nativesooner]

You'll probably have the best "luck" at the casinos outside of Davis/Ardmore. The fancy ones are super tight!

The side roads and residential streets are still all JACKED because the cities didn't think it would be as bad. Even though the weather fellas kept saying "worse storm in 20 years".

Sorry to hear about your grandmother.

[Soonermagik]

I've travelled fairly extensively for the past 20+ years. And you're right, every time I see us going by Norman/Lake Thunderbird, or OKC/Lake Hefner on the way into Will Rogers I get wood. Every time I step into the terminal I go "aaahhhhhhh."

Also, flying out of OKC is a breeze compared to most airports. Rarely a big line at security. Another thing, my brother comes out to hunt every year and this year is the first one he didn't bring his own rifle. Why? Because last year in Denver (where he lives) he had to do all sorts of paperwork, then take the rifle to a whole other terminal in the airport, have it inspected 3-4 different times, do more paperwork, and then carry it to some other terminal, then go to the terminal he flew out of. Damn near missed his flight.

When he left OKC, they had him open the case, show them it was unloaded, put it back in the case, lock it, and they put it into luggage. Took about 30 seconds. OKC>Denver.

Having been through many terminals I can attest that OKC is the best. It's brand new and not so big that you're taking trains every which direction. Atlanta, Dallas & Houston are so big that it sucks. You always have a connection on the other side and it takes forever fighting traffic and riding trains to get to where you need to be.

[SoonerNate]

Having been through many terminals I can attest that OKC is the best. It's brand new and not so big that you're taking trains every which direction. Atlanta, Dallas & Houston are so big that it sucks. You always have a connection on the other side and it takes forever fighting traffic and riding trains to get to where you need to be.

Flew out of there last month and loved it. The airport is clean and very nice. For some reason it's always cheaper to fly in and out of Tulsa though and I'm not sure why.

[KantoSooner]

During our storm 2 days ago we had 90 plows on the Interstate alone, If you don't have the equipment you are screwed.

And we are screwed whenever we get the largest snow storm in "X years". On the other hand, most years the equipment would simply sit in the ODOT barn, slowly rusting.

[Section 9]

Sorry for the loss of your grandmother.
It's not just getting the kids to school. Many children don't have the warm weather gear they need to walk to school or wait for the bus. Teenagers driving on snow covered roads and lots of parents driving younger ones to school is a concern. In my neighborhood it is almost impossible to get out without a 4-wheel drive. I have lived all over the US and Europe and some places have closed down the schools and some haven't. I appreciate the thought and concern administrators show for OK kids.

[King Barry's Back]

Those casinos are bad news. They only serve to rob those of the very little money they already have and create addicts not to mention the corruption by those that run them.

I've heard that, in general, get a bare slice of any money, with the biggest chunk -- like 90% -- of revenue going to the companies that operate the casinos.

I kind of enjoy a nice casino -- like Atlantic City/Vegas style -- on a rare occasion, but I agree, those OK casinos are a blight.

[King Barry's Back]

Sorry for the loss of your grandmother.
It's not just getting the kids to school. Many children don't have the warm weather gear they need to walk to school or wait for the bus. Teenagers driving on snow covered roads and lots of parents driving younger ones to school is a concern. In my neighborhood it is almost impossible to get out without a 4-wheel drive. I have lived all over the US and Europe and some places have closed down the schools and some haven't. I appreciate the thought and concern administrators show for OK kids.

One of my family members in Tulsa had a medical emergency on Wednesday. And it was feared a VERY SERIOUS one.

An ambulance was dispatched, got stuck and eventually gave up. The patient was eventually taken to St John's by fire truck -- which was the only thing that could get through.

If that medical emergency had been as urgent as first believed, my family would definitely be a goner now.

So if our ambulances are stuck on the roads just blocks from a major hospital, I am guessing that attempting to go to school/work is just not worth it.

[soonergirlNeugene]

I've been to a couple places where school was closed on account of wind.

[CrimsonRez]

Speak for yourselves, these jackasses down here in EL Paso can't keep the damn power on for 30 minutes and put dirt on the road instead of salt and have 0 snowplows to speak of all the while pipes are bursting left and right. Also you would have a new found view of oklahoma drivers if you came to El Paso and watched these ****ers drive for about an hour.

[sendbaht]

Can not answer any of your questions but Grandma's are special. Sorry dude.









Oh ya 88F today here....Boomer Sooner!

[Piware]

Sincere condolences of the passing of your Grandma. Those of us who were blessed to have them well into adulthood are blessed indeed.

Hope you can come home again under happier circumstances. I was gone for 15 years but never quit longing for Oklahoma. Finally made it back and wouldn't leave again if Donald Trump tried to talk me into it. Happy Trails and safe travel on your way back to CO.

[btb916]

Sorry to hear about your Grandmother.

I'm sorry too.

[swardboy]

I've been to a couple places where school was closed on account of wind.

I've been in a couple of classes that should've been cancelled on account of kids breaking wind....

[Sooner13]

Flew out of there last month and loved it. The airport is clean and very nice. For some reason it's always cheaper to fly in and out of Tulsa though and I'm not sure why.

Because that airport sucks? OKC>Tulsa ;)