IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR THIS TIME, and I’m woman enough to admit I am in full-blown denial. We cannot be on the cusp of a new season already. Especially that one that comes after my favorite, when flip-flops and shorts are a semi-acceptable uniform, frizzy hair is given grace due to the relentless high humidity and water-cooler discussion turns us all into budding meteorologists with opinions on the heat index. You know, the season when the T.V. weather people hype the so-called cool fronts where we kiss the mid- to low-90s for the day and we all go along and rejoice in the respite!
Luckily for my chill-averse marrow, Oklahoma likes to ease into fall, with several “in-between” months where you could close your eyes and imagine you just might be experiencing an unseasonable summer day and not the inexorable slide into the shortest days of the year. The quality of our gorgeous fall light will give it away, though – there’s nothing like the warm-toned low beams Mother Nature puts on when the leaves begin to change. I’ve found that focusing on the positive aspects of the season are what really gets me through, and as much as I like to moan and groan, fall has a lot going for it.
First, you should know that around our office, we don’t usually refer to it by its proper name but instead as “boot season.” Ahh, that feels a little bit better. Just picturing riding boots, Wellies and slouchy ankle booties is taking me to a more serene place already. There’s also the anticipation of holiday gatherings with friends and family, college football season and our very own NBA team holding court. Better, much better. And leftover Halloween candy that we can’t possibly let go to waste? Hip, hip, hooray (that may be a blood sugar spike talking, but I’ll take it)!
With those happy thoughts in mind, this issue hits the high points in two arenas of season-appropriate excitement … on page 58, Timothy Fields orchestrates our annual fall fashion preview on the grounds of Remington Park. Inspired by the race day looks seen on runways, we get up close and personal with the equine stars of the track. We even put together a short behind-the-scenes video of our shoot. Take a look at sliceok.com/style/ so you can feel like you were there with us, without the hassle of waking up extra early or packing your most manure-resistant footwear.
Sean Becker also takes a turn getting us prepped for the coming months, with “Thunder Boom.” Is there anyone who doesn’t love the Thunder? (Most Seattleites excepted, of course). In addition to the much-deserved fan adoration, the team has been an incredible boon for the economy in the metro, and we look into some of the facts of the matter on page 50. Not shabby at all for a fairly young team in a city that is just starting out with a top-tier sports endeavor. I confess I have brought my e-reader to a game (nerd alert, I know) but it was only when our tickets were in the highest altitudes and I might have been watching the game from my couch for all the good my feeble, myopic orbs did me. Good tickets make all the difference, and during a later game when I was close enough to see the players’ sweat flying through the air, I was on my feet, jumping and screaming with the rest of the crowd for most of the electric second half, high-fiving total strangers and trying not to spill my beer. Now that’s a great time!
