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Friday, April 10, 2015

It's Not Heaven, It's Iowa

Yes, it's where I'm from.
Iowa~ the land of pig poo and corn fields.

Not to be confused with Idaho (you'd a what? ((That just makes me laugh)), which grows a ton of potatoes.
Some people also confuse Iowa with Ohio.
I do not have a clue why.

Maybe it's the whole, I'm a vowel, they're a vowel.
It's all good.

But, no one seems to get us confused with Indiana or Utah.
I may need to rethink the vowel thing.

My state was one of the first to introduce showing ID and signing in order to buy the good cough syrup.
You're welcome.

We also brought you Tom Vilsack- head of the USDA.
I'm sorry.

We have RAGBAI- Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. If you want to ride 50-100 miles a day over most likely hilly terrain and some easy flat areas, this might be a trip for you. Did I mention it is in July, in the nice humid, sweltering heat that this great state is know for?

We were the 4th state to allow gay marriage. Not voted in, but the supreme court justices said outlawing it was discrimination. Big hoopla at first. Some people thought there would be a major surge of gay people getting married. Now, nobody really cares.

Cannibis oil is legal, but it cannot be manufactured here and you are not allowed to legally bring it from Colorado to Iowa because Nebraska will arrest your sorry ass.

Smoking is not allowing in any public buildings. Except  for casinos. Slot machines are not the same rush if you can't smoke.

Iowa has a nice long gardening season, if you are so inclined.

The cost of living isn't too bad. OK, it's not great but more affordable than many other states.

Can't forget first caucus in the nation status.
Politicians care. News stations care.
I don't think anybody else cares.
Except for when it's over all and the ads go away for awhile.

I hope you have enjoyed your little lesson on Iowa.

21 comments:

  1. Your mention of Iowa along with Idaho reminds me of a guy I knew on my ship who was from Iowa. I always joked with him. "How many potatoes do they grow in Iowa?" I asked him.
    "About a bushel," he'd answer.
    Yeah, we cracked ourselves up.

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    1. Al, when I lived in Ark. this guy kept mixing up Idaho and Iowa and Ohio. And all the time, he'd mention how we grew potatoes. Finally I got tired of him being stupid and told him in no uncertain terms that it was Idaho and Iowa grew corn. He remembered from that day on. If he was joking, that was one thing. Stupid is just stupid. He may have smoked too much wacky tobacky.

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    2. This sounds VERY similar to my shipmate and I. I think (I can't exactly remember) that I was serious in thinking Iowa grew potatoes when I first met him. From then on, I KNEW they didn't, but I kept asking him how many potatoes they grew in Iowa as a joke.

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    3. Incidentally, this will be in the book I'm writing about my time on the ship. The character's name is O'Dell (not his real name).

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    4. Al, I plan to read your next one when you get it done.
      And I actually have a friend that grows and sells potatoes. But, she is severely outnumbered by the pig farmers.

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  2. I used to live in Ohio, and when I went overseas, they called it Ohiho.

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    1. Susie, maybe I shouldn't laugh because they were in another country, but that's funny.

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  3. Politicians care? Sounds like heaven to me.

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    1. Robyn, about the caucus. Don't kid yourself that it's actually anything important. :)

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  4. I learned a lot!- love that long gardening season :)

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    1. Lynn, I think that is the biggest perk for me. :)

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  5. Thanks for the introduction to Corn Country… I'll leave the saying of the name to others. LOL

    It reminds me of names like Eileen and Elaine … those vowels do it to me every time!

    Great I post! You're just smoking with this A to Z Challenge! :) Cheers, Jenny xo

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    1. Thanks, Jenny. Another fun fact~ Iowa was named for the Ioway tribe of Native Americans.

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  6. So if I ever visit Iowa you are telling me I should watch where I step? lol

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    1. Pat, As long as you stay out of hog confinements, feed lots, and stay away from fields when the farmers are doing their field injection of poo I think you are safe. On windy days, it might still stink.

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  7. I've driven through Iowa :)

    betty

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  8. You forget to mention that Prince Farming (the Bachelor) is from Iowa. My son graduated from the University of Iowa last year, and we always enjoyed visiting the pretty campus in Iowa City. A visit wouldn't be complete without a stop at The World's Largest Truck Stop on our way home. We would usually stop for gas and Dairy Queen ( in that order), and were impressed that they also had a barber shop, dentist and showers all under one roof!

    Julie

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    1. Julie, I do forget about that, but I don't watch that show. U of I does have a nice campus. I remember going up the spiral staircase in the old capitol during a field trip once.

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  9. So you're from Arkansas huh?

    Longer gardening season? Doesn't that co-incide with more weeding?
    I hear the heat in the summer is awful. I love being sandwiched...between the great lakes. We have our own little weather up here in the mitten state.

    I do love bacon and baby back ribs though!

    Bushman
    2015 A to Z Challenge Ambassador
    @jwb81074

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    1. No, Jeff. I am from Iowa, but I lived in Ark for a couple years.
      It is pretty humid down there. Iowa is humid, but Arkansas brings it to a whole new level of muggy.
      We just till the weeds under. My husband is big on an orderly looking garden. I figure as long as the plant is bigger than the weed, it's all good. But, whatever trips his trigger.

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Thanks for commenting.