“Prost!”

For 42 years Linde Oktoberfest has been bringing us the wonderful sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the Bavarian culture to Tulsa. I have been to many Tulsa Oktoberfests over the past 16 years. Every time a very memorable event. Sometimes too memorable, like in 2007 when severe rainstorms rolled through Tulsa and blew down several tents, causing chaos and multiple injuries. I was in the main tent at the time! It’s one of my favorite annual events in Tulsa, so this week was an easy one to pick my non-profit. And yes, Linde Oktoberfest is a nonprofit event! So, this week I spent 4 hours volunteering and donated $25 to River Parks.

PROST! 

In German: “Genieße das Leben ständig! Du bist länger tot als lebendig!”

Translated in English: “Constantly enjoy life! You’re longer dead than alive!”

I love this quote, and it’s one we could recite all year long. It’s a bit morbid, but the intention is to make you feel the joy of being alive. So, I hope it worked. Whether you are going to Oktoberfest this weekend or not. Hey, it’s still FRIDAY! Enjoy life!

I am a fan of beer, so I’m always up for trying new beers, and Oktoberfest is perfect for that! They have hundreds of beers to choose from and most of those are on tap. If you’ve never been to Oktoberfest, you must go this weekend. If you have been before, there are some big changes you need to be aware of, the biggest being parking and a no-cash system.

First off, you’ll have to buy your tickets online here: https://tulsaoktoberfest.org

There will be no tickets sold at the gate. To create a cashless event, you will not be able to purchase a ticket at the gate like in previous years. You must purchase tickets online at the link above. Remember, today is Friday Family FREE Day presented by Zeeco, so no charge till 4:00 pm. Food and beverage locations will only accept credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. There will be “reverse ATMs” on-site, which are machines that accept cash and spit out a pre-paid debit card that you can replenish.

YOU’RE A GOOD PARENT

As a single dad with no relatives in Tulsa to help, you have no idea how calming those words are to hear. Especially with a child that has been quite a handful so far. I’ve doubted myself many times and still do. You may be the same. Am I doing enough? Am I doing too much? Where can I find help? I ask myself that repeatedly. So, when I heard the words, “You’re a good parent,” from a stranger the other day, it honestly about made me cry.

As you know, I “volunteer” my kids a lot while I try to achieve the mission of my podcast. My podcast is called “Tulsa Rocks,” and my mission is to support all things that make Tulsa Rock! Each week, I choose a different nonprofit to support, either by donating money, volunteering time, or both. And I always encourage you, my readers, and social media followers to join me. This week, my son and I volunteered at Linde Oktoberfest. Many probably don’t realize it is River Parks Authority who puts it on, and they are a nonprofit. So, I donated $25 and showed up Wednesday for 4 hours of volunteer time. It takes hundreds of volunteers to pull off this giant festival. It’s a Tulsa staple and puts us on the nation’s “beer map.”

Our duty for the day was to help the Arts & Crafts vendors unload their vehicles and carry their gear to their respective booth locations. It was a lot of fun, and we met many friendly and talented people from Tulsa and beyond. We helped vendors who make their own salsa, paint southwest landscapes, and design beautiful crystal jewelry. My 11-year-old son, Atticus, was helping a couple of elderly ladies who make incredible crochet creations carry a large metal display rack to their booth. This rack was twice his size. I rushed up to ask if I could help and he bravely said, “No dad, I got it.”  I know him, when he is helping someone, he is determined to do what they want and more. It was at that point that I stood back giving him room to continue with his delivery. As he walked by me, I guess I had a “proud dad” look on my face. A gentleman who was standing nearby said to me, “You’re a good dad.” {tear}

Atticus and me with Sharon Phillips of “2 News Oklahoma”

NEED A LYFT?

Still struggling to find a job, I gave in to the temptation of becoming a Lyft driver. I’ve only done 10 rides so far, so I’m trying to keep an open mind about it. I love my car and I am a people person. When I was in college, I was a chauffeur for Marathon Oil in Findlay, Ohio. I was happy driving people around, so it seemed like a good fit for me. Plus, the flexibility is undeniable. Being a single dad with two little kids, it would be hard to accept a full-time job that requires me to do early mornings or afternoons, since I must take my kids to school and pick them up after school.

If only I had a Tesla! Gas expense is of course the biggest drawback to driving for Lyft, Uber or any delivery service. There are some cool Electric Vehicles out there now, so I’m keeping my eye on one that I can afford. Till then, I love my Lincoln SUV, and so have all my passengers. I have seat warmers in the back!

So far, though, I have enjoyed driving for Lyft. Everyone has been very polite. I’ve seen parts of the Tulsa area that I have never seen before, so that’s kind of cool. Some passengers are talkative, some are not and that’s cool. So far no one has said, “Hey! Aren’t you Lynn Hernandez?!” But then, I have not done any after-bar-closing-time hours. Yet.