States

I saw a note on Facebook about the number of states the note-r had been to, but I decided to copy it here instead. Plus, mine will have additional information and be non-alphabetical--I think I'll go with roughly chronological.

1. Massachusetts: I was born there but have no recollection of it. Neal says it counts, though.

2. New Hampshire & 3. Maine: ditto on the not-remembering. I've been told I went on a trip to Maine (via New Hampshire? I'm fuzzy on the details) and did not enjoy it. I don't know if I'm missing any other travel-through states that I do not recall.

4. Kentucky & 5. Tennessee: We lived in Kentucky when I was wee, in a town on the border with Tennessee--which is where the hospital in which my sister was born is. (I've renewed these recently in Neal-family-related trips.)
6. Kansas: what up!

7. Colorado: I have been to Colorado countless times. It's always great.

8. New Mexico: we went on a trip there when I was in high school and saw Carlsbad Caverns (caves are awesome). To get there, we drove through

9. Oklahoma: lots of driving through this one, since it's on the way to

10. Texas: college! And during college, I took trips to

11. Pennsylvania: I got to walk on streets that John Adams strolled down with Thomas Jefferson (before the unpleasantness) when they were in the Continental Congress. (I have to assume there were fewer homeless people at the time--total, if not [perhaps] per capita.) From Pennsylvania, we walked to

12. New Jersey: The best part about walking to New Jersey is getting to say "I walked to New Jersey." Obviously, I still get a kick out of it.

13. Louisiana: I visited pre-Katrina New Orleans. There were mimes, high taxes, rude waitresses, cute architecture, and delicious beignets. I'm sure those things are there again/still.

14. Arkansas: I went on a couple of Spring Break church trips there. Let me tell you, Arkansas is not pretty in March.

It was still fun, though.

15. Maryland: Maryland was OK. The real attraction was

BONUS! Washington D.C.: I bet that happens to Maryland a lot.

16. California: And you know what? I did have fun, fun, fun!

17. Illinois: I still need to tell you guys about when Neal took me to see Wicked in Chicago. I went to the top of the Sears Tower once,but it wasn't a pretty day.

18. Michigan: It was real cold. Then there are those states that I've driven through instead of to, such as

19. Indiana, 20. Missouri, 21. Iowa & 22. Nebraska: Sorry, guys. I rather enjoyed driving through Nebraska--very specific road signs and lots of places to stop on the interstate, instead of signs indicating there's something at the exit which is really two miles away from the exit. (I'm looking at you, Iowa.) Similarly, there are my airport states

23. Minnesota: I got a connecting flight there. (I did like that the St. Paul airport had moving sidewalks everywhere!) And 24. South Carolina: on the way to D.C., our plane had to wait for weather, and it waited in South Carolina. I didn't leave the plane, but again, I checked with Neal and he votes that it counts. That leaves

25. Wisconsin: I live there! (For now.)



UPDATE: According to my dad (see the comments), I have also been to (through) 26. Connecticut and 27. Ohio. Over 50%, baby! Click here to read more . . .

Footbaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllll!

Well, it's now officially college football season! (You can tell because Baylor already has a losing record.)

That means it's time for Coach Sherman: Year One!

I am trying not to get my hopes up too far about The Shermanator, especially for his first year. Some people (and by "some people," I mean "idiots on TexAgs") think that anything less than nine wins is unacceptable, or than ten wins shouldn't be a problem. Ten wins?!? The Ags haven't gotten double-digit wins since 1998. Come on, people! First year coach! Ease up on the expectations.

Ergo, I am setting my expectation bar here: six wins. Just six, just get bowl eligible. (We would go to a lame bowl at six wins--I don't think we'd get passed over because Aggies travel well--but the name will never be lamer than the GalleryFurniture.Com Bowl, and at least we won that one.) I think, given this year's relatively forgiving schedule, that we could do better than that, but I refuse to be up in arms if we are not.

The exception, of course, is if in racking up six losses, we look horrible. Despite the saying "a win is a win," I am going to be very disappointed if our wins come from being just-barely-less-horrible than the other team, or if our losses are by monumental margins. Because I am just too familiar with that, thanks to our previous coach.

That's why it's oddly fitting that the Aggies' season opener is against Arkansas State, the same cupcake the "Coach Fran Era" began with. Back in 2003, it was a fairly unimpressive outing. I am anxious to see (well, hear--it's not like this baby is going to be on network TV) if the ShermAggies can do better than a field-goal-heavy 15-point not-really-a-beatdown of Ark State.

After tomorrow's game, it's on to New Mexico at New Mexico and Miami at Kyle (I predict that we may lose one of those two, but as long as it's not flat out embarrassing like last year's Miami at Miami [when Miami turned out to be awful against opponents that we . . . anyone other than us], I think I'll be OK with it), and then Army at Kyle (which, if we lose it or have to win it with "a last-second goal-line stand" AGAIN, will make me very unhappy). So, I'm thinking 3-1 or 4-0 for what I keep trying to remember not to call "preseason." Depending on those performances, we'll see what may be possible in the Big XII.

One note about that Big XII schedule now, though--many football analysts have us losing to Iowa State at Iowa State. Um . . . no? They're . . . the Baylor of the North? You guys are . . . high? But I guess I'll have to eat my words if and only if we are much, much worse than we ought to be.

Special bonus time! Here are three non-Aggie football stories I'll be following:

1) How good is Kansas?

I never totally felt like I knew the answer to this last year. Basically, they had two tough games--Missouri and Virginia Tech--which they split. However, this year they have a real non-conference game (South Florida) instead of all cupcakes, all the time (Mangino's motto! [I'm sorry; Mark Mangino fat jokes are one of those things that you think will get old, but they never do]). They also trade the easiest-possible slate of South games they had last year (Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Baylor) for the tougher counterparts to each of those teams (Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech). It will be amazing if they do as well this year as they did last year, but even if they drop two of their games against the South + Missouri, I'll be more convinced that they're legit than last year.

2) Can Texas Tech live up to the hype?

Man, sportswriters are going crazy over Tech this summer. I've seen BCS bowl predictions, and at least one national championship prediction. O . . . K? I mean, I do think Tech will have the best team they've had in recent memory. That being said, they're still in the Big XII South. They have to get past Texas (which they may be able to do this year, sure) and Oklahoma--and I can't think that really, even if I try to put aside my semi-irrational hatred for Texas Tech, that that's really going to happen, last year's head-to-head matchup aside. (Maybe if Bradford gets all concussed again?) Plus, Tech has that pesky tendency to drop games to terrible teams. So my guess on the original question is . . . no, not really.

3) So . . . how about those Badgers?

I do live in Madison, WI, and attend the University of Wisconsin, so I feel like I ought to care about this. And I guess I do. After all, the Badgers are predicted to be the second best team in the Big Televen and are figured to have the best shot in the conference of taking down Ohio State. And yet . . . it's the Big Ten. They play boring, boring football here, that's all I'm saying. Maybe someday the 'sband and I will move back to Big XII or even SEC country. One can hope.

Click here to read more . . .

I'm Excited

How fitting that on this Kansas Day Eve, Kansas's governor may be getting herself ready in the wings of the national stage.

CNN's story "Dems tap Kansas governor for State of the Union response" caught my interest, but even more so when it turned out it's mostly about how Kathleen Sebelius would be a very attractive running mate for one Barack Obama. (Of course, she wouldn't get picked by Hillary, because a lady/lady ticket?!??! THAT'S INSANE!!!!!!)

(Tangent: I think it's a shame that when we finally get a viable woman presidential candidate, it's darn ol' Hillary. The upside is that if she loses [*fingers-crossed for at-the-nomination-stage*], we'll know it's because she's Hillary, and not because she's a woman. I am confident in my believe that people violently dislike her because of who she is, not because of her gender.)

(In a tangent to a tangent to a tangent, I do of course know that there are people who wouldn't vote for a woman simply because she's a woman. Those people certainly may post such opinions here, though with the caveat that I will eviscerate them.)

I'll lay my cards on the table for you here: I think I love Obama, but I'm nervous that it's for the wrong reasons. It's not because of specific policies, it's because of his philosophies, the way the thinks about things, and the way everything (ok, almost everything) is something I really want to hear. I want politics not to be about picking sides and throwing mud at the other kids. I want it not to be lobbyist-driven. I agree with him that applying Christian faith to public policy means you ought to help people who need help. (Also, he's received what is probably one of the best-written endorsements ever.) Picturing him as President genuinely suffuses me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. I need to compare the policies and positions of the three (although I think even Edwards has given up and decided to run for vice-president) before the Wisconsin primary (February 19th, so I doubt it'll be important anyway) . . . but I already know what I hope the ticket will be. (Hint: Obama/Sebelius '08!) Click here to read more . . .

Shut Up, Dorothy

I'm watching the [product placement suppressed] Orange Bowl, and wouldn't you know it--a Virginia Tech fan made a sign that says "You're not in Kansas anymore!"

Here's a tip, people not-from-Kansas. If you make that joke to a Kansan, they have heard it before. I don't care if you're talking to a non-English speaker from Dodge City or a four-year-old from Topeka; you will not be the first. (The Wizard of Oz came out in 1939, so that joke must have gotten all the life throttled out of it by 1941.)

In conclusion, stop it.

Click here to read more . . .