All That Shines

The OOA 111^th Annual Convention Formal Dinner was amazing! The ladies looked beautiful and elegant in their attire, and the men looked snazzy in their tuxes. It was nice to dress up for the evening and enjoy the events of the night. We enjoyed drinks and a cheese bar at the reception; afterwards we sat down to a lovely decorated table where we feasted on filet mignon with delicious sides and indulged in sweet pecan pie! We watched as some of Oklahoma’s finest D.O.’s received their awards for all their hard work and listened to heartfelt acceptance speeches. After all was said and done, attendees listened to live music performed by The Wise Guys and danced the night away! It was an exciting event and I was glad to have been able to attend! - Sasha

Bandanas, Bingo and Balloons, Oh Boy!

The Oklahoma Osteopathic Association had their annual convention in Norman, OK from April 27^th -30^th. Over 400 doctors attended the convention along with their spouses. The Advocates to the OOA had close to 50 members attend the different events. Four members from OSUCOM SAA attended; Jammi Bailey, Leslie Stair, Lynsie Harmon, and Sasha Big Hair.

The Advocates have a booth in the exhibit hall where they raffled a mink coat, 42 inch TV, iPad, Kindle, beef and more! They also take silent auction bids for many great items. SAA members helped run the booth and sell tickets for the raffle. It was fun to meet the doctors and spouses who came by the booth and to get to know all the Advocates. Many friendships and connections are started at the conventions.

Dinner is always followed with dancing. Thursday was a casual hoedown with bbq and cobbler. Hay bales and bandanas decorated the outdoor country themed area. Two steppers were dancing and swinging their partners around to a live band. SAA helped sell bingo cards to the families who attended the Friday night dinner and dance. Supporting the Advocates who in turn support our SAA is rewarding and fun. The fun didn’t end after the auction and bingo; the SAA members got busy on the dance floor and worked of the yummy food. Lynsie and James Cyrus, Dr. Scott & Janell’s son, won the ‘twist’ dance competition. They were also the youngest ones entered!

All SAA members are welcome to attend the convention. The AOOA rent one room for SAA members to share and the OOA pay for all our meals and entrance into the different events. I can’t wait to go next year and see all my Osteopathic friends!

Dining Out Deals

There's a great deal going on this week in Tulsa and it's really nice if you want an expensive meal but don't want to pay the price--since we're all on budgets, right? It's called Restaurant Week and 10% of the sales go the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

The prices include a three course meal and are $13 per person for lunch and $30 for dinner. No, it still isn't priced like McDonald's Value Menu, but it's a great opportunity to try some of Tulsa's great restaurants and spend a special night with your student.

Bon Appetite!

We're Here... Now What?

Playing at fountain park (Riverside & 41st)

So the semester is in full swing, and you have time on your hands without your student... Maybe you're even new in Tulsa... what to do while your student is in the library all day (and all night, and all weekend?) Over the past year, Alex (now 17 months) and I explored (and fell in love with) Tulsa! Here are our recommendations:


 1) Invest in a zoo pass ($60) and an aquarium pass ($85).

 In addition to many day trips by ourselves or with friends, one of the great benefits of having a pass was being able to rescue my husband from the library after a big exam - even if only for an hour or two - and go to either the zoo or aquarium (which stays open late on Tuesdays).

  2) Library story time.

 Tulsa has an excellent library network and we often went to story time. Just pick your nearest library and search for "storytime". Our home library was Hardesty, which has an amazing children’s center.

 3) Sanity Saver?

 I found that the YMCA Childwatch program offered the most reasonable childcare (FREE with family membership) and allowed me to work out in peace! They offer assistance for families who qualify (if you’re living on med school loans, you probably do!)

 4) Cultural Excursions

 We took advantage of last-minute free tickets to the Tulsa Ballet (keep an eye on your student’s email!) The Philbrook Museum is free the 2nd Saturday of every month – the museum is wonderful, but the outdoor gardens are even more impressive. The Gilcrease Museum offers free admission on the 1st Tuesday of each month, but I haven’t been yet – want to join me?

 5) Riverside Park(s).

  I know warm weather is fading fast, but I can’t help mentioning the amazing parks on Riverside. There are playgrounds at 19th, 41st, and 96th street on the east banks and 21st street on the west bank. Our favorite by far is at Riverside and 41st. In addition to its awesome family friendly playground and unique fountain / water displays that are kid friendly even for the littlest ones, the location is not far from the medical school, which again, makes for a great place to pull off a short kidnapping of your medical student. If you have more time, check out one of the pink bicycles you can “rent for free” by swiping your credit card. We also love Hunter Park, west of Sheridan on 91st (playground, splash park, and dog park), La Fortune Park, north of 61st on Yale (playgrounds and walking trails), and Woodward Park, 21st & Peoria (picnicking and rose gardens).

 I know this only skims the surface of what there is to do in Tulsa, but these are awesome opportunities for outings with the kiddos OR just some one on one couple time (well, except for maybe story time…it’s up to you!)

What are some of your top places to go in and around Tulsa?