Visiting the Sooner State

I recently traveled to Oklahoma, the homeland of my adoptive parents, to help officiate a wedding. I'm not terribly optimistic about the married future of the not-so-happy couple (it's probably not a good sign when the groom takes a long pause -- an uneasy look on his face -- before repeating the "till death do us part" statement). But the reception featured a chocolate fountain, which made the trip to Stillwater almost worthwhile. Among the guests was Eddie Sutton, the basketball coach at Oklahoma State University, and I was astonished to learn that the normally hangdog coach is capable of smiling. The day after the nuptials, I traveled to Oklahoma City, where I dined at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill. I'm generally not a fan of country music, but I must confess a soft spot for Mr. Keith. It must be his sense of humor, or perhaps the smell of his boot. In any case, the food was good and the portions gigantic. My chicken-fried steak was bigger than my turban.