OT: Oklahoma

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Mon May 11, 2009 10:14 am

Can anyone from OK give their opinion on the state concerning cost of living, quality of life, friendliness, any places to stay away from, etc? My wife is considering applying for a position at the University of Oklahoma at Norman and any information would be most welcome. We would be coming from Ohio and I suppose us northerners wouldn't be welcomed with opened arms.

Thanks,
UncleBuck

Gun Smith · Post by **Gun Smith** » Mon May 11, 2009 10:23 am

Just get your Oklahoma license plates as soon as you arrive. They'll never know! Worked great when we moved from Kalifornia to Oregon.

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Mon May 11, 2009 10:36 am

I have never found them to be that way, do you have a strong eastern accent?
I find that in the southwest, that turns people off real fast.

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Mon May 11, 2009 10:42 am

Mescalero I,

No, we don't have strong eastern accents, but I suppose we sound like we come from Ohio. If need be I can put a twang in my voice. However, after all, I am UncleBuck

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Mon May 11, 2009 10:49 am

Seriously,
I Don't see a problem, I was there last Febuary( FAA mandatory ) flogging.
Other than freezing my Phoenix posterior off, I had a good time.

O.S.O.K. · Post by **O.S.O.K.** » Mon May 11, 2009 10:51 am

I live in Texas. But OK is very similar to northern TX. If you are good guy, you will be welcomed. Remember that a large % of OK City folk are not from OK. Further, your midwestern lack of accent will be very normal in Norman

donw · Post by **donw** » Mon May 11, 2009 12:25 pm

being a 'prune picker' by birth but an okie by upbringing and living...oklahoma is a great place to live.

it has ticks, chiggers, snapping turtles, water moccasins, tornadoes, snow waist deep to a tall indian at times but what state doesn't have 'negatives'? kaliphornia has earthquakes and wildfires and a terrible legislature along with lots of desert (where i live) that everythiong thing there bites, stings or claws and thats just the vegatation...

it has wonderful summer afternoons, chasing lightning bugs, some of the best fishing one can imagine, so much western history it's a western history nuts dream. it's a professional, small boy's dream...huntin', fishin' and chasing crawdads...

at least it was in the areas where i lived...around heavener and lawton.

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Mon May 11, 2009 4:08 pm

UncleBuck wrote:Mescalero I,

No, we don't have strong eastern accents, but I suppose we sound like we come from Ohio. If need be I can put a twang in my voice. However, after all, I am UncleBuck

What accent?

You guys have the accent!

Been to the Tulsa area a few times. Really liked it. Would like to explore more of the state.

jb

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Mon May 11, 2009 4:45 pm

We do not!

RKrodle · Post by **RKrodle** » Mon May 11, 2009 4:50 pm

2ndovc wrote:
UncleBuck wrote:Mescalero I,

No, we don't have strong eastern accents, but I suppose we sound like we come from Ohio. If need be I can put a twang in my voice. However, after all, I am UncleBuck

What accent?

You guys have the accent!

jb

Watt ya'll takin bout accents

Kansas Ed · Post by **Kansas Ed** » Mon May 11, 2009 4:59 pm

We live close enough to OK that we make fairly regular trips to Tulsa and OK City. I love Oklahoma, for one I wish I paid their taxes instead of KS taxes. But that being said...you will wear out a set of shocks on Oklahoma roads in a hurry. They have some of the crappiest roads in the nation, right along with Missouri. We were looking at moving to the Owasso (Tulsa) area for awhile, but the jobs fell through at the last minute.

They also have a neat deal on property taxes for the retired. I've been told that they lock your taxes on your property once you hit retirement age, and they don't change until the property changes hands. I'm sure someone from OK can verify this. Considering what KS does to all property owners and their taxes it would be a nice change.

Ed

cnjarvis · Post by **cnjarvis** » Tue May 12, 2009 12:08 am

Buck, C'mon down. We could always use a few more lever gunners. Most of us Okies are good folks. Friendly and always willing to help. I've lived here all my life and can't imagine living anywhere else. We're pretty gun-friendly as well. There's no open carry but we're dead last on the "Brady Bunch's" report card list and we have decent hunting seasons too.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me. If you're going to be down this way let me know and I'll show you around.

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Tue May 12, 2009 9:28 am

cnjarvis,

Hey, thanks for the invite. If it's the Lord's will we head on down there I will certainly look you up. My only reservation concerns the bad tornado season you have, but my wife loves Toby Keith so tornados are no big deal to her :

Thanks to all for your insight on your great state

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Tue May 12, 2009 9:45 am

Who is Toby Kieth?

deerwhacker444 · Post by **deerwhacker444** » Tue May 12, 2009 10:06 am

Yeah, come on down and check it out. I was at Norman yesterday getting my kidneys punched to smash up some gravel. Norman Regional is a nice little hospital.

I live about an hour to the east of Norman. If you like city living, Norman is a good one since it's a college town, they have everything you need without going to OKC. If you like the countryside, a 15-20 minute drive in 3 directions will put you in all the cow pasture and farm land you'll find anywhere.

People are generally friendly, although you'll have to pick a team. Either OU or OSU. Wearing the wrong colors will get you more dirty looks than a NE accent ever will....

I wore my OSU Alumi hat to Norman yesterday just to let em know I wasn't scared. Of course we all come together as a state when we play any team from Texas. Texans are the lowest of the low

, and we can loose every game on the season as long as we beat the Texas teams. It really burns them up since alot of OU's team is made up from Texans that weren't picked by Texas schools.

Roads aren't that good, you just gotta swerve around and use both lanes..!

Tornados..? Well, if your number's up, your numbers up., just like a fire or flood or anything else. I will say that this state has the best Tornado coverage in the nation. If the weather service even expects tornados to happen on a certain day, the media sends out dozens of weather spotters to get ready to follow the storms, plus a couple of helicopters. If there is a tornado touchdown everybody will know it. It will be live on TV and on the radio. Being accidentally killed by a tornado would be low in my list of things to be worried about. I'm more scared of Chiggers than tornados..!

Guns are no problems. There's probably guns behind every door in the majority of households in this state, for both 4 legged and 2 legged critters. Lot's of places to hunt if you want to spend a little money. Lots of lakes to fish in.

Feel free to email me as well if you have any questions. DBW is another okie on this forum and there are a few others as well who might chime in.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Tue May 12, 2009 10:13 am

Just to give you guys in Oklahoma a wake up call and a frightening thought:

I was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma in 1943 (moved/left in 1948) (and this is where the frightening part comes in)and I might just go back for a visit sometime.

Bearing that in mind "UncleBuck", you may want to reconsider your proposed move to OK.

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Tue May 12, 2009 1:05 pm

mescalero1,

Toby Keith is a country singer, and a pretty darn good one if I do say so.

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Tue May 12, 2009 1:08 pm

deerwhacker444,

Hey thanks for the more in-depth information. I'm gonna do some more reading about your state, but I do appreciate your input, especially about Norman.

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Tue May 12, 2009 1:12 pm

Modoc ED,

Doggone right. If we wind up moving there, I'll be lookin' out fer ya

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Tue May 12, 2009 1:15 pm

I was raised by folks from Eastern Oklahoma, and as long as you were an honorable person trying to do your best, didn't matter where you came from...you were treated like a King. Best and most non-judmental folks I've met, though those Texans are mighty nice too.

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Tue May 12, 2009 2:22 pm

4t5 · Post by **4t5** » Tue May 12, 2009 3:03 pm

THE STATE YOU'RE COMING FROM STARTS WITH AN "O", THEY PROBABLY WON'T NOTICE THE REST!

piller · Post by **piller** » Tue May 12, 2009 7:38 pm

My Dad was born in Oklahoma, I still have relatives there, and I think it is a pretty good state. If I had to choose a state to live in other than Texas, it would be Oklahoma. Someplace has to be second best.

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Tue May 12, 2009 7:59 pm

4t5,

They won't notice as long as I don't wear a Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indian, or Ohio State cap.

OH, I guess it wouldn't be PC to wear an Indians hat in OK.

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Tue May 12, 2009 8:10 pm

Sure it would, they would think you're a native!

okdee · Post by **okdee** » Tue May 12, 2009 8:34 pm

I was born and raised in NE Oklahoma, a little north of Tulsa. I moved and have been trying to get back since!

OU is a great school, bar none. Live out in the Mustang area and drive to work!

Good folks and good manners.

Great luck.

Cheers
Oklahoma Dee

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Tue May 12, 2009 9:37 pm

Good place to be. OKC is not a bad city... fairly safe and you cant tell the players without a scorecard if you end up in the wrong part of town.

Sales Taxes... that the bad deal.... every city charges sales tax (8-9%) on everything... meds and groceries included.

The commute into OKC on I40 or I 44 is horrendous. Coming in from the Edmond area is a bit easier on I 35

Big nice homes on lots are a real value... OKC has some very nice inner city areas too. Finding 10 acres can be harder. But if you are looking for bigger places they are around. Land is productive here... and farm land is still worth something.

OKC has theaters, music and sports... plus lots of other stuff to see and do. Plus... we are only about 2.5 hours from Dallas Ft Worth or Witchita KS if we need a to visit another big city.

Most folks are pretty cool here... almost "liberal" (in the best way...open and caring) with a little redneck edge. If you move to a smaller town... kids still say ma'am and sir at school and our district wont do social promotion... fail enough classes and repeat the grade.

Zoning can be a bit uneaven... single wide trailers next to mansions out in the country...

The state motto translates from Latin to a phrase loosly meaning.." if we build good roads Yankees will come and stay"

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Tue May 12, 2009 10:21 pm

DBW · Post by **DBW** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 8:38 am

I moved to Oklahoma City in 1980 when I was sixteen. I'm officially an Okie and even have the accent.

I lived in Norman for awhile back in the late '80s. It's a great town with everthing you'd ever want available. Sadly it's growing like crazy and likely will lose it's college town aura. The ten miles of open space between Norman and Moore (next town north on I35) is now filled with strip malls, houses and people. I can remember when there were only wheat fields and grazing cattle.

I pretty much left the OKC area after my divorce in 2001. I bought five acres of land just north of Antlers, Oklahoma in the southeastern part of the state. That's home for me now and this fall I'll be bringing my Canadian wife down at which time we'll build our cabin and hide out from the world when not cruising around the country in this Kenworth. She's looking forward to the move though she has some concerns about the heat. I keep telling her that she'll acclimate.

Barcelona Rick · Post by **Barcelona Rick** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:19 am

Deerwhacker444,

Happiness is an Okie headed north on I35 with a yankee under each arm.....OU is the parole arm of Dallas Carter HS....that being said....Oklahoma is a wonderful state and the people are great....OKC has some great places to visit but SE Oklahoma is beautiful just like NE Texas....

jumbeaux

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:34 am

DBW,

Yeah it sure is a shame that all these developers come in and build those dime-a dozen strip malls for a quick & easy buck. It seems that after a couple of years the stores occupying them are all out of business and all run down but a NEW strip mall goes up a mile down the road.
Jumpin Judas but people sure are GREEDY.

Thanks for the update on OK, and I wish you and your bride the Lord's Blessings on your new life together

PS: have you had a chance to shoot that Ruger airgun yet?

DBW · Post by **DBW** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:15 am

UncleBuck wrote:DBW,

Yeah it sure is a shame that all these developers come in and build those dime-a dozen strip malls for a quick & easy buck. It seems that after a couple of years the stores occupying them are all out of business and all run down but a NEW strip mall goes up a mile down the road.
Jumpin Judas but people sure are GREEDY.

Thanks for the update on OK, and I wish you and your bride the Lord's Blessings on your new life together

PS: have you had a chance to shoot that Ruger airgun yet?

The wife and I have been married about four and a half years. Her 17 year old daughter graduated from high school this month and goes to college this fall and will live with the grandparents. We finally sold my wife's house with a closing date of August 21. We are now in the process of selling off, giving away or donating the household stuff for an easy move. Almost all of my things are still back in OKC just waiting for when we build the cabin.

That's a negative on the air rifle. I've got it with me in the truck but because I've been rolling steadily since picking it up I haven't had a chance to get anywhere long enough to buy pellets.

deerwhacker444 · Post by **deerwhacker444** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 12:31 pm

jumbeaux wrote:Deerwhacker444,

Happiness is an Okie headed north on I35 with a yankee under each arm.....OU is the parole arm of Dallas Carter HS
jumbeaux

piller · Post by **piller** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:56 pm

You have to admire the Oklahome sense of humor. What other state has a town named "Slapout" or "Hooker"?

DBW · Post by **DBW** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:49 pm

piller wrote:You have to admire the Oklahome sense of humor. What other state has a town named "Slapout" or "Hooker"?

Or Bugtussle.

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Sun Jun 14, 2009 4:31 am

I live in the Moore/ Norman area (in the "no-man's land DBW was referring to in his post) ----- Living close to the University is fun and the wife and i go to the "strip" (every college town has one) for pizza and beer quite a bit and to see whats new on campus. The whole area is decidedly "suburban" , meaning you cant go a quarter mile without hitting some department store, restaurant or new housing development, but a lot of places are that way now. Things start getting a little more relaxed just 3 or 4 miles east of I-35 though

The aspect of Oklahoma that keeps me here has been the price of land. At my admittedly modest income level, there is no way i could afford a 10 acre "Gentlemen's Ranch" anywhere else. I could make a bit more money on either one of the coasts, but at the cost of sacrificing the way of life i am accustomed to. As a side note, there are a few good shooting ranges within 30 minutes of Norman too.

If you make it down, shoot me a PM and i'll buy you a cup of coffee and fill ya in on the shooting spots

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Sun Jun 14, 2009 9:49 pm

Streetstar,

Thanks for the offer!

FWiedner · Post by **FWiedner** » Sun Jun 14, 2009 10:27 pm

Ditto on the similarities between N. Texas and Oklahoma.

I doubt anyone will care about the vaugue midwestern accent, but if you got any stupid east-coast ideas about gun control or saving Bambi from hunters that you intend to import, don't bother packin' yer bags.

gunslinger598 · Post by **gunslinger598** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:32 am

I'm in S E Oklahoma, between Antlers & Hugo.

I came here 9 years ago.

Some natives recently told me that it seems like now days just about everyone is from somewhere else. I guess the cat is out of the bag about this place.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:20 am

Hey Buck,

I don't know a thing about OK but I can tell you this. If you'll contact the chamber of commerce in the area you're thinking about moving to they can give you print outs that show the relative cost of living between where you'll be wanting to go to and where you'll be coming from. It will also show other places you can compare to.

DBW · Post by **DBW** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 7:46 pm

gunslinger598 wrote:I'm in S E Oklahoma, between Antlers & Hugo.

I came here 9 years ago.

Some natives recently told me that it seems like now days just about everyone is from somewhere else. I guess the cat is out of the bag about this place.

We'll have to get together once I finally get my wife down to Oklahoma and I build my cabin on my land just north of Antlers in the Kiamichi Wilderness.

_n4z_ · Post by **_n4z_** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:12 pm

I was born and raised in Michigan. Been in Oklahoma since 1988, and lived in Norman for close to 10 years.

Nobody in Norman is going to care if your a yankee. It's a very cool town, and close to OKC.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:12 pm

Just remember it isn't a pop its a soda and you will be fine.

Travis Morgan · Post by **Travis Morgan** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 9:28 pm

UncleBuck wrote:mescalero1,

Toby Keith is a country singer, and a pretty darn good one if I do say so.

That depends on your definition of "country".

Folks in Oklahoma(where I was born) tend to be a bit clannish; as in, "If you ain't from here, you don't belong here". After a while, though(two or three decades) you'll be accepted.

Basically, once they decide you're alright, you're in. But if you screw somebody..... move.

gunslinger598 · Post by **gunslinger598** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 9:53 pm

DBW wrote:
gunslinger598 wrote:I'm in S E Oklahoma, between Antlers & Hugo.

I came here 9 years ago.

Some natives recently told me that it seems like now days just about everyone is from somewhere else. I guess the cat is out of the bag about this place.
We'll have to get together once I finally get my wife down to Oklahoma and I build my cabin on my land just north of Antlers in the Kiamichi Wilderness.

I'm around Antlers quite a bit. My friend lives there (10 miles from me)

We were just talking about driving a horse & wagon in the homecoming parade this coming Saturday.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:03 pm

Though I've never been there, my great Uncle John E. Cash is buried in Kosoma and there was family around Antlers. He was our only family member who fought for the Union. His Dad fought against him as a Confederate Cavalryman and both survived the War. I bet they had some "interesting" discussions afterward.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~usgen ... /jcash.jpg

cnjarvis · Post by **cnjarvis** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:52 pm

JReed wrote:Just remember it isn't a pop its a soda and you will be fine.

It's coke or pop for me.

DBW · Post by **DBW** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:33 pm

JReed wrote:Just remember it isn't a pop its a soda and you will be fine.

Exactly. My Canadian wife still gets a hoot when I call a Coke a soda. She calls it pop.

Her hairstylist calls to the house just to hear me speak on the voicemail message. She says she digs my accent.

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:05 pm

JReed wrote:
Just remember it isn't a pop its a soda and you will be fine. :w

I call my Dad "POP," and call pop soda

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:08 pm

Travis Morgan said: After a while, though(two or three decades) you'll be accepted. Basically, once they decide you're alright, you're in.

Travis Morgan- Hell in two or three decades I'll be planted six feet under and will only have to worry about being accepted by the Lord: