Mid-July Update

Ready?

This cat started meowing at us in our backyard, so my girlfriend decided she wanted to take her into the vet and get her checked up. Andddddd...we have a cat now. As we were leaving the vet's office, this whole family of pups and kids came out. Leave no child without a dog.

Her name is Nyanko. She brought us a bird today.

I painted my friend's dog for him for his birthday. So yeah, hit me up if you guys want some dog paintings.

Here's the biggest piece of news.

I WORK FOR THE PLAZA DISTRICT NOW.

It's crazy how over a year ago, I was just photographing people during LIVE. I made some friends, worked with some cool folks, and now I get to help promote this district. This is mainly why I've been too lazy to blog.

20140714OKCComedy Mick FoleyDSCF3998.jpg

Here's Mick Foley and some beef jerky by the legend, Jim Ross. Photographing comedians when they're really up tight about being photographed is kinda lame. I'll pick my subjects better next time.

My Drink & Draw pal, Lance, and his wife, Becky, debuted their gourmet pretzel food truck, Twist, this month. Easily one of the best trucks in town. Light and yummy.

Last weekend was my girlfriend's birthday. We decided to do something nice for someone else that day too. With my Western Scout abilities, I waited for someone awesome to come into Guestroom Records. The door opens and you see a little kid run around screaming, "WECORDS!" I thought he was so cute, I offered his dad a record on the house. They searched and searched for something with a "WocketShip" on it, but they ended up grabbing some Stereolab. It's always cool to see a boy and his dad enjoying what will probably be a pastime. I'm currently connecting with my dad through collecting records. He's teaching me his oldies ways.

I'll wrap this post up with some cool kids at Premiere on Film Row. Premiere gets better every time. I think they've finally got the hang of things. Build cool shit, and cool people will come.

Western Avenue: From Tucks to Pups

Got hungry today and went to eat at Tucker's in the Classen Curve.

After that, walked next door to Black Optical and shopped around for some specs. Drove further north and grabbed some Organic Squeeze. After that, stopped by Big Sky Bread Company and picked up a loaf of bread, a strawberry crumble (so freaking good), and some granola.

Headed up some more to the Always Greener show room, where we got an excellent deal on a dog mat and a throw pillow!

Drove even FURTHER north to the Make Up Bar, where I got some face lotion by Jack Black. Finally! Something for me.

The girlfriend wanted to look at cats so we stopped by the OK Humane Society.

We played with some pups and kittens, and just as we were about to head out, I see this guy, Andrew, playing with a little puppy named Luigi. Turns out, he'd been coming in for the past few weeks looking for the perfect companion, and today was the day. Today was not only Luigi's lucky day, but Andrew's too. I decided to use some of my Western Scout money to pay for some of Luigi's adoption fees. I mean, come on, look at him.

Thanks Western Avenue! We did not expect to drive around on one street all day, but whattaya know, it can be done.

A Crazy Day on Western Avenue

So today, I decided to take my girlfriend out to Western Avenue and enjoy a beautiful Monday afternoon. Being a Western Ave "Top Scout," I get some incentives to go around and shop. Sweet deal right?

First stop: Willow & Whale

This place was pretty cool. The owner has a great eye for detail and color coordination. She was really nice, and they hooked us up with a free small candle by Southern Firefly. Linda ended up picking the Mississippi scent. Follow her as she tags along on my #WESTERNSCOUT adventures and ads her perspective.

After that, we went to West for some lunch. I gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised with our experience. The place was empty, and we didn't know what to expect, but the food was great.

We got the special chicken chili verde soup [Might be named something else] , the brussel sprout salad, and the chicken pot pie entree. All were pretty damn satisfying.

Finally, we drove further north to go buy some toys for Linda's niece and nephew at The Learning Tree. I have to admit, I thought this would be pretty lame, but I was secretly hoping the store would blow me away. And away I was blown. Unique toys, classic toys, less licensed things, less toys that went beep beep boop boop. This place made the inner kid in me sing. Of course, I put that aside and went shopping for the actual kids.

Linda's niece and nephew, twins, lost everything to a house fire earlier this year. Even though their family had everything taken care of, we thought it'd be nice to just treat the kids. We got them a cool little fishing set that helps kids count. Linda also let her inner child loose and got some fancy rocks. While we were shopping, another family was also in the store. Four kids running around the store, their mother allowing them to just pick up something under $20. As she was checking out, she was telling Patti, the owner, about how her house burned down a couple of years ago, and how the kids lost all of their toys. Linda and I overheard, and I knew I wanted to help out.

Ya see, Western Avenue provides their Top Scouts with some money to do nice things for Western Ave patrons. I introduced myself to the mom, Summer, and proceeded to tell her how Linda's family was in a similar situation not too long ago. She immediately started crying, the hugs went around, and we ended up taking care of a portion of their purchase. I wish we could've done a bit more, but it was a cool thing none the less. I suck at taking praise, so all the credit goes to the Western Ave Association for giving me the opportunity to make some people smile.

Well, that's enough adventure for one day. Follow me on Instagram for some cool photos and updates. I also highly encourage you guys to post your Western tales and use the tag #WesternScout.

Western Ave Scout

Well, it's official. I am one of two Western Ave Scouts. For the next six months, I'll be sharing my experiences on Western Ave via this blog, Twitter, and Instagram. Follow me with the tag #WesternAveScout. Expect random stories, photos, and general tomfoolery. I think my goal for this is to inspire one person to go out, meet all the business owners, and get nominated as the next Top Scout. Let's get out there and support some local businesses!

As a young man, I am definitely the secondary target market for most Western Ave shops. I won't be purchasing a lot of things for myself, so most of it will be going to my lady and maybe some deserving strangers.

Here's a look at what The MakeUp Bar hooked me up with so far. I'll definitely be in to grab some Jack Black products.