After a busy week, I was looking forward to a slow, simple Friday. The day started off that way, with a relaxed pace until around 3 p.m., when our plans changed for the better. Originally, we had arranged for the babysitter to come and watch the kids for just four hours. But as it turns out, we were able to extend that into an overnight break—an unexpected and welcome surprise!
Once the babysitter arrived, we started getting ready for our mini-getaway. As soon as we stepped out of the house, food was on our minds. We decided to search for an Indian restaurant to satisfy our hunger. Naturally, Astro was with us, and I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about bringing him into an Indian restaurant. Sadly, in my experience, I’ve been denied entry to places like Indian, Chinese, or Arabic restaurants more times than I can count. It’s either a lack of understanding or plain disregard for the law regarding guide dogs. Regardless, it’s still frustrating every time it happens.
But this time was different. When we arrived, the waiter, Bilal, greeted us warmly with no hesitation or questions about Astro. I was relieved, and that moment set the tone for the rest of the evening. We sat down and had an absolutely delicious dinner—everything hit the spot, and we left the restaurant completely stuffed.
Feeling content and full, we decided to take our evening to the next level with a visit to the movie theater. I hadn’t been to the movies in ages, and the idea of catching a film seemed like the perfect way to round out our night.
After dinner, we made our way to the movie theater, excited to relax and enjoy a film. The big question was: what should we watch? After some back and forth, we finally settled on *Deadpool and Wolverine*. I hadn’t seen any of the previous movies featuring either character, but to my surprise, I was able to follow along just fine—and it was hilarious from start to finish!
One cool feature at the theater was the availability of audio description devices for the blind and visually impaired. These small boxes come with headphones, and they provide a narration of the on-screen action. It’s such a great tool, allowing me to enjoy movies alongside everyone else. Unfortunately, the first device they gave us didn’t work at all, which was really frustrating. I ended up having to go back and swap it out, and while the second one didn’t work right away either, after some fiddling, it finally kicked in and worked perfectly for the rest of the movie.
I understand that these devices probably aren’t used every day, but they should be ready to go the first time without any issues. It’s disappointing to miss parts of the movie just because the equipment isn’t functioning properly. It’s 2024—things like this should be more reliable by now, but unfortunately, these hiccups still happen.
Despite that small setback, the movie itself was fantastic. Ahmed, in classic fashion, somehow ended up with not one but two *giant* buckets of popcorn. I couldn’t believe it when he came back with them—they were huge! We didn’t come close to finishing them, but it added some humor to the night for sure.
After the movie, we found a nearby hotel and crashed for the night. We were tired, but it was a fun and eventful Friday night.
Saturday morning rolled around, but without any solid plans, we were happy to just go with the flow. In fact, we ended up sleeping in right until checkout time! I guess we needed the rest more than we thought. 😄
Once we were up and ready, our first thought was food—no surprise there! So, we headed to downtown Oakdale, where we stumbled upon a lovely bistro.
I ordered a steak salad, and let me tell you, it was packed with all sorts of tasty things. Every bite was a mix of delicious flavors, and it hit the spot perfectly. For dessert, I indulged in a brownie sundae, which was simply amazing—rich, gooey, and satisfying!
After filling up on good food, we decided to check out the Oakdale Cowboy Museum, which was just a short walk away. I’ve always been curious about places like that, and it didn’t disappoint. The museum may have been small, but it was packed with fascinating history. There was an entire room dedicated to old saddles, lassos, pictures, newspaper articles, belt buckles, guns, branding irons for cows, and all sorts of cowboy gear. One thing that really surprised me was the fact that they had articles about rodeo champions from 2024—such a cool mix of old and new!
After the museum, it was time to head home and relieve the babysitter. Now, here I am, writing this post while the girls are happily watching their favorite show, *Bubble Guppies*. Even Safa—she absolutely loves it!
As I wrap up this blog post, I’m also trying to figure out what to make for dinner. It’s been a good day so far, and I’m grateful for the little moments that made it special. 😊
The Dappled Odysseys 