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Wednesday, July 9, 2008
828 - Blame it on the Tetons
A very popular national music group is called Modest Mouse. Saw them not too long ago on Saturday Night Live, for example.
One of their popular songs (which I guess I am the last to know this) is called Blame It On The Tetons.
It is easy to blame a lot of things of the overwhelming beauty of the Teton Mountain Range.
Not sure why that theme was picked by this group, which does not hail from Wyoming, but no doubt one of their songwriters has some experience here.
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Our state was also mentioned on Saturday Night Live about the same time. Back on March 3, a hilarious cartoon called “The Obama Files” started out with a scene with a caption across the front: WYOMING, FEB 21, discussing some secret Obama plan.
Wyoming?
We know that Sen. Obama has a 50-state strategy. Even Gov. Dave Freudenthal, who is a big booster, talked about it to a nationwide audience on Meet the Press from Jackson Hole last Sunday. He also said that it would be a huge upset if the young candidate could carry the Cowboy State.
The governor also contended that Vice President Dick Cheney had lost some support in his home state but that he would regain it once he retired from office.
∑ * *
Well, I went to the lake with my grandkids instead of visiting the Rainbow Family.
Sorry to my faithful readers who were counting on me for a first-hand report, but, well it just did not seem as exciting to me as taking these young kids fishing at Flaming Gorge.
Not sure I would have wanted to be there when the riot broke out on July 4 – some 400 rainbows surrounded Forest Service personnel who were trying to arrest a marijuana user.
After tasers and rubber bullets, well, somehow the USFS folks got away safely.
Yeah, it was a lot more fun at the lake. The folks there were not quite as scantily clad as the Rainbows. The water was just 61 degrees. And assumably the scene at the lake was much more wholesome.
* * *
We looked at a hybrid car recently and discovered something quite unusual. This car got better mileage in town and than it did on the open road. The mpg in town was 26 and on the road was 24.
How could this be?
The salesman pointed out that the stop-and-go driving actually lets the car recharge its battery system and it switches back and forth from battery and gas engine. Yes, it actually got better mileage in town than on the road.
Had not heard about this phenomenon before and perhaps it does not occur in all hybrids but it did in this small SUV.
Tom Laycock of Cheyenne says his Prius behaves the same way.
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While pouring $100 of gasoline into my big SUV, I saw a big old motor home come lumbering into the station.
While wandering over to pick up a windshield brush, I asked the motor home owner if the prices for motor homes had come down? Oh yes, he replied, It’s because of fuel stops like this one!
He said that they loved theirs and really did not mind the high prices since most of their trips were here in Wyoming. “We take our home with us so it is not so expensive,” he said.
That reminded of an expression being used in some tourism campaigns. It is called “Stay-cations,” which, of course, describes taking just local trips.
Clay James ran the Grand Teton Lodge Company for decades and recently retired. He and wife Shay just bought a 31-foot motor home. He says he spent his adult life working in the summer and this year they are going to see Wyoming. Sounds like several “stay-cations,” are on tap for them.
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One of the best-loved newspaper columnists in the country was the late Erma Bombeck. Here is one of my favorite Bombeck bombasts:
“In a recurring dream, I am asked to give an accounting of my life to a higher court, it goes like this:
“`’So, empty your pockets. What have you got left of your life? Any dreams unfulfilled? Any unused talent that we gave you when you were born that you still have left? Any unsaid compliments or bits of love that you haven`t spread around?
"I will answer, `I`ve nothing to return. I spent everything you gave me. I`m as naked as the day I was born.`"
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